MOTION-- Throughout 2020 and into 2021, the city went to extraordinary lengths to provide COVID testing to notify people when they were infected and slow or stop the spread of COVID-19throughout the region. The city operated both small regional testing locations, as well as mass testing sites such as the one at Dodger Stadium. After COVID vaccines were widely available, the city then converted those testing locations into mass vaccination sites. All of these efforts were initially at the city's expense, with the expectation that those expenses would be eligible for reimbursement by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMAJ.
As a result of the transition between fiscal years, there are several invoices to vendors and service providers that remain unpaid and require the city to make the initial payment spending reimbursement by FEMA. To-date, nearly $46 million in invoices are outstanding and need to be paid. A reserve fund loan to cover these expenses and is expected to be100% recovered in the form of reimbursements from FEMA.
I THEREFORE MOVE that the Council authorize the Controller to appropriate $46 million from the Reserve Fund No. 101, to the Unappropriated Balance Fund No. 100/58, and appropriate therefrom to the General City Purposes Fund No. 100/56 Account No. 000955,COVID-19 Emergency Response to pay for unpaid COVID-related expenses/invoices associated with the operation of COVID-19 testing and vaccination sites, with said amount to be fully reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.