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The Golden Rain Foundation, which runs Leisure World, is seeking reimbursement for vaccinations provided during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The City Council on Jan. 27 voted unanimously for the city government to act as an intermediary for GRF’s application for FEMA reimbursement.
At the same time, the council authorized Interim City Manager Patrick Gallegos to execute any required documents to help get GRF reimbursed for costs from the emergency vaccinations.
This was a Consent Calendar item, but was pulled for separate consideration.
Background
“The Golden Rain Foundation (GRF) is a non-profit mutual benefit corporation managing the Leisure World senior residential community in Seal Beach,” according to the staff report by SBPD Emergency Services Coordinator/Sgt. Brian Gray.
“From 2021 to 2023 GRF expended $91,553.20 to administer COVID-19 vaccinations and associated services. The GRF’s efforts were crucial in mitigating COVID-19 risks among Leisure World’s elderly residents, a vulnerable population including many low-income seniors. Due to complex delays and misdirection in initial reimbursement requests submitted to Orange County and the State of California, GRF was unable to meet the initial reimbursement deadlines of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA),” Gray wrote.
“This agreement allows the City of Seal Beach to formally recognize GRF’s contributions and to act as an eligible intermediary to submit a retroactive reimbursement request to FEMA on GRF’s behalf. This request is permitted under the federal Stafford Act and a FEMA memorandum dated December 19, 2022, which authorizes retroactive agreements when local agencies support public health emergency services within federal, state, and local jurisdictions. GRF’s services and expenditures align with FEMA’s guidelines for emergency protective measures, allowing the City to validate these past efforts and seek potential reimbursement for GRF,” Gray wrote.
Council comments
District Five Councilman Nathan Steele pulled this item from the Consent Calendar. When it came time to discuss the contract to seek FEMA reimbursement for the Golden Rain Foundation, Interim City Manager Patrick Gallegos said staff would be happy to answer any questions or provide a brief summary report.
Steele said shortly after he was sworn into the council, he was contacted by an individual from the GRF. They had a problem.
“Leisure World was vaccinating uh our residents in January of 2020 I’m going to say; one
one of the first areas to get the vaccination. We’re an old community and so we kind of had a priority status in the line,” Steele said.
According to Steele, the drug company contacted Leisure World and offered to vaccinate the residents.
“They did it, I think, two weekends or three weekends and they did like 9,000 or I don’t know how many thousand people but they the we got vaccinated very early in that process and I was one of those people,” Steele said.
(The Golden Rain Foundation website puts the population of Leisure World at more than 9,500 residents or more than one-third the population of Seal Beach.)
However, Steele said Leisure World assumed they would be reimbursed by the drug company for the payroll and expenses associated with the vaccination program.
“The drug company said we had to get through FEMA. Well, we didn’t have the status to get it through FEMA,” Steele said.
According to Steele, Golden Rain was trying every way possible to get reimburse. “So they asked me to take it to our famous Police Department,” Steele said.
Steele asked Sgt. Gray to stand up. Gray stood.
“He took this bull by the horn,” Steele said.
“the challenge was to to get this project approved by FEMA post facto and tonight what this measure is doing is we are giving our city’s stamp of approval so that now Leisure
World can go to FEMA and submit the expenses and get reimbursed,” Steele said.
“We’re still not at the finish line, were’ still not reimbursed, but I want to thank you very much,” Steele said.
According to Gray, it was actually a collaborative effort between Steele, the legal department, Police Chief Michael Henderson.
“Just a small example of how this city works for the people who live here. Absolutely outstanding,” Steele said. “A I want recognize you and PD and everybody else who needs recognition on this for a job well done.”
The audience applauded.
