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Approve submission of a Bay Area Air Quality Management District Bay REPAIR (Bay Reinvesting Penalties for Air Improvement and Resilience) Local Community Benefits Fund Opportunity Grant application in the amount of $5,000,000 to provide energy efficiency upgrades for the Rise Vallejo Early Education and Community Resource Center, with First 5 Solano Children and Families Commission as lead applicant and Child Start, Inc. as co-applicant; and Authorize First 5 Solano staff to submit the application and related materials
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Published Notice Required? Yes ____ No _X _
Public Hearing Required? Yes ____ No _X _
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
The First 5 Solano Children and Families Commission recommends the Board of Supervisors:
1. Approve submission of a Bay Area Air Quality Management District Bay REPAIR (Bay Reinvesting Penalties for Air Improvement and Resilience) Local Community Benefits Fund Opportunity Grant application in the amount of $5,000,000 to provide energy efficiency upgrades for the Rise Vallejo Early Education and Community Resource Center, with First 5 Solano Children and Families Commission as lead applicant and Child Start, Inc. as co-applicant; and
2. Authorize First 5 Solano staff to submit the application and related materials.
SUMMARY:
First 5 Solano, in partnership with Child Start, Inc., seeks Board approval to submit a grant application to the Bay Area Air Quality Management District Bay REPAIR (Bay Reinvesting Penalties for Air Improvement and Resilience) Local Community Benefits Fund Opportunity Grant program. The application requests $5,000,000 over a 36-month term for the Rise Vallejo Early Education and Community Resource Center project at 1450 Coronel Avenue in Vallejo.
The project builds on the recently opened Rise Vallejo multi-agency early learning center and expands the site's capacity to serve children, families, and the surrounding South Vallejo community through clean energy infrastructure, indoor air quality improvements, and development of a green community resource center building.
The application will be submitted with First 5 Solano as lead applicant and Child Start, Inc. as co-applicant because First 5 Solano holds programmatic and fiscal leadership for the project, while Child Start owns the site and can implement the infrastructure and facility-related components. Technical coordination support will be provided from the Department of Resource Management.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no impact to the County General Fund associated with approval to submit the application. The requested $5,000,000 grant would be used only if awarded and accepted through the appropriate County processes. The proposal does not commit the County to any future expenditure beyond the application submission unless a grant award is accepted and implemented under applicable authority.
DISCUSSION:
Rise Vallejo Early Education and Community Resource Center opened on April 6, 2026 as a multi-agency early learning center serving up to 200 children through 18 classrooms operated by five licensed childcare providers. The center was created through a partnership of First 5 Solano, Child Start, Inc., and the Solano County Office of Education and was designed as a long-term community asset for early learning and family support.
The proposed grant would enhance the Center by making the campus more energy resilient, healthier for children, and more useful to the surrounding community. The application proposes a full-site solar buildout across the parking canopy, rooftops, and playground shade structures; battery storage sized to support critical loads and outages; H13 HEPA filtration in classrooms and shared spaces; four Level 2 EV charging stations; and funding toward a 4,000 square foot Phase 2 community resource center.
The Department of Resource Management would support the project by providing technical coordination and planning assistance related to clean energy infrastructure, electrification planning, and any necessary environmental or permitting coordination. This role is consistent with the Department's expertise and with Solano County's broader interest in advancing well-planned, resilient, and environmentally responsible projects. Resource Management staff time spent supporting grant deliverables will be reimbursed with grant award funding.
The grant's stated purposes align closely with the Bay REPAIR Local Community Benefits Fund, which is intended to support communities burdened by pollution and to advance health, resilience, and economic opportunity. The South Vallejo area surrounding Rise Vallejo is identified as a community facing elevated cumulative environmental burdens, including air quality impacts and related health challenges.
First 5 Solano has already demonstrated operational leadership at Rise Vallejo. This proposed grant submission is a continuation of that effort and a mechanism to bring additional outside resources to the community-serving site.
Approval to submit the application is necessary to meet the May 29, 2026 deadline identified in the grant. Staff is therefore requesting Board approval at this time so the application can be finalized and submitted on behalf of First 5 Solano and Child Start, Inc.
ALTERNATIVES:
The Board could choose not to approve submission of the grant application. This alternative is not recommended because it would prevent First 5 Solano from competing for a potentially significant funding source intended to support environmental health, resilience, and community benefit in South Vallejo.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
Child Start, Inc. is the proposed co-applicant and site owner for the Rise Vallejo campus. The Solano County Office of Education has been part of the broader Rise Vallejo partnership and remains a relevant stakeholder in the site's ongoing operations. The Department of Resource Management would provide technical coordination and planning support related to the project, including clean energy planning, electrification readiness, and coordination on environmental or permitting matters as needed.
In addition to the application by First 5 Solano, Health and Social Services, Public Health Division is planning on being the Co-Applicant in an application submitted by the Solano Transportation Authority primarily to expand the Safe Routes to School program. First 5 Solano, Public Health and Resource Management have been working together to ensure coordination among potential projects.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
APPROVE DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION