DATE: August 5, 2025
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Kirk Haynes, Chief Probation Officer
SUBJECT: Probation Cal OES Grant Applications/Agreements
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Approve and authorize the Chief Probation Officer, or his designee, as the Authorized Agent authorized to enter into a Grant Subaward and execute a Grant Application/Agreement with California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) for the Unserved/Underserved Victim Advocacy and Outreach (UV) Program, including any amendments, modifications, and extensions and the required Authorization for the Grant Subaward Certification of Assurance of Compliance, the Federal Fund Grant Subaward Assurance, and all other required assurances and certifications for the period of January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2026;
2. Approve and authorize the Chief Probation Officer, or his designee, as the Authorized Agent authorized to enter into a Grant Subaward and execute a Grant Application/Agreement with Cal OES for the Probation Specialized Units (PU) Program, including any amendments, modifications, and extensions, and the required Authorization for the Grant Subaward Certification of Assurance of Compliance, the Federal Fund Grant Subaward Assurance, and all other required assurances and certifications for the period of October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026; and
3. Approve and authorize the Chief Probation Officer, or his designee, as the Authorized Agent authorized to enter into a Grant Subaward and execute a Grant Application/Agreement with Cal OES for the Victim Witness Assistance (VW) Program, including any amendments, modifications, and extensions, and the required Authorization for the Grant Subaward Certification of Assurance of Compliance, the Federal Fund Grant Subaward Assurance, and all other required assurances and certifications for the period of October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026.
REPORT
There is no additional Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. The Probation Department is requesting your Board to authorize the Chief Probation Officer or his designee as the Authorized Agent to execute these grant agreements and assurances, including any amendments, modifications, and extensions. These grant applications provide funding for the Fresno County James Rowland Crime Victim Assistance Center (CVAC), which the Department has operated for crime victims and witnesses in Fresno County since 1975. Should the grants be awarded, once the grant agreement is executed by the Chief Probation Officer and Cal OES, the application documents become the final agreement between the County and Cal OES. Once all of the grants are awarded, the Department will bring an item back to your Board to inform the Board of the amounts of the grant awards. The amount of funding for each of the grants is not yet known. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
If the recommended actions are not approved, the Probation Department would not be able to submit grant applications for the 2025-26 Cal OES VW and PU grants and the 2026 UV grant. The Chairman would be required to create an account, provide access to Probation employees, and submit the grant applications through the Grants Central System (GCS) utilized by Cal OES. Lack of Department access to the GCS would result in an inability to submit the grant applications in a timely manner. This would result in the elimination or reduction of: services provided by the James Rowland Crime Victim Assistance Center (CVAC) for crime victims and witnesses and intense monitoring of offenders and providing referrals; support services and counseling to the victims through the Violent Offender Intensive Supervision Endeavor (VOISE) program; and deletion of funded positions, unless an alternative funding source is identified.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. Should the 2025-26 grants be awarded, sufficient appropriations and revenues are included in Probation’s Org 3432 FY 2025-26 Recommended Budget for these programs, based on anticipated award.
DISCUSSION:
On July 15, 2024, the Cal OES GCS became open and available to grant applicants. Cal OES advised the Department that paper grant applications would no longer be accepted for any Cal OES grant opportunities. Cal OES also advised that the Official Designee, as identified in the current agreements for the Probation Cal OES grant programs, would have to register in GCS, provide system access to Probation staff, and submit the grant applications/agreements for Cal OES grant opportunities. The Chairman is the Official Designee listed on all Probation Cal OES grant agreements. Cal OES advised the Department that the governing board could alternatively authorize another individual as the designated official. Once such authorization is received by Cal OES, the newly designated official would then be able to register in GCS, provide staff with access, and execute and submit grant applications/agreements. Cal OES requires the County to obtain written authorization from its governing board, i.e., the Board of Supervisors, that the official executing the agreement and related documents is authorized to do so.
On August 6, 2024, the Board adopted a resolution designating the Chief Probation Officer, or, his designee, as the Official Designee, authorized to execute all Probation documents for the 2023-2024 California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) grants, including the application, agreement, required Authorization for the Grant Subaward Certification of Assurance of Compliance, the Federal Fund Grant Subaward Assurance, and all other required assurances and certifications. The Board also approved and authorized the Chief Probation Officer, or his designee, to execute the UV 2025, PU 2024-2025, and VW 2024-2025 grant applications/agreements with Cal OES, including any amendments, extensions, and the required authorizations, assurances, and certifications.
On September 12, 2024, the PU grant application was submitted by the Chief Probation Officer or his designee. On October 9, 2024, the agreement was executed by Cal OES. The PU Grant VOISE program funds the salaries of one full-time Victim-Witness Advocate (VWA) and one full-time Deputy Probation Officer (DPO). The DPO position provides intense supervision for high-risk offenders who are on probation for domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence and/or stalking. The VWA position collaborates with the DPO to meet the needs and concerns of victims of offenders enrolled in the VOISE program. On September 27, 2024, the VW grant was submitted by the Chief Probation Officer or his designee. On October 24, 2024, the agreement was executed by Cal OES. The VW Grant funds one Assistant Deputy Chief Probation Officer, three Senior Victim-Witness Advocates (Sr. VWAs), ten VWAs, one Program Technician, one Office Assistant, and two Student Worker positions, on a full-time basis, at Probation’s CVAC in three different locations. They provide support and assistance to victims of crime, such as crisis intervention and counseling, emergency assistance and referrals, orientation to the criminal justice system, court and parole hearing support, assistance writing victim impact statements for the Court, criminal case status and disposition, employer and creditor intervention, assistance filing for financial help from the California Victim Compensation Program, and provide information and referrals regarding protective and restraining orders. On October 30, 2024, the UV grant application was submitted by the Chief Probation Officer or his designee. On December 26, 2024, the agreement was executed by Cal OES. The UV Grant funds two full-time VWAs. These positions reach elderly and dependent adult victims of crime and assist them in coping with the impacts of the criminal acts perpetrated against them, improve identification of elderly and dependent adult victims, increase community awareness of victims’ right and available services, and establish connections between the CVAC and Fresno County’s rural communities and cultural groups.
The amount of funding for each of the grants is not yet known. Once the Cal OES awards funds to the Department, the Department will bring an item back to the Board informing the Board of the grant award amounts for these grants. If the anticipated funding for the 2025-26 grant cycles is awarded, Probation would use its allocation to continue to fund these twenty-two positions.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI # 51, August 6, 2024
CAO ANALYST:
Fine Nai