DATE: September 23, 2025
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Susan Holt, Director, Department of Behavioral Health
SUBJECT: Retroactive Agreement with Tulare County Superintendent of Schools
to Receive Friday Night Live Funding
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Under Administrative Policy No. 34 for competitive bids or requests for proposals (AP 34), determine that an exception to the competitive bidding requirement under AP 34 is satisfied and a suspension of competition is warranted due to unusual or extraordinary circumstances, and that the best interests of the County would be served by entering into an agreement with the Tulare County Superintendent of Schools as the sole vendor identified by Department of Health Care Services to issue funding for the Friday Night Live program; and
2. Approve and authorize the Chairman to execute a retroactive Agreement with Tulare County Superintendent of Schools to receive Friday Night Live funding, effective July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2027, total not to exceed $92,000.
REPORT
There is no additional Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. Approval of the recommended actions will allow the Department of Behavioral Health (Department) to receive Friday Night Live (FNL) program funding from the Tulare County Superintendent of Schools on behalf of the County of Fresno. The FNL Program is part of the current Fresno County Strategic Prevention Plan (SPP) for FY 2021-26 and is currently contracted and provided by Youth Leadership Institute (YLI). This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
Should your Board not approve the recommended actions, the Department will not receive set-aside funding for the FNL program and would need to use alternative funding for the program.
SUSPENSION OF COMPETITION/SOLE SOURCE CONTRACT:
It is requested that the County find under AP No. 34 that an exception to the competitive bidding requirement is satisfied, and a suspension of competition is warranted due to unusual or extraordinary circumstances, as the Tulare Superintendent of Schools is a local governmental agency and the only provider allowed by the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to issue funds for the FNL program. As of July 2022, DHCS made the decision to funnel FNL funds through the California Friday Night Live Partnership (CFNLP) which is overseen by Tulare County Superintendent of Schools and requires counties to contract with them to receive the set-aside funds. The General Services Department - Purchasing concurs with the Department’s assessment that this satisfies the exception to the competitive bidding process required by AP 34.
RETROACTIVE AGREEMENT:
The recommended agreement was received on June 3, 2025 from Karla Doyer, Tulare County Superintendent of Schools and is retroactive to July 1, 2025. Subsequent internal and external reviews of the agreement caused further delays and was brought to your Board at the earliest possible date due to these reviews and following board review deadlines.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. The recommended actions will allow the Department to receive Substance Use Prevention, Treatment and Recovery Services Block Grant (SUBG) funds for the FNL program for FY 2025-2026 and FY 2026-2027 not exceeding $92,000. Sufficient appropriations and estimated revenues are included in the Department of Behavioral Health’s Org 5630 FY 2025-26 Adopted Budget and will be included in future budget requests for the remainder of the term.
DISCUSSION:
On July 13, 2021, the Board approved agreement No. 21-270 with YLI to provide substance use disorder primary prevention services for youth and young adults ages 10-20. The FNL program was one of the identified services.
On October 27, 2022, DHCS released Information Notice 22-057 informing counties that the CFNLP overseen by Tulare Superintendent of Schools will administer the annual funding for the FNL program beginning in State FY 2022-23. For participating counties to receive FNL funding, counties must contract with Tulare Superintendent of Schools as they oversee CFNLP.
On October 24, 2023, the Board approved agreement 23-574 with Tulare Superintendent of Schools to allow the Department to receive Friday Night Live program funding from Tulare Superintendent of Schools on behalf of the County of Fresno.
On January 28, 2025, the Board approved agreement 23-025 with Tulare Superintendent of Schools to allow the Department to receive Friday Night Live program funding from Tulare Superintendent of Schools on behalf of the County of Fresno.
Approval of the recommended agreement will allow Fresno County to continue to receive FNL funding for FY 2025-26 in alignment with the current Fresno County SPP and the executed agreement with YLI. The FNL program supports and engages young leaders in school settings to undertake projects that prevent alcohol and other drug use and promote community health.
The recommended agreement differs from the County’s standard boilerplate. It contains mutual indemnification provision and allows either party to terminate the agreement without cause by giving 30 calendar days advance written notice.
OTHER REVIEWING AGENCIES:
The Fresno County Behavioral Health Board was notified of the recommended Agreement at their September 2025 meeting.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #35, January 28, 2025
BAI #33, October 24, 2023
BAI #9, July 13, 2021
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
Sole Source Acquisition Request
On file with Clerk - Agreement with TCSS
CAO ANALYST:
Ronald Alexander