DATE: July 7, 2020
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Margaret Mims, Sheriff-Coroner-Public Administrator
Kirk Haynes, Chief Probation Officer
SUBJECT: Retroactive Grant Agreement for Bureau of Justice Assistance Fiscal Year 2020 Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding Program
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Approve, ratify and authorize the Chairman to execute a retroactive grant award agreement and to initial the special condition pages of the agreement from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) for the BJA FY 2020 Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding Program, effective January 20, 2020 through January 31, 2022 ($252,969);
2. (a) Approve, authorize, and ratify the Sheriff’s previously submitted revised Budget Detailed Worksheet, revised Financial Capabilities Questionnaire, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities and Program Narrative to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) for the above grant award, and all acts taken by the Sheriff, or her designees, in connection therewith, and (b) approve, authorize and ratify the Sheriff’s resubmission of the revised Budget Detailed Worksheet and the revised Financial Capabilities Questionnaire and the Sheriff’s submission of the Disclosure of Lobbying Activities and Program Narrative to the DOJ for the above grant award; and
3. Approve and authorize the Sheriff, or her authorized representative to sign claims for reimbursement, notices, and other related documents consistent with the above grant award.
REPORT
There is no additional Net County Cost associated with these recommended actions, which will approve a retroactive agreement with the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), DOJ for funds to be utilized by justice agencies for Coronavirus related costs such as supplies and overtime provided costs which were not already budgeted for. The first recommended action approves the Chairman’s execution of the retroactive grant award agreement as well as the Chairman’s initialing of the special conditions pages. The second recommended action ratifies the prior submission of the revised Budget Detailed Worksheet, revised Financial Capabilities Questionnaire, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities and Program Narrative, all acts taken by the Sheriff, or her designees, in connection therewith, and these four previously submitted documents. The third recommended action authorizes the Sheriff to sign documents associated with this grant agreement. The Sheriff’s Office was notified on June 6, 2020, that the application was preliminarily accepted for funding.
It should be noted that once the Grant Award Face Sheet is executed by the Chairman and the DOJ, the award documents will become the final agreement between the County and the DOJ. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
If the recommended actions are not approved the grant award will be withdrawn.
RETROACTIVE AGREEMENT:
The recommended agreement was received from US DOJ on June 6, 2020 and is retroactive to January 20, 2020 and is being brought to your Board in accordance with the agenda item processing timelines.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no additional Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. Costs for services under this agreement are 100% funded by the Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding (CESF) Program grant. Sufficient appropriations and estimated revenues in the amount of $252,969 will be included in both Probation Department’s FY 2020-21 budget request for Org 3430 ($116,828) and Sheriff Office’s FY 2020-21 budget request for Org 31111019 ($136,141) and will be included in future budget requests. There is no match requirement associated with the program.
DISCUSSION:
The U.S. DOJ, OJP, BJA released a CESF Program Solicitation in late March to provide funding to assist eligible states, local units of government, and tribes in preventing, preparing for, and responding to the Coronavirus. Eligibility was limited to justice agencies identified as eligible for FY 2019 JAG funding.
On May 26, 2020, your Board approved and authorized the Sheriff’s Office and Probation Department to submit a grant application for the two-year term in the amount of $252,969. The Sheriff’s Office acting as the lead agency was notified on June 6, 2020, that the application was preliminarily accepted for funding.
DOJ required the Sheriff’s Office to revise and resubmit the two grant documents discussed herein and submit the two new grant documents discussed herein after the application was submitted on May 26, 2020 to complete the application process. The Budget Detailed Worksheet was revised to not include any acronyms and to identify what OASDI (i.e., Old Age, Survivor, and Disability Insurance) is and to move the requested funds from the non-federal section to the federal section. The Financial Capabilities Questionnaire was revised to correct block 12 on the form from “qualified opinion” to “unqualified opinion” to show that the County’s internal controls do not demonstrate any significant issues of concern. The application required the submission of two additional documents: the Disclosure of Lobbying Activities and Program Narrative. All of the above mentioned documents were submitted on June 2, 2020.
The departments propose utilizing the funds in the Sheriff’s Office in the amount of $136,141 and the Probation Department in the amount of $116,828. The District Attorney will not utilize these funds as all of their Coronavirus related expenses are being reimbursed through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding. The Sheriff’s Office proposed to utilize the funding for the following; $8,861 in estimated overtime in response to Coronavirus and $127,280 in supplies. Probation proposed to utilize the funding for the following: $86,828 in equipment for facility improvements including screenings and social distancing enhancements to meet State guidelines and $30,000 in supplies. Supplies for both departments include, but are not limited to: disinfecting/sanitizing wipes, hand sanitizers, disinfecting sprays, gallons of 99% alcohol, N95 masks, disposable surgical gowns, plastic face shields, disposable hair bonnets, biohazardous bags, sterilization/sanitization bags, forehead thermometers, safety glasses, power sprayers, batteries, buckets, step cans, and other items needed to respond to Coronavirus state guidelines.
The grant funds may not be utilized for items that are already included in the budget. In addition, the grant funds may not be utilized for items that will be reimbursed through CARES Act funding. Staff is working closely with the Auditor’s Office to ensure the expenses and associated funding sources are tracked accordingly.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #31, May 26, 2020
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
On file with Clerk - Agreement with USDOJ
On file with Clerk - Resubmitted application forms
CAO ANALYST:
Yussel Zalapa