DATE: March 24, 2020
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: David Pomaville, Director, Department of Public Health
SUBJECT: Agreement with California Health Collaborative
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Make a finding that it is in the best interest of the County to waive the competitive bidding process consistent with Administrative Policy No. 34 for unusual or extraordinary circumstances for the solicitation of health education services for the Department of Public Health; and
2. Approve and authorize the Chairman to execute a sole source Agreement with California Health Collaborative to provide educational community meetings on the health impacts of vaping, tobacco, and marijuana use, and cessation resources, effective March 24, 2020 through March 23, 2021 ($150,000).
REPORT
Approval of the recommended actions will allow the Department of Public Health (Department) to enter into an agreement with California Health Collaborative (CHC) to lead community townhall meetings throughout the County to discuss the harmful effects and health impacts from using vaping devices, marijuana and tobacco use, and secondhand smoke, with no increase in Net County Cost. Due to the future funding reductions from the California Tobacco Control Program (CTCP) in FY 2020-21, the term of the recommended agreement is one year. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
Should your Board not approve the recommended actions, the Department would be unable to address the largescale need for educational townhall meetings throughout the community and continue to provide tobacco education and cessation activities through 2021 on smaller-scale.
SUSPENSION OF COMPETITION/SOLE SOURCE CONTRACT:
The Department’s request to waive the competitive bidding process is consistent with Administrative Policy No. 34 as CHC is the only vendor that provides marijuana education/prevention services in the county, and the only agency in Fresno County funded to conduct marijuana prevention/education activities to youth and young adults in the County. CHC has extensive experience conducting educational townhall meetings for the past several years throughout Fresno County for the marijuana prevention and prescription drug-abuse prevention programs they run. They are uniquely qualified because of their strong background in both tobacco and marijuana education and prevention, their experience in conducting successful townhall meetings in Fresno County, and the extensive network they have created in the local community as a result of these positive interactions. Based on this, a letter of interest was not necessary. The Internal Services Department - Purchasing concurs with the Department’s request to waive the competitive bidding process.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. The maximum compensation for the one-year term is $150,000 and is 100% funded with CTCP funds. Sufficient appropriations and estimated revenues are included in the Department’s Org 5620 FY 2019-20 Adopted Budget and will be included in FY 2020-21 Requested budget.
DISCUSSION:
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are battery-powered devices that deliver flavored nicotine to the user. E-cigarettes can also be used to deliver marijuana, and other drugs to the user. Using e-cigarettes is commonly referred to as “vaping”.
The Surgeon General has declared that vaping by youth has become an epidemic in our country. According to the CDC, from 2016-2018 vaping among California high school students rose 27%, and by 2018, 10.9% of California high school students reported using e-cigarettes and 14.7% reported using cannabis.
Findings from the 2017-18 California Student Tobacco Survey of Tobacco Use among High School Students in Fresno County showed:
• 29.2% of surveyed 10th & 12th grade high school students reported ever trying an e-cigarette;
• 79.7% of surveyed 10th and 12th grade tobacco users reported using a flavored tobacco product;
• 6.1% of surveyed 10th graders reported using e-cigarettes in the past 30-days; and,
• 10.5% of surveyed 12th graders reported using e-cigarettes in the past 30-days.
The Department’s Tobacco Prevention Program (TPP) provides tobacco education services to target populations on the harmful effects of tobacco use and secondhand smoke; focuses on community norm change strategies; and utilizing media and public relations to support and increase the effectiveness of tobacco control interventions in Fresno County through advertisements. TPP has received numerous requests from schools, parents, and community groups to conduct educational presentations on the health impacts of vaping and how to quit. If approved, the recommended agreement will allow CHC to organize and lead approximately 10 community townhall meetings in 10 different cities throughout the County with the goal to educate the community on the harmful effects of using vaping devices, marijuana secondhand smoke, health impacts of tobacco use, and provide cessation resources. Meetings are anticipated to reach approximately 400-700 youth and adults combined, with participants being recruited through local schools, community-based organizations, and parent groups.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #44, September 24, 2019
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
Sole Source Acquisition Request Form
On file with Clerk - Agreement with California Health Collaborative
CAO ANALYST:
Raul Guerra