DATE: August 9, 2016
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Mike Elliott, Interim Chief Probation Officer
SUBJECT: Retroactive Grant Application to the State of California, Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, for Victim Witness Assistance Program funds to support the James Rowland Crime Victim Assistance Center.
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Retroactively authorize the Interim Chief Probation Officer’s previous submittal of a grant application to the State of California, Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) for continuation of the Fresno County’s Crime Victim Assistance Center ($956,064); and
2. Approve and authorize the Chairman to execute a retroactive Grant Award Face Sheet, which includes the Certification of Authority to execute the Agreement and Certification of Assurance of Compliance for the period of July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2017 ($956,064).
REPORT
There is no additional Net County Cost associated with these actions. To meet grant filling deadline, the grant application was submitted contingent upon your Board’s approval. The application will provide partial funding for the Fresno James Rowland Crime Assistance Center (CVAC), which the Probation Department has operated for crime victims and witnesses in Fresno County since 1980. The CVAC program is being modified under the proposed grant for FY 2016-17 to delete one Victim Witness Advocate position and add contracted elder abuse services. If the grant application is approved, staff will return to your Board with a salary resolution to eliminate the Victim Witness Advocate position.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
If the recommended actions are not approved, the grant application will be withdrawn. This will result in a significant reduction of services provided by the CVAC.
RETROACTIVE AGREEMENT:
The Cal OES request for grant application was published on May 4, 2016 with a filing deadline of June 3, 2016. In order to meet the filing deadline, the application was previously submitted to Cal OES contingent upon your Board’s approval and is being brought to your Board at the first available Board date. Once the Grant Award Face Sheet is executed by the Chairman and Cal OES, the application documents become the final Agreement between the County and Cal OES.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no additional Net County Cost associated with these actions, which will allow for the continued grant funding of the CVAC in the amount of $956,064 for the period of July 1, 2016, to June 30, 2017. The FY 2016-17 total budget for the CVAC is $1,139,777 and is funded with $956,064 Cal-OES funds, a $14,000 donation from the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla, and $169,713 in Net County Cost. Appropriations and estimated revenues for this program are included in the FY 2016-17 adopted budget for Probation Grant Org 3432. Probation does not charge the grant for indirect costs. If grant funding for this program is discontinued, related positions will be eliminated.
DISCUSSION:
The Probation Department has operated the Crime Victim Assistance Center (CVAC) in Fresno County since 1980. Services include crisis intervention; emergency assistance; resources, referral and follow-up counseling; assistance with filing for victim compensation claims; orientation to the criminal justice system; and court assistance including preparation and support of victims, including writing victim impact statements for the Court.
The grant application submitted by the County for FY 2016-17 modifies the existing CVAC program by adding specialized contracted Elder Abuse Services for seniors to support transition care to identified victims and prevent and reduce further risk of abuse in the elder’s lives. Contracted services will include transitional programs such as counseling, advocacy, mediation, Restorative Justice, and referrals to legal services by a community organization trained in these specialized needs for senior citizens. The proposed grant will also continue to partially fund a Probation Services Manager, two Senior Victim Witness Advocates and eight Victim Witness Advocates (reduction of one advocate from FY 2015-16), and for 85% of a Program Technician position. In addition, the CVAC program has one Office Assistant that is funded with Net County Cost.
If approved by your Board, the second recommended action authorizes the Chairman to execute the application/agreement by signing the Grant Award Face Sheet which certifies that the Chairman has the authority and approval to enter into the Cal OES grant award agreement; and that all funds received in accordance to the Cal OES agreement will be spent exclusively on the purposes specified. The Grant Award Face Sheet also states the County agrees to administer the project in accordance with the Grant Award, all applicable state and federal laws, audit requirements, federal program guidelines and Cal OES policy and program guidelines. The County further agrees that the allocation of funds to the County is contingent on the enactment of the State Budget.
The second recommended action also includes the Certification of Assurance of Compliance which, in addition to certifications listed in Administration Policy #47, certifies that County will: (1) comply with the Grant Recipient Handbook and the terms of the Grant Agreement, (2) ensure the project is in compliance with CEQA requirements, (3) provide necessary matching funds, (4) accept responsibility for liability arising out of performance of the grant award agreement, (5) agree that funds shall not be used to supplant expenditures controlled by the County’s Board of Supervisors, and (6) administer the grant in accordance with the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA), the VOCA Guidelines, and the Office of Justice Programs Financial Guide.
If Cal OES approves the County’s submitted grant application for the Victim Witness Assistance Program, Cal OES will send its proposed agreement, including the Grant Award Face Sheet, and Certificate of Assurance of Compliance, to the County for the Chairman’s execution and return to Cal OES.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #9, March 1, 2016
BAI # 52, September 22, 2015
BAI # 30, March 10, 2015
BAI # 16, September 9, 2014
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
On file with Clerk -Application/Agreement with Cal OES
CAO ANALYST:
Samantha Buck