DATE: March 5, 2024
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Sanja Bugay, Director, Department of Social Services
SUBJECT: Agreement with Marjaree Mason Center
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Approve and authorize the Chairman to execute an agreement with the Marjaree Mason Center, Inc., for the provision of Domestic Violence Shelter-Based Services funded through the County’s Domestic Violence Special Revenue Fund effective upon execution, not to exceed five consecutive years, including a three-year base contract with two optional one-year extensions; and
2. Accept the Marjaree Mason Center Annual Report for the period of October 1, 2022 through September 30, 2023.
REPORT
There is no additional Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. Approval of the recommended actions will allow the Department to disburse funds from the County’s Domestic Violence Special Revenue Fund (DVF) for qualified shelter-based domestic violence services in accordance with California Welfare and Institutions Code (W&IC) Section (§)18305, Penal Code (PC) §1203.097 and §1463.27(a), and accept the annual report from Marjaree Mason Center, Inc. (MMC) in accordance with W&IC §18300. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
There is no viable alternative. If your Board should decide not to approve the first recommended action, the County will be out of compliance with W&IC §18305, which requires the Board of Supervisors to direct the County Clerk to deposit a portion of each marriage license fee into the County’s DVF and disburse it to eligible domestic violence shelters in Fresno County. Should your Board not approve the second recommended action, the County would no longer be in compliance with W&IC § 13800.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. The recommended agreement will be fully funded through the DVF as collected for this purpose. There is no contract maximum. All funds are retained by the Department and must be disbursed, excluding 8% in administrative fees retained by the County per W&IC §18305. The administrative fee is used to cover the costs associated with the collection and disbursal of the monies in the DVF. All monies are collected and transferred from the DVF to the Department of Social Services, Org 5610. Sufficient appropriations and revenues are included in the FY 2023-24 Adopted Budget for the Department of Social Services, Org 5610, and will be included in subsequent budgets.
DISCUSSION:
As required by W&IC §18305, the County maintains the DVF for qualified domestic violence shelter-based programs. The County receives $23 from every marriage license fee collected, a portion of fees collected from domestic violence probationers, and a portion of fines levied against those convicted of domestic violence crimes to fund the DVF. The fees and fines are collected and deposited into the DVF.
The Department released a Request for Service Qualifications (RSFQ) on August 18, 2023 for shelter-based services in accordance with W&IC §18294. Responses were received from MMC, and Westside Family Preservation Services Network (WFPSN); both agencies met the funding requirements. WFPSN subsequently withdrew from the RFSQ on October 26, 2023 after recognizing that acceptance of the DVF could potentially disqualify them from continuing to receive their Continuum of Care funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
To be eligible for the DVF funds, W&IC §18294 requires that an agency provide services that include:
A. Shelter on a 24 hour a day, seven day a week basis;
B. A 24 hour a day, seven day a week telephone hotline for crisis calls;
C. Temporary housing and food facilities;
D. Psychological support and peer counseling provided in accordance with Section 1037.1 of the Evidence Code;
E. Referrals to existing services in the community;
F. A drop-in center that operates during normal business hours to assist victims of domestic violence who have a need for support services;
G. Arrangements for school age children to continue their education during their stay at the domestic violence shelter; and
H. Emergency transportation as feasible.
W&IC §18300 stipulates that any agency receiving funding prepare an annual report that details the total number of persons requesting services, the number of persons served based on the service they were provided, and a description of the social and economic characteristics of persons receiving services. The annual report covering the period of October 1, 2022 through September 30, 2023 is attached (Attachment 1).
Upon execution, funds accrued in the DVF from October 1, 2023, through March 4, 2024 will be disbursed to MMC as they remained the sole provider in Fresno County of shelter-based domestic violence services during that timeframe. Additional disbursements for funds accrued in the DVF will be disbursed quarterly, with the next disbursements on April 1, July 1, October 1, and January 1. Approval for this agreement will not preclude modification by the Department of Social Services should other parties become eligible for these funds.
During FY 2022-23, MMC provided services to 8,399 clients; 74% of all clients served were between the ages of 18-54 and 1,229 were provided shelter. MMC clients received 74,993 nights of emergency and longer-term safe shelter. Children accounted for 14% of total clients served and 47% of all sheltered clients; 41% of the children were between the ages of 0 to 5 years old.
The County’s District Attorney and Sheriff serve on the Board of Directors for MMC; therefore, any recommended agreements between the County and MMC are brought before your Board for authorization, pursuant to the Charter of the County of Fresno, Section 41. County Counsel has reviewed the recommended agreement and can approve as to legal form if your Board chooses to execute the agreement.
Upon approval by your Board, the recommended agreement will be effective upon execution through September 30, 2026, with two optional one-year renewal terms and with funds distributed from the first two quarters of the Federal Fiscal Year 2023-24 that are not yet allocated. Either party, upon providing 30-days advance written notice, may terminate the agreement without cause.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI # 70, September 22, 2020
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
On file with Clerk - Agreement with MMC
Attachment 1 - MMC 2022-2023 Annual Report
CAO ANALYST:
Ronald Alexander