DATE: August 9, 2016
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Michael L. Elliott, Interim Chief Probation Officer
SUBJECT: Retroactive revenue Agreement with Fresno County Superintendent of Schools for a County position at Violet Heintz Education Academy - Day Reporting Center
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Approve and authorize Chairman to execute a retroactive revenue Agreement with the Fresno County Superintendent of Schools for funding of one Deputy Probation Officer position at the Violet Heintz Education Academy - Day Reporting Center from July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2017 ($124,945).
REPORT
There is no additional Net County Cost associated with the recommended action. Fresno County Superintendent of Schools (FCSS) will provide a total of $124,945 in funding toward the Deputy Probation Officer (DPO) position. The remaining direct costs for this position will be paid for with Juvenile Justice Crime Prevention Act (JJCPA) funds. The existing program at the Violet Heintz Education Academy - Day Reporting Center (VHEA-DRC) consists of a collaborative effort between the Probation Department and FCSS. The Probation Department participates in the decision-making and delivery of services for this program with the objective to continue to provide transitional assistance to youth returning to the community from an institutional setting. Due to the collaborative nature of this Agreement, the Department recommends your Board deviate from County policy requiring full cost recovery (including indirect costs). This practice is consistently applied to similar Agreements with other schools.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
There is no viable alternative action. If your Board does not approve the recommended action, the Probation Department would likely be required to discontinue providing services to the VHEA due to the loss of funding.
RETROACTIVE AGREEMENT:
The Probation Department has been in discussions with FCSS regarding the continuation of probation services being provided by an on-site DPO assigned to the VHEA-DRC. Once the contract was finalized, it was approved by Fresno County Office of Education’s Legal and Business Departments on July 1, 2016. The next available Board of Supervisors meeting date, within the established deadlines is August 9, 2016.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no additional Net County Cost associated with the recommended action. The total cost for the DPO is $136,945 and includes $124,945 in salary and benefits and $12,000 in estimated services and supplies, which includes vehicle and radio costs. FCSS will provide a total of $124,945 towards the costs and the remaining $12,000 will be funded with JJCPA funds. The Probation Department’s current indirect rate of 25.96% of salary and benefits is $32,436. In the previous Agreement, FCSS’s portion of the cost for the indirect rate was not included and Probation recommends that this continue due to the collaborative nature of the Agreement in providing transitional services to youth on probation and attending the Violet Heintz Education Academy - Day Reporting Center. The portion of the indirect that can be funded with JJCPA funds is limited to 0.5% ($60 per funding requirements). Therefore, the Net County Cost for indirect is $32,376, which is a decrease of $29,601 from last year due to salary and benefits. Appropriations, estimated revenue, and Probation indirect cost for this position is included in Probation’s FY 2016-17 Adopted Budget Org 3430.
DISCUSSION:
The Fresno County Superintendent of Schools has been providing funding for DPO positions for the last seventeen years, first through grant funding and now through school funding. In the past they provided funding for two DPOs, but due to budgetary constraints, will only be funding one DPO this year. The agreement for school year 2015-16, approved by your Board on July 14, 2015, expired on June 30, 2016.
The recommended action will approve a one-year agreement to fund one DPO position. The program emphasizes education, career development, community involvement, and service. Probation staff provides supervision, electronic monitoring, and case management for the Day Reporting Center program.
The Agreement with the FCSS differs from the County's model contract in that it contains a mutual hold harmless clause. This has the effect of making each party responsible for losses arising from their own negligent acts.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI # 46 - July 14, 2015
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
On file with Clerk - Agreement with FCSS
CAO ANALYST:
Samantha Buck