DATE: September 26, 2017
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Rick Chavez, Chief Probation Officer
SUBJECT: Retroactive Grant Application for Intensive Probation Supervision of High-Risk Felony and Repeat DUI Offenders and Grant Agreement with the Office of Traffic Safety
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Retroactively authorize the Chief Probation Officer’s previous submittal of a grant application for California Office of Traffic Safety’s (OTS) Intensive Probation Supervision of High-Risk Felony and Repeat DUI Offenders Program to fund Probation’s Repeat DUI caseload positions for the period of October 1, 2017 through September 30, 2018; and
2. Approve and authorize the Chairman to execute a grant agreement with California Office of Traffic Safety (Grant Number AL18011) to provide Intensive Probation Supervision for High Risk Felony and Repeat DUI Offenders for the period of October 1, 2017 through September 30, 2018 ($385,506).
REPORT
There is no additional Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) High-Risk Felony and Repeat DUI Offenders (Repeat DUI) funding allows for continuation of the Probation Department’s Repeat DUI program, originally funded by OTS in 2006.
It should be noted that OTS published a request for applications for Federal FY 2017-18 on December 5, 2016. To meet the grant application deadline of January 30, 2017, the Department submitted the application on January 30, 2017 contingent on your Board’s approval. OTS sent tentative approval of funding on June 1, 2017, and the final recommended agreement on August 18, 2017.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
If the recommended actions are not approved, the grant agreement will be returned to OTS. The loss of this grant will result in the elimination of two Deputy Probation Officer positions and a Probation Technician position; therefore, high-risk felony and Repeat DUI offenders would not receive the intensive supervision currently provided.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no additional Net County Cost or match requirement associated with the recommended actions. The grant will pay direct costs, not to exceed $385,506, to operate the Repeat DUI program for the period of October 1, 2017 through September 30, 2018. Appropriations and estimated revenues for this grant have been included in the Adopted FY 2017-18 Probation Grants Org 3432 budget. No indirect costs were included in the grant. Based on the Probation Department’s current indirect rate of 25.96% of salaries and benefits, the indirect costs associated with this grant are $96,773. Probation’s indirect costs have been included in the Probation Department’s FY 2017-18 Org 3430 Adopted Budget and funded by Net County Cost.
DISCUSSION:
In 2006, the Probation Department began receiving funds for this grant program to make Fresno County streets safer by reducing the number of repeat drunk driving offenders. At that time it was titled “Preventing Repeat Impaired Driving Effectively” (PRIDE). In 2010, OTS retitled the program to “Intensive Probation Supervision of High-Risk Felony and Repeat DUI Offenders (Repeat DUI). This grant was administered through a Memorandum of Agreement with San Diego County. Effective October 1, 2011, the California Department of Traffic Safety began granting funds directly to participating counties. Fresno County has applied for and received Repeat DUI grant funds since FY 2011-12.
The Repeat DUI grant funds two Deputy Probation Officer positions (DPOs) and a Program Technician position. Currently the two grant-funded DPOs provide intensive supervision to approximately 200 felony repeat and/or drug-involved DUI offenders. The offenders on these caseloads are considered to be the most dangerous to our community. The DPOs assigned to these offenders oversee compliance with Court Orders, administer evidence based risk assessments, develop and manage case plans, conduct home searches and warrant operations, assist in surveillance efforts targeting unlicensed drivers on felony DUI probation, administer on-the-spot alcohol testing, and assist in sobriety checkpoints in Fresno County. The grant also funds one Probation Technician position to perform all non-peace officer duties required to maintain these two Repeat DUI caseloads, including working in collaboration with other law enforcement agencies within Fresno County. The Repeat DUI program is a component of a comprehensive countywide approach to decreasing the number of DUI collisions by keeping these dangerous drivers off the roadways.
In addition to the standard State and Federal certifications included in the Board of Supervisors’ Administrative Policy No. 47, the grant also requires that the Grantee Agency will comply with the Hatch Act, a Federal law restricting the partisan political activities of employees “whose principal employment activities are funded in whole or in part with Federal Funds.”
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI # 40, September 27, 2016
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
On file with Clerk - Agreement with OTS
CAO ANALYST:
Samantha Buck