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District Attorney recommending the Board consider the following:
1) Approve and authorize the acceptance of a grant award in the amount of $270,060 from the California's Governor's Office of Emergency Services for the Violence Against Women Vertical Prosecution Program for the period of July 1, 2018 - June 30, 2019;
2) Approve and authorize the Chair to sign the Certification of Assurance of Compliance Violence Against Women Act;
3) Authorize the District Attorney to execute the Grant Award Agreement and required documents, including any extensions or amendments thereof which do not increase the net county costs;
4) Approve and authorize the Chair to sign a budget transfer increasing revenue and expense appropriations;
5) Adopt and authorize the Chair to sign Personnel Allocation Resolution 222-2018, thereby amending the current authorized personnel allocation to increase the Deputy District Attorney allocation by 1.0 Limited-Term full time equivalent for the period of October 16, 2018 - June 30, 2021, or as long as the funding lasts; and
6) Approve and authorize the Purchasing Agent to execute Agreement 3370, in the amount of $73,200 annually, with the Center for Violence Free Relationships to provide one full-time Victim Advocate to the grant program.
FUNDING: California Governor's Office of Emergency Services Violence Against Women Act Services*Training*Officers*Prosecutors Formula Grant Program Funds.
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DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
On June 21, 2018, the District Attorney's Office submitted a proposal to a competitive grant opportunity, the Violence Against Women Vertical Prosecution (VW) Program, administered by the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES). The purpose of the Violence Against Women Vertical Prosecution Program is vertically prosecute violent crimes against women. On August 30, 2018, the District Attorney's Office received notification we had been selected for funding.
The Plan for the Adult Sexual Assault/Aggravated Domestic Violence Project is to fund one Deputy District Attorney (limited-term), one Victim Advocate through a contract with the Center for Violence Free Relationships using the grant award and assign an District Attorney Investigator to the project on a part-time basis to meet the cash match requirement.
The Objective of this Project is to improve the prosecution of Adult Sexual Assault and Aggravated Domestic Violence crimes by creating a team with a reduced caseload that can expeditiously conclude cases, reduce victim trauma and enhance our services to victims.
Current legislation indicates the program funding will run for a 3-year cycle. As a result, the District Attorney is requesting to add a Limited-Term Deputy District Attorney for this program.
The Cal OES Budget Policy outlined in the Agency's Subrecipient Handbook (SRH 1330) states grant funds must be used to supplement existing funds for Program activities and not replace funds appropriated for the same purpose. In order to provide the services required under this grant program, the District Attorney is requesting the Board approve the request to amend the current authorized personnel allocation to add a Limited-Term Deputy District Attorney and approve the request authorizing the Purchasing Agent to execute Agreement No. 3370 with the Center for Violence Free Relationships.
ALTERNATIVES
Should the Board decline to accept the funding, the County would be ineligible to participate in the program.
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
N/A
CAO RECOMMENDATION / COMMENTS
Approve as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There is no Net County Cost associated with this award. The total project award of $270,060 carries with it a match burden of $67,515. The grant proposal submitted identified using a District Attorney Investigator to fulfill the match requirement. In the event the combination of these services were not sufficient to fulfill the match requirements, the County would be responsible for the difference.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
Clerk of the Board to:
1) Obtain the Board Chair's signature on two Certification of Assurance of Compliance Violence Against Women Act forms and return one certified copy to the Chief Administrative Office, Central Fiscal Unit, Attention: Megan Arevalo; and
2) Obtain the Board Chair's signature on two Certified Resolutions and return one Resolution to Human Resources, Attn: Michael Reddin.
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
Public Safety
CONTACT
Vern Pierson, District Attorney