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Health and Human Services Agency recommending the Board:
1) Adopt and authorize the Chair to sign Resolution 084-2020 delegating authority to the Health and Human Services Agency Director, on behalf of the County, to accept funding and execute all necessary documents required to secure and maintain Revenue Agreements from funding sources or granting agencies, as specified on Attachment A to the Resolution, that will be included in the Recommended Fiscal Year 2020-21 Budget, or as previously approved individually by the Board, in order to provide needed revenue for the operation of Health and Human Services Agency programs, and contingent upon approval by County Counsel and Risk Management, as applicable;
2) Delegate authority to the Health and Human Services Agency Director to execute, on behalf of the County, additional documents related to those funding/revenue agreements, grants, and allocations, that do not increase net County cost, and any amendments thereto, and contingent upon approval by County Counsel and Risk Management, as applicable; and
3) Approve and authorize the Health and Human Services Agency Director or Chief Fiscal Officer to execute any required fiscal and programmatic reports for said funding agreements and allocations.
FUNDING: Federal, State, Local, and City Funding sources.
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DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND:
Historically, many funding agreements, grants, and funding allocations are received late with short approval and processing deadlines from the granting agency causing a delay in accessing the funding and resulting in a reduced level of service or additional cost to other funding sources, including the General Fund, to sustain the program operation during the Board approval process. Also, if additional funds are added during the period of the funding/revenue agreement, an amendment is required before funds can be used. The amendments may occur toward the end of the funding period, resulting in an abbreviated period of time to approve the amendment and to expend the funds on services to our community prior to the end of the funding period.
The Board of Supervisors Policy A-6, Grant Applications, establishes the Board as the sole authority for accepting grant awards and approving grant agreements. In accordance with said Policy, HHSA has presented funding/revenue agreements, grants, and other funding allocations to the Board for approval.
HHSA currently has multiple funding agreements, grants, or other allocations from various funding sources that are the mainstay for the operation and/or support of multiple programs across the Agency. These Revenue Agreements have been previously accepted and approved by the Board of Supervisors. Since 2007, HHSA has processed an average of thirty revenue agreements each year, many of which are on-going funding and include renewals or amendments to prior year agreements. Attachment A to this resolution lists the known or anticipated Revenue Agreements. The list is intended to identify various funding sources/granting agencies that fund many of HHSA’s programs and not limit the signature authority delegation to a specific contract period or term. Approval of the resolution will help to ensure continuity of services currently provided to the residents of the County.
Beginning with Fiscal Year (FY) 2015-16, HHSA has submitted a Resolution to the Board for adoption that lists the existing (previously approved by the Board) funding grants, allocations and agreements and requests delegation of authority to the HHSA Director to execute the associated grants, allocations and agreements for a specified fiscal year. This process has increased the efficiency in processing associated agreements and documents, thereby decreasing the amount of time required to process funding documents. This increased efficiency allows impacted programs to begin providing services to the target population without undue delay, eliminating potential costs to other funding sources, including the General Fund, to sustain the program’s operation resulting from delays in approving such agreements or documents.
Examples of programs that receive funding under these Revenue Agreements include Home Energy Assistance, Home Weatherization, Immunization Program, Tobacco Control, Women, Infants and Children Program, Long-Term Care Ombudsman, Multipurpose Senior Service Program, Senior Day Care, Senior Nutrition, Senior Legal, Substance Abuse Disorders, and Behavioral Health Programs. Many of these programs provide critically important support or resources to the residents of El Dorado County.
Revenue Agreements are often received late (immediately before or after the start of the funding period) from the funding source, and in many cases, require a short approval timeline and return to the granting agency in order to avoid loss of funding. Program costs incurred before the Revenue Agreement (or amendment) is fully executed cannot be applied against the funding until after it has been approved and signed by both the Board and the granting agency. This ultimately impacts HHSA by shortening the period of time to charge allowable costs against the approved funding. This can result in a reduction to the amount of services provided to the community or an increase in General Fund or other funding source expenditures to support the cost to operate the program prior to the approval of the funding.
ALTERNATIVES:
Disapproval of the Resolution will mean that HHSA will continue to process Revenue Agreements, grants, and allocations and will then seek Board approval for each on an individual basis.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION:
1) 05/14/19, 19-0531, HHSA 2019-20 Signature Authority Del. Reso.
2) 05/08/18, 18-0612, HHSA 2018-2019 Signature authority delegation resolution
3) 05/16/17, 15-0412, HHSA Revenue Agreements Resolution, 2017
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
Approved by County Counsel
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board approve this item.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Approval of the Resolution will allow HHSA to continue to process funding, allocation and grant documents and any amendments thereto in a timely manner through June 30, 2021, contingent upon approval by County Counsel and Risk Management, as applicable. This will reduce delays and mitigate the potential loss of funding due to short approval and processing deadlines imposed by the funding entity. When Revenue Agreements (and/or amendments) are executed late, this:
1) delays receipt of funding and decreases the time available to expend the funds; and
2) prevents programs from expending all of the funds prior to the conclusion of the Revenue Agreement’s term.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
1) Clerk of the Board to obtain the Chair’s signature on one (1) original of the Resolution.
2) Clerk of the Board to return one (1) certified Resolution to Health and Human Services Agency, Contracts Unit, 3057 Briw Road.
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT:
N/A
CONTACT
Don Semon, Health and Human Services Agency Director