Title
District Attorney's Office recommending the Board:
1) Authorize the District Attorney to accept a non-competitive grant from the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) for the Unserved/Underserved Victim Advocacy and Outreach Program with a total project cost of $235,134, for the period of January 1, 2027, through December 31, 2027;
2) Adopt and authorize the Chair to sign Resolution 154-2026 designating the District Attorney, or his designee, as the Authorized Agent for the purposes of submitting, accepting, and executing award documents via the CalOES Grants Central System;
3) Approve and authorize the District Attorney, and/or his designee, to electronically agree to and accept the associated grant Certification(s) of Assurance of Compliance; and
4) Authorize the District Attorney, and/or his designee, to electronically submit the grant application and execute the Grant Award Agreement and required documents, including any extensions or amendments that do not increase Net County Cost, contingent upon review and approval by County Counsel.
FUNDING: California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services Victims of Crime Act (65%), State Victims of Crime General Funds (19%), and County General Fund (16%).
Body
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
The District Attorney has participated in the Unserved/Underserved Victim Advocacy and Outreach (UV) Program for five consecutive years. The purpose of the UV program is to increase access to culturally appropriate victim services for unserved/underserved victims/survivors of crime. These services include the enhancement of existing programs to commit staff time to specifically address the needs of the identified unserved/underserved victim/survivor population, hiring staff that reflect the identified population, training all staff on the cultural norms of the population, and increasing outreach efforts. On August 21, 2026, the office received a solicitation notice for participation in a non-competitive request for application for the program. The funding for the program is comprised of $196,906 in Federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) and State Victims of Crime General Funds (VCGF) for the Grant Subaward performance period beginning January 1, 2027 through December 2027, with an additional $38,228 required local match, for a total project amount of $235,134.
Under this program, the District Attorney’s Victim Witness Unit (VWU) has committed to focusing on a cultural/ethnic-specific population; that being the Spanish-speaking community of El Dorado County. Direct services provided by program staff shall include, but not be limited to crisis intervention, counseling, outreach, criminal justice support, and victim advocacy. To continue the implementation of these initiatives, the VWU plans to fund 2.0 FTE Limited Term Victim Witness Program Specialists. Both positions are bilingual to provide the most effective services to the underserved population. The program will also fund a bilingual Program Coordinator at 0.10 FTE who will provide lead specialized direct services to this specialized group of victims of crime. Specialized community outreach will also be at the forefront of the program’s vision, in the hopes it will spread valuable information to the Spanish-speaking population.
Due to the continuation of this grant program, the two Limited-Term Victim/Witness Program Specialist positions have previously been extended in correlation with the grant cycle, covering the period of January 1, 2027 - December 31, 2027, as part of the Fiscal Year 2026-2027 Recommended Budget process.
It is anticipated that the grant award of $196,906 will fund most of the salary and benefits associated with the Program Specialists and Program Coordinator, as well as all program operating expenses. The grant award carries a local cash match requirement, in the amount of $38,228, which is anticipated to fund the VWU Program Manager’s part-time efforts towards the program, a portion of the Program Specialist’s benefits, and a portion of the office facility lease.
As part of the current Non-Competitive Opportunity award process, CalOES requests the acknowledged Certification(s) of Assurance of Compliance be included with the submitted application. As of July 15, 2024, CalOES has implemented a new Grants Central System (GCS) for applicants to manage their grants. It is via this online portal that the grant application shall be submitted, along with certifications complying with assurances and proof of authority. The Certification of Assurance of Compliance includes details regarding Federal Grant Funds, Equal Employment Opportunity Program, Drug Free Workplace Compliance, California Environmental Quality Act, Lobbying, Debarment and Suspension requirements, Proof of Authority from the Governing Board, Civil Rights Compliance, and the special conditions of Subaward. The enclosed resolution is being requested for adoption by the Board Chair, designating the El Dorado County District Attorney, or his designee, the Authorized Agent role in GCS, resulting in permission to initiate, submit, and accept the UV Program grant agreement and related documents for period of January 1, 2027, through December 31, 2027, including any future grant modifications/amendments that do not increase Net County Cost, upon review and approval by County Counsel.
ALTERNATIVES
The Board could decline to accept the grant, but the County would be ineligible to participate in the program.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION
Legistar file 25-1810 - November 4, 2025 - The Board approved the District Attorney to accept the CalOES Unserved/Underserved Victim Advocacy and Outreach (UV) Program in the total project cost of $224,621 for the period of January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2026.
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
County Counsel
CAO RECOMMENDATION / COMMENTS
Approve as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There is no change to Net County Cost for accepting this grant award. Of the total $235,134 project award, $38,228 is earmarked as a local match requirement funded through the County General Fund. The County plans to designate the Program Manager’s part-time efforts towards the program, a portion of the Program Specialist’s benefits, and a portion of the office facility lease as the local cash match requirement. Adequate funding is included in the department’s Fiscal Year 2026-27 budget.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
Obtain the Chair's signature on the Resolution and return one certified copy to the Chief Administrative Office, Central Fiscal, Attention: Justene Cline.
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
N/A
CONTACT
Vern Pierson, District Attorney