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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 $272,667 from the California's Governor's Office of Emergency Services for the Sexual Assault Law Enforcement Specialized Units Program for the period of October 1, 2018 - September 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 would not increase net county costs;
4) Approve and authorize the Chair to sign a budget transfer increasing revenue and expense appropriations within the District Attorney's Office operating budget by $153,375 for estimated grant revenue to be received in Fiscal Year 2018-19;
5) Approve the use of Supplemental Local Law Enforcement funds for Front-line law enforcement personnel and the equipment necessary to operate the Sexual Assault Law Enforcement Specialized Units Program, which will also serve as the County's cash match, and approve and authorize the Chair to sign a budget transfer increasing revenue and expense appropriations within the District Attorney's Office operating budget by $23,816; and
6) Adopt and Authorize the Chair to sign Personnel Allocation Resolution 226-2018, thereby amending the current authorized personnel allocation to increase the District Attorney Investigator allocation by 1.0 full time, regular equivalent.
FUNDING: California Governor's Office of Emergency Services Violence Against Women Act Services*Training*Officers*Prosecutors Formula Grant Program Funds and Supplemental Law Enforcement Services Fund. (Est. Time: 15 Min.)
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DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
On August 3, 2018, the District Attorney's Ofice submitted a proposal to a competitive grant opportunity, the Sexual Assault Law Enforcement Specialized Units (ST) Program, administered by the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES). The purpose of the Sexual Assault Law Enforcement Specialized Units Program is to support and enhance specialized units to provide a coordinated reponse to adolescent (age 11 and older) and adult vicitms of sexual assault, through compassionate investigative interviewing, immediate victim advocacy, training for patrol officers/first responders, and the development/updating of effective protocols and practices. On September 13, 2018, the District Attorney's Office received notification we had been selected for funding.
The Plan for the ST Program is to fund one District Attorney Investigator and one Sexual Assault Counselor through a participating staff contract with The Center for Violence Free Relationships. A portion of the salary/benefits for the District Attorney Investigator assigned to the project will be used to meet the cash match requirement. It is being requested that the use of Supplemental Local Law Enforcement funds be approved to use for the Front-line law enforcement personnel and the equipment necessary to meet the cash match obligation for the period of October 1, 2018 - June 20, 2019.
The Objective of this Project is to dedicate personnel to enhace our ability to effectively provide services to adolescent and adult sexual assault victims and thoroughly investigate the sexual assault crimes against them.
Grant funding gives an organization the funds to develop or enhance a new or existing program for the betterment of the community. These funds are not intended to be permanent and when the funding ends, the expectation is to continue to operate the program within the organizations budget. Cal OES grant funding typically runs on a three-year grant cycle. Due to the nature of the work, it is difficult to recruit trained, experienced Investigators to fill limited-term roles. As a result, the District Attorney is requesting to add a regular, full-time District Attorney Investigator 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 regular, full-time District Attorney Investigator.
ALTERNATIVES
Should the Board decline to accept the funding, the County would be ineligible to participate in the program.
Should the Board decline to approve the transfer from the Supplemental Law Enforcement Services Fund (SLESF), the County would be ineligible to participate in the program. SLESF funds may be used for Front-line law enforcement needs, including personnel, equipment and programs that are necessary to meet those needs. The use of this revenue source would be one-time as these funds are regularly budgeted for front-line law enforcement needs, such as portable radios, ballistic vests, forensic lab equipment, software development services and computer equipment.
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
N/A
CAO RECOMMENDATION / COMMENTS
The CAO recommends the Board approve the item and direct the District Attorney to return to the Board of Supervisors with his plan to fund the allocation after the grant funding has been exhausted with no increase in general fund support.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The total project award of $272,667 carries with it a match burden of $68,167. The grant proposal submitted identified using a portion of the District Attorney Investigator's salary and benefits to fulfill the match requirement. The budget also includes funding for a Sexual Assault Counselor, training/travel related expenses, training materials, vehicle maintenance and fuel costs, and an indirect rate for administrative costs associated with the Special Victims Unit of the District Attorney's Office.
The District Attorney will be submitting an updated project and budget narrative with the grant documents requesting to assign a .10 FTE Program Manager to the program to serve as the direct report for the Sexual Assault Counselor as the Program Manager oversees all Victim Witness Program Specialists within the District Attorney's Office. This assignment will also be used to meet a portion of the cash match requirement. In the event the combination of these services are not sufficient to fulfill the match requirements, the County would be responsible for the difference.
As the grant term is October 1, 2018 - September 30, 2019, the budget transfer is calculated for three quarters of Fiscal Year (FY) 2018-19. The cash match is also calculated for three quarters of FY 2018-19 less three quarters of estimated indirect costs.
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;
2) Obtain the Board Chair's signature on two Certified Resolutions and return one Resolution to Human Resources, Attn: Michael Reddin; and
3) Obtain the Board Chair's signature on the budget transfer and forward to the Auditor/Controller for processing.
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
Public Safety
CONTACT
Vern Pierson, District Attorney