Title
District Attorney's Office recommending the Board:
1) Ratify the signature of the Chief Administrative Office, Facilities Division, Facilities Division Manager on a letter exercising the right of first refusal concerning the lease of the Historic Fausel House located at 772 Pacific Street in Placerville;
2) Approve the use of the office space located at 772 Pacific Street in Placerville to establish a Family Justice Center;
3) Approve and authorize the Purchasing Agent to execute a lease agreement for office space located at 772 Pacific Street in Placerville, also known as the Historic Fausel House or Fausel Building, with Fausel Professional Center, LLC for a 62 month term in the amount of $163,980, contingent upon approval by County Counsel and Risk Management;
4) Approve the use of Asset Forfeiture funds for the following: facility lease, in the amount of $15,750 for the period of November 2018 - June 2019; cameras, access control and burglary system in the amount of $20,350; furniture and equipment in the amount of $14,150; Project Management, interior design and low voltage costs in the amount of $12,850; and $6,000 for the purchase of a Motorola Tri-Band Radio and software for the new District Attorney Investigator Allocation;
5) Approve and authorize the Chair to sign a budget transfer increasing revenue and expense appropriations through the use of Asset Forfeiture funds by $69,195 (4/5 vote required);
6) Direct that future costs related to this proposal, including any future tenant improvements and potential early lease termination fees, be funded with Asset Forfeiture funds; and
7) Approve the addition of one Motorola APX8000 Hand Held Radio to the District Attorney's Fixed Asset List.
FUNDING: Asset Forfeiture and California Governor's Office of Emergency Services Funds.
Body
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
On December 23, 2017, the District Attorney's Office relocated from three facilities on Main Street in Placerville to one centralized location at 778 Pacific Street in Placerville. At the time of the lease agreement, the Fausel Historic House, which is the facility located directly in front of the 778 Pacific Street location, was occupied by the El Dorado Arts Council.
In September 2018, the Arts Council vacated the office space located at 772 Pacific Street in Placerville.
On September 27, 2018, the Chief Administrative Office, Facilities Division, received a bona-fide offer letter from Cushman & Wakefield on behalf of Edward Jones to lease the Historic Fausel House. Section 6.2 of Lease Agreement 171-L1811 between the County and Fausel Professional Center (Lessor) outlines the Lessor's obligation to provide the County with the Right of First Refusal in the event Lessor receives a bona-fide offer to lease that is acceptable to Lessor.
On October 2, 2018, the Facilities Division Manager issued a letter to the Fausel Professional Center exercising the County's right of first refusal contingent upon the Board of Supervisor's approval of the proposed lease for the Historic Fausel House within 30 days of the written notifcation. The County's proposed use of the Historic Fausel House is a Family Justice Center to include a Multi-Disciplinary Interview Center.
California Penal Code Section 13750 defines a Family Justice Center as a multiagency, multidisciplinary service center where public and private agencies assign staff members on a full-time or part-time basis in order to provide services to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, elder or dependent adult abuse, or human trafficking from one location in order to reduce the number of times victims must tell their story, reduce the number of places victims must go for help, and increase access to services and support for victims and their children.
Staff members at a family justice center may be comprised of, but are not limited to, the following: Law enforcement personnel, Medical personnel, District attorneys and city attorneys, Victim-witness program personnel, Domestic violence shelter service staff, Community-based rape crisis, domestic violence, and human trafficking advocates, Social service agency staff members, Child welfare agency social workers, County health department staff, City or county welfare and public assistance workers, Nonprofit agency counseling professionals, Civil legal service providers, Supervised volunteers from partner agencies, and other professionals providing services.
In order to ensure better and more efficient services to victims by employing evidence based best practices in the prevention, detection, and prosecution of domestic violence, sexual assault, elder abuse and human trafficking, the District Attorney's Office is recommending the Board approve entering into a lease agreement for office space located at 772 Pacific Street in Placerville to establish a new Family Justice Center.
It is expected this new center would provide victim services for domestic violence, sexual assault, elder and dependent adult abuse, and human trafficking. It is expected that various personnel would be utilized for these services and it is hoped that the District Attorney's Office Family Justice Center would allow for community collaboration, and help establish and strengthen working relationships with governmental and non-governmental community organizations concerning DV, sexual assault, elder abuse and human trafficking.
The District Attorney's Office has applied for and been awarded three new California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) grants in the 2018 calendar year. The programs are centered on victim services and include the Child Advocacy Center (KC) Program, Violence Against Women Vertical Prosecution (VV) Program and the Sexual Assault Law Enforcement Specialized Units (ST) Program. In addition to these new awards, the District Attorney continues to receive grant funding in support of the Victim/Witness Assistance (VW) Program and an Elder Abuse Program through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Health and Human Services Agency. To bring these programs together, and to better facilitate the goals of a Family Justice Center, the District Attorney's Office anticipates completing an application for a recently released Family Justice Center Program Request for Proposal (RFP). If awarded, this additional funding will be utilized to enhance the program components of the emerging Family Justice Center.
The District Attorney will work with the Health and Human Services Agency to coordinate services at the new location in order to improve collaboration with law enforcement and the District Attorney's Office concerning cases which overlap between the various involved agencies. The departments may enter into a non-financial MOU to facilitate this process.
With the approval of a full-time, regular District Attorney Investigator on October 16, 2018 (Agenda File 18-1496), the District Attorney is requesting to utilize additional asset forfeiture funds to purchase a Motorola hand-held radio. This radio will be in addition to the 16 already approval on October 9, 2018, Agenda File 18-1448, and will provide the new Investigator with the same equipment staff will be upgrading to.
ALTERNATIVES
Should the Board deny a portion, or all, of the requested actions to establish a Family Justice Center, the District Attorney's Office would need to consider alternate options to meet this objective.
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
Chief Administrative Office, Facilities Division
Risk Management
County Counsel
CAO RECOMMENDATION / COMMENTS
Approve, based on the use of asset forfeiture funding or other non-general fund revenues for the lease costs, including tenant improvements and early termination fees. Should such funding not be available, the lease will need to be reconsidered along with the identification and consideration of other available non-General Fund funding sources.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There is no change to Net County Cost. The District Attorney anticipates utilizing a combination of Asset Forfeiture and Cal OES funds for the lease of this facility and any anticipated tenant improvements that may exceed the $10,000 tenant improvement allowance built into the lease agreement. With the exception of the Elder Abuse program, all Cal OES Grant Programs identified allow facility rental and equipment as budgeted expenses or cash match.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
Upon approval, Clerk of the Board to:
1) Obtain the Board Chair's signature on the budget transfer and forward to the Auditor/Controller for processing;
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
Public Safety:
• Integrated and balanced network of services
• Ensure fair and accessible adult and juvenile justice systems
CONTACT
Vern Pierson, District Attorney