Title
Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) recommending the Board:
1) Adopt and authorize the Chair to sign Resolution 096-2022 delegating authority to the Health and Human Services Agency Director to accept and execute ongoing Revenue Agreements from granting agencies and any amendments thereto, contingent upon approval by County Counsel and Risk Management, that are required to fund ongoing HHSA programs per Attachment A to the Resolution and are included in the proposed Fiscal Year 2022-23 Budget; and
2) Approve and authorize the Health and Human Services Agency Director or Agency Chief Fiscal Officer to execute any required fiscal and programmatic reports for said funding agreements and allocations.
FUNDING: Federal, State, and Local funding.
Body
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND:
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 this Policy, HHSA presents all new funding/revenue agreements, grants, and other funding allocations to the Board for approval. The County of El Dorado Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) receives many ongoing grant awards and funding allocations on an annual basis that are a mainstay for the operation and which support multiple HHSA programs. Since 2007, HHSA has processed an average of thirty-five revenue agreements each year, the majority of which are ongoing grant funding and include renewals or amendments to prior year agreements.
In compliance with Board Policy A-6, HHSA has submitted an annual Resolution to the Board for adoption, beginning in Fiscal Year (FY) 2015-16. This resolution lists the ongoing grant funding, allocations, and agreements that the Board has previously approved and are anticipated to receive annual funding. The resolution requests delegation of authority to the HHSA Director to execute the associated agreements or amendments for the upcoming and specified fiscal year, based on prior Board approvals. This process has increased efficiency in processing associated agreements and documents, thereby decreasing the amount of time required to process funding documents. Additionally, it allows outside-funded, mainstay programs to begin providing services to the target population without undue delay, eliminating potential costs to other funding sources that sustain the program’s operation, resulting from delays in approving such agreements or documents. Revenue Agreements and amendments can often be received late (i.e. after the start of the funding period) from the funding entity, and in many cases the funding entity can require a short approval timeline and return to the granting agency in order to avoid loss of funding. Program costs incurred before a Revenue Agreement or amendment is fully executed cannot be applied against the funding until after it has been approved and signed by both El Dorado County and the granting agency.
Prior to 2015, this dynamic would impact HHSA by shortening the period of time to charge allowable costs against the approved funding, resulting 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. Since this practice was instituted in 2015, the delays in service due to County processing time have been eliminated, and therefore HHSA recommends that the Board continue this practice for the benefit of both our government and the community.
For this item before you, Attachment A to this Resolution lists the known Revenue Agreements for FY 2021-2022 that HHSA has included in their FY 2022-2023 Budget request. HHSA is requesting Board approval of the annual Resolution to accept and execute these ongoing Revenue Agreements from granting agencies during FY 2022-23. Examples of programs that receive funding under these Revenue Agreements include: Community Services Block Grant, Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program; Home Weatherization; Immunization Program; Tobacco Control; Women, Infants and Children Program; Long-Term Care Ombudsman; various Senior programs; Homeless services programs; Drug Medi-Cal Organized Delivery System services for Substance Use Disorder treatment; and Behavioral Health Programs.
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, and for which these programs have already been approved by the Board, prior. This would increase the amount of time required to process funding documents. It would also slow down the ability to provide mainstay program services to target populations.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION:
1) 05/11/21, 21-0669, HHSA 2021-22 Signature Authority delegation resolution
2) 05/19/20, 20-0605, HHSA 2020-21 Signature authority delegation resolution
3) 05/14/19, 19-0531, HHSA 2019-20 Signature Authority Del. Reso.
4) 05/08/18, 18-0612, HHSA 2018-2019 Signature authority delegation resolution
5) 05/16/17, 15-0412, HHSA Revenue Agreements Resolution, 2017
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
Approved by County Counsel
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
Approve as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The Revenue Agreements are from a variety of sources as outlined in Attachment A to the Resolution. Approval of the Resolution will allow HHSA to continue to process funding agreements, allocations, grant documents, and any amendments thereto, in a timely manner through June 30, 2023, 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 entities. 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:
Good governance
CONTACT
Daniel Del Monte, Interim Director