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Adopt a resolution establishing the Solano Family Justice Center Oversight Committee; Appoint the Honorable Robert Fracchia (retired) as the Committee Chair; and Authorize the County Administrator and the Human Resources Director to approve necessary technical documents to finalize the transfer of the Office of Family Violence Prevention budget unit including management and administration of personnel, fiscal duties, and day-to-day operations from the District Attorney’s Office to the County Administrator’s Office effective April 3, 2022
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Published Notice Required? Yes ___ No _X _
Public Hearing Required? Yes ___ No _X _
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
The County Administrator’s Office recommends the Board of Supervisors:
1. Adopt a resolution establishing the Solano Family Justice Center Oversight Committee;
2. Appoint the Honorable Robert Fracchia (retired) as the Committee Chair; and
3. Authorize the County Administrator and the Human Resources Director to approve necessary technical documents to finalize the transfer of the Office of Family Violence Prevention budget unit including the management and administration of personnel, fiscal duties, and day-to-day operations from the District Attorney’s Office to the County Administrator’s Office effective April 3, 2022.
SUMMARY:
On December 14, 2021 the Board of Supervisors received a Solano Family Justice Center Snapshot Report with recommendations by the Family Justice Center Alliance (FJCA) team. The Board concurred with the conclusions and recommendations in the FJCA Alliance team report and directed the County Administrator’s Office to proceed with next steps with work focused on a transition plan, the development of an oversight committee structure; and a strategic planning process and to return to the Board with follow-up and recommendations. On March 1, 2022 the Board approved a proposed transition plan to include the development of an oversight committee and to begin the meet and confer process for transfer of the Office of Family Violence Prevention from the District Attorney’s Office to the County Administrator’s Office.
The attached resolution (Attachment A) establishes the Solano Family Justice Center Oversight Committee and appoints the Committee Chair. The meet and confer process has been concluded for the transfer of the Office Family Violence Prevention from the District Attorney’s Office to the County Administrator’s Office; therefore, it is being recommended that the Board authorize the County Administrator and the Human Resources Director to approve necessary technical documents to finalize the transfer of the Office of Family Violence Prevention budget unit including the management and administration of personnel, fiscal duties, and day-to-day operations from the District Attorney’s Office to the County Administrator’s Office effective April 3, 2022.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The County Administrator’s Office, at the Board’s direction in June 2021, entered into a contract with Alliance for HOPE International for a not to exceed amount of $45,845 to conduct a review of the Solano Family Justice Center and technical assistance to address concerns raised in two Grand Jury reports and return to the Board of Supervisors with recommendations. On March 1, 2022 the Board approved a contract amendment for $10,000 to the initial technical assistance Alliance contract. Additionally, the Board approved and a second contract with Alliance in the amount of $30,000 for strategic planning. The $45,845 plus the $10,000 is a General Fund cost and the new contract for $30,000 will be included in the Office of Family Violence Prevention budget unit 5500 midyear projections. Support for the SFJC Oversight Board will be provided by County Administrator’s Office and included as a normal General Fund cost.
BACKGROUND / DISCUSSION:
The Office of Family Violence Prevention (OFVP) was created by the Board of Supervisors in 1998 under the County Administrator’s Office. Since that time, OFVP was transferred to the Probation Department in 2005, and then to District Attorney’s Office in 2011. A complete history of the Office of Family Violence Prevention and the Family Justice Center is included in Attachment B.
On June 24, 2021, during the noticed FY2021/22 Recommended Budget Hearing, the Board voted to move the fiscal authority of the Office of Family Violence Prevention budget unit 5500 under the authority of the County Administrator, with staff reporting remaining under the District Attorney’s Office, and requested that an independent review of the Solano Family Justice Center (SFJC) be conducted to address issues and findings raised in the 2020-21 Grand Jury Report and concerns articulated by individual Board members during the budget hearing. On behalf of the Board of Supervisors, the County Administrator’s Office initiated a “Snapshot” review process with Family Justice Center Alliance (FJCA) Technical Assistance Team, a program of Alliance for HOPE International (Alliance) to provide an assessment to measure overall organizational effectiveness, service delivery efficiency, day-to-day operational success, and operational sustainability of the Solano Family Justice Center. The Solano Family Justice Center Snapshot Report dated October 2021 and presented to the Board on December 14, 2021 (Attachment C) provided conclusions and recommendations by the FJCA team. A detailed list of the 21 recommendations is included in the attached “Snapshot Report” from Alliance dated October 2021.
The Board accepted the report with the conclusions and supported the recommendations in the report and directed the County Administrator’s Office to proceed with work focused on a Transition Plan, the development of a SFJC Oversight Committee structure; and initiating a strategic planning process. Staff returned to the Board on March 1, 2022 with a proposed transition plan, a proposed Oversight Committee structure, a Consulting Planning and Technical Assistance Contract, and a Strategic Planning Contract. The Board approved these contracts along with the proposed transition plan and the proposed structure for the Solano Family Justice Center Oversight Committee.
Oversight Committee
With approval of the proposed structure for the Solano Family Justice Center Oversight Committee, a resolution and exhibit establishing members, duties, and meetings has been developed for the Board’s adoption (Attachment A). Staff recommends that retired Judge Robert Fracchia be appointed as the Committee Chair. Judge Fracchia retired in 2020 after almost 15 years on the bench and over 36 years of serving Solano County residents that includes being a Solano County Deputy Public Defender. The other ten (10) Committee members are designated as directed by the Board of Supervisors at the March 1, 2022 Board meeting and included in Exhibit A of the attached Resolution (Attachment A).
Transition Plan
On December 14, 2021 the Board affirmed its action during the FY2021/22 Budget Hearing to move the Office of Family Violence Prevention budget unit 5500 under the authority of the County Administrator pending a review and continued it through June 2022. On March 1, 2022 the Board approved the proposed transition plan concept (Attachment D) transfering the management and administration of personnel, fiscal duties, and day-to-day operations of the Office of Family Violence Prevention budget unit 5500 to the authority of the County Administrator’s Office, to include the meet and confer process. Human Resources began and completed the meet and confer process for the transition of staff within the Family Justice Center and the Office of Family Violence Prevention budget unit 5500 and it is recommended to authorize the County Administrator and the Human Resources Director to approve necessary technical documents to finalize the previously approved transition plan and finalize the transfer of the Office of Family Violence Prevention budget unit including the management and administration of personnel, fiscal duties, and day-to-day operations from the District Attorney’s Office to the County Administrator’s Office effective April 3, 2022.
Next Steps
Next steps would entail the County Administrator’s Office and Human Resources executing necessary technical documents to transfer the Office of Family Violence Prevention budget from the District Attorney’s Office to the County Administrator’s Office effective April 3, 2022. The County Administrator’s Office will continue to implement the transition plan based on the timeline previously approved to include continuing to work with the Alliance to finalize the establishment and have the first meeting of the SFJC Oversight Committee and to contract with a technical expert for on-site presence and assistance. Lastly the Alliance, a contracted technical expert, staff, and the newly appointed SFJC Oversight Committee will work to issue an RFP for a new lead agency and begin the strategic planning process.
ALTERNATIVES:
The Board could choose to:
1. Not proceed with the recommendations, this is not recommended as the presented actions are consistent with prior Board action on this matter; or
2. Modify the transition plan, timeline, and/or structure of the oversight committee.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The County Administrator’s Office, the District Attorney’s Office, Health and Social Services, and many key stakeholders participated in the Snapshot Process. The County Administrator’s Office, County Counsel, Human Resources, and the District Attorney’s Office have worked on different aspects of the assessment, the meet and confer process, and proposed actions.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
APPROVE DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION