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Approve an Appropriation Transfer Request to recognize $68,486 in unanticipated revenue from the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), 2014 Grants to Encourage Arrests and Enforcement of Protection Orders (GTEAP) grant (4/5 vote required); Adopt a resolution to amend the List of Numbers and Classifications of Positions within the District Attorney’s Office of Family Violence Prevention to extend 1.0 FTE Limited Term Family Violence Prevention Coordinator position through December 30, 2017; and Authorize the County Administrator to execute any contracts and subsequent amendments that remain within budgeted appropriations
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Published Notice Required? Yes ____ No _X _
Public Hearing Required? Yes ____ No _X _
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
The District Attorney recommends that the Board of Supervisors:
1) Approve an Appropriation Transfer Request (ATR) to recognize $68,486 in unanticipated revenue from the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), 2014 Grants to Encourage Arrests and Enforcement of Protection Orders (GTEAP) grant program (4/5 vote required);
2) Adopt a resolution to amend the List of Numbers and Classifications of Positions within the District Attorney’s Office of Family Violence Prevention to extend 1.0 FTE Limited Term Family Violence Prevention Coordinator position through December 30, 2017; and
3) Authorize the County Administrator to execute any contracts and subsequent amendments that remain within budgeted appropriations.
SUMMARY:
On September 14, 2014, the Office of Violence Against Women (OVW) awarded the County of Solano Office of Family Violence Prevention (OFVP) a 2014 Grants to Encourage Arrests and Enforcement of Protection Orders (GTEAP) in the amount of $300,000. The OFVP has received approval from OVW to extend the end date of the GTEAP Grant Program by twelve months, to September 30, 2018. The twelve month extension will enable the OFVP to complete the goals and objectives of the GTEAP Grant Program, and utilize unspent grant funds. As of September 13, 2017, the remaining grant award balance is $129,327.55. This unspent balance is the result of vacancies in the Family Violence Prevention Coordinator position from March-September 2015, and May-September 2016. The extension will also continue to fund a Limited Term Family Violence Prevention Coordinator position through December 30, 2017.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Funding under the GTEAP award is not contingent upon matching funds from the County. The GTEAP grant provides $300,000 to support victim services at the Solano Family Justice Center (SFJC). OFVP is requesting approval of an ATR for $68,486 which reflects unspent funding of the GTEAP grant program for the period of October 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018. Any remaining unspent grant funds will be re-budgeted in the OFVP’s requested budget for FY2018/19.
The ATR allows for the Assistant Family Violence Prevention Coordinator position to be funded through December 30, 2017, while also funding bi-lingual Spanish daily victim advocacy services for mono-lingual Spanish clients through September 30, 2018.
DISCUSSION:
On January 7, 2014, the Board of Supervisors authorized the submission of a three-year grant application to the U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) under their GTEAP, totaling $300,000 to support the Solano Family Justice Center program for the federal fiscal year of October 2014 through September 2017. On September 14, 2014, the OFVP was awarded the grant.
On September 14, 2017, the OVFP received notice from the granting agency that the GTEAP Grant Program would be extended by twelve months, or through September 30, 2018.
Grant activities to be conducted during the twelve month extension period include:
Implement case management/evaluation software: Additional time is needed for the GTEAP Program Coordinator to customize VS Tracking Software (recently purchased by OFVP), and implement the software with SFJC partners to ensure proper case management, referrals, and outcome tracking. Extending the 1.0 FTE Limited Term Family Violence Prevention Coordinator position through December 30, 2017 provides the time needed to complete this activity.
Judicial trainings: Solano Advocates for Victims of Violence (SAVV) will provide judicial trainings on the following topics such as domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, victim identification, and mutual combat. Extending the grant program end date to September 30, 2018 allows for these trainings to be implemented.
Improvement of law enforcement policies and procedures: SAVV will review current protocols and procedures and policies regarding sexual assault, domestic violence, and stalking violence, and will work with local law enforcement on improving these protocols.
Implement bi-lingual Spanish advocacy at the SFJC: SAVV, as the daily onsite partner of the GTEAP Grant Program, will implement daily victim advocacy for mono-lingual Spanish clients. Extending the grant program through September 30, 2018 keeps this service onsite at the SFJC for another year.
Since the departure of LIFT3 in February 2016, OFVP have sought a permanent onsite domestic violence advocacy agency to fill the GTEAP advocacy needs.
SafeQuest Solano was extremely helpful from the period of February 29, 2016 to September 28, 2016, to fill this void, but they could not commit permanently to GTEAP due to other conflicting grant commitments starting on October 1, 2016.
Solano Advocates for Victims of Violence (SAVV) has become an official onsite partner at the SFJC. SAVV has agreed to become the GTEAP victim advocacy provider, and will provide bi-lingual Spanish domestic violence advocacy, and assist with other grant objectives, such as providing trainings for the Solano County Courts.
The requested twelve month extension benefits the project, as it allows for bi-lingual Spanish victim advocacy to continue at the SFJC; provides additional time needed by GTEAP staff and partners to plan and implement training with the criminal and civil judiciary in Solano County on topics such as domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking; provides time to plan and implement improved policies and procedures with law enforcement; and implement case management software.
In connection with these awards the District Attorney is requesting the Board approve an ATR recognizing unanticipated revenue to fund the programs for the remaining of FY2017/18, including authorizing the extension of the grant funded limited term position to December 30, 2017.
During the grant performance period of October 2014-June 2017, the GTEAP program has served 1,202 victims, received 1,161 referrals for victim advocacy, provided crisis intervention services to 330 victims, and assisted with 274 protection orders.
ALTERNATIVES:
The Board of Supervisors could choose not to accept the grant program extension and unspent grant funding, and not approve the appropriation transfer request and extend the limited term grant funded Assistant Family Violence Coordinator; however, this alternative is not recommended because it would result in the County reverting unspent grant funds back to OVW.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The County Administrator’s Office has reviewed this report and concurs with Department’s recommendation.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
APPROVE DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION