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Affirm the District Attorney’s acceptance of a California Office of Emergency Services grant for the Underserved/Unserved Victim Advocacy and Outreach Program in the amount of $133,300 with a required match of 25 percent for the period of January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020; Approve an Appropriation Transfer Request (ATR) recognizing unanticipated revenue of $66,650 from the California Office of Emergency Services (CalOES), and increasing expenditures in the District Attorney’s FY2019/20 budget in the Victim Witness Unit by $100,362, offset by $66,650 in unanticipated grant revenue and $33,712 in Vital Record Fee revenue to be used as match funds for the period of January 1, 2020 through June 30, 2020 (4/5 vote required); and Adopt a resolution to amend the List of Numbers in Classifications of positions within the District Attorney’s Office to extend 2.0 FTE Victim Witness Assistant (Limited Term) to December 31, 2020
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Published Notice Required? Yes ____ No __X_
Public Hearing Required? Yes ____ No __X_
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
The District Attorney (DA) recommends that the Board of Supervisors:
1. Affirm the District Attorney’s acceptance of a California Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) grant for the Underserved/Unserved Victim Advocacy and Outreach Program (XV) in the amount of $133,300 for the period of January 1, 2020 through December 31,2020; and
2. Approve an Appropriation Transfer Request (ATR) recognizing unanticipated revenue of $66,650 from the California Office of Emergency Services, and increasing expenditures in the District Attorney’s FY2019/20 budget in the Victim Witness Unit by $100,362, offset by $66,650 in unanticipated grant revenue and $33,712 in Vital Record Fee revenue to be used as match funds for the period of January 1, 2020 through June 30, 2020 (4/5 vote required); and
3. Adopt a resolution to amend the List of Numbers in Classifications of positions within the District Attorney’s Office to extend 2.0 FTE Victim Witness Assistant (Limited Term) to December 31, 2020.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
The purpose of the XV Program is to provide service delivery to victims of violent crime within unserved/underserved and socially isolated populations. The Program is designed to fund awareness and to improve knowledge about accessing local services available to crime victims. The District Attorney received XV Program funding in June 2016 to launch an outreach and engagement plan to serve the Filipino victim population in Solano County. The amended grant program also includes an outreach and engagement plan to serve the Hispanic victim population in Solano County, with a bilingual Victim Witness Assistant assigned to each victim population.
Initial funding for the XV Program in the amount of $350,000 was received from the California Office of Emergency Service (CalOES) to fund Unserved/Underserved Victim Advocacy and Outreach Program services. The original grant award period was from April 1, 2016 through March 31, 2018. The Board accepted the grant funds as part of the FY2016/17 budget process and adopted a resolution accepting the grant on August 27, 2017. The DA’s Office has continued to receive funding under this program continuously since this time.
On August 6, 2019, CalOES notified the DA’s Office of available additional funding in the amount of $133,300, and also amended the XV Program performance period end date from December 31, 2019 to December 31, 2020.
The two Victim Witness Assistants funded by this program are currently managing 522 cases, with 672 new cases received since the XV Program start date. Victim Witness Assistants assigned to the unit have also done 138 separate outreach presentations since the program start date, as well as conduct cultural sensitivity training to victim advocates.
The DA is recommending the Board of Supervisors affirm the acceptance of $133,300 in unanticipated grant revenue and adopt the resolution approving the extension 2.0 FTE Limited Term Victim Witness Assistants through December 31, 2020 in order to maintain the level of service the Victim Witness Assistants provide to these often socially isolated populations. While the award letter has not been received due to a backlog at CalOES, written verification that Solano County will receive these funds has been received from CalOES. The Department will not move forward until the official award letter is received.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There will be no financial impact to the County General Fund. The $133,300 in unanticipated grant revenue, along with $33,712 in Vital Record Fee as match funds will fund the two limited term positions through December 31, 2020, when the Unserved/Underserved Victim Advocacy and Outreach Program (XV) grant expires. CalOES will post a new, competitive Request for Proposal for the grant program in 2020.
The costs associated with preparing the agenda item are nominal and absorbed by the department’s FY2019/20 Adopted Budget.
ALTERNATIVES:
The Board can choose not to affirm the District Attorney’s acceptance of the additional grant funding and not adopt the resolution extending two limited term Victim Witness Assistants through December 31, 2020; however, this is not recommended as the revenue funds the two positions that provide victim witness services and outreach to the unserved and underserved population.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
None.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
APPROVE DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION