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Adopt a resolution accepting a California Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) grant for the Victim/Witness Assistance Program in the amount of $776,470 for the period of October 1, 2019 through September 30, 2020; Approve an Appropriation Transfer Request (ATR) recognizing unanticipated grant revenue of $84,977 above the amount budgeted for the grant in FY2019/20 and offset by appropriations in the District Attorney’s Victim Witness Unit budget by $84,977 for the period of October 1, 2019 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, converting two existing extra help positions to two 0.5 FTE Office Assistant II (Limited Term) expiring September 30, 2020, and adding 1.0 FTE Victim Witness Assistant (Limited Term-Project) to develop a mass victimization assistance plan, expiring September 30, 2020, in the Victim Witness Unit
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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. Adopt a resolution accepting a California Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) grant for the Victim/Witness Assistance Program in the amount of $776,470 for the period October 1, 2019 through September 30, 2020; and
2. Approve an Appropriation Transfer Request (ATR) recognizing unanticipated grant revenue of $84,977 above the amount budgeted for the grant in FY2019/20 and offset by appropriations in the District Attorney’s Victim Witness Unit budget by $84,977 for the period of October 1, 2019 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, converting two existing extra help positions into two 0.5 FTE Office Assistant II (Limited Term) expiring September 30, 2020, and adding 1.0 FTE Victim Witness Assistant (Limited Term-Project) to develop a mass victimization assistance plan, expiring September 30, 2020, in the Victim Witness Unit.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
The Solano County District Attorney’s Office has been awarded $776,470 for its FY 2019/20 Victim/Witness Assistance Program, an increase of $110,866 from FY 2018/19 and $110,866 more than was included in the FY2019/20 budget. The grant award period is from October 1, 2019 through September 30, 2020; however, expenditures are only included through June 30, 2020. The remainder of the grant funds will be included with the department’s FY2020/21 Requested Budget. This grant award represents the 38th year the District Attorney’s Office has received funding under this program
The Victim Witness Assistant Grant Program currently funds 5.0 FTE Victim Witness Assistants, and two Extra Help Office Assistant II. In addition to these staff, the District Attorney recommends appropriating $84,977 of the unanticipated revenue in the Victim/Witness Assistance Program to fully fund existing Victim Witness Assistants, convert two existing extra help positions to two 0.5 FTE Office Assistant II (Limited Term) expiring September 30, 2020, and add 1.0 FTE Victim Witness Assistant (Limited Term-Project) to develop a mass victimization assistance plan, expiring September 30, 2020. The remaining $25,889 of unanticipated revenue will be budgeted in the FY 2020/21 budget.
The grant will fund the salaries and benefits for Victim/Witness staff in the District Attorney’s Office, clerical and administrative support from Office Assistants, and a new Victim Witness Assistant. This position will work to develop a victim assistance plan to support and enhance immediate response and recovery efforts in Solano County and the surrounding region. This advocate will also develop crisis response protocols, MOUs with our Crisis Response region, and conduct community outreach. The DA recommends the Board of Supervisors authorize the acceptance of this grant and approve the ATR to recognize the unanticipated revenue to fund the Victim Witness Program.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The costs associated with preparing the agenda item are nominal and absorbed by the department’s FY2019/20 Adopted Budget.
The projected grant funding was included in the FY2019/20 Adopted Budget to offset the salary and benefits costs of 5.0 FTE Victim/Witness Assistants already included in the Position Allocation, and (2) Extra Help Office Assistant II. Because the actual grant award was higher than anticipated, the additional funding of $110,866 would be used to fund the costs to convert the (2) Extra Help Office Assistant II into (2) 0.5 FTE Office Assistant II (Limited Term), and add 1.0 FTE Victim Witness Assistant (Limited Term-Project) to develop a mass victimization assistance plan for the period of October 1, 2019 through September 30, 2020.
ALTERNATIVES:
The Board can choose not to accept this grant. This will prevent Solano County from receiving the funding from the California Office of Emergency Services, for the Victim/Witness Assistance Program and may affect its potential to receive future awards from these agencies.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
None.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
APPROVE DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION