To: County of Sonoma Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Department of Health Services
Staff Name and Phone Number: Nolan Sullivan, 707-565-4774; Amelyn Olson, 707-565-2696
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
Department of Health Services Public Health Agreements
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
A) Authorize the County Executive Officer, or designee, delegated authority to execute agreements and/or amendments, subject to review and approval as to form by County Counsel, for the following:
i.) Accept a subgrant agreement with Providence Medical Foundation, which includes nonstandard indemnification language, to implement the Northern California Heart Health for All Collaborative Project in the amount of $229,931 for term of October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2030.
ii.) An amendment with The Regents of the University of California, acting for and on behalf of University of California, Davis Health, with a retroactive effective date of September 1, 2025, to extend the term of the current agreement from September 1, 2025 to August 31, 2028.
iii.) A revenue agreement with Data Ticket, Inc., to provide administrative citation processing and civil debt collection services for Sonoma County Animal Services, resulting in annual revenue for the County estimated at $127,320, with a initial five-year term to be effective upon execution and renewed annually thereafter for a one-year term unless cancelled by either party.
iv.) A Memorandum of Agreement with Petaluma Health Center to co-locate County Department of Health Services’ Women, Infants and Children (WIC) services at Petaluma Health Center’s primary location of 1179 North McDowell Boulevard, Petaluma, for a term of April 1, 2025 through March 31, 2030 in an amount not to exceed $17,520.
B) Authorize the County Executive Officer, or designee, to execute modifications to the agreements associated with this Item in order to address changes in service needs, payment or reimbursement methodologies, subject to available funding as well as review and approval by County Counsel.
end
Executive Summary:
The Sonoma County Department of Health Services (DHS) is requesting approval for four agreements supporting critical health, animal welfare, and community services across the county.
1. Providence Medical Foundation Subgrant: DHS will partner with Providence Medical Foundation as a subrecipient in the five-year "Heart Health for All" Collaborative.
2. University of California Davis Health Amendment: A no-cost extension of the California Children's Services Medical Therapy Program agreement with UC Davis Health.
3. Data Ticket, Inc. Revenue Agreement: Sonoma County Animal Services will contract with Data Ticket, Inc. to process and collect outstanding administrative citations and fines.
4. Petaluma Health Center Memorandum of Agreement: DHS will co-locate Women, Infants and Children (WIC) nutrition services at Petaluma Health Center's facility.
DHS is also requesting authority to execute modifications to the agreements in this Board Item which do not significantly change the scopes of service in order to address increased service needs, subject to available funding as well as review and approval by County Counsel.
Discussion:
Healthy Communities - Providence Medical Foundation - Subgrant Agreement- $229,931
DHS requests approval to enter into a subgrant agreement with Providence Medical Foundation to implement the Northern California “Heart Health for All” Collaborative Project in the amount of $229,931 for term of October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2030. The Heart Health for All Collaborative is a regional initiative funded by the Merck Foundation to reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and advance health equity in Northern California. In this agreement, Providence is the Primary Grant Awardee and is passing this funding onto DHS, which serves as the subrecipient. The contract amount will be disbursed over the term of the agreement.
For over a decade, DHS has provided backbone support for Hearts of Sonoma County, a collaborative of government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and health systems focused on reducing heart attacks and strokes as leading causes of premature death in Sonoma County.
The Collaborative includes:
• Providence Health (lead agency)
• Sonoma County Department of Health Services
• Northern California Center for Well-Being
• Ceres Community Project
• Aliados Health (Federally Qualified Health Center consortium across six counties)
• Sonoma Connect Sonoma Unidos
• Health Action Together
• American Heart Association
The new five-year initiative aims to expand the model regionally to address cardiovascular disease prevention and management among Black, Indigenous, and People of Color populations.
Under this agreement, DHS will continue to serve as a backbone and data partner, with responsibilities that include:
• Providing project planning and coordination support
• Participating in collaborative and grant planning meetings
• Supporting partners in developing referral pathways and implementing best practices
• Providing epidemiologic support through the Health Data and Epidemiology Unit to collect, analyze, and report demographically disaggregated data to identify and address health equity gaps
Under the agreement, the County agrees to fully indemnify, defend, and hold Providence harmless from all claims, losses, damages, expenses, and legal costs arising from the Subrecipient’s performance of the agreement.
This indemnification obligation continues after funding disbursement and contract termination.
Health Care Coordination Services - California Children’s Services (CCS) Medical Therapy Program - The Regents of the University of California, acting for and on behalf of University of California, Davis Health (“UC Davis Health”). - No Cost Amendment
The CCS Medical Therapy Program connects Sonoma County’s medically vulnerable populations to essential healthcare services, ensuring continuity of care for individuals with complex health needs. The program supports Medi-Cal managed care requirements, public health case management standards, and local health equity initiatives, helping to reduce health disparities and improve outcomes for children with medical therapy needs.
State regulations require that CCS programs conduct medical therapy conferences with physicians to oversee therapy services for eligible children. This ensures that therapy interventions are medically appropriate, coordinated, and monitored for effectiveness.
The current agreement, executed on June 6, 2023, established collaboration between Sonoma County and UC Davis Health to provide medical therapy coordination, including physician oversight, care planning, and case management support.
The proposed amendment extends the term of the existing agreement from September 1, 2025 to August 31, 2028 at no cost to the County. All other terms and conditions of the original agreement remain in effect. This amendment does not involve any additional funding.
Sonoma County Animal Services - Data Ticket, Inc. - Revenue Agreement - $127,320
Sonoma County Animal Services (SCAS) provides sheltering and field services to unincorporated areas of Sonoma County, the City of Santa Rosa, and the City of Healdsburg. Services include investigating animal cruelty and neglect, educating the public on responsible pet ownership, reducing pet overpopulation through spay/neuter programs, and placing adoptable animals in caring homes. SCAS also oversees animal licensing in unincorporated Sonoma County and other cities through service agreements.
SCAS issues citations for violations of municipal codes related to animal services through criminal citations that are processed through the court system. Currently, DHS staff perform customer service and citation processing using internal systems and manual processes. These responsibilities are managed alongside core animal services duties, including sheltering, field services and public education. The existing approach is labor-intensive and limited by staffing capacity and the absence of specialized management technology. The processing, collection, and reconciliation of fines and forfeitures are complex and require specialized systems and procedures. Currently, there is approximately $157,000 in outstanding fees owed, with an additional $20,000 per year written off through the financial hardship program, which reduces fees for qualifying individuals. These uncollected amounts increase the burden on county taxpayers.
To address this need, DHS seeks transition from criminal citations to administrative citations which will offer faster and more efficient compliance, reduced costs, higher revenues without burdening the criminal justice system. On July 9, 2024, the Board approved Resolution 24-0263 that authorizes the DHS to implement an Administrative Citation Program. DHS conducted an informal solicitation from qualified vendors with experience providing citation processing and revenue collection services for municipalities. Quotes were evaluated by staff and based on their qualifications, experience and pricing, Data Ticket offered the best value to the County. DHS recommends contracting with Data Ticket, Inc. to:
• Efficiently process citations and collect payments,
• Manage delinquent accounts,
• Handle administrative reviews, and
• Provide online payment and appeal systems.
Payment Terms & Contract Cost
The Contractor’s fees will be based on a per-citation and service-specific rate structure. The Department is estimating an annual amount of $127,320 in revenue, less Data Ticket Fees. The agreement will have a five-year term to be effective upon execution for an initial term of five years and renewed annually thereafter for a one-year term unless cancelled by either party.
Women, Infants and Children - Petaluma Health Center - Memorandum of Agreement- $17,520
This Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between DHS and Petaluma Health Center (PHC) establishes a partnership to co-locate the County’s Women, Infants and Children (WIC) nutrition program at PHC’s Petaluma facility. The goal of the agreement is to improve access to coordinated nutrition and health care services for low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum women, infants, and children under age five in Petaluma and Southern Sonoma County through shared space and integrated referral systems.
Under the MOU, PHC will provide approximately 870 square feet of office space for WIC services at no rental cost, while DHS will staff and operate the WIC program during agreed-upon hours. The parties will collaborate to ensure WIC participants are screened and referred for medical, dental, immunization, vision, and perinatal services as appropriate. The agreement term is April 1, 2025 through March 31, 2030, and may be terminated by either party with 30 days’ notice. The County’s financial obligation is limited to reimbursement of janitorial and utility costs, currently estimated at $292 per month, with a total not-to-exceed amount of $17,520 over the life of the agreement.
This MOU was initially reviewed internally and determined to fall within the Director’s delegated authority and therefore did not proceed to the Board for approval. During subsequent review, the agreement term was extended and additional analysis was conducted regarding the County’s financial obligations under the MOU. As a result of those discussions and clarifications, it was determined that Board approval was appropriate, leading to the delayed presentation of this item and the retroactive approval request.
Strategic Plan:
None
Racial Equity:
Was this item identified as an opportunity to apply the Racial Equity Toolkit?
No
Prior Board Actions:
On June 13, 2025, the Board adopted the FY 2025-2026 Budget.
On July 9, 2024, the Board approved Resolution 24-0263 authorizing the Department of Health Services to implement an administrative citation program
Fiscal Summary
|
Expenditures |
FY25-26 Adopted |
FY26-27 Projected |
FY27-28 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
$165,428 |
$167,508 |
$169,693 |
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
|
|
|
|
Total Expenditures |
$165,428 |
$167,508 |
$169,693 |
|
Funding Sources |
|
|
|
|
General Fund/WA GF |
|
|
|
|
State/Federal |
|
|
|
|
Fees/Other |
$165,428 |
$167,508 |
$169,693 |
|
Use of Fund Balance |
|
|
|
|
General Fund Contingencies |
|
|
|
|
Total Sources |
$165,428 |
$167,508 |
$169,693 |
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
A total of $168,932 in revenue contracts is proposed for Fiscal Year 2025-2026 to support Healthy Communities and Sonoma County Animal Services. In addition, $3,504 in expenditures is proposed to support the Woman, Infants, and Children (WIC) program during the same fiscal year. A no-cost data-sharing amendment with UC Davis Health is also included to support Health Care Coordination efforts in Sonoma County.
• Providence Medical- $229,931 in total revenue over five years (FY 2025-2026 through FY 2029-2030). Year 1 $41,612, Year 2 $43,692, Year 3 $45,877, Year 4 $48,171, Year 5 $50,579.
• Data Ticket, Inc- $127,320 annual revenue expected for this new contract.
• Petaluma Health Center- $3,504 annual expense MOU.
No additional appropriations are requested, as all items are included in the FY 2025-2026 Adopted Budget. For future fiscal years, both revenue and expenditure appropriations will be incorporated into the annual budget process.
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
None
Attachments:
Attachment 1 - Draft Providence Agreement
Attachment 2 - Draft Regents of the University of California - UC Davis Agreement
Attachment 3 - Draft Data Ticket Agreement
Attachment 4 - Draft Petaluma Health Center
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None