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 Director of Health Services, or designee, to execute a no-cost data sharing agreement with the State of California Department of Public Health for access to a fetal, infant and child mortality database for a term beginning November 1, 2024, and renewed annually thereafter unless canceled by either party.
B) Authorize the Director of Health Services, or designee, to execute an agreement with DocuPet Corp. for animal licensing services beginning August 26, 2025 and renewed annually thereafter unless canceled by either party, with an annual cost of $25,900 to the Department of Health Services.
C) Authorize the Director of Health Services, or designee, to execute the first amendment to a revenue agreement with the County of Mendocino, for data system services in support of Advanced Life Support and Basic Life Support providers, extending the initial term of November 14, 2024 through June 30, 2025, to June 30, 2026. The extension will result in an additional $15,000 to the Department of Health Services for a total of $20,000 over the term of the agreement.
D) Authorize the Director of Health Services, or designee, to execute a revenue agreement with the City of Petaluma for the County of Sonoma to perform administration and compliance activities in support of Petaluma's Tobacco Retailer License for the period of July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2028, resulting in $19,240 in annual revenue to the Department of Health Services for a total of $57,720 over the term of the agreement.
E) Authorize the Director of Health Services, or designee, to execute modifications to the agreements in this Board Item which may increase the total not-to-exceed amount in order to address increased service needs and/or will not significantly change the scope of services, subject to available funding as well as review and approval by County Counsel.
end
Executive Summary:
The Department of Health Services (hereinafter, "DHS" or "the Department") requests authorization from the Board of Supervisors to enter into four agreements and one Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) essential to departmental operations and public health initiatives. If authorized, these agreements and MOU will enable DHS to implement programs and services critical to health monitoring, animal services, emergency medical data support, and tobacco retailer compliance.
The Department is also requesting Board authorization for the DHS Director, or designee, to execute modifications or amendments to the agreements in this Board item which may increase the total not-to-exceed amount in order to address increased service needs that do not substantially change the scopes of service, subject to available funding and County Counsel review and approval.
Discussion:
The Department is requesting Board authorization to enter into the following agreements necessary to support critical departmental operations and community health services. These agreements include essential data sharing, animal licensing, emergency medical services support, and tobacco retailer licensing administration.
State of California Department of Public Health - Data Sharing Agreement - No Cost
Community & Family Health
The Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health (MCAH) program ensures the well-being of mothers, children, and families by implementing evidence-based interventions in maternal and child health, home visiting, dental health, and tobacco prevention. The program aligns with state mandates for public health services, including Title V Maternal and Child Health Block Grant requirements.
The proposed data sharing agreement with the State of California Department of Public Health provides DHS access to the National Fatality Review Case Reporting System to monitor fetal, infant, and child deaths in Sonoma County. The term of the agreement starts when the agreement is executed and is renewed annually until canceled by either party. No cost is associated with this agreement. Although Sonoma County MCAH does not currently receive any funding to conduct formal Fetal and Infant Mortality Review activities, access to the full database would provide our Public Health Nurses with more details about these untimely deaths to monitor for trends and advocate for State funding.
DocuPet Corp. - Animal Licensing Services Agreement - $25,900
Sonoma County Animal Services
Sonoma County Animal Services (SCAS) provides sheltering and field services to unincorporated areas of the County and the City of Santa Rosa. 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 into caring homes. SCAS also oversees licensing in unincorporated Sonoma County and other cities through service agreements.
The proposed agreement with DocuPet Corp provides for licensing services, including tag sales, invoicing, rabies vaccination compliance tracking, web access, marketing materials, data management, and staff training.
The proposed agreement includes unincorporated Sonoma County, the City of Santa Rosa and the City of Healdsburg, and allows for the addition of new jurisdictions.
The proposed agreement includes a $25,900 annual fee for services for the jurisdictions listed above. The start date for this agreement is the effective date of the agreement and will be automatically renewed annually unless canceled by either party.
At the start of this effort, the Department initiated an informal quote process, as the estimated cost of services fell within the delegated purchasing authority of the department head. SCAS solicited quotes from the two viable vendors in this space; DocuPet and PetData. As part of its proposal, DocuPet offered an evergreen agreement that may be canceled at any time by either party, providing additional flexibility and minimizing long-term risk.
SCAS conducted an informal comparative review of the two vendors and determined that DocuPet offered the most comprehensive and flexible platform to meet operational needs. PetData was found to lack several essential features, including a user-friendly public portal, integrated vaccination tracking, customizable outreach materials, and the ability to expand services to new jurisdictions-features critical to SCAS's mission and fully supported only by DocuPet's platform.
To further assess vendor performance, SCAS consulted with jurisdictions currently using both systems. Feedback consistently favored DocuPet for its reliability, customer service, and community engagement tools. No other vendor demonstrated the capability-or willingness-to tailor services to SCAS's evolving needs. Based on this analysis, DocuPet was identified as the only provider able to deliver the full scope of services required.
County of Mendocino - Revenue Agreement for Data System Services - $5,000
Local Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Agency
Per State law, the County of Sonoma EMS Agency, known as the Coastal Valleys EMS Agency (CVEMSA), oversees and regulates the local EMS system. The Sonoma County Department of Health Services, designated by the Board of Supervisors as the local EMS Agency for Sonoma County, is authorized to enter agreements/MOUs for EMS administrative services with Mendocino County. On July 9, 2024, the Board authorized DHS to execute an agreement with the County of Mendocino to provide administrative functions of the Mendocino County portion of the regional hospital communications system and to accept annual revenue in exchange for these services. Under the Mendocino County Local Emergency Medical Services Agency Services Agreement, CVEMSA staff will perform EMS administrative functions such as medical control and oversight, personnel certification and accreditation, approval and oversight of base hospitals, authorization of advanced life support programs, authorization of EMS education training programs, authorization and oversight of Continuing Education Provider programs, authorization of EMS dispatch centers and maintenance of the Mendocino County portion of the regional hospital communications system.
Sonoma County contracts with ImageTrend, LLC for regional computer-aided dispatch (CAD) software and database services to analyze emergency calls. On November 12, 2024, the Board authorized DHS to enter into the third amendment to the agreement with ImageTrend, LLC, increasing the budget to allow for the integration of the Mendocino County EMS dispatch communications center data into the ImageTrend Elite patient care reporting system.
On January 21, 2025, DHS entered into an agreement with County of Mendocino with a term through June 30, 2025, for CAD software and database services for $5,000 for the term of the agreement. The initial agreement was entered under the Department Head's delegated authority. This first amendment extends the term of the agreement through June 30, 2028 and increases the contracted amount by $15,000 ($5,000 annually) from $5,000 to $20,000 over the term of the agreement.
City of Petaluma - Revenue Agreement for Tobacco Retailer License Administration - $19,240
Public Health - Healthy Communities - Tobacco Prevention Program
As the State-designated local lead agency for tobacco-nicotine prevention, DHS receives specialized training and support to enforce and implement state tobacco sales laws-expertise not typically available to city jurisdictions. In response to a request from the City of Petaluma, DHS will provide education and conduct annual compliance visits to each tobacco retailer in the city, collaborating with the City's code enforcement team. The City will handle enforcement actions, including issuing violations, citations, and managing penalties and appeals.
The purpose of this revenue agreement is to outline each party's responsibilities in the administration and compliance activities for Petaluma's Tobacco Retailer License program. The term of the agreement is from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2028. The County shall receive and retain license fees from retail licensees in accordance with the City's Master Fee Schedule. The annual projected revenue is estimated at $19,240 with a maximum contract amount of $57,720.
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
FISCAL SUMMARY
Expenditures
FY25-26 Adopted
FY26-27 Projected
FY27-28 Projected
Budgeted Expenses
$1,660
$1,660
$1,660
Additional Appropriation Requested|10 10 10 10|Total Expenditures
$1,660
$1,660
$1,660
Funding Sources
General Fund/WA GF
State/Federal
Fees/Other
$1,660
$1,660
$1,660
Use of Fund Balance
General Fund Contingencies
Total Sources
$1,660
$1,660
$1,660
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
The Adopted FY 2025-26 Budget includes sufficient appropriations to fund these agreements through the collection of animal licensing fees and agreement revenues. Funding for future years will be included in the Department's annual budget requests, as applicable. No General Fund support is requested.
Staffing Impacts:
Position Title (Payroll Classification)
Monthly Salary Range (A-I Step)
Additions (Number)
Deletions (Number)
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
None
Attachments:
Attachment 1 - State of California Draft Agreement
Attachment 2 - DocuPet Draft Agreement
Attachment 3 - County of Mendocino Draft Agreement
Attachment 4 - City of Petaluma Draft Agreement
Related Items "On File" with the Clerk of the Board:
None