To: County of Sonoma Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Department of Health Services
Staff Name and Phone Number: Tina Rivera (707) 565-4774; Dave Kiff (707) 565-4090
Vote Requirement: 4/5th
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
Homelessness Services for Interim Sites (Mickey Zane Place/Emergency Shelter Site/Ballfields/Los Guilicos Village)
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
A) Authorize the Director of Health Services, or designee, to execute an agreement with Michelle Patino dba DEMA Consulting & Management for site management and security services at various shelter sites in the amount of $3,302,200 for the period of July 1, 2023 through November 30, 2023.
B) Authorize the Director of Health Services, or designee, to execute an agreement with Lemus Family Enterprise Inc. dba Taqueria Sol Azteca for food preparation and delivery services for various shelter sites in the amount of $621,090 for the period of July 1, 2023 through November 30, 2023.
C) Authorize the Director of Health Services, or designee, to execute an agreement with Sonoma County Fair and Exposition, Inc. for use of Fairgrounds space (Ballfields) for the period July 1, 2023 through December 31, 2023 in the amount of $234,000.
D) Authorize the Director of Health Services, or designee, to execute an agreement with The Society of St. Vincent de Paul District Council of Sonoma County, Inc. to continue as the operator of Los Guilicos Village for the period July 1, 2023 through October 31, 2023 in the amount of $754,507.
E) Adopt a resolution authorizing budgetary adjustments to the fiscal year 2023-2024 adopted budget, increasing appropriations in the amount of $2,657,290 to reflect revenue and expenditures supporting operations at interim sites (Mickey Zane Place/Emergency Shelter Site/Ballfield) from July 1, 2023 through November 30, 2023.
(4/5th Vote Required)
end
Executive Summary:
The Sonoma County Department of Health Services (hereinafter, “DHS” or “the Department”) is requesting Board approval to authorize the Director of Health Services, or designee, to execute interim agreements as listed below.
Due to multiple homelessness emergency situations (COVID-19, and unauthorized or disruptive encampments) the need for non-congregate shelter sites continues. DHS contracted with partner agencies to provide site management, site security, site food service, and medical care over the last several years. The contracts for these services expired on June 30, 2023. Currently, DHS is in formal solicitation process for these services. Until that process is complete, however, these interim agreements are necessary to provide continuity of care for our unhoused and vulnerable clients in our current interim housing sites.
DHS is requesting approval of interim contracts until the competitive process for these services can be completed. DHS will return to the Board at or about November 2023 which will reflect formal solicitation award recommendations for site management, security and food services to the County’s remaining interim homelessness housing sites.
Based on the delayed nature of final award of RFPs, and the continued need to support the homeless community, DHS is requesting the following:
1. Authorize the Director of Health Services, or designee, to execute an agreement with Michelle Patino dba DEMA Consulting & Management for site management and security services at various shelter sites in the amount of $3,302,200 for the period of July 1, 2023 through November 30, 2023.
2. Authorize the Director of Health Services, or designee, to execute an agreement with Lemus Family Enterprise Inc. dba Taqueria Sol Azteca for food preparation and delivery services for various shelter sites in the amount of $621,090 for the period of July 1, 2023 through November 30, 2023.
3. Authorize the Director of Health Services, or designee, to execute an agreement with Sonoma County Fair and Exposition, Inc. for use of Fairgrounds space (Ballfields) for the period July 1, 2023 through December 31, 2023 in the amount of $234,000.
4. Authorize the Director of Health Services, or designee, to execute an agreement with The Society of St. Vincent de Paul District Council of Sonoma County, Inc. to continue as the operator of Los Guilicos Village for the period July 1, 2023 through October 31, 2023 in the amount of $754,507.
5. Adopt a resolution authorizing budgetary adjustments to the fiscal year 2023-2024 adopted budget, increasing appropriations in the amount of $2,657,290 to reflect revenue and expenditures supporting operations at interim sites (Mickey Zane Place/ESS/Ballfield) from July 1, 2023 through November 30, 2023. (4/5th Vote Required)
Discussion:
The Department of Health Services (DHS) contracted with various homelessness service partners as part of the COVID-19 response at the following non-congregate shelters: Sonoma County Fairgrounds Ballfields, Mickey Zane Place and Sebastopol Inn. Procedures for Emergency Contracting during declared disasters were followed to execute the original contracts and subsequent modifications for the duration of the COVID-19 Response. The emergency COVID-19 Response contracts expired on June 30, 2023, though the need still exists for Homeless Site management, food services, and related care until the homelessness crisis has been resolved.
The competitive request for proposal process for site management was delayed due to vetting by legal counsel as well as responses to clarifying questions triggered by union notification raised by local union SEIU. The competitive request for proposal for Los Guilicos Village generated two applicants and has been delayed due to compliance reporting and finally, the competitive request for proposal for food services generated no qualified applications and was reposted with one applicant responding. This delayed the procurement process and notice of award. We appreciate the patience of all applicants in these processes and are working with the various county departments to ensure the procurement process proceeds as appropriate.
Three RFP award determinations are pending. The Department is currently soliciting food services through the County of Sonoma Purchasing Portal. RFP was released on May 11, 2023. One proposal was received on June 29, 2023. The Department expects to return to the Board with a recommended award of a food services contract on or about November 2023, to cover food delivery services for up to three years. Food services include preparation of one to two meals a day, depending on site and guest requirements, and delivery of food to sites as needed. Currently, standard meals consist of a main course, one side, one fruit and one drink.
Lastly, the Department released a formal solicitation (via a Request for Proposals or RFP) for homelessness site management services on August 8, 2023. Site management services include site supervision, resource and housing navigators, guest drivers, guest service managers, site assistants, medical staffed services, security services, guest intake services, and other activities as needed. DHS intends to return to the Board of Supervisors with a recommended award of site management services on or about November 2023 to cover needs for up to the next three years.
This agenda item asks for authority to enter into Interim Agreements with current providers to bridge the time between July 1, 2023 and November 30, 2023, when results of the aforementioned RFPs are brought back to the Board for approval.
The First proposed interim Agreement - with DEMA for Site Management of Three Sites. DHS is requesting approval to execute an interim agreement for homelessness emergency and interim site management services provided to clients at the Mickey Zane Place, Emergency Shelter Site, and Ballfields Trailers sites with Michelle Patino dba DEMA Consulting & Management in an amount not to exceed $3,302,200. This interim agreement will cover work done between July 1, 2023 through November 30, 2023, while the Site Management RFP mentioned above goes through the proper process.
To date, three sites remain active.
• Mickey Zane Place. 117 persons have been housed here over time. There are 49 residents currently. Of the 117 persons housed, 40 persons exited to permanent housing.
• Ballfields Trailers. 171 persons have been housed here over time, and 38 persons reside here currently. Of the 171 persons housed, 25 have exited to permanent housing.
• County Center Emergency Shelter Site (ESS). 107 persons have been housed here since March 2023, with 54 current residents. Three (3) exits have been to permanent housing, although additional placements are pending as of the date of this Board item’s preparation.
The Second proposed interim Agreement - with Lemus Family Foods for site food services. DHS is requesting approval to execute an interim agreement for food service preparation and delivery services with Lemus Family Enterprise Inc., dba Taqueria Sol Azteca in an amount not to exceed $621,090. This interim agreement will cover work done between July 1, 2023 through November 30, 2023, while the Food Services RFP mentioned above goes through the proper process. To date, Lemus has provided the following food services (including preparation and delivery) to these sites since July 1, 2021:
• Mickey Zane Place - 63,510 meals
• Ballfield Trailers - 38,016 meals
• Sebastopol Inn - 29,310 meals (site closed April 2023)
• County Center Emergency Shelter Site (ESS) - 9,380 meals
The Third proposed interim Agreement - with the Sonoma County Fairgrounds for the Ballfield Trailers site. At the end of FY 2021-2022, approximately 30 unsheltered individuals were temporarily sheltered at the Ballfield section of the Sonoma County Fairgrounds due to COVID remediation efforts. With an additional 10 individuals added from encampment clearings in the first quarter of FY 2022-2023, demobilization of the Ballfield was delayed in an effort to continue providing temporary shelter services for some of the County’s most vulnerable. There are 38 individuals currently housed across 26 FEMA trailers, with up to two (2) individuals per trailer.
The goal is to demobilize the Ballfield Trailers by the end of the calendar year 2023 and the 38 individuals residing there are to be placed into interim or permanent supportive housing. Guests at the Ballfields are generally Justice-involved individuals, and along with the scarcity of local facilities currently accepting unsheltered individuals this further limits permanent housing placement. DHS must sign a lease with the Sonoma County Fair and Exposition because their operational expenses must be reimbursed to cover loss of property use. The term of this interim agreement is from July 1, 2023 through December 31, 2023, extended in part to allow time to remove the trailers from the site. Total cost is not to exceed $234,000.
Lastly, the Fourth proposed interim Agreement - with The Society of St. Vincent de Paul District Council of Sonoma County, Inc., for the operations of Los Guilicos (LG) Village. LG Village is a 60-bed non-congregate shelter site in eastern Santa Rosa at the northern end of the Sonoma Valley and has been in operation since January 27, 2020 after the clearance of the largest encampment in County history on the Joe Rodota Trail. After March 10, 2020, LG Village also supported individuals at-risk of severe impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic. St. Vincent de Paul has been the operator of LG Village since its inception in January 2020. On-site services include case management, meals, support groups, transportation, employment support, and 24/7 security of the site.
To date, LG Village has served 256 residents and:
• 78 individuals have been permanently housed (30%)
• 11 residents have found employment
• 59% of residents who exited went to temporary destinations (hotel/motel, staying with friends and family, etc.)
At the Board’s direction, staff released an RFP in December 2022 for LG Village services, there were two applicants. The proposals are under review, no award has been announced at this time. As such, DHS is recommending an interim agreement to continue with St. Vincent de Paul through October 31, 2023. This will ensure continuity of care and will reduce impacts to facility guests and their services. The interim agreement is not to exceed $754,507 for four (4) months of interim operations.
Strategic Plan:
This item directly supports the County’s Five-year Strategic Plan and is aligned with the following pillar, goal, and objective.
Pillar: Healthy and Safe Communities
Goal: Goal 1: Expand integrated system of care to address gaps in services to the County’s most vulnerable.
Objective: Objective 2: Identify gaps in the Safety Net system of services and identify areas where departments can address those gaps directly and seek guidance from the Board when additional resources and/or policy direction is needed.
Prior Board Actions:
On July 12, 2022, this Board A) Received Homelessness Update, offered guidance to staff as to strategies; B) Provided guidance to, accept the recommendations of, and directed the Director of the Department of Health Services and the interim Executive Director of the Sonoma County Community Development Commission (hereinto “Commission") to return to the Board with Results-Based Accountability metrics for the proposed uses of $4 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds previously designated by the Board for homelessness programs and solutions; C) Authorized the interim Executive Director of the Commission, or their designee, to execute the professional services agreement with St. Vincent de Paul for the operations of Los Guilicos Village for Fiscal Year 2022-2023, as well as authorized the Interim Executive Director of the Commission to file Notices of Exemption in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act; D) Directed staff to prepare a Request for Proposals for the future operations of Los Guilicos Village for FY 23-24; E) Authorized the Interim Executive Director of the Commission to donate or otherwise dispose of the temporary housing trailers at the Sonoma County Fair & Exposition with a preference towards assigning them to non-profits in service to our unhoused neighbors; and F) Authorized the Board Chair to send a letter to the Governor and California state legislators advocating for a phased-in approach regarding SB 1338 and the CARE Court program (CARE Act).
Fiscal Summary
|
Expenditures |
FY 23-24 Adopted |
FY 24-25 Projected |
FY 25-26 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
$2,254,507 |
|
|
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
$2,657,290 |
|
|
|
Total Expenditures |
$4,911,797 |
0 |
0 |
|
Funding Sources |
|
|
|
|
General Fund/WA GF |
|
|
|
|
State/Federal |
$2,254,507 |
|
|
|
Fees/Other |
|
|
|
|
Use of Fund Balance |
$2,657,290 |
|
|
|
Contingencies |
|
|
|
|
Total Sources |
$4,911,797 |
0 |
0 |
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
The FY 2023-2024 budget appropriations requested is for five months totaling $2,657,290 which will come from Intergovernmental Transfers Fund Balance which is estimated to be at $3.4 million on 6/30/24 net of this use. Estimated fund balance prior to this expenditure 6/30/24 is $7,094,195.
Requests for payments for all services rendered by above contracted partners must be supported by source documentation and accounting records must trace back to the source documentation submitted. All cost and/or source documentation must meet the following criteria: be allowable, reasonable, and allocable; within the limits of the contract; and must align with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) which is a common set of accounting rules, requirements, and practices issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB). These principles standardize the classifications, assumptions, and procedures used in accounting industries across the United States.
In July 2022, the Board authorized operations of Los Guilicos Village for FY 22-23 with a mix of local and federal funds including residual Federal Emergency Solutions Grant Coronavirus (ESG-CV) funds and Intergovernmental Transfer funds (IGT) for approximately $2.2 million.
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Staffing Impacts: |
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|
|
|
Position Title (Payroll Classification) |
Monthly Salary Range (A-I Step) |
Additions (Number) |
Deletions (Number) |
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|
|
|
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Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
N/A
Attachments:
Attachment 1 - Budget Resolution
Attachment 2 - Homelessness Services for Interim Sites - Service Agreements Cost Accounting
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None