To: Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Human Services
Staff Name and Phone Number: Lynn Peralta 565-3812, Angela Struckmann 565-5800
Vote Requirement: 4/5th
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
Ag Innovations Network Food Assessment Contract
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
A) Authorize the Director of the Human Services Department to execute an agreement with Ag Innovations Network to conduct a regional food system assessment for the period of October 25, 2023, through October 26, 2024, in the amount of $199,955.
B) Adopt a Resolution Adjusting the Fiscal Year 2023-2024 Budget, increasing appropriations in the Human Services Department by $133,330 for the purpose of completing a countywide food assessment.
(4/5th Vote Required)
end
Executive Summary:
During County budget hearings in June 2022, the Board of Supervisors tasked the Human Services Department with completing a countywide regional food assessment to map the overall food system in Sonoma County, to identify gaps and challenges in the current food system, and to provide recommendations for future funding related to food needs in our community. The Human Services Department will enter into a contract with Ag Innovations Network from October 25, 2023, through October 26, 2024, to conduct the countywide food assessment. University of California Cooperative Extension Sonoma County will work in partnership with Ag Innovations and the Human Services Department to guide the assessment.
Discussion:
In Sonoma County there are many agencies and programs that provide nutrition programs and food assistance to residents, operating within a complex food distribution system. In the wake of the last several disasters, including the COVID-19 pandemic and multiple fires, gaps in the local food system have become more apparent. Although additional County funding has been allocated over the last few years for food provision in our community, our most vulnerable populations continue to struggle. As many pandemic related emergency funding streams are ending, we seek to further understand how to best support existing food programs and streamline resources. An assessment of the food system that takes a countywide approach, with a focus on resources and challenges specific to each geographic area, is required to identify commonalities and opportunities, as well as differences in needs and locally informed strategies. A holistic assessment of the food system in Sonoma County will help inform how to create better partnerships and distribute resources more efficiently and effectively.
Currently, there is not a widely coordinated effort or single tool consistently being used to collect comprehensive data on hunger and nutrition needs in Sonoma County. According to Feeding America, 46,040, or 9.3% of Sonoma County residents faced food insecurity in 2020.
Since June of 2019, Sonoma County 211 data <https://app.powerbi.com/view?r=eyJrIjoiMDczOTczYzQtYWZkNS00OTNlLWFjZDAtYzljYWNmMTg2NjUxIiwidCI6ImI4NTFhY2ZmLTM5ODgtNDY1OC04OWVhLWJmM2M3NmRkZTlhNiIsImMiOjZ9> showed that “Food/Meals” has consistently been in the top four categories of need for incoming callers to the referral and information line. The Human Services Department (HSD) CalFresh program (known federally as SNAP) is currently serving over 37,000 individuals each month by providing money for food. Although the CalFresh program plays an integral role in helping people purchase food, it is only meant as a supplement and does not provide enough funding to cover all of the food needs for an individual or family.
During 2022/23 budget hearings, the Board of Supervisors allocated $200,000 to conduct an assessment of food needs in the county and directed HSD to lead the coordination of the assessment.
A Request for Proposals was conducted in December 2022 and there were no applicants. Following the failed procurement, HSD reached out to potential contracts, including Ag Innovations Network, to solicit interest in submitting a proposal. Ag Innovations was the only organization interested. Subsequently, Ag Innovations Network submitted a proposal to conduct the regional food system assessment, and County Purchasing approved a sole source waiver for this procurement. The assessment will identify challenges and gaps in services and unmet food needs in the community, and will include recommendations that could improve distribution of resources more efficiently for the numerous food and nutrition programs that serve Sonoma County residents. The regions will include those that have historically had a higher density of needs: Central Santa Rosa, South County (Cotati, Rohnert Park, Petaluma, Bodega Bay, etc.), West County (Sebastopol, Guerneville, Occidental, Monte Rio, etc.), Northern Coast, North County (Cloverdale, Geyserville, etc.), and Sonoma Valley.
The assessment will include five regional focus groups and up to twenty-five (25) interviews with traditional and non-traditional food providers. Results from the recent food system assessment performed in Sonoma Valley will also be integrated into the report. This effort will firmly root the identification of practical solutions informed by the community, and will create visibility regarding questions like how the food system currently works, how the community would like it to work, what challenges the system is currently facing, and how the County and the community can move toward a more effective food system that better meets the needs of everyone in our community. Findings will be presented in a final assessment report, with strategic recommendations that include an equity analysis and can be used to inform funding decisions regarding food provision and services, meals distribution and outreach to our most vulnerable communities.
University of California Cooperative Extension Sonoma County (UCCE) will convene an advisory group to help guide the food assessment in partnership with HSD and Ag Innovations. The advisory group will be comprised of local stakeholders and will inform the assessment process with an equity lens.
The planning phases of the assessment will begin in the end of 2023. The focus groups and interviews will begin in 2024 and results will be presented in a final report to the Board in the fall of 2024.
Strategic Plan:
N/A
Racial Equity:
Was this item identified as an opportunity to apply the Racial Equity Toolkit?
No
Prior Board Actions:
06-14-2022: Authorized $200,000 in one-time, County discretionary funds for the Human Services Department to complete a countywide food assessment.
Fiscal Summary
|
Expenditures |
FY23-24 Adopted |
FY24-25 Projected |
FY25-26 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
|
66,625 |
|
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
133,330 |
|
|
|
Total Expenditures |
$133,330 |
$66,625 |
$0 |
|
Funding Sources |
|
|
|
|
General Fund/WA GF |
133,330 |
66,625 |
|
|
State/Federal |
|
|
|
|
Fees/Other |
|
|
|
|
Use of Fund Balance |
|
|
|
|
Contingencies |
|
|
|
|
Total Sources |
$133,330 |
$66,625 |
$0 |
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
HSD is requesting to increase Fiscal Year (FY) 2023-24 appropriations by $133,330. The Ag Innovations Network contract total of $199,955 is allocated based on a term of 12 months as follows: FY 2023-24 $133,330 (8 months) and FY 2024-25 $66,625 (4 months). The contract is fully funded by County discretionary funds, currently budgeted in Non-Departmental, that will be used to reimburse HSD.
|
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:
1: Ag Innovations Network Contract
2: Budget Resolution
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None