To: Sonoma County Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Sheriff’s Office
Staff Name and Phone Number: Maureen Nicklas, 565-8831
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
Agreements for On-Call Security Armed Guard Services
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
Delegate authority to the Sheriff to amend three On-Call Armed Security Guard Agreements with Armorous Corporation, Whitestar Group, and Defense Block Security to increase each annual contract limit from $100,000 to $200,000, each, for a not-to-exceed total cost of $600,000 per year, with no change to contract terms ending October 31, 2025.
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Executive Summary:
The Sheriff is requesting the authority to increase the contract limits for each of three On-Call Armed Security Guard Agreements. The current Agreements are expected to reach their existing limit of $100,000 before the Sheriff’s Office has completed its On-Call Armed Security Guard Services Request for Proposal (RFP) process. Taking no action will result in a break in mandated hospital guard services. Due to critical staffing shortages at the Sheriff’s Office, it is essential that the contracted staff continue providing services throughout the duration of the RFP and subsequent contract awards and finalization. Therefore, as a stop gap measure, the Sheriff is requesting authority to amend the three existing Agreements to increase the contract limits to $200,000 per contract, for a total cost of $600,000. Once the RFP process is completed, the Sheriff will return to the Board seeking approval to enter into new, longer-term contracts.
Discussion:
In November 2022, the Sheriff’s Office entered into three On Call Armed Security Guard Services Agreements due to an emergency need to contract out for services to cover mandated hospital guard shifts. The original Agreements were executed using the Sheriff’s delegated contracting authority of $50,000 per contract. The term hospital guard refers to court ordered security for inmates while they are being treated off site, in a hospital, or during off-site medical treatment while they are incarcerated. Hospital Guard is one area of Sheriff’s Office services that can be legally delegated to private armed security contractors under certain circumstances.
The Sheriff Office is experiencing unprecedented staffing shortages with 13 vacant positions and over 30 deputies unavailable due to illness and injury. Before the staffing shortage, deputy sheriffs covered hospital guard shifts, mostly on overtime. The use of private security for hospital guard services was approved by appropriate parties including Human Resources, labor unions and County Counsel as a solution to help with staffing issues. Three limited, short-term Agreements were executed to provide these mandated services while County Purchasing issued the Countywide RFP for private security which would include the Sheriff’s need for armed security providers to fill hospital guard shifts. Shortly after the three Agreements were finalized, several long-term hospital guard needs immediately used up the available funding under the short-term Agreements. As a result of the frequent use of these Agreements and the continued deputy staffing challenges, all three Agreements reached the Sheriff’s delegated limit of $50,000 in less than four months after execution. In consultation with County Purchasing, the Agreements were amended to increase the contract limit to $100,000 per contract while the Sheriff’s Office administered its own armed security guard RFP process separate from the Countywide process. With the on-going, acute staffing shortages along with the high number of hospital guard needs, the Sheriff’s Agreements are continuing to be used at a much higher rate than anticipated and are exceeding the County Purchasing Agent’s delegated contracting authority of $100,000. The Sheriff’s RFP process is anticipated to result in new agreements, effective mid-July 2023, which will be approximately three months after the existing Agreements are expected to reach their current not-to-exceed limits.
The Sheriff’s Office RFP solicitation was released on March 21, 2023, and will close May 8, 2023, with new long-term Agreements anticipated to be submitted to the Board for approval by mid-July 2023. This RFP process timeline will not meet the Sheriff’s immediate need and a stop gap measure is needed to ensure the on-going provision of these services. To that end, the Sheriff is requesting authority to amend the existing three Agreements to increase the current contract limits to $200,000 per contract, for a total not to exceed limit of $600,000. Once new Agreements are completed through the RFP process, these existing Agreements will be terminated, assuming the RFP is successful and results in awards that will cover the anticipated needs. These Agreements have been funded with General Fund savings from salary and benefit expenses that would have been paid to deputy sheriffs for providing these services. The current On-Call Armed Security Guard Services Agreements’ hourly rates range in cost between $70.00 to $85.00 per hour. The Sheriff’s Office hourly overtime rate for a deputy sheriff is $105.52, resulting in an estimated cost savings of $20 to $35 per hour of service. It is essential that contracted staff are able to continue to provide services throughout the duration of the Sheriff’s RFP process and subsequent contract award and finalization. The Sheriff is not requesting any additional funding to fulfill this request.
Strategic Plan:
N/A
Prior Board Actions:
N/A
Fiscal Summary
|
Expenditures |
FY 22-23 Adopted |
FY23-24 Projected |
FY 24-25 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
$600,000 |
$100,000 |
$0 |
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
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|
Total Expenditures |
$600,000 |
$100,000 |
$0 |
|
Funding Sources |
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|
General Fund/WA GF |
$600,000 |
$100,000 |
$0 |
|
State/Federal |
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Fees/Other |
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Use of Fund Balance |
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Contingencies |
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Total Sources |
$600,000 |
$100,000 |
$0 |
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
The three On-Call Armed Security Services Agreements have been funded with General Fund savings from salary and benefit expenses that would have been paid to deputy sheriffs for providing the services. The current On-Call Armed Security Guard Services Agreements’ hourly rates range in cost between $70.00 to $85.00 per hour. The Sheriff’s Office hourly overtime rate for deputy sheriff is $105.52, resulting in an estimated cost savings of $20 to $35 per hour of service. If the RFP is successful, the existing Agreements will be terminated in early FY 23-24.
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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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Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
N/A
Attachments:
Armorous - Agreement and Amendment 1 for On Call Armed Security Guard Services
Whitestar Group, Inc. - Agreement and Amendment 1 for On Call Armed Security Guard Services
Defense Block Security - Agreement and Amendment 1 for On Call Armed Security Guard Services
Draft Amendment 2 to increase the contract limits to $200,000 annually.
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
N/A