REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
June 13, 2023
FROM
TRACY REECE, Chief Probation Officer, Probation Department
SUBJECT
Title
Non-Financial Memorandum of Understanding with San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools for the Building Skills Vocational and Job Readiness Training Program
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve non-financial Memorandum of Understanding with San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools to provide Building Skills Vocational and Job Readiness Training Program services for at-risk youth at selected Probation Department facilities, at no cost to the County, for a five-year period of June 14, 2023 through June 13, 2028.
(Presenter: Tracy Reece, Chief Probation Officer, 387-5692)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Create, Maintain and Grow Jobs and Economic Value in the County.
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
This item will not result in the use of additional Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools (School) will fund all program costs and administer detention-based educational services that build vocational skills and provide job readiness training at two juvenile detention facilities for at-risk youth (Youth) including, A Restorative Integration for Successful Engagement (ARISE) and the Central Valley Juvenile Detention Center (CVJDAC).
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Approval of this Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) will allow the Probation Department (Probation) to contract with the School for a vocational training program provided at Probation facilities and operated by the School’s Regional Occupational Program (ROP) instructors. This programming exposes certain at-risk Youth to computer science/information technology and a variety of construction trades and skills prior to being transitioned back into the community. The Program’s primary purpose is to empower participating Youth with vocation training and awareness that promotes employment readiness and self-sufficiency, while reducing recidivism.
On December 17, 2013 (Item No. 46), the Board of Supervisors (Board) approved Agreement No. 13-1039 with the School to provide Building Skills Vocational and Job Readiness Training Program (Program) services beginning January 1, 2014 through December 31, 2017. Since 2014, Probation and the School have developed and implemented this Program for Youth who are serving a long-term commitment at Probation’s facilities.
On March 20, 2018 (Item No. 32), the Board approved Agreement No. 18-142 to extend this Program for a five-year period from March 21, 2018 through January 31, 2023. The previous agreement expired on January 31, 2023, and both parties wish to reinstate these Program services.
Pursuant to the MOU, Probation is responsible for providing classroom space at mutually agreed upon Probation facilities to accommodate up to 10 workstations at each location.
The School will provide ongoing resources, curriculum, and ROP instructors. The curriculum consists of at least 10 hours of instruction and hands-on experience in as many as 20 construction-related trades or skills. School and Probation will be responsible for the control and supervision of all juveniles, and the School will assume all liability for participants and School employees during the Program. Probation will assume all liability for any use outside of regularly scheduled programming.
The MOU requires Board approval as it includes terms that differ from the standard County contract, including the following:
1. The parties are required to mutually indemnify one another.
• The County standard contract does not include any indemnification or defense by the County of a contractor.
• Potential Impact: By agreeing to defend the School, the County would be responsible to defend and reimburse the School for costs, expenses and damages.
2. The parties are both self-insured entities.
• The County standard contract requires certain levels of insurance.
• Potential Impact: By agreeing to self-insurance there will be no outside entity available to pay out on claims, if any.
These Program services have proven to be beneficial to Probation’s mission to reduce recidivism for at-risk Youth, therefore Probation recommends approval of the MOU, including the non-standard terms.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Jolena Grider, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on May 9, 2023; San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools (Scott Wyatt, Area Director of Student Services, 386-2722 and Kevin Garcia, Program Manager, Procurement and Warehouse Services, 386-9508) on May 2, 2023; Finance (Kathleen Gonzalez, Administrative Analyst III, 387-5412) on May 24, 2023; and County Finance and Administration (Robert Saldana, Deputy Executive Officer, 387-4342) on May 25, 2023.