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
Purchase of Prepaid Negotiables
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Authorize the purchase of prepaid negotiables from various transportation, retail and food vendors for use by adult and juvenile offenders to assist with basic necessities and support adherence to program plans, in an aggregate amount not to exceed $280,000 from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024.
(Presenter: Tracy Reece, Chief Probation Officer, 387-5692)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Operate in a Fiscally-Responsible and Business-Like Manner.
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not result in the use of additional Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The total amount of the prepaid negotiables of $280,000 will be funded by state and federal programs and grants including Assembly Bill (AB) 109 - Public Safety Realignment Program, Senate Bill (SB) 678 - Community Corrections Performance Incentive Program, the Youthful Offender Block Grant (YOBG), and AB 1913 - Juvenile Justice Crime Prevention Act, that specifically allow for the use of prepaid negotiable items. Sufficient appropriation will be included in the Probation Department’s (Department) 2023-24 recommended budget.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Each year, the Department provides to adult and juvenile justice involved individuals and at-risk population (Clients) with a variety of prepaid negotiables for basic necessities (food, diapers, clothing, and transportation) when needed, rewards for program completion, and a means to attend mandatory meetings by supplying bus passes.
The Department also uses prepaid negotiables to assist juvenile Clients in the Independent Living Program to facilitate the development of independent living skills as youth transition out of placement and into the community.
The Department currently purchases prepaid negotiables for gasoline and retail cards at a fixed price from Blackhawk Network LTD (Blackhawk), under a countywide contract that was approved by the Board of Supervisors (Board) on December 7, 2021 (Item No. 48). However, some negotiables, such as bus passes and those issued by certain companies that have a heavy presence in the community (e.g. Stater Brothers, In-N-Out, Del Taco, Dollar Tree, El Pollo Loco, and Taco Bell), cannot be purchased through Blackhawk and must be purchased through the individual companies. In accordance with the Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector’s Internal Controls and Cash Manual (ICCM), the purchase of prepaid negotiables of an amount greater than $2,500 requires approval from the Board.
Approval of this item is needed for the Department to purchase prepaid negotiables for various denominations from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024, as reflected in the table below:
|
Description |
Quantity of Cards (estimate) |
Total Amount |
|
Retail Stores |
6,499 |
$127,738 |
|
Food Establishments |
5,792 |
$57,175 |
|
Bus Passes |
4,969 |
$95,087 |
|
Total |
17,260 |
$280,000 |
On June 28, 2022 (Item No. 57), the Board authorized the Department to purchase prepaid negotiables from various vendors from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Jamie Ryan, Supervising Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on March 31, 2023; Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector (Denise Mejico, Chief Deputy Auditor, 382-3107) on April 4, 2023; Purchasing (Bruce Cole, Supervising Buyer, 387-2148) on April 17, 2023; Finance (Kathleen Gonzalez, Administrative Analyst, 387-5412) on May 25, 2023; and County Finance and Administration (Robert Saldana, Deputy Executive Officer, 387-4342) on May 25, 2023.