REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
June 27, 2023
FROM
SHARON NEVINS, Director, Department of Aging and Adult Services
SUBJECT
Title
Amendment to Contract with Barstow Senior Citizens Center for Older Californians Nutrition Program
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve Amendment No. 3 to Contract No. 22-662 with Barstow Senior Citizens Center, for nutrition services, to revise the Scope of Work to add the To-Go Meal option, with no change in the $5,498,000 contract amount, and no change to the contract period of July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2025.
(Presenter: Sharon Nevins, Director, 891-3917)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Ensure Development of a Well-Planned, Balanced, and Sustainable County.
Provide for the Safety, Health, and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
This item does not require Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). This amendment will not result in a change to the contract amount. Adequate appropriation and revenue have been included in the Department of Aging and Adult Services’ (DAAS) 2023-24 budget and will be included in future recommended budgets.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
DAAS has administered the Older Californians Nutrition Program (OCNP), formerly known as the Elderly Nutrition Program, for San Bernardino County since 1978. The OCNP provides nourishing meals and nutrition education to people 60 years of age or older, their spouses, and disabled persons who live with an OCNP participant. In 2021-22, DAAS nutrition contractors provided 235,945 meals in a congregate setting and 575,467 home-delivered meals to older homebound individuals.
The OCNP adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic by reinventing and expanding nutrition services to meet the needs of older Californians. One change made as a result of the pandemic was to allow providers “To-Go” meal options at congregate meal sites. In October 2022, the Governor announced that the COVID-19 Major Disaster Declaration (MDD) would end on February 28, 2023. The California Department of Aging subsequently issued a Program Memo to provide guidance for the six-month transition period to return back to standard operations, effective July 1, 2023 for the Older Americans Act programs following the end of the MDD. It was noted, however, that “To-Go” meal options would remain as a meal option, if the nutrition provider elected to offer this option.
The Barstow Senior Citizens Center (Barstow) is a current contractor who provides senior meals in a congregate setting, as well as home-delivered meals. Barstow has five congregate sites located in the High Desert, which includes Apple Valley, Barstow, Helendale, Hesperia, and Victorville.
Barstow elected to offer an ongoing “To-Go” meal option as this option has proven to be a popular option for program participants, with Barstow serving approximately 100,000 “To-Go” meals this fiscal year. The recommended contract amendment will add this as a regular meal option, as well as dietary guidance, program rules, and reporting instructions to the Scope of Work. DAAS will continue to monitor activities for related funds through monthly activity reporting, review of invoice reimbursement requests, and site visits.
PROCUREMENT
On June 28, 2022 (Item No. 116), as the result of a formal competitive procurement, the Board of Supervisors (Board) approved Contract No. 22-662 with Barstow (one of eight contract awards), in the amount of $4,730,000, to provide Elderly Nutrition Program Services, for the contract period of July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2025.
On September 27, 2022 (Item No. 5), the Board approved Amendment No. 1 to the contract with Barstow, increasing the contract amount by $600,000, from $4,730,000 to $5,330,000, to add a congregate meal site in Helendale, with no change to the contract period of July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2025.
On March 28, 2023 (Item No. 5), the Board approved Amendment No. 2 to the contract with Barstow, increasing the contract amount by $168,000, from $5,330,000 to $5,498,000, to add intergenerational activities, with no change to the contract period of July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2025.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Human Services Contracts (Patty Steven, Contracts Manager, 388-0241) on May 30, 2023; County Counsel (Jacqueline Carey-Wilson, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on June 8, 2023; Finance (John Hallen, Administrative Analyst, 388-0208) on June 9, 2023; and County Finance and Administration (Cheryl Adams, Deputy Executive Officer, 388-0238) on June 9, 2023.