REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF THE COUNTY OF SAN BERNARDINO
AND RECORD OF ACTION
June 8, 2021
FROM
MARLENA SESSIONS, Director, Workforce Development Department
SUBJECT
Title
Amendment to Contracts for the Inland Empire Regional Planning Unit Prison to Employment Initiative
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Approve Amendment No. 1 to contracts with the following agencies for the Inland Empire Regional Planning Unit Prison to Employment Initiative to provide transitional employment and direct unsubsidized employment placement services to formerly incarcerated and/or justice-involved individuals and update Insurance language with no change to the contract terms of January 15, 2020 through March 31, 2022:
a. Goodwill Southern California, Agreement No. 4400014441, in the amount not to exceed $289,980.
b. San Bernardino Community College District, Agreement No. 4400014443, in the amount not to exceed $343,980.
2. Authorize the Director of the Workforce Development Department to execute amendments to extend the term of the these contracts for a maximum of two consecutive one-year periods, subject to review by County Counsel.
3. Direct the Director of the Workforce Development Department to transmit any amendments extending the contract term to the Clerk of the Board within 30 days of execution.
(Presenter: Marlena Sessions, Director, 387-9862)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Promote the Countywide Vision.
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
Approval of this item will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The combined expenditures of these contracts will not exceed $633,960 and are funded entirely by the California Workforce Development Board’s (CWDB) Prison to Employment Initiative (P2E). The P2E grant was awarded to the County of Riverside’s Economic Development Agency, who has subcontracted with the Workforce Development Department (WDD) for eligible activities through the service agreement. Sufficient revenue and appropriation for the proposed contracts have been included in the WDD 2020-21 budget and will be included in WDD’s 2021-22 Recommended budget.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
In 2016, CWDB designated Regional Planning Units comprised of Local Workforce Development Boards for the purpose of implementing regional activities under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). The Inland Empire Regional Planning Unit (IERPU) includes the San Bernardino County Workforce Development Board (SBCWDB) and the Riverside County Workforce Development Board (RCWDB).
On April 3, 2018 (Item No. 38), the Board of Supervisors (Board) approved the IERPU Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Riverside County for a term of April 3, 2018 through June 30, 2021. The IERPU MOU was drafted to serve as an umbrella agreement for the use of regional grant funds and other WIOA funding for regional plan activities to coincide with the regional plan. The IERPU MOU allows for the sharing of current grant funds within the IERPU, regardless of the designated administrative lead and provides a mechanism by which future funds for regional planning can be shared between the counties.
In November 2018, the CWDB released the Request for Applications for the P2E Implementation/Direct Services and the Supportive Service/Earn and Learn Grants. The IERPU submitted a joint application to the CWDB in February 2019 for the two grants and was awarded a total of $3,210,891 with RCWDB serving as the fiscal lead.
On January 7, 2020 (Item No. 36), the Board approved Service Agreement No. 20-17 with Riverside County to implement P2E Initiative Services. The purpose of the P2E Initiative is to connect formerly incarcerated or other justice-involved individuals with high demand jobs in the labor market with the goal of reducing recidivism. The funds allow the IERPU to work with corrections, probation, sheriff’s departments, other county departments, education providers, and community-based organizations in the region to assist formerly incarcerated and justice-involved individuals in becoming job ready through transitional employment, training and supportive services.
Pursuant to Service Agreement No. 20-17, the recommended contracts will allow WDD to provide transitional employment and direct unsubsidized placement opportunities to a minimum of 150 participants.
Each of the proposed contractors will connect formerly incarcerated and justice-involved individuals to work readiness training, short term vocational training, job development, case management, placement into unsubsidized employment and transitional (subsidized) employment opportunities. The majority of the funding will be used to pay the salaries of the P2E participants enrolled in transitional employment opportunities.
|
Contractor |
Service Area |
Clients to be served |
|
Goodwill Southern California |
High Desert, East Valley, Hemet, and Indio |
90 |
|
San Bernardino Community College District |
East Valley, Moreno Valley, and Indio |
60 |
Per County Policy No. 11-04, the Purchasing Agent may approve the competitive and non-competitive purchase of services where the annual aggregate cost, per scope of services per vendor, per agency, department, or Board-governed special district does not exceed the amount authorized by Government Code section 25502.5 (currently $200,000). Any contract exceeding that amount during a single annual period must be approved by the Board.
On March 10, 2020, as the result of the RFP procurement, the Purchasing Agent approved SAP Contract No. 4400014441 with Goodwill Southern California, in the total amount of $289,980 and Contract No. 4400014443 with San Bernardino Community College District in the total amount of $343,980, for the contract period of January 15, 2020 through March 31, 2022.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the start date of services was delayed and services were less than anticipated once started. Because of delays resulting from the pandemic, WDD now estimates that the total annual expenditures under both contracts will now exceed the Purchasing Agent’s authority for the period of April 2021 through March 2022. The recommended Amendment No. 1 to the contracts with Goodwill Southern California and San Bernardino Community College District will ensure services to residents continue without interruption.
Approval of Amendment No. 1 will allow contractors to exceed the annual spending limit of $200,000 previously authorized by the Purchasing Department and update Insurance language. The terms of Amendment No. 1 are from January 15, 2020 through March 31, 2022, with two one-year options to extend the term.
PROCUREMENT
On April 10, 2019, RCWDB issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) on behalf of the IERPU soliciting qualified agencies to provide transitional employment programs for formerly incarcerated and justice-involved individuals across San Bernardino and Riverside Counties.
On May 10, 2019, thirteen (13) proposals were received and all were determined to be responsive to the RFP’s minimum criteria. The proposals were evaluated by a committee of qualified neutral parties from the IERPU including, three (3) WDD and three (3) Riverside County Economic Development Agency staff members. In accordance with the proposal review and evaluation process outlined in the RFP, proposals were reviewed for demonstrated experience and ability to provide services. After reviewing proposal rating and geographical service areas, the two contractors listed above demonstrated they had the ability to serve the formerly incarcerated and justice-involved population, have an exceptional program design, are able to meet program objectives. No appeals to the procurement were received by RCWDB.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Sophie A. Akins, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on March 5, 2021; Finance (Kathleen Gonzalez, Administrative Analyst, 387-5412) on April 5, 2021; Purchasing (Bruce Cole, Supervising Buyer, 387-2148 on March 18, 2021; and County Finance and Administration (Robert Saldana, Deputy Executive Officer, 387-5423) on April 6, 2021.