REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
November 15, 2022
FROM
JACQUELYN GREENE, Director, Preschool Services Department
SUBJECT
Title
Amendment to Contracts with Bigbreak, LLC dba Chefables and Top Notch Catering LLC to Provide Food Services for Early Head Start, Head Start, General Child Care and Development and State Preschool Programs
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve Amendment No. 1 to the following contracts to provide food services to children enrolled in Early Head Start, Head Start, General Child Care and Development, and State Preschool programs, increasing the combined contract amount by $1,802,000, from $400,000 to $2,202,000, with no change to the contract period of August 1, 2022 through July 31, 2023:
1. Bigbreak, LLC dba Chefables (Contract No. 4400020143), increasing the contract amount by $910,000, from $200,000 to $1,110,000.
2. Top Notch Catering LLC (Contract No. 4400020139), increasing the contract amount by $892,000, from $200,000 to $1,092,000.
(Presenter: Jacquelyn Greene, Director, 383-2005)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
This item does not impact Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The increase of $1,802,000, for a total amount of $2,202,000 for these food services is federally funded through the California Department of Social Services Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). Adequate appropriation and revenue have been included in the Preschool Services Department’s (PSD) 2022-23 budget and will be included in the 2023-24 recommended budget.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
PSD operates the Early Head Start, Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership, Head Start, General Child Care and Development (CCTR) and State Preschool programs serving more than 3,800 children through direct services in locations throughout San Bernardino County. These programs provide education, health, nutrition, cognitive, social/emotional, physical growth and development, and parent involvement services for children ages 0 to 5 with the overall goal of increasing family engagement and the school readiness of young children in economically disadvantaged families. PSD provides meals including breakfast, lunch, and snacks, through contracted vendors to children enrolled at PSD sites since 1999.
On May 19, 2020 (Item No. 55), the Board of Supervisors (Board) approved Contract No. 20-295 with Preferred Meal Systems, Inc. in the amount of $6,266,781 to provide food services for children enrolled in Early Head Start, Head Start, CCTR and State Preschool programs for the period of June 1, 2020 through May 31, 2023.
On June 30, 2022, Preferred Meals Systems, Inc. terminated its contract with PSD. To avoid food service interruptions, PSD conducted an active search for vendors who could assist in providing CACFP meals to PSD sites countywide. Pending a formal procurement, The Purchasing Department (Purchasing) approved PSD contracts with Bigbreak, LLC dba Chefables (Chefables) and Top Notch Catering LLC (Top Notch), which is within Purchasing’s signing authority, in the amount of $200,000 per contract to avoid food service interruption. The monthly and the annual food services costs are $92,500/$1,110,000 for Chefables and $91,000/$1,092,000 for Top Notch, respectively.
The recommended amendments will allow PSD to continue providing meals that include breakfast, lunch and snacks to all children enrolled in Head Start, Early Head Start, CCTR and State Preschool programs countywide while conducting a formal procurement.
Chefables and Top Notch performance will be measured by reviewing monthly reports by County staff to monitor compliance with the administrative, fiscal, and program requirements of the contracts. Chefables and Top-Notch will cooperate with the County in the monitoring and evaluation of these contracts and comply with any and all reporting requirements established by these contracts. The contracts may be terminated without cause by the County with 30 days written notice.
PROCUREMENT
On July 29, 2022, Purchasing approved Contract No. 4400020143 with Chefables in the amount of $200,000, and Contract No. 4400020139 with Top Notch in the amount of $200,000, to provide food services for Head Start, Early Head Start, CCTR and State Preschool Programs for the period of August 1, 2022 through July 30, 2023.
Procurement for food services is underway. New contract(s) will be presented to the Board for approval with services to be effective August 1, 2023.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Human Services Contracts (Patty Steven, Contracts Manager, 388-0241) on October 19, 2022; County Counsel (Adam Ebright, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on October 25, 2022; Finance (Paul Garcia, Administrative Analyst, 386-8392) on October 27, 2022; and County Finance and Administration (Cheryl Adams, Deputy Executive Officer, 388-0238) on October 31, 2022.