Agenda Item Name:
Title
Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) 2019-20 Grant Contract, Waiver of Board Resolution 2014-33 Relating to Contractual Indemnification, and agree to the State owning any Intellectual Property (IP) developed under the contract and thereby waive County IP policy.End
Presenter:
Tom Tonkavich 264-6738
Description:
Request approval of (1) the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) 2019-20 grant contract in the amount of $458,976, (2) the addition of 2.0 FTE’s (Victim Advocate Counselor) to Victim Services & Rape Crisis Center, (3) the budget amendment to establish the FY19-20 VOCA Fund in the amount of $458,976 and (4) the inter-fund loan in the amount of $100,000. Article 23 (page 11) of the contract transfers ownership of any Intellectual Property (IP) developed under the agreement to the State of Florida. Additionally, Article 24 (pages 11 and 12) of the grant contract contains language regarding indemnification which if agreed to requires Alachua County to waive its sovereign immunity contrary to Florida State Statute 768.28 (19) and in conflict with Board Resolution 2014-33. Staff asked to modify the agreement and on September 13, 2019, the Office of Attorney General denied the request. A second request for language change is being considered by the Office of Attorney General. If Alachua County agrees to this language its excess insurance would not provide coverage.
The VOCA grant begins October 1, 2019 and ends September 30, 2020. The 2.0 FTE's (new FTE's) will be hired to work with victims of crime who are Spanish speaking. The other 4.75 FTE’s will provide services to victims of crime, including services specific to the program's certified rape crisis center, such as 24/7 access to crisis counseling, advocacy, and accompaniment to the hospital when undergoing a sexual assault forensic exam.
Recommended Action:
Recommended Action
Request approval of (1) the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) 2019-20 grant contract in the amount of $458,976, (2) the addition of 2.0 FTE’s (Victim Advocate Counselors) to Victim Services & Rape Crisis Center, (3) the budget amendment to establish the FY19-20 VOCA Fund in the amount of $458,976, (4) the inter-fund loan in the amount of $100,000, (5) waive the County IP policy, and (6) waive Board Resolution 2014-33. End
Prior Board Motions:
N/A
Fiscal Consideration:
Fiscal Consideration
There is $315,863 budgeted in FY20 in Fund 018. The difference in the award amount ($458,976) and the FY20 budget is $143,113. After October 1, staff will submit a budget amendment to the Board to increase the VOCA fund for the difference in the budget and the award amount.
OMB Note: There isn’t a budget amendment as indicated in number 3. That approval is to create a specific project budget for FY20 with the entire award amount. This will be taken care of by OMB after the FY20 budget is adopted.
End
Background:
The Alachua County Board of County Commissioners Victim Services & Rape Crisis Center's Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grant award was renewed for FY2019-20. The program has been the recipient of the VOCA grant since 1986. The VOCA grant provides funding for 6.75 FTE's (Victim Advocate Counselors) to support and assist victims of violent and traumatic crime in Alachua, Bradford and Union Counties with the following services; 24/7 response to sexual assault victims at the hospital or law enforcement agency, crisis counseling, information on victims’ rights, information on local medical, legal and therapeutic remedies, and criminal justice advocacy. The FY19-20 VOCA grant includes 2.0 new FTE’s who will be bilingual in English and Spanish to better reach victims of crime whose primary language is Spanish. The VOCA grant also allows the division to contract with therapy services in Bradford and Union Counties to allow crime victims to receive mental health counseling. The VOCA grant covers the expenses of advanced training for staff and operating. The division has been providing certified rape crisis response services to Bradford and Union Counties since 2006.