To: Board of Supervisors
From: Ellen McDonnell, Public Defender
Report Title: Purchase Order and Budget Amendment to Purchase Vehicles with Justice Assistance Grant Award
Recommendation: Recommendation of the County Administrator
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE Budget Amendment No. BDA-26-01065 authorizing new revenue in the amount of $183,639 from the U.S. Department of Justice Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Award (JAG) and administered by the Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) Equipment and Training Award and appropriate it for the purchase of the five (5) vehicles; and
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Purchasing Agent, or designee, to execute on behalf of the Office of the Public Defender, a purchase order with Fairfield Chevrolet, in an amount not to exceed $158,639 for the acquisition of five (5) Chevrolet Equinox Sport Utility vehicles to support the work of the Department’s Client Services Unit funded by the JAG grant award
FISCAL IMPACT:
Approval of this request will result in a one-time expenditure of $158,639 for the vehicle purchases and $25,000 for the preparation of the vehicles ensuring the vehicles are County-compliant and will be funded 100% by Federal funds from through U.S. Department of Justice Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Award (JAG) and administered by the Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) Equipment and Training Award. Since no additional General Purpose Revenue allocations are available for the ongoing costs associated with these vehicles, including maintenance, insurance, etc., the department will absorb future year impacts within existing allocations
BACKGROUND:
The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program is the primary provider of federal criminal justice funding to state and local jurisdictions. The JAG Equipment and Training Program Grant provides states, tribes, and local governments with critical funding necessary to support a range of program areas including law enforcement, prosecution, indigent defense, courts, crime prevention and education, corrections and community corrections, drug treatment and enforcement, planning, evaluation, technology improvement, and crime victim and witness initiatives and mental health programs and related law enforcement and corrections programs, including behavioral programs and crisis intervention teams.
This request will increase the Office of the Public Defender fleet by five (5) vehicles and provide enhancements to indigent defense as part of the holistic approach and innovation.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
If the Board does not approve, the Office of the Public Defender would be unable to fulfill the requirements of the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Grant Program (JAG) Equipment and Training Program FY 2025-2026 and will be unable to acquire the equipment needed to support the Mental Health Team