Broward County Commission Regular Meeting
Director's Name: Tara Gaudin
Department: Human Services Division: Community Partnerships
Information
Requested Action
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A. MOTION TO ADOPT Resolution of the Board of County Commissioners of Broward County, Florida, authorizing appropriation and disbursement of Florida Department of Children and Families (“DCF”) grant funds in the amount of $420,162 to specified service providers for Fiscal Year 2022-2023; authorizing the County Administrator to execute Amendment No. 0004 to DCF Grant Contract No. JP003 (subject to review for legal sufficiency by the Office of the County Attorney) and agreements with specified service providers (subject to review for legal sufficiency by the Office of the County Attorney) and to take all necessary administrative and budgetary actions to implement the agreements; and providing for severability and an effective date.
ACTION: (T-10:22 AM) Approved Resolution No. 2022-317.
VOTE: 9-0.
B. MOTION TO ADOPT budget Resolution within the Unified Homeless Grant Fund in the amount of $420,162 for housing projects to assist individuals and families in Broward County who are experiencing homelessness, and for administrative support to the Homeless Continuum of Care under the DCF Emergency Solutions Grant, the Challenge Grant, and Staffing Grant for the DCF grant period commencing July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023.
ACTION: (T-10:22 AM) Approved Resolution No. 2022-318.
VOTE: 9-0.
C. MOTION TO APPROVE waivers of conflict under Section 112.313(7)(a), Florida Statutes, for the following Broward County advisory board members holding an employment or contractual relationship with an entity receiving funds for the performance of services under this agenda item:
1. Michael R. Barron
2. Thomas M. Campbell
3. Frances M. Esposito
4. Rafael F. Jimenez
5. Danny C. Osley
ACTION: (T-10:22 AM) Approved.
VOTE: 9-0.
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Why Action is Necessary
A. Broward County Board of County Commissioners (“Commission”) adoption of this Resolution is required for appropriation and disbursement of grant funds for agreements with external agencies and to authorize the County Administrator to execute Amendment No. 0004 to DCF Grant Contract No. JP003 and the agreements with the specified service providers.
B. Section 129.06(2)(d), Florida Statutes, requires a budget resolution to recognize revenue.
C. A waiver of conflict arising under Section 112.313(7)(a), Florida Statutes, requires two-thirds approval by the Commission.
What Action Accomplishes
Adoption of Motions A and B provides funding for housing, programs, and/or services to assist individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness in Broward County and provide administrative support to the Homeless Continuum of Care governing board and its subcommittees.
Approval of Motion C waives the existence of any conflicts arising under Section 112.313(7)(a), Florida Statutes, as authorized under applicable law.
Is this Action Goal Related
Yes
Previous Action Taken
None
Summary Explanation/Background
THE HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT AND THE COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS DIVISION RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE ABOVE MOTIONS.
These actions support the Commission’s value of “approaching human services collaboratively and compassionately, with special emphasis on the most vulnerable,” and the goal to “collaborate with public and private partners to find creative, equitable, and responsible solutions to systemic community problems, especially permanent, supportive housing for persons experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness.” Funding supports housing projects to assist individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness in Broward County and provides for administrative support to the Homeless Continuum of Care (“HCoC”) governing board and its subcommittees under the DCF Emergency Solutions Grant (“ESG”), the Challenge Grant (“CG”), and Staffing Grant (“SG”) for the DCF grant period commencing July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023.
On June 11, 2019, (Item No. 18), the Commission approved the appropriation and disbursement of state fiscal year 2019-2020 DCF Unified Homelessness Grant funds that included allocations for (i) emergency shelter services, (ii) rapid rehousing services, and (iii) rent payment assistance and supportive services for individuals and families in Broward County who are experiencing homelessness, and (iv) administrative services to support the HCoC. The Commission also authorized the County Administrator to execute the DCF Grant Contract No. JP003, as well as the agreements with the specified service providers. On October 20, 2020, (Item No. 10), the Commission approved funding allocations for state Fiscal Year 2020-2021 for the same services, and on May 18, 2021, (Item No. 4), approved funding allocations for state Fiscal Year 2021-2022 for the same services.
On April 18, 2022, DCF forwarded Amendment No. 0004 to DCF Grant Contract No. JP003 to Broward County. This agenda item requests Commission authorization for the County Administrator to (i) execute Amendment No. 0004 to DCF Grant Contract No. JP003 to extend the DCF grant contract from July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2025 on behalf of Broward County, (ii) execute new agreements with the service providers identified with an “N” for services specified in Exhibit 1, Attachment A, in substantially the same form as the applicable Commission-approved form agreement, and (iii) take all necessary administrative and budgetary actions to implement the agreements commencing July 1, 2022. This agenda item also allows for the provision of services (through the Community Partnerships Division) for (i) housing, programs, and/or services included in the HCoC plan as specified in Exhibit 1, Attachment A; and (ii) administrative support to the HCoC governing board and its subcommittees, as specified in Exhibit 1, Attachment A.
The ESG agreements resulted from a fair, open and competitive Request for Proposals (“RFP”) that closed on February 11, 2022. The RFP review and rating process included staff and subject matter experts from the community. The agencies recommended for ESG funding are based on the RFP results.
Broward County will retain the CG funds under Amendment No. 0004 to DCF Grant Contract #JP003 to provide housing, services, and program needs included in the HCoC plan. Broward County will also retain the SG funding and continue to provide staffing for HCoC coordination (administrative services).
Amendment No. 0004 to DCF Grant Contract #JP003 will be in DCF’s standard form and will be reviewed for legal sufficiency prior to execution by the County Administrator. Staff will utilize the applicable standard form agreement and addenda with the specified service providers, which will also be reviewed for legal sufficiency prior to execution by the County Administrator. Broward County has met all previous DCF mandated conditions of the award.
Approval of this item would give rise to certain employment conflicts under Section 112.313(7)(a), Florida Statutes, which provides that "no public officer... shall have or hold any employment or contractual relationship with any business entity... which is... doing business with an agency of which he or she is an officer or employee." In accordance with 112.313(12), Florida Statutes, Commission approval is required to waive any conflict of interest arising under Section 112.313(7)(a), Florida Statutes. An effective waiver requires two-thirds vote of the Commission after disclosure of the conflicting relationship (Motion C) in accordance with Section 112.313(12), Florida Statutes. Forms 4A, Disclosure of Business Transaction, Relationship, or Interest, are attached to this report as Exhibit 3 and constitute full disclosure of any existing conflicts.
Source of Additional Information
Keith Bostick, Deputy Director, Human Services Department, (954) 357- 6385
Rebecca McGuire, Administrator, Homeless Initiative Partnership, (954) 357-5686
Fiscal Impact
Fiscal Impact/Cost Summary
The DCF appropriation is $420,162 for the period of July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023. Broward County will not retain any administrative funds from the three ESG projects. The ESG providers will match the grants 100% with funding or in-kind per the DCF guidelines. Broward County is not required to provide match funds for the CG, or SG. The SG pays the salary and benefits for the Homeless Initiative Partnership Human Services Manager.