County Notes: Another Finance Free Agenda

You might expect after the Board’s frequent hand-wringing about possible bankruptcy and structural deficits and looming budget shortfalls, ongoing employee negotiations, ongoing computer software problems with both the accounting system and the property tax system, the stated need for cuts and new revenues and the importance of revenue generating positions and turmoil in the financial offices and so forth that something about that, even tangentially, would appear on next Tuesday’s Board agenda. After all, they’ve had an extra-long three weeks to prepare since the last Board meeting when Supervisor Ted Williams insisted the County was on the road to bankruptcy and his colleagues disagreed, with Supervisor John Haschak saying it’s the Board’s job to stay out of bankruptcy. As if staying out of bankruptcy would amount to some kind of accomplishment? Haschak’s campaign slogan might be: Hey, Hey, Vote For Me; I’m For Stopping Bankruptcy.” We can see Supervisor Glenn McGourty’s list of “whereases” when he leaves the Board at the end of next year could include: “Whereas Mr. McGourty was instrumental in spending almost $150k of the County’s limited funds on a Strategic Plan that nobody pays any attention to that helped keep Mendocino County out of bankruptcy…”

But no. Next Tuesday’s agenda has nothing about County finances. Nothing from the Assessor who was “directed” to report monthly on assessment upgrade progress. Nothing from the Treasurer-Tax Collector-Auditor-Controller on increased revenue collection efforts. Nothing from the Executive Office. No finance-related agenda items sponsored by the Supervisors…

Instead there’s an item some seven years after Measure B was passed finally implying that some Measure B money will be spent on Substance Abuse Treatment: “Item 4d: “Discussion and Possible Action Including Acceptance of Recommendation Related to the Outcome of the Substance Use Services Request For Proposal (RFP) #018-23 for Innovative Continuum of Care Programs for Youth and/or Adults to Help Clients Achieve and Maintain Sobriety; and Possible Direction to Staff on the Amount to be Awarded for the Project (Sponsor: Behavioral Health and Recovery Services).

“In accordance with Measure B's goals of providing necessary infrastructure to support and stabilizes individuals with behavioral health conditions, including addiction and neurological disorders, the purpose of the RFP was to request proposal [sic] to establish or implement comprehensive treatment and recovery program services which provide a full spectrum of substance use treatment, harm reduction, and recovery services for youth and/or adults in Mendocino County. Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (BHRS) was seeking proposals for innovative continuum of care programs for youth and/or adults to help clients achieve and maintain sobriety. Successful applicants would have a whole person, client centered approach to services and providers are expected to engage in creative approaches to provide services. 

“On May 9, 2023, the Board of Supervisors authorized the Mental Health Treatment Act Citizens Oversight Committee and Behavioral Health Director to bring the results of the Substance Use Services RFP back to the Board for discussion and possible award. 

“On May 22, 2023, BHRS released a request for proposal seeking innovative continuum of care programs for youth and/or adults to help clients achieve and maintain sobriety. The RFP closed on June 19, 2023, at 5:00 PM. 

“An evaluation review committee was appointed that consisted of Mendocino County BHRS Treatment staff, representatives from the Mental Health Treatment Act (Measure B) Committee, and the Behavioral Health Advisory Board (BHAB). The review team consisted of Karen Lovato (BHRS), Jill Ales (BHRS), Shannon Riley (Measure B), Jo Bradley (BHAB/Measure B), Paul Murguia (BHRS), and Sherrie Ebyam (Measure B). The reviewers met twice, once on August 28, 2023 and once on September 8, 2023. One member of the review team recused themself [sic] prior to the meeting on September 8, 2023. 

“The RFP received two responses, following a review of the proposals, the proposal from Ford Street Project was determined to be complete and recommended for next steps. 

“Ford Street Project (FSP) is requesting $4.1 million to build a 3663 sq. ft. 24-Bed Sober-living dormitory located on adjacent, unimproved property (owned by FSP), and adjoining the Ukiah Recovery Center. This request represents the last phase of the Ukiah Recovery Expansion Project that began in 2017. The total projected cost of the URC Expansion Project is $7,166,142. Partnership Health Plan provided a $350,000 planning grant in 2017. Ford Street was awarded a $3,042,000 for the first phase of the URC Expansion Project from the California Department of Healthcare Services, Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program (BHCIP) in November 2022. These funds will build a 3350 sq. ft. Treatment Pavilion with 2 group rooms, one-on one office spaces and a reception area. 

“The review team is recommending to award all or a portion of the requested funds for the Ford Street project. If the BOS approved an award, BHRS will negotiation [sic] and develop a contract with FSP for the BOS review and approval. Contracts terms will align with the State of California terms and requirements for capital facility projects.”

BAIT & SWITCH ALERT! More failure to honor voter initiatives. Just when we thought some Measure B money might be spent on the required services that the voters expected, we see that no services are involved. Even though Measure B specifically requires that at least 25% of the Measure B sales tax revenues go to treatment services, here they are again, wasting more money on overpriced treatment facilities. In this case, a $7 million “Treatment Pavilion,” with two group rooms, some office space and a “reception area” — for over $7 million! Nor is there any assessment of whether there’s really $4.1 million unallocated Measure B funds left after they’ve wasted so much of it on Nacht & Lewis’s overdesigned $5 million Crisis Residential Treatment facility and an estimated $22 million (or more with inflation) for the oversized 16-bed Psychiatric Health Facility on Whitmore Lane. (Does anyone believe that such cost estimates are even reliable?) 

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There’s also a pair of contradictory agenda items regarding the County Ag Commissioner. Item 6b is a closed session item entitled: “Public Employee Appointment - Agricultural Commissioner/Sealer of Weights and Measures.”

But consent calendar item 3h says: “Approval of First Amendment (2nd Amendment Overall) to BOS Agreement No. 22-254 in the Amount of $30,000 ($80,000 Total) with Sonoma County for Licensed Agricultural Commissioner/Sealer of Weights & Measures Services, Effective October 18, 2022 through a New End Date of December 31, 2023 (Previous End Date: October 18, 2023).”

Of course, there could be a perfectly good explanation for appointing a new Ag Commissioner while simultaneously extending the Sonoma County loaner Ag Commissioner for another three months. Is it for an overlap? How much will it cost for two Ag Commissioners overlapping? You’d think they’d at least put the contradiction on the regular agenda and discuss it. 

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The County has collected upwards of $1 million in Measure P emergency services (“essential services”) sales tax revenues since January of this year. Now, here they are in October and they’re finally getting around to starting to allocate that long overdue and essential fire protection money. Nobody knows when the local fire agencies will actually get the checks. But from here it looks like intentional foot dragging and just the beginning of a grudging and drawn out process to “Negotiate and Enter Into Agreements with Fire Agencies, Not to Exceed the Amount Appropriated.” Theoretically, there’s a formula for the allocation that the Board promised would be used for turning over the approximately $1.2 million per year of Measure P revenues starting in Calendar year 2023. If you think that nine months should have been plenty of time to “negotiate and enter into agreements” with the Fire Agencies since they already agreed on the formula, you don’t know how Official Mendo works, especially when they’re sitting on the money for as long as possible as the slow-walk directly benefits the County’s supposedly tight bottom line.

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Consent agenda Item 3j is the familiar, almost monthly “retroactive” ritual handing over of large sums to Camille Schraeder’s local Mental Health Services monopoly. This month it’s $1.3 million “for a New Total of $2,200,142, to Provide Care Coordination, Data Management, and Transition for the Delivery of Specialty Mental Health Services in Mendocino County, Effective July 1, 2023, through a New End Date of June 30, 2024 (Original End Date: September 30, 2023).”

Again, that’s a sweet $2.2 million for “care coordination,” “data management,” and “transition for the delivery” of services — not the provision of any actual services. This is essentially a sole source contract handout of $2.2 million to pay the Schraeders to management themselves. You’ve got to be impressed with the way they find ways to milk the County for millions in no-bid, no-questions-asked contract add-ons. We wouldn’t be surprised if next month there’s another retroactive item for a few hundred thousand more dollars for “management and oversight of care coordination.” 

Oops, here’s another one on the consent calendar bringing this month’s total to about $1.6 million for a new Total of $2.5 million: Item 3v: “Approval of Agreement with Redwood Community Services, Inc., in the Amount of $277,000 to Provide Housing and Services to Assist Emancipated Former Foster/Probation Youth and Young Adults, Between the Ages of 18 to Their 25th Birthday, for Department of Social Services, Family and Children’s Services, Effective Upon Full Execution through June 30, 2024.”

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The Consent Calendar also proposes to give the Sheriff $322k for 60 body cameras and some fancy accompanying computer hardware and software over the next five years. The proposal and its cost seem reasonable, but there’s no mention of where the $322k will come from. Could it be that the County’s liability insurance might be reduced by at least $322k since law enforcement body cameras are a great way to limit lawsuit exposure? We’d like to think so. But that kind of thinking is probably beyond this crew.

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MEASURE P FUNDS HANDLED AS WELL AS CAN BE EXPECTED

AVA,

Like many other taxpayers I have witnessed the ups and downs of the county's fiscal problems. I too have been on edge waiting for the system to play out as the voters intended. The campaign and passage were only our first steps. However, the communication between the county and the agencies, while protracted, has existed. There is a methodology within the seemingly completely illogical madness. Bottom line, none of this has been perfect but the BOS have always stood with us on Measure P.

This methodology is as follows The funds began to be collected by merchants in April but they are collected for the quarter and then forwarded to the state a month later. So the first funds were not due to the state until the end of July. Then the state has time to process it before the funds flow to the county. So the county has not been sitting on them. The County has already prepared a draft contract that has already been shared with and reviewed by the Fire Agencies. The item on the agenda is merely to enable that process to finish more efficiently instead of having to have each and every part of the process come through the BOS.

Nancy Armstrong-Frost

Mendocino County Fire Safe Council, Board President

Yorkville