To: Board of County Commissioners
Through: Cheryl Ternes, Director, Human Services Department
Prepared By:
prepared
Bob Prevost, Deputy Director, Human Services Department
end
presenter
Presenter: Cheryl Ternes, Director, Human Services Department; Bob Prevost, Deputy Director, Human Services Department
end
Subject:
title
1:00 PM *Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program ARPA Funds SFY 2022/2023
end
Purpose and Request:
recommended action
The Department of Human Services (DHS) is providing information and seeking direction on the $98,660 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) funds received for SFY 2022/2023 and proposed use of those funds for staff recognition.
end
Background and Discussion: The DHS received $98,660 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) funds for SFY 2022/2023. The DHS would like to recognize the eligible Full Time Employee (FTE) in the Community and Child Support Services (CCSS) Division and in the Legal Division, the staff who work with welfare fraud and collections, using SNAP ARPA funds. The DHS is requesting approval of the BoCC to use a total of $88,000 for the CCSS Division and Legal Division employee’s recognition. We would like to reward each employee with a $500 payment. Staff in these two areas of the department have dealt with significant workload and/or caseload increases due to the pandemic and other societal impacts. These payments will help us to recognize the additional work and help us to retain the staff that we have. There are 176 FTE in the Department that qualify for the recognition. We would like to use the remaining balance of $10,660 to reimburse the county for overtime costs for the same group.
ARPA provided the limited additional funding for specific activities to support the administration of SNAP for Federal Fiscal Year 2022 and 2023. In order to support County offices as preparation for the end to the PHE, CDHS is reallocating funds for County use. There are other choices given to counties by the state for which the funds can be used, however, the most reasonable choice was to use the funds for incentives to retain staff or use for overtime costs. The amount and uses are depicted in Table 1.
Fiscal Impact: The SNAP ARPA funds can be used for the purpose of providing incentives to staff who work in the SNAP program area and do not require a match. The SNAP ARPA funds will not require a budget supplemental as the current Human Services budget will cover the expenditures. We anticipate using $88,000 in SNAP ARPA funds for the incentives to staff and $10,660 to reimburse the county overtime costs. There will be no impact to the current budget, County General Fund, or the Human Services fund balance.
Alternatives: The BoCC may only use the SNAP ARPA incentive funds for SNAP purposes. Only two options have been identified:
1.) Use the $88,000 for employee recognition and use the remaining $10,660 to reimburse allowable county overtime costs.
2.) Turn the funds back to the state for other counties use.
Alignment with Strategic Plan:
☒Be fiscally sustainable
☒Provide essential and mandated service
☒Be community focused
Staff Recommendation: Use $88,000 of the SNAP ARPA funds to provide recognition and retention payments in the amount of $500 to the staff indicated in the Human Services Department and use the remaining amount to reimburse the county overtime costs.
Concurrence: Todd Weaver, Finance Director; Michael Valentine, Deputy County Attorney