COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

SHERIFF’S OFFICE

DATE:

March 10, 2005

BOARD MEETING DATE:

March 29, 2005

SPECIAL NOTICE/HEARING:

None

VOTE REQUIRED:

Majority

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

FROM:

Sheriff Don Horsley

SUBJECT:

NC RTTAC contracts and funds

RECOMMENDATION:

Adopt a Resolution authorizing:

1)

the Sheriff or the Sheriff’s designee to execute agreements which involve the expenditure of federal and state funding for the Regional Terrorism Threat Assessment Center (RTTAC); and

2)

the advancement of County funds for the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) expenses, with the understanding that there will be full reimbursement by the federal government.

VISION ALIGNMENT:

This action is consistent with objective No. 7, in that the transaction will enhance and maintain the public safety of residents and visitors. It also is consistent with objective No. 25, in that it supports a regional, collaborative approach to issues.

BACKGROUND:

The Northern California HIDTA was created in 1997 to combat high intensity drug trafficking in geographic regions that featured inordinately high volume of drug traffic. The HIDTA serves as an administrative agency to administer federal and state funding to implement a variety of narcotics eradication initiatives. Since 1997, the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office has served as the lead administrative agency for the Northern California HIDTA, and in that capacity receives, deposits and disburses NC HIDTA funding at the direction of the NC HIDTA Executive Committee. These transactions are administered by the San Mateo County Controller through accounts that have been set up for this purpose. In November 2003, your board adopted resolution No. 065856, which authorized the Sheriff to execute NC HIDTA agreements in his capacity as fiscal agent and fiduciary for the Chair of the NC HIDTA Executive Committee, and this authorization has been in place and has worked well for over two years.

In January 2004, your Board adopted Resolution No. 066484, authorizing the Controller to advance money to the HIDTA from the County’s General Fund in order to pay expenses related to HIDTA activities pending receipt of reimbursement from the federal government, with the understanding that the HIDTA funds would be used to pay interest at the County Treasurer’s general fund interest earning rate, including the accrual of negative interest earnings in the event the HIDTA Revolving Fund maintains a negative balance that requires an advance from the County’s General Fund.

DISCUSSION:

The County of San Mateo has been awarded a Department of Homeland Security Law Enforcement Grant which includes funding for the creation and operation of a Regional Terrorism Threat Assessment Center (RTTAC). In order to efficiently and effectively administer this important public safety initiative, it has been determined that the RTTAC should be co-located with and co-administered by the NC HIDTA. In order to administer the grant funding, the Sheriff should be authorized to sign agreements and documents which involve the RTTAC administration and the expenditure of RTTAC funds. The authority to sign the agreements will be subject to the policy direction of the HIDTA Executive Committee, and review as to form by the County Counsel, as the County of San Mateo will be a party to the agreements.

As with HIDTA expenses, RTTAC expenses are reimbursed by the federal government. NC RTTAC can operate more flexibly and effectively if the County advances the funds for its operation, with the understanding that said funds will be reimbursed by the federal government in a timely fashion. Therefore, the reimbursement occurs after expenses have been incurred and paid for by the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office in its role as administrative agency for the Northern California HIDTA.

Government Code section 25252 allows the Board to authorize the transfer of money from one fund to another, as the public interest requires. We recommend that you authorize the Controller to advance RTTAC funds in the same way that your Board has authorized the advance of HIDTA funds. This action has been reviewed and approved as to legal form by County Counsel, and has been reviewed and found to be acceptable by the Controller’s Office.

FISCAL IMPACT:

As the NC RTTAC is fully federally funded, there is no fiscal impact in the County of San Mateo.