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Item C15 C15 BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COUNTY of MONROE u,.. 9 Mayor Craig Cates,District 1 The Florida Keys Mayor Pro Tern Holly Merrill Raschein,District 5 Michelle Lincoln,District 2 - James K. Scholl,District 3 ' David Rice,District 4 Board of County Commissioners Meeting June 21, 2023 Agenda Item Number: C15 2023-1094 BULK ITEM: Yes DEPARTMENT: Guardian Ad Litem TIME APPROXIMATE: STAFF CONTACT: Alexsa Leto No AGENDA ITEM WORDING: Approval of Agreement with Statewide Guardian Ad Litem Office for Reimbursement of Child Advocate Manager services to provide funding for Child Advocate Manager position, for time period July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024 (State FY 2023-2024). ITEM BACKGROUND: For many years, the County has hired and placed a Child Advocate Manager and one other position within the local Guardian Ad Litem office. Both were County employees but supervised by the local Guardian Ad Litem program. In 2012, the Florida legislature passed Senate Bill 1960,now codified in Section 39.8297 F.S., stating that if counties provide funding for positions in the GAL program, they may enter into an interlocal agreement with the GAL program which, at a minimum,provides that the GAL program will indemnify the County for any violation of state and employment laws. The County and the Statewide GAL Office have reached agreement on terms of an ILA covering this position. PREVIOUS RELEVANT BOCC ACTION: BOCC approved the ILA in bulk last FY year of 2022-2023 CONTRACT/AGREEMENT CHANGES: N/A STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Approval DOCUMENTATION: Attachment B.pdf Attachment C.pdf Child Advocate Manager Attachment A.pdf SKM_28723061216460.pdf FINANCIAL IMPACT: 671 $ 83,000.00 672 ATTACHMENT B Expense Reimbursement Requirements This document is intended to provide basic guidelines to Human Service and Community-Based Organizations, county travelers, and contractual parties who have reimbursable expenses associated with Monroe County business. These guidelines, as they relate to travel, are from the Monroe County Code of Ordinances and State laws and regulations. A cover letter(see Attachment B) summarizing the major line items on the reimbursable expense request needs to also contain the IbIlowing notarized certified statement: 441 certify that the above checks have been submitted to the vendors as noted and that the attached expenses are accurate and in agreement with the records of this organization. Furthermore, these expenses are in compliance with this organization's contract with the Monroe County Board of County Commissioners and will not be submitted for the reimbursement to any other handing source." Invoices should be billed to the contracting agency. Third party payments will not be considered for reimbursement. Remember, the expense should be paid prior to requesting reimbursement. Only current charges will be considered, no previous balances. Reimbursement requests will be monitored in accordance with the level of detail in the contract. This document should not be considered all-inclusive. The Clerk's Finance Department reserves the right to review reimbursement requests on an individual basis. Any questions regarding these guidelines should be directed to 305-292-3534. Data Processing, PC Time, etc. The vendor invoice is required for reimbursement. Inter-company allocations are not considered reimbursable expenditures unless appropriate payroll journals for the charging department are attached and certified. Payroll A certified statement verifying the accuracy and authenticity of the payroll expense is needed. If a Payroll Journal is provided, it should include: dates, employee name, salary, or hourly rate, total hours worked, withholding information and payroll taxes, check number and check amount. If a Payroll Journal is not provided, the following inforn-iation must be provided: pay period, check arnount, check number, date, payee, and support fbr applicable payroll taxes. Postage, Overnight Deliveries, Courier, etc. A log of all postage expenses as they relate to the County contract is required for a reimbursement. For overnight or express deliveries, the vendor invoice must be included. 673 Rents, Leases, etc. A copy of the rental or lease agreement is required. Deposits and advance payments are not allowable expenses. Reproductions, Copies, etc. A log of copy expenses as they relate to the County contract is required for reimbursement. 'file log must define the date, number of copies made, source document, purpose, and recipient. A reasonable fee for copy expenses will be allowable. For vender services, the vendor invoice and a sample of the finished product are required. Supplies, Services, etc. For supplies or services ordered, a vendor invoice is required. Telefax, Fax, etc. A fax,log is required. The log must define the sender, the intended recipient, the date, the number called, and the reason for sending the fax. Travel and Meal Expenses Travel expenses must be submitted on a State of Florida Voucher for Reimbursement of Travel Expenses, Travel reimbursement requests must be submitted and will be paid in accordance with Monroe County Code of Ordinances and States laws and regulations. Credit card statements are not acceptable documentation for reimbursement. If attending a conference or meeting a copy of the agenda is needed. Airfare reimbursement requires the original passenger receipt portion of the airline ticket. A travel itinerary is appreciated to facilitate the audit trail. Auto rental reimbursement requires the vendor invoice. Fuel purchases should be documented with paid receipts. Taxies are not reimbursed if taken to arrive at a departure point: ft)r example, taking a taxi from one's residence to the airport for a business trip is not reimbursable. Parking is considered a reimbursable travel expense at the destination. Airport parking during a business trip is not. A detailed list of charges is required on the lodging invoice. Balance due must be zero. Room must be registered and paid for by traveler. The County will only reimburse the actual room and related bed tax. Room service, movies, and personal telephone calls are not allowable expenses. Mileage reimbursement shall be at the rate established by ARTICLE XXVI, TRAVLEL, PER DIEM, MEALS, AND MILEAGE POLICY of the Monroe County Code of Ordinances. An odometer reading must be included on the state travel voucher for vicinity travel. Mileage is not allowed from a residence or office to a point of departure. For example, driving from one's home to the airport for a business trip is not a reimbursable expense. 674 Meal reimbursement shall be at the rates established by ARTICLE XXVI, TRAVEL PER DIEM, MEAL, AND MILEAGE POLICY of the Monroe County Code of Ordinances. Meal guidelines state that travel must begin prior to 6 a.m. for breakfast reimbursement, before noon and end after 2 p.m. for lunch reimbursement, and before 6 p.m. and end after 8 pm. 1-4 dinner reimbursement. 675 ATTACHNIENTC ORGANIZATION LETTERHEAD Monroe County Board of County Commissioners Finance Department 500 Whitehead Street Key West, FL 33040 Date The following is a summary ofthe expenses for(OLganization Name) for the time period of to Check # Payee Reason Amount 101 Company A Rent sx'xxxxx 102 Company B Utilities XXXXX 104 Employee A P/R ending 05/14/01 XXXXX 105 Employee B P/R ending 05/28/01 XXXXX (A) Total $ XX; (B) Total prior payments $X'XXX.XX (C) Total requested and paid (A 4. B) $X'XXX.XX (D) Total contract amount $X'XXX.XX Balance of Contract (D—C) MXX-XI '.-X-X' I certify that the above checks have been submitted to the vendor as noted and that the expenses are accurate and in agreement with the records of this organization. Furthermore, these expenses are in compliance with this organisation's contract with the Monroe County Board of"County Commissioners and will not be submitted for reimbursement to any other handing Source Executive Director Attachments (supporting documents) Sworn to and subscribe before me this day of 20..-__.__by........... who is personally known to me. ............................. Notary Public Notary Stamp 676 Attachment A 8401 CHILD ADVOCATE MANAGER I DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS OF WORK This is a highly independent, responsible child welfare position focused on achieving the Guardian ad Litem's primary mission: advocating for the best interests of children involved in the dependency court system. In this position,you may work directly with children, as a Staff Advocate, or work with children in collaboration with assigned volunteers, as a Child Advocate Manager, or by a combination of the two roles. The Child Advocate Manager/Staff Advocate works on a multi-disciplinary team with a Guardian ad Litem Attorney,volunteer Guardian ad Litem and or Pro Bono attorney to represent the legal and best interests of children.The Child Advocate Manager/Staff Advocate will perform the following duties in collaboration with the Guardian ad Litem multidisciplinary team members to ensure compliance with all Circuit and Statewide administrative and operational standards, policies, procedures, and initiatives in order to achieve consistent, effective best interest advocacy for children assigned to the Office. The Child Advocate Manager will monitor an assigned child regularly, including visiting the child in-person and/or contacting the child once every month at a minimum (unless a child specific exception is approved by your Circuit Director). Visits/contact can happen in the home, school and other places as appropriate in order to get to know their strengths, needs, and wishes and documents correctly in case file. The Child Advocate Manger engages in case planning,gives recommendations, and provides written reports in order to represent and advocate for the best interests of each child. Particular emphasis is given to safety, permanency, and normalcy for all children. Uses evidence based and best practices when performing case management activities. The incumbent will collaborate with the multidisciplinary team to ascertain the child's desire and willingness to participate in dependency proceedings, determine if it is in the child's best interests to participate, and support the child's participation as appropriate. The Child Advocate Manager will implement and adhere to all Circuit and Statewide volunteer management procedures and practices as means to develop effective working relationships with all local agencies, primarily the Department of Children and Families and its contracted agencies, as well as service providers involved in the child welfare system. Extensive contact is made with the Department of Children and Families, community based care lead agencies, local law enforcement agencies, schools,teachers, doctors, attorneys, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, and a variety of other social service agencies and professionals. Work is performed under the general supervision of the Child Advocate Manager II, Assistant Circuit Director or Circuit Director. 677 EDUCATION AND TRAINING REQUIREMENTS Must possess a valid Florida Driver's License Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with a major in sociology, social work, psychology, child development, education, juvenile justice, communications, or a related social science is preferred but prior experience will be considered to meet the degree requirement. Experience could include time as Child Protective Investigator, Dependency Case Manager, Juvenile Probation Officer, Law Enforcement, Military, Educators, or other professional experiences working with children and families. Two years of experience in a program focusing on child welfare, social service, counseling, teaching, managing people or supervising volunteers is desired but not required. Experience with critical decision making, planning, organizing, coaching, leading, or supervising will be helpful to a successful candidate. All individuals hired after February 1, 2020, must be able to obtain a Child Advocate Manager Certification offered by the Florida Certification Board within 12 months of hire date. Maintain Child Advocate Manager certification during the duration of employment. Agency pays costs of certification. (Please note: The Executive Director or designee may grant an exception for the required education and experience.) Effective: October 1, 1993 Revised: October 1, 2002 Revised: January 1, 2004 Revised: January 5, 2015 Revised: August 25, 2017 Revised: July 1, 2020 Revised: October 1, 2022 Guardian ad Litem Pay Grade 119 678 AGREEMENT WITH STATEWIDE GUARDIAN AD LITEM OFFICE FOR --iafM-BUk§'E'­M­ENT OF CHILD ADVOCATE MANAGER SERVICES THIS INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT, made and entered into on the dates specified herein, by and between the STATEWIDE GUARDIAN AD LITEM OFFICE (hereinafter"GAL") and MONROE COUNTY, a political subdivision of the State of Florida (hereinafter"County"), which when referenced together shall be called "the Parties". WHEREAS Florida children involved in the State's dependency system have long been aided by the Guardian ad Litem programs located in the State's judicial circuits; and WHEREAS the Statewide Guardian ad Litem Office was created to provide oversight and technical assistance to guardian ad litem programs within the various circuit courts, including but not limited to the Sixteenth Judicial Circuit Guardian ad Litem Program for Monroe County; and WHEREAS, Section 29,008(1), Florida Statutes, requires the Monroe County Board of County Commissioners ("Board")to provide facilities, communications equipment and maintenance to the GAL program operating in Monroe County, and WHEREAS, the Board recognizes the benefit the Sixteenth Judicial Circuit GAL Program provides to the County's children involved in the dependency system and desires to provide, within its discretion, additional personnel support to the local GAL program as set forth herein; and WHEREAS, in the 2012 regular legislative session, the Florida legislature passed SB 1960, now codified in § 39.8297, F.S., which in pertinent part states that the Statewide Guardian Ad Litem Office may enter into an agreement by which the county agrees to provide funding to the local guardian ad litem office in order to employ persons who will assist in the operation of the GAL program within the county,and that any such agreement, at a minimum, must provide that the statewide office shall fully indemnify the County for any liability for violation for state and federal laws by the Statewide Guardian Ad Litem Office, its agents or employees as authorized by § 768.28(19), F.S, to the extent such liability is the result of the acts or omissions of the Statewide Guardian ad Litem Office or its agents or employees; and WHEREAS the Board further desires the personnel services provided herein shall not result in it or the County bearing employment liability risk as a result of the fact that the County will not be able to manage, control, or oversee the personnel funded under this Agreement, nor the work environment in which such personnel will work; and WHEREAS the Board desires to achieve these aims by entering into this Interlocal Agreement; and 1 679 WHEREAS this Interlocal Agreement is entered into pursuant to § 163.01, Florida Statutes, and the Parties have the authority pursuant to § 163.01 to enter into said Agreement concerning the provision of the GAL services under a joint exercise of power hereinafter described, and, in particular, to spell out the manner of employing necessary personnel pursuant to § 163.01(5)(g); and WHEREAS, in June 2013 the Parties entered into an interlocal agreement whereby the County agreed to provide funding on a reimbursement basis for the Child Advocate Manager position on the terms and conditions specified in the agreement; and WHEREAS, the Interlocal Agreement between the Parties on May 16, 2018, as amended January 23, 2019, provided reimbursement for the Child Advocate Manager position for the Period July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019, and WHEREAS the Parties wish to continue to provide funding for the Child Advocate Manager position under the s—me terms and conditions as the current Interlocal Agreement for the period July 1, 2023 through June 30", 2024 NOW,THEREFORE, in consideration of the terms, conditions and covenants hereinafter provided, the Parties agree as follows: SECTION ONE: GUARDIAN AD LITEM RESPONSIBILITIES A. The GAL agrees to hire a 1.0 FTE Other Personnel Services position with the title Child Advocate Manager for the period of July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024, with the primary duties and responsibilities of the position to include: See Attachment"A" Position Description. B. The GAL agrees to pay the individual hired in this position at the rate of$25.73 per hour at forty hours per week for a period of 52 weeks under the term of the Agreement. C. The GAL agrees to manage and supervise the individual hired in this position pursuant to GAL per,--)nnel policies and procedures. D. The parties agree that all hiring, firing, discipline, assignment of duties, supervision, management, and control of this individual will be the sole responsibility of the GAL. E. The GAL agrees to be responsible for the payment of salary, as well as all FICA taxes, withholding taxes, state and federal unemployment taxes, retirement benefits, and insurance benefits, if applicable,related to the individual hired in the position. F. The county is the employer for purposes of s. 440.10 and chapter 443. 2 680 SECTION TWO: COUNTY RESPONSIBILITIES ..................—_ A. The County agrees to reimburse the GAL at 100%the actual cost of salary, as wells as for any and all payment of FICA taxes, withholding taxes, state and federal unemploy.,ient taxes, retirement benefits, and insurance benefits, if applicable related to the individual hired in the position,not to exceed$83,000 over the term of the Agreement (pro-rated if the Agreement begins after July 1, 2023). B. The County shall provide payment under this Agreement on a cost reimbursement basis. Reimbursement shall be made monthly based on the GAL's submission and the County's approval of a monthly invoice. Payment shall be made in accordance with the Florida Local Government Prompt Payment Act. The GAL agrees to provide the County with documentation of all costs represented on the invoice if requested and the County may require documentation of expenditures prior to approval of the invoice and may withhold payment if services are not satisfactorily completed or the documentation is not satisfied. Any payment due or any approval necessary under the terms of the Agreement may be withheld until all evaluation and documentation expenditures due from the GAL and necessary adjustments thereto, have been approved by the County. However, the County agrees to use due diligence in approving and to proceed with a sense of urgency and priority in making reimbursement to the GAL. C. The County shall only reimburse those reimbursable expenses that are reviewed and approved as complying with Mon-roe County Code of Ordinances, state laws and regulations, which are submitted in accordance with Attachment B —Expense Reimbursement Requirements. Evidence of payment by the Statewide Guardian ad Litem Office or the local guardian ad litern office within the 16 th Judicial Circuit shall be in the form of a letter, summarizing expenses, with supporting documentation attached. The letter should contain a notarized certification statement. An example of a reimbursement request cover letter is included as Attachment C. D. After the Clerk of the Board examines and approves the request for reimbursement,the Board shall reimburse the entity that submitted the request. The total of said reimbursement expense payments shall not exceed the total amount authorized by Monroe County Board of County Commissioners through the budgetary process. E. Reimbursement by the County shall be made to the GAL at the following address: Statewide Guardian ad Litern Office Financial Resources P.O. Box 10628 Tallahassee, FL 32302 3 681 F. The payments from the County to the GAL made pursuant to this Agreement are(i) sourced from income of a revenue nature received from taxes and fees levied by the County, a political subdivision to the State of Florida; (ii) are intended for the exclusive use of the GAL; and (iii) pursuant to 215.22(2) f.s., are exempt from the appropriation and service charge referenced in 215.20 f.s. SECTION THREE: PUBLIC RECORDS AND HOLD HARMLESS A. All records and contracts required by this Agreement shall be available for audit, inspection or copying during normal business hours and as often as the County through their employees or agents may deem necessary and appropriate, except for those records that are confidential and exempt from disclosure pursuant to Florida law. Such re( -)rds shall be maintained by the GAL in accordance with the State retention schedule. The County shall have the right to obtain and inspect any audit pertaining to the performance of this Agreement as permitted by law. B. The GAL shall maintain at the Program office within the Sixteenth Judicial Circuit the complete and accurate records and supporting documentation of the work and/or services provided by this position, as well as expenses, costs, invoices, and materials provided and performed and chargeable by the GAL to the County. C. The Statewide GAL Office is responsible for compliance with all requirements of federal and state employment laws, and, to the extent set forth in F.S. 768.28, shall fully indemnify the county from any liability under such laws, as authorized by s. 768.28(19), F.S.,to the extent such liability is the result of the acts or omissions of the Statewide Guardian Ad Litem Office or its agents or employees, including but not limited to claims arising under Title V11 of the Civil Rights Acts of 1964; Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act, 43 U.S.C. § 1983;the Family Medical Leave Act; the Fair Labor Standards Act; chapters 440, 443, 447 and 760, Florida Statutes; Section 112.3187, F.S.; and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, as amended from time to time. SECTION FOUR: TERM/EFFECTIVE DATE ................--....... ....... The position provided for in Section One shall commence July 1, 2023 and continue through June 30, 2024. At the conclusion of this term, the Parties may agree to renew this agreement for the following fiscal year. Absent written agreement to continue the terms of this Agreement by July 1, 2023, this Agreement shall lapse and/or automatically terminate. Continuation of this Agreement is subject to annual appropriation by the Board. SECTION FIVE: BUDGET .. ......... 4 682 Any and all funds provided by the County shall be used for the position described herein and any unused portions of funds shall be returned to the County within thirty (30) days of the end of the state fiscal year 2023 -2024, with an accounting summary to reflect how and to what extent funds wer-used. SECTION SIX: PUBLIC RECORDS The Parties acknowledge that this Agreement and any related financial records, audits, records,plans, correspondence, and other documents related to this agreement may be subject to public disclosure pursuant to Chapter 119, Florida Statutes. In the event a parry fails to abide by the provisions of Chapter 119, Florida Statutes,the other parry, without prejudice to any right or remedy, and after giving that party five (5) days written notice and that party fails to allow access to such documents within that period, may terminate this Agreement. SECTION SEVEN : COMPLETE AGREEMENT This document incorporates and includes all prior negotiations, correspondence, conversations, agreements, or understandings applicable to the matters contained herein, and the parties agree that there are no commitments, agreements, or understandings concerning the subject matter of this Agreement that are not contained in this document. Accordingly, it is agreed that no deviation from the terms hereof shall be predicated upon any prior representations or agreements, whether oral or written. It is further agreed that no modification, amendment, or alteration in the terms or conditions contained herein shall be effective absent a written document executed by the Parties hereto. The foregoing sets forth the terms and conditions of the Agreement between the GAL and the County. This Agreement takes effect on the date last signed below. IN WITNESS WHEREOF,the Parties hereto have executed by signature their agreement herewith on this day of 2023 APPROVED: BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MONROE COUNTY By: .. By: .. Deputy Clerk Mayor STATEWIDE GUARDIAN AD LITEM OFFICE 5 683 I By Dennis� . Moon F,_ecutive Director Statewide Guardian Ad Litem Office 6 684 ATTACHNIEN'r B Expense Reimbursement Req,4rements This document is intended to provide basic guidelines to Human Service and Community-Based Organizations, county travelers, and contractual parties who have reimbursable expenses associated with Monroe County business. These guidelines, as they relate to travel, are from the Monroe County Code of Ordinances and State laws and regulations. A cover letter(see Attachment B)summarizing the major line items on the reimbursable expense request needs to also contain the following notarized certified statement: 441 certify that the above checks have been submitted to the vendors as noted and that the attached expenses are accurate and in agreement with the records of this organization. Furthermore, these expenses are in compliance with this organization's contract with the Monroe County Board of County Commissioners and will not be submitted for the reimbursement to any other funding source." Invoices should be billed to the contracting agency. Third party payments will not be considered for reimbursement. Remember,the expense should be paid prior to requesting reimbursement. Only current charges will be considered, no previous balances, Reimbursement requests will be monitored in accordance with the level of detail in the contract. This document should not be considered all-inclusive, The Clerk's Finance Department reserves the right to review reimbursement requests on an individual basis. Any questions regarding these guidelines should be directed to 30S-292-3534. Data Processing, PC Time,etc. The vendor invoice is required for reimbursement. Inter-company allocations are not considered reimbursable expenditures unless appropriate payroll journals for the charging department are attached and certified. Payroll A certified statement verifying the accuracy and authenticity of the payroll expense is needed. If a Payroll Journal is provided, it should include: dates,employee name, salary, or hourly rate, total hours worked, withholding information and payroll taxes, check number and check, amount. If a Payroll Journal is not provided,the following information must be provided: pay period, check amount, check number, date,payee, and support for applicable payroll taxes. Postage,Overnight Deliveries, Courier,etc. A log of all postage expenses as i,iey relate to the County contract is required for a reimbursement. For overnight or express deliveries, the vendor invoice must be included. 685 Rents, Leases,etc. A copy of the rental or lease agreement is required, Deposits and advance payments are not allowable expenses. Reproductions,Copies, etc. A log of copy expenses as they relate to the County contract is required for reimbursement. The log must define the date, number of copies made, source document, purpose, and recipient. A reasonable fee fbr copy expenses will be allowable. For vender services,the vendor invoice and a sample of the finished product are required. Supplies,Services,etc. For supplies or services ordered, a vendor invoice is required. Telefax, Fax,etc. A fax,log is required. The log must define the sender.,the intended recipient, the date, the number called, and the reason for sending the fax. Travel and Meal Expenses Travel expenses must be submitted on a State of Florida Voucher for ReirnbUrsernent of Travel Expenses. Travel reimbursement request,;must be submitted and will be paid in accordance with Monroe County Code of Ordinances and States laws and regulations. Credit card statements are not acceptable documentation for reimbursement. If'attending a conference or meeting a copy of the agenda is needed. Airfare reimbursement requires the original passenger receipt portion of the airline ticket. A travel itinerary is appreciated to facilitate the audit trail. Auto rental reimbursement requires the vendor invoice. Fuel purchases should be documented with paid receipts. Taxies are not reimbursed if taken to arrive at a departure point: for example, taking a taxi from one's residence to the airport for a business trip is not reimbursable. Parking is considered a reimbursable tra-,,el expense at the destination. Airport parking during a business trip is not. .A detailed list of charges is required on,the lodging invoice. Balance due must be zero. Room must be registered and paid for by traveler. The County will only reimburse the actual room and related bed tax. Room service, movies, and personal telephone calls are not allowable expenses. Mileage reimbursement shall be at the rate established by ARTICLE XXVI, TRAVLEL, PER DIEM, MEALS, AND MILEAGE POLICY of the Monroe County Code of Ordinances, An odorneter reading must be included on the state travel voucher for vicinity travel. Mileage is not allowed from a residence or office to a point of departure. For example, driving from one's home to the airport for a business trip is not a reimbursable expense, 686 Meal reirnbursenidnt shall be at `he rates established by ARTICLE XVI,TRAVEL PER DIEM, MEAL, AND MILEAGE POLICY Of the M011TOe County Code of Ordinances. Meal guidelines state that travel must begin prior to 6 a.m. for breakfast reimbursement, before noon and end after 2 p.m. for lunch reimbursement, and before 6 p.m. and end after 8 p,jn. fbr dinner reimbursement. 687