To: Honorable Mayor and Members of City Council
From: Jennifer Gonzales, Chief of Police
Prepared By: William Hernandez, Domestic Violence Detective
TITLE:
Title
Grant Agreement with the Law Enforcement Specialized Units (LESU) Program for Survivors of Domestic Violence Services
LABEL
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommendation
Adopt a resolution (1) accepting the Cal OES Law Enforcement Specialized Units (LESU) Program Grant Agreement in the amount of $270,856 and authorizing Detective William Hernandez, on behalf of the City Manager and Chief of Police to execute the grant agreement on behalf of the City; (2) approving and authorizing revenue and expenditure budget increases of $203,142 in the Police Department’s Grants Special Revenue Fund with a local match from the City of Napa of $67,714 from the Police Department’s General Fund for the Cal OES Grant Program for calendar year 2025; (3) approving and authorizing the Chief of Police to execute an agreement funded by the LESU Grant in the amount not to exceed $73,121 with Nurturing Empowerment Worth Safety (NEWS) to support Domestic Violence Counselor Services and Training; and (4) approving and authorizing the Chief of Police to execute a MOU with the Napa County District Attorney’s Office Victim Services and Nurturing Empowerment Worth Safety (NEWS) acknowledging collaborative efforts to support domestic violence victims and their children.
Body
DISCUSSION:
The City of Napa through the Napa Police Department in collaboration with Nurturing Empowerment Worth & Safety (NEWS) has been awarded the Cal OES LESU Grant. The grant funds a dedicated Domestic Violence Detective (Napa PD) and Domestic Violence Counselor (NEWS). The grant provides $203,142 for calendar year 2025 to fund this partnership. The grant requires a grant match of $67,714 from the City of Napa for a total grant amount of $270,856 for calendar year 2025.
Section 1.055 (“Proof of Authority”) of Cal OES’s Subrecipient Handbook (SRH) requires the City Manager (“Official Designee”) to certify s/he has authorization to enter into a Grant Award by providing written “proof of authority” from the City Council to apply for and sign the grant agreement and related documents. The Napa Police Department through the City of Napa is requesting City Council’s authorization for Detective William Hernandez, on behalf of the City Manager and the Chief of Police to execute the LESU Grant agreement.
When NEWS was formed in the early 1980’s, it became the only domestic violence and sexual assault advocacy provider serving Napa County. Since that time, Napa PD and NEWS have had a strong partnership and collaboration. Both NEWS and the Napa PD recognize that the best way to meet the needs of survivors and their children is to address the issues of domestic violence with a holistic and collaborative approach.
The LESU Grant funds a dedicated Domestic Violence Detective who has specialized training to conduct follow-up on domestic violence related cases to ensure a consistent law enforcement response. The LESU Grant includes $73,121 allocated towards a dedicated full time Domestic Violence Counselor from NEWS. The Domestic Violence Counselor provides immediate advocacy to victims of domestic violence and referrals to additional services including assistance with obtaining restraining orders, counseling services, financial assistance, housing assistance, and immediate safety net needs such as food, clothing, emergency shelter, and safety planning. The LESU Detective and DV Counselor are co-located at Monarch Justice Center which is designed to provide wrap around services for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, child abuse, dating violence, and elder abuse. Having the DV Counselor located at Monarch Justice Center provides Napa PD Officers and the DV Napa PD Detective the resource of an advocate immediately available for survivors of domestic violence.
The LESU Grant ($203,142) along with the local City match ($67,714) provides funding in the total amount of $270,856 for calendar year 2025 to fund this partnership. Napa PD and NEWS formalized their partnership and commitment to providing domestic violence services in the attached services agreement (attachment 3) which allocates $73,121 in grant funding for NEWS’s Domestic Violence Counselor’s services.
Napa PD, Napa District Attorney’s Office Victim Services and NEWS have come together to collaborate and receive the LESU Grant. Napa PD will be the implementing agency, and NEWS has agreed to be the participating agency. Upon being awarded the LESU grant, Napa PD, Napa County DA, and NEWS agree by MOU (attachment 4) for the duration of the awarded grant and services agreement, that the agencies will coordinate, abide and execute services to support domestic violence victims and their children.
FINANCIAL IMPACTS:
Authorizing Detective William Hernandez on behalf of the City Manager and Chief of Police to execute the Cal OES LESU Grant agreement in the amount of $270,856 will positively impact the Napa Police Department’s Special Revenue Fund (Exhibit A). The acceptance of grant funding will increase the Napa Police Department’s budget by $270,856 over the 2025 calendar period with a reimbursement of $203,142 from Cal OES and a City match of $67,714, funded by the Police Department General Fund to be used to execute grant expenditures and services, including the NEWS services agreement (attachment 3) in the amount of $73,121.
CEQA:
The Chief of Police has determined that the Recommended Action described in this Staff Report is not subject to CEQA, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15060(c).
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
ATCH 1 - Resolution
EX A- Budget Amendment
ATCH 2 - Grant Subaward Certification of Assurance of Compliance
ATCH 3- NEWS Agreement
ATCH 4- NPD, Napa County DA & NEWS MOU
ATCH 5 - Notification of Application of Grant Acceptance
NOTIFICATION:
None