Title
a. Approve and authorize the Director of the Department of Social Services to execute multiple no cost Memorandums of Understanding with eligible restaurants in Monterey County to allow those restaurants to serve meals to homeless, elderly, or disabled CalFresh recipients which will be paid for with the recipients CalFresh benefits, with the term of each Memorandum of Understanding being up to three (3) years.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
a. Approve and authorize the Director of the Department of Social Services to execute multiple no cost Memorandums of Understanding with eligible restaurants in Monterey County to allow those restaurants to serve meals to homeless, elderly, or disabled CalFresh recipients which will be paid for with the recipients CalFresh benefits, with the term of each Memorandum of Understanding being up to three (3) years.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
The CalFresh (CF) Restaurant Meals Program (RMP), as allowed in federal regulation, is an optional county program that enables homeless, disabled, and/or elderly CF recipients and their spouses to use their CF benefits to purchase prepared meals at participating restaurants. All CF recipients who are eligible for the RMP can utilize their benefits in all RMP approved restaurants statewide, regardless of whether the recipient’s county of residence is a RMP participating county. For calendar year 2018, there are presently ten counties participating in RMP, with one more county (Riverside) approved and moving toward implementation later this year. The ten RMP counties include Alameda, Fresno, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, Sacramento, San Luis Obispo, San Diego, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz.
Senate Bill (SB) 282 prohibits a restaurant/vendor from participating in the RMP unless the restaurant/vendor permits customers to make in-store purchases, maintains a current public health license, and complies with all federal, state, and local health and safety laws, regulations, and ordinances. Local county data collected reflects a concentration of the RMP target populations in the following zip codes: 93901, 93905, 93906, 93907, 93933 and 93955. Potential restaurants in these targeted zip codes will be sent outreach material that advertises the RMP and will include instruction for applying for participation in the RMP. If selected, a separate Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) will be executed with each participating restaurant.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
County Counsel has reviewed and approved this MOU template as to legal form. Contracts/Purchasing has reviewed and approved this MOU template. Prior to execution, County Counsel will review each MOU as to legal form.
FINANCING:
All MOUs will be no cost agreements.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS STRATEGIC INITIATIVES:
This Agreement correlates to the Health & Human Services and Administration Strategic Initiatives adopted by the Board of Supervisors by allowing eligible CF recipients to use their benefits to purchase prepared meals at participating restaurants in Monterey County thereby expanding the network of participating restaurants into Monterey County for all CF recipients in throughout California.
Check the related Board of Supervisors Strategic Initiatives:
__ Economic Development
X_Administration
X_Health & Human Services
__Infrastructure
__Public Safety
Prepared by: Christine Alvarez, MA II x1544
Approved by: Henry Espinosa, Acting Director of Social Services, X4430
Attachments: RMP MOU, Proposal Letter to CDSS, Customer Flyer Draft, Retailer Flyer Draft, Retailer Signage Draft, Demographics
Proposed agreement and all attachments are on file with Clerk of the Board as an attachment to this Board Report