Title
Body
MEMORANDUM
TO: Board of Supervisors
FROM: Rob Howe, Chief Probation Officer
DATE: October 17, 2017
SUBJECT: Consideration of proposed Agreement with Tehama County to house Lake County juvenile wards.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
For the past few years, beginning on October 1, 2015, Lake County has contracted with Mendocino County to house our juvenile ward population. The base rate Mendocino was charging Lake County during the course of that agreement was $150.00 per day, per bed with a guaranteed 12 bed minimum. Although I believed that rate was high (in comparison to what many counties in California pay or charge for similar services), because of Mendocino's close proximity and because, at the time, our average daily population was between nine and 10, the agreement was seen as reasonable and a benefit to both neighboring counties.
Over the course of that agreement, our average daily population declined and has been at approximately six for the past twenty 20 months. Because of the 12 bed minimum, we were actually paying $300.00 per day, per bed when we only had six wards in the facility. I have spoken to numerous California Chief Probation Officers who either contract for beds, or contract them out and have reviewed several contracts other counties utilize for this service. I believe the "going rate" for this service is approximately $100.00 per day, per bed and none of the counties I contacted pay or charge a minimum bed fee. In fact, during my conversations with those Chiefs, several made offers to contract with Lake County to house our juvenile wards for daily rates ranging from $90.00 per day, per bed to $125.00 per day, per bed, with no minimum bed requirement.
When it came time to renew our contract with Mendocino County, I proposed we continue our contract at the same daily rate ($150.00), but requested the minimum bed charge be lowered to eight. Because our daily population had declined to six, I felt that was more than fair. I st...
Click here for full text