Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Stephen M. Wagstaffe, District Attorney
Subject: Amendment to Agreement with Central Valley Toxicology
RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt a resolution amending the agreement with Central Valley Toxicology (CVT) for the provision of forensic testing services and toxicology reports to increase the not-to-exceed amount by $60,000 for a new not-to-exceed amount of $140,000, with no change to the term of the agreement.
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BACKGROUND:
The District Attorney’s Office has an agreement with CVT for the term of March 1, 2017 through February 29, 2020, for an amount not to exceed $80,000. The Sheriff’s Office currently piggybacks off the Agreement to send blood and urine testing samples for their own cases as well.
DISCUSSION:
The District Attorney’s Office and the Sheriff’s Office rely on CVT for the provision of certain forensic testing services and toxicology reports. Although the SO has an internal crime lab, the lab’s toxicology tests are limited to identifying certain toxins such as alcohol. CVT can test and screen for a much wider variety of drugs in connection with criminal investigations.
The need to increase the Agreement amount results from the increased utilization of CVT’s services from the Sheriff’s Office which provides the toxicology testing for other local law enforcement agencies such as the police departments for San Mateo, Redwood City, Burlingame, and Menlo Park. In turn, the Sheriff’s Office collects reimbursement of the various police agencies within the county. Based on the current utilization rate of the Agreement, the District Attorney is seeking to increase the Agreement amount. The District Attorney’s Office anticipates commencing the RFP process for forensic testing services in the near future in order to have a vendor in place by early 2020 when the CVT agreement expires.
County Counsel has reviewed and approved the resolution as to form.
Approval of the resolution contributes to the Shared Vision 2025 outcome of a Healthy Community by providing district attorneys with the tools they need to prosecute criminals.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The funds for the increased Agreement amount have been included in the FY 2019-21 Adopted Budget.