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WK too KE *An RFP (Request for Proposal) (Attachment C) was placed on the Board of County Commissioners Consent Agenda, March 24, 1998. The RFP contained five objectives whose development and basis are unknown. There was no reference to documentation which could be found in a Needs Assesment, Asset Mapping or priority list - obviously because none existed at that time nor exists as this memo is written. Much time has been spent by the CSNetwork Grant Review Committee Interviewing those agencies who responded to the RFP, and yet there has been no established data to suggest these agencies represent any unmet or undermet need. I would suggest that the principles established under the Guide are necessary to protect the public's interest and to restrain special Interests. Therefore, it is imperative that Guide be followed. It is essential that the County makes every effort to safeguard this THE INITIAL EFFORT of the CSNetwork if the Network is to gain and maintain its credibility. Proceeding along the present path will result in loss of public and agency confidence. It is my recommendation that a new RFP be initiated AFTER THE HERSHBERG/SALTER ANALYSIS IS AVAILABLE AND A PRIORITY LIST HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED. Until the county has followed the steps as presented in the Ordinance and Guide, there can be no assurance of public money being spent on verifiable needs. Commissioner Ginn asked why the CSN guide was not followed in their recent meetings. Vice Chairman Macht responded that the reason was the inability of developing the needs assessment to its full maturity in the limited time as the budget review period was quickly approaching. He had come to the Board and asked for some tolerance in developing priorities with the information on hand, that is, the raw data, tempered with experience in the community. The CSN has been very fortunate to have that experience. The need is so great in our community for people who have suffered the breakdown of family and economics' impact. In listening to the applications, family breakdown has generated the greatest majority of ills on the children. There is no doubt. that a substantial amount of good could be done now with the benefit of County funding. He felt very comfortable in the recommendations coming back from the CSN, which will be refined. Next year, with the aid of Dr. Herschberg's report, he has every hope that they are refined to the degree that he believes will satisfy everyone. In the meantime, it is necessary to get started and attend to the needs out there of children who are at the mercy of dysfunctional families and predators in their neighborhoods. He felt it was government's responsibility to act in concert with private caregivers to do what we can in the name of humanity. June 9, 1998 .O 0 0