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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 09121989 - 1.84 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Contra � 1 FROM: JAMES A. RYDINGSWORD, DIRECTOR COSta Social Service Department r .z County DATE: August s t 2 9 19 8 9 g SUBJECT: GRANT PARTICIPATION IN OFF-LINE ELECTRONIC BENEFIT TRANSFER (EBT) DEMONSTRATION PROJECT SPECIFIC REOUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATION Authorize the Social Service Department to participate in the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) demonstration project for Off-Line Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) of Food Stamps as the demonstration site should Arthur D. Little, Inc. , receive the award for the project. This Board Order shall serve as written evidence of a formal commitment for full collaborative participation and support by the Social Service Department in the design, development, implementation and operation of the system proposed for the demonstration and shall be attached to the proposal submitted by Arthur D. Little, Inc. , to FNS on September 15, 1989 . This Board Order also authorizes that if Arthur D. Little, Inc. , receives the award for the demonstration project, that the Social Service Director or his designee may negotiate and sign both a cooperative agreement with FNS within sixty ( 60) days of the signing of the contract between FNS and Arthur D. Little, Inc. , in accordance with the requirements of the FNS RFP Number 89-037BC; and a contract with Arthur D. Little, Inc. , to clarify the specific responsibilities of the County' s supporting role and Arthur D. Little, Inc. ' s primary responsibility for the management of the project and coordination between demonstration participants, equipment, software and services. I � CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: X—YESSIGNATURE: RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF dOAR COM` "TEE APPROVE OTHER i SIGNATUREM: : ACTION OF BOARD ON September 12, 19 9 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED X OTHER VOTE OF SUPERVISORS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE X UNANIMOUS(ABSENT ) AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD ABSENT: ABSTAIN: OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. ORIG: Social Service Dept. (Attn: Contracts Unit) September' 12, 1989 CC: County Administrator ATTESTED Arthur D. Little, Inc. PHIL BATCHELOR,CLERK OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR JR/BJS M382 (10/88) BY DEPUTY Board of Supervisors Page 2 August 29, 1989 FINANCIAL IMPACT The cost to the County to participate in the project shall be limited to administrative staff time for planning, design, implementation, and operation of the system. All administrative time required for the project will be accomplished; with the current staffing levels. No additional staff or purchases will be necessary. BACKGROUND The USDA and FNS issued RFP number FNS RFP 89-037BC on June 16 , 1989, to contract for a demonstration project for off-line electronic benefits transfer for .the Food Stamp program. Currently, eligible Food Stamp households receive an Authorization To Participate (ATP) which indicates the amount of benefits they are entitled to receive. Recipients exchange the ATP at a Post Office for Food Stamp Coupons which are negotiable for food purchases. The proposed demonstration project will provide eligible Food Stamp households with a "smart card" (a credit card which has an integrated circuit or microchip embedded in it) . The Food Stamp recipient' s monthly entitlement amount will be stored on the card; as groceries are purchased, the recipient will insert the "smart card" into a reader installed in the grocery store check out lanes and enter the amount of the purchase. The monthly entitlement amount stored on the "smart card" will be reduced by the amount of the purchase. The card can be used until the remaining balance of benefits is zero. Each month the card will be refreshed with the new monthly allotment amount. Arthur D. Little, Inc. , is submitting a proposal in response to the FNS ' s RFP. Arthur D. Little, Inc. , will be the prime Contractor for the bid. Should Arthur D. Little, Inc. , win the bid, the Social Service Department will be the demonstration site. The bid must be submitted to FNS by September 15 , 1989. The Contract will be awarded in December, 1989. The demonstration project is scheduled to begin January, 1990, and will continue three (3 ) years.