Kern County Municipal Code Ch. 2.100 Creation of Kern County Children and Families Commission

There is created within the county of Kern the Kern County Children and Families Commission (hereinafter "Commission").

(Ord. G-6629 § 2 (part), 1999)

The purpose of the creation of the commission is to implement and carry out the requirements of the California Children and Families Initiative of 1998 (Proposition 10), which was approved by the voters of the state of California on November 3, 1998. The initiative provides for the creation of a state and county commissions to establish early childhood development and smoking prevention programs, to be funded through a trust fund consisting of revenues derived from an additional fifty cents ($.50) per pack excise tax on cigarette distributors and equivalent increase in state tax on distributed tobacco products.

(Ord. G-6629 § 2 (part), 1999)

A. The commission shall be made up of nine (9) voting members consisting of:

1. A member of the board of supervisors and alternate as designated by the board of supervisors annually;

2. The public health officer or his/her designee;

3. The director of the department of human services or his/her designee;

4. The director of the mental health department or his/her designee;

5. Five (5) members, appointed by the board of supervisors, one (1) nominated by each of the five (5) supervisors, taken from the following categories: persons responsible for managing the county functions of children's services, public health services, behavioral health services, social services, and tobacco and other substance abuse and prevention services; the board of supervisors; recipients of project services in the county strategic plan; educators specializing in early childhood development; representatives of a local child care resource or referral agency or a local child care coordinating group; representatives of a local organization for prevention or early intervention for families at risk; representatives of community-based organizations that have the goal of promoting nurturing and early childhood development; representatives of local school districts; and representatives of local, medical, pediatric or obstetric associations or societies;

B. The term of office of the five (5) members appointed pursuant to subsection (A)(5) shall be for a term of two (2) years ending on March 31st. Appointees filling vacancies shall serve the unexpired portion of the term of their predecessors. Members of the commission may be removed from office at any time upon majority vote of the board of supervisors.

C. Any commissioner who serves by virtue of being the public health officer, the director of the department of human services or the director of the mental health department is authorized to designate an alternate to participate on behalf of the commissioner at any commission meetings when that commissioner is otherwise unavailable. Such designee shall be an employee of the county department which the commissioner heads. Such designee shall have the same powers and responsibilities as the commissioner when attending meetings. The designee may not hold office and may not participate as a commissioner in any meetings of standing or ad hoc committees.

D. The chairperson and vice chairperson of the commission shall be elected from among the five (5) persons appointed pursuant to subsection (A)(5).

(Ord. G-7760 § 2, 2008; Ord. G-7568 § 2, 2007: Ord. G-6946 § 2, 2003: Ord. G-6637 § 2, 1999: Ord. G-6629 § 2 (part), 1999)

Members of the commission shall not be compensated for their services, except they shall be paid actual and necessary cost of transportation for attending meetings and reasonable expenses incurred in discharging other official responsibilities as authorized by the commission, subject to those limits and procedures as may apply to county officers and employees, from time to time.

(Ord. G-6637 § 3 (part), 1999)

The commission shall adopt an adequate and complete county strategic plan (hereinafter "plan"), for the support and improvement of early childhood development within the county.

A. The plan shall be consistent with, and in furtherance of the purposes of, the California Children and Families First Initiative and any act or guidelines adopted by the State Commission pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 130125 of the Health and Safety Code that are in effect at the time the plan is adopted.

B. The plan shall, at a minimum, include the following: a description of the goals and objectives proposed to be attained; a description of the programs, services, and projects proposed to be provided, sponsored or facilitated; and a description of how measurable outcomes of such programs, services and projects will be determined by the commission using appropriate reliable indicators. The plan shall describe how programs, services and projects relating to early childhood development within the county will be integrated into a consumer-oriented and easily accessible system.

C. The commission shall, on at least an annual basis, review the plan and revise the plan as may be necessary and appropriate.

D. The commission shall conduct at least one (1) public hearing prior to the adoption of the proposed plan, and any subsequent revisions to the plan.

E. The proposed plan, and any subsequent revisions to the plan, shall be submitted to the board of supervisors.

(Ord. G-6886 § 4, 2002; Ord. G-6637 § 4, 1999: Ord. G-6629 § 2 (part), 1999: Ord. G-6604 § 2, 1999)

The commission shall submit its adopted plan, and any subsequent revisions to the State Commission.

(Ord. G-6637 § 5 (part), 1999)

The commission shall prepare and adopt an annual audit and report pursuant to Section 130150 of the Health and Safety Code. The commission shall conduct at least one public hearing prior to adopting any annual audit and report.

(Ord. G-6637 § 6 (part), 1999)

The commission shall conduct at least one public hearing on each annual report prepared by the State Commission pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 130150 of the Health and Safety Code.

(Ord. G-6637 § 7 (part), 1999)

The board of supervisors authorizes the creation of a local children and families trust fund pursuant to subparagraph (A) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (d) of Section 130105 of the Health and Safety Code.

(Ord. G-6629 § 2 (part), 1999)

An amount, not to exceed eight percent (8%) of the annual fund allocation, shall be set aside for administrative and staff support for the commission based on actual cost to provide the support.

(Ord. G-6637 § 8 (part), 1999)

A. Contracts. The commission may enter into such contracts as are necessary or appropriate to carry out the provisions and purposes of this chapter and the California Children and Families Act of 1998 (the "Act"). All such contracts shall specify and be contingent upon the continued future funding of the commission pursuant to the Act, the commission's annual exercise of its discretion to fund or participate with any contract's program for another year and the county's continued participation in the Act's program.

B. Grants and Gifts. The commission may apply for and accept grants, gifts and bequests of money made to or for the benefit it from public or private sources to be used for early childhood development programs, which shall be deposited in the trust fund and expended for the specific purpose for which the grant, gift or bequest was made.

(Ord. G-6629 § 2 (part), 1999: Ord. G-6604 § 3, 1999)