Agenda - 01-19-1999 - 8e - Laserfiche WebLink

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ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: January 19, 1999 Action Agenda Item No. $ - SUBJECT: Contract Award- Electronic Benefits Transfer Training for Food Stamp Recipients DEPARTMENT: Purchasing DSS PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/11n ~© BUDGET AMENDMENT: (Y/N) ATTACHMENT(S): TABULATION INFORMATION CONTACT: Pam Jones, ext 2650 Marti Pryor-Cook, ext 2800 TELEPHONE NUMBERS: Hillsborough 732-8181 Chapel Hill 968-4501 Durham 688-7331 Mebane 227-2031 PURPOSE: To consider awarding a contract for Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) training for food stamp recipients. BACKGROUND: Vice President Gore issued a report in September 1993, From Red Tape to Results, that called for the development of a nationwide system to electronically deliver government benefits. The desired outcome was to replace the paper-based benefit delivery system with a single, integrated system that delivered benefits electronically for a full range of federal and state government programs. In February 1995, North Carolina joined with eight other states to develop a multi- state, multi-program EBT network North Carolina began implementation of the EBT program for food stamps in 1998, utilizing aphase-in process for the counties. Orange County is required to implement the EBT program for food stamps on March 1, 1999. The Food Stamp EBT program will provide access to benefits through automated teller machines (ATM's) and retail point-of sale terminals. The current paper-based coupons will be eliminated Each recipient will receive a plastic card and a secret PIN number to access his or her account. Once implemented, this system will provide many advantages for recipients such as the elimination of coupon theft and the stigma attached to the use food stamp coupons. This program will also benefit Orange County by eliminating the $26,000 yearly food stamp issuance expenditure and the cost of replacing lost coupons. Food Stamp recipients in Orange County are required to receive training in February 1999 on the use of the EBT system. Training will occur over a two-week period in both Chapel Hill and Hillsborough. The request for proposals for the conversion training was mailed out in December 1998 to three vendors. Two vendors responded Service Design Associates, Inc. of Raleigh, North Carolina submitted the lowest responsible proposal at a lump sum cost of $28,175. Funds necessary for the training centract were approved in the Fiscal Year 1998/99 budget. The County is eligible to receive 50% federal reimbursement for all a *+>inicrrative costs associated with converting to the EBT program. RECONQ1~iENDATION(S): Award a contract to Service Design Associates, Inc., Raleigh, NC, in the amount of $28,175; and authorize the Manager to sign, contingent upon Attorney and staff review.