Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2008-08-07 HHSCMINUTES OF THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION City Clerk Conference Center 300 E. Superstition Blvd., Apache Junction, AZ August 7, 2008 - 3:36 P.M. COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: ROBERT EVANS, CHAIRPERSON SUE CLABUESCH JODENE WEETER STAFF PRESENT: KATHLEEN CONNELLY, CITY CLERK JAN MASON, DEPUTY CITY CLERK 1.Call to Order/Roll Call. Chairperson Evans called the meeting to order at 3:36 p.m. Deputy City Clerk Jan Mason called the roll and advised there was a quorum present. Chairperson Evans commented he was not sure if he was going to have to recuse himself or resign. City Clerk Kathleen Connelly stated she had asked the city attorney because of the application from Superstition Mountain Mental Health.He stated he did not have to, but when they get to that particular _item he cannot participate in the discussion or vote.The city attorney had recommended that he leave the -room at that time. There was general discussion on if a quorum might be present if he had to leave the room at that time. 2.Discussion on FY 2008-09 funding applications and procedure for reviewing applications. Chairperson Evans asked if anyone had any questions on the applications. Commissioner Clabuesch stated she had several, including the Food Bank and the Boys and Girls Club.She had notes to take notice on Community Action Human Resources Agency and the Senior Center.She actually had questions for all of them.As Junior HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION MEETING AUGUST 7, 2008 PAGE 1 OF 10 Achievement is new, she would certainly like to speak with them. She would also like to talk to United Food Bank since we already have a food bank here. City Clerk Kathleen Connelly stated our food bank gets some of their food from United Food Bank. Commissioner Weeter commented the United Food Bank stated that they give cash to the Apache Junction food bank.She looked for it but could not find it. City Clerk Kathleen Connelly stated they are required to make sure that these services go to city residents.In some of them, like Junior Achievement and United Food Bank, it was hard to pull out how they were going to do that or if they could do that. Commissioner Weeter stated she feels like they are duplicating services with Junior Achievement and the Boys and Girls Club. If they turned Junior Achievement down, it would still only kick out $13,000. City Clerk Kathleen Connelly stated the commission has never given any agency 100% of their request.East Valley Senior Services did include $8,000 for the senior transportation program which has been funded through a grant.The city is in the process of reapplying for that grant and, if awarded, it would be as soon .as October.The council has to vote on that at their two meetings in September. Commissioner Clabuesch asked if they are allowed to pay their utility or electric bill with this money. City Clerk Kathleen Connelly stated the commission started giving the Food Bank funds to pay their electric bill about 3 funding cycles ago.The contract for services states how much of the funds can go for the electric bill.It is for the walk- in freezer that was put in so that they could provide more perishable food. Deputy City Clerk Jan Mason commented she believed it was $4,000 for the first 2 years and $1,000 last year. HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION MEETING AUGUST 7, 2008 PAGE 2 OF 10 City Clerk Kathleen Connelly stated it is not for telephone or anything like that. Commissioner Clabuesch stated it says the money is for them to buy the food and pay the electric bill where the food will be stored. City Clerk Kathleen Connelly stated that is the walk-in freezer or refrigerator. Chairperson Evans commented he is willing to kick Junior Achievement out of it at this point. City Clerk Kathleen Connelly stated they are not obligated to interview everybody.It is their choice. Commissioner Weeter asked if she were wrong in believing that the services being provided by the Boys and Girls Club and those by Junior Achievement overlap. Chairperson Evans stated they do.Junior Achievement a larger population of kids but it is hard to say focus on Apache Junction kids with what they have Boys and Girls Club is a known entity and they do Junction kids.He asked if any of the funds they will be going towards the new building. may reach how they would sent.The service Apache are requesting City Clerk Kathleen Connelly stated it would not. Deputy City Clerk Jan Mason stated it would just be for Project Learn. Commissioner Clabuesch stated the money would still be going for the after school programs. Commissioner Weeter stated those kids need something to do when there are so many working poor in Apache Junction.They need to know people care about them. Chairperson Evans stated they have been supporting them since he was on the commission.They have never been able to give them everything they have asked for. HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION MEETING AUGUST 7, 2008 PAGE 3 OF 10 City Clerk Kathleen Connelly stated if they interview them, they will hear Judy Borey say that their enrollment has grown.She sees their quarterly reports and their attendance jumps significantly. Chairperson Evans stated that is good. Commissioner Clabuesch stated she has a question about the memberships they give to other organizations and military families.She asked if the money they are getting goes to after school programs for Apache Junction residents. City Clerk Kathleen Connelly stated the only reports she gets from them are for in -city addresses.If she sees anything that is not, she lines it out.Every quarter they spend more money in services than they get from the city.There is a big gap. Commissioner Clabuesch asked if the city pays for any of their staff. City Clerk Kathleen Connelly stated they pay for some indirectly. Chairperson Evans stated it is in general support. Deputy City Clerk Jan Mason stated it is for the instructors. Chairperson Evans stated the Boys and Girls Club does have an advantage as they have a lot of support in the community. They have many more opportunities to get grants than the other applicants do.. Commissioner Weeter stated Community Alliance Against Child Abuse gets some, especially for military families.She commented about what happened to military personnel and their families during the Persian Gulf War and how many families lost their homes to foreclosure. Chairperson Evans commented he cannot tell by reading the applications if it is overall growth in all of them or just Apache Junction residents. HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION MEETING AUGUST 7, 2008 PAGE 4 OF 10 City Clerk Kathleen Connelly stated the reports are in -city addresses with once in awhile an outside residence slipped in. She subtracts it from their numbers when that happens. Chairperson Evans commented that they still over deliver. City Clerk Kathleen Connelly stated that is normal for the Food Bank, Boys and Girls Club, and the Senior Center.They easily provide higher services than the city can fund. Chairperson Evans commented he is interested in all of them presenting except for Junior Achievement. Commissioner Weeter commented they gave her a stack of papers to go through over a month ago.She took it home and started reading it.She talked to the deputy city clerk about it because she thought that Junior Achievement was a duplicate of the Boys and Girls Club.She believes the food bank stuff is a duplication, also. City Clerk Kathleen Connelly asked if they still wanted to interview United Food Bank. Chairperson Evans asked if they funded them last year. City Clerk Kathleen Connelly stated they have never applied before.She is not sure they would be able to provide records. They do not provide direct services; they provide food to other food banks. Chairperson Evans commented it would be hard to do this without double counting families. City Clerk Kathleen Connelly stated they are a regional food bank. Commissioner Weeter commented her church gave the Food Bank $15,000 to purchase food.One of the ways they can use it is to purchase food from the other food bank. Commissioner Clabuesch stated she does not see how they can do anything with the other food bank as the Apache Junction Food Bank gets their food from United Food Bank. HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION MEETING AUGUST 7, 2008 PAGE 5 OF 10 Commissioner Weeter stated she read the United Food Bank first and noted that food was sent to the Apache Junction one, but she could not see where it was noted in the Apache Junction application. Commissioner Clabuesch commented the United Food Bank states they collect, acquire, inspect, store and transport food for their partner agencies that provide meals and food boxes to their clients.If the city gave them any money, they would have to say what they would be doing in Apache Junction as far as collecting and acquiring, storing and giving it out.She is not sure they are equipped to break it down and do it like that. Chairperson Evans commented if they decided they were going to give $26,000 for food, he would rather give it to the Apache Junction Food Bank than United Food Bank.He is not suggesting that is what they do, but he would be more comfortable with it. Commissioner Weeter stated she is not saying they are not doing the things that they are talking about, because there are 2 or 3 of the churches here in Apache Junction that are serving meals on a daily basis. They might be doing it. City Clerk Kathleen Connelly commented they are saying they provide social services agencies in Apache Junction with some form of meal, snack or food boxes for the children.She believes that Judy Borey of the Boys and Girls Club told her at another meeting that they are claiming they are providing snacks to the Boys and Girls Club, and that is not true.They are partners with the pantries, school committee groups and faith- based organizations and that does not mean it is getting to Apache Junction residents. Commissioner Weeter stated there is a Methodist church and Catholic church that are giving daily meals. Commissioner Clabuesch commented they could just tell them that their criteria does not meet the requirements. City Clerk Kathleen Connelly stated they could direct her at some point in time as to what they would like her to say.It is not on the agenda today. HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION MEETING AUGUST 7, 2008 PAGE 6 OF 10 Chairperson Evans commented he believed they could rule out Junior Achievement and United Food Bank.He asked if there were any others they would like to pull. Commissioner Weeter commented that pulled $13,000 from the total. Chairperson Evans commented he does not have his list of last year's funding. City Clerk Kathleen Connelly stated the funding graph had not been done. Chairperson Evans asked that it be sent out to them. Deputy City Clerk Jan Mason stated she would do so. Chairperson Evans commented that way they would have it when they have the interviews. City Clerk Kathleen Connelly stated they funded the Food Bank, Boys and Girls Club, Community Action Human Resources Agency, Community Alliance Against Family Abuse, Senior Services and Superstition Mountain Mental Health last year. Commissioner Clabuesch stated that is everyone that they have now. City Clerk Kathleen Connelly stated they had a couple more last year that were new, such as the Salvation Army.They declined to fund those.They are down to 6 now this year, and they again only have $100,000. 3.Status report on FY 2007-08 funding recipients. There was no discussion on this item. 4.Selection of future meeting dates. Commissioner Weeter commented they started with $139,000 and have knocked off $13,000, leaving them with $126,000.They still have a bunch of paring to do. HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION MEETING AUGUST 7, 2008 PAGE 7 OF 10 City Clerk Kathleen Connelly stated the one from the senior center includes $8,000 for the transportation program, which could be grant -funded.That is how it has been in the past. Commissioner Weeter commented she would like to put the $8,000 for transportation on hold, and not say they are going to fund it.She asked if they should know by the next time they meet. City Clerk Kathleen Connelly stated the city council will look at it on September 2 and vote on it September.16. Chairperson Evans commented she would have an idea on how that might go by the end of September. City Clerk Kathleen Connelly stated she could by the beginning of September, but definitely by the middle of September. There was general discussion on when they should interview the remaining applicants and make their recommendations. Commissioner Weeter commented the East Valley Senior Services had a note stating that Ride Choice is $34,800 and the Coupons for Cabs $10,000.They are asking for $43,000, and there is supposed to be another $8,000.She asked where the discrepancy is coming from. City Clerk Kathleen Connelly stated he threw everything into his request.There is $20,000 for the congregate meals, $15,000 for the home -delivered meals, $8,000 for the transportation services which have been grant funded, and he also threw in Ride Choice and Coupons for Cabs, which does not come out of the human services funding.He threw them in so they would not be forgotten.They should be looking at the $20,000 for congregate meals and the $15,000 for home -delivered meals.There is a good chance the $8,000 will be grant funded.There is a separate place in the city budget for Ride Choice. Commissioner Weeter commented she goes to the senior center on Tuesdays and Thursdays.There is a bus that is always bringing people in.She asked if that is the bus they are talking about. City Clerk Kathleen Connelly stated that could be the transportation program or it could be part of their general services.They do pick people up at home and bring them to the HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION MEETING AUGUST 7, 2008 PAGE 8 OF 10 senior center.The transportation program also takes people to medical appointments and the grocery store.It is city funded, but it could be under any one of the transportation programs. In some instances the city has provided grants to purchase those vans to begin with.They would have the vehicle plus the service. Commissioner Weeter asked who takes care of the upkeep of the van. City Clerk Kathleen Connelly stated East Valley. Senior Services is responsible for that.There was an article this week in the paper about how some of the veterans are having problems getting to the hospital in Phoenix.They talked about that this morning and there is a chance the city might ask East Valley Senior Services to add that on as part of their services and give them additional grant money, or they will contact a veterans organization and see if they might be able to provide them with a van. Commissioner Weeter commented some Adolph Coors of Colorado gives them.Budweiser also does it. months and then they donate it. added they should also get hold because they do a lot of things not. companies will do that. out handicap vans if you ask They use a bus for a year to 6 They are not in bad shape.She of Paralyzed Veterans of America that other veterans' services do City Clerk Kathleen Connelly stated they had arrangements a few years ago with the Salvation Army to do some of this transportation but that has been cancelled. Chairperson Evans commented they had a lot of vans but they had trouble with the insurance for the drivers. They finally put their driver on payroll so that the insurance would cover it. City Clerk Kathleen Connelly stated the Salvation Army ran into the problem where it would take them all day to drive to Phoenix to the Veterans Administration Hospital and they would be tied up there all day with the van out of service.She may not have an answer for them on the other things until September. HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION MEETING AUGUST 7, 2008 PAGE 9 OF 10 Commissioner Weeter stated she does not know what happens at the Veterans Administration Hospital here.In Wichita, Kansas they had their own drivers. There was general discussion on what would need to be in the motion. Commissioner Clabuesch MOVED THAT WE HAVE OUR MEETING ON SEPTEMBER 4, 2008, AT 3:30 P.M. AND WE REQUEST INTERVIEWS WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM APACHE JUNCTION FOOD BANK, EAST VALLEY SENIOR SERVICES, COMMUNITY ACTION HUMAN RESOURCES AGENCY, COMMUNITY ALLIANCE AGAINST FAMILY ABUSE, BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB AND SUPERSTITION MOUNTAIN MENTAL HEALTH. Commissioner Weeter SECONDED THE MOTION. VOTE:Unanimous. The motion carried. City Clerk Kathleen Connelly stated they would do the interviews in alphabetical order.Sometimes an agency cannot make their scheduled time; in those instances she tells them to contact another agency to switch their time and then let her know. Chairperson Evans commented he is still confused on how he could vote on the commission. City Clerk Kathleen Connelly stated the city attorney had told her that as long as he was not voting on that particular agency, he had no concerns.He cannot participate in any discussions on that agency. 5.Adjournment. ChairpAson Evans adjourned the meeting at 4:09 p.m. Robert Evans Chairperson HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION MEETING AUGUST 7, 2008 PAGE 10 OF 10