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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010 10.05 HHSC MinutesMINUTES OF THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION City Clerk Conference Center 300 E. Superstition Blvd., Apache Junction, AZ October 5, 2010 - 4:45 P.M. COMMISSIONERS PRESENT:STAFF PRESENT: JODENE WEETER, CHAIRPERSON KATHLEEN CONNELLY, CITY CLERK ANDREW WHITENECK, VICE CHAIRPERSON JAN MASON, DEPUTY CITY CLERK RANDY MULLEN COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: SUE CLABUESCH CHRISTA RIZZI 1.Call to Order/Roll Call. Chairperson Weeter called the meeting to order at 4:45 p.m. Deputy City Clerk Jan Mason called the roll and advised there was a quorum present. 2.Discussion on FY 2010-11 funding applications and procedure for reviewing applications. Chairperson Weeter stated she had some questions on Community Alliance Against Family Abuse.They have a real, large note at 6.85% interest.She is wondering if they have asked to have that dropped down to the current prime rate yet. they should if they have not. She thinks City Clerk Kathleen Connelly stated that is something she should ask them.Depending on what their credit rating is, it may be something they cannot do. Chairperson Weeter stated the current prime rate is 4.25%, which is a big difference.It would make a big difference in their payment.They owe more than $400,000.She asked if the mental health agency has shown any better reporting skills than they did the last two years. HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION MEETING OCTOBER 5, 2010 PAGE 1 OF 7 City Clerk Kathleen Connelly stated they have not, but the individual who was responsible for sending the reports that were not timely is no longer there.The person who is temporarily taking her place is working to resolve the mess.There were not only issues with the city, but in other areas as well.They are trying to unravel what they have and piece it back together. She wants to make it clear that there were issues, but the person they believe and she believes is responsible and the cause of this is no longer there. Chairperson Weeter commented she has supervised long enough to know that they knew what was going on.She commented the boys and girls club has asked for $20,000 and we have $80,000.If we give everybody a portion of what they asked for, that is one thing.She suggested they do the $20,000 for the boys and girls club, the $14,000, the $12,000 the $30,000, and with $4,000 to the mental health center that is $80,000.When they can prove to us that they can get their reporting in on time then next year they can come back to it.Or they could suggest the city give the city employees the $4,000 as a raise. City Clerk Kathleen Connelly stated that will not go far. Commissioner Mullen commented he was reading through the one on the mental health center.All the other ones can justify the need for the money with numbers.They fed this many people this year and expect to feed this many people next year.They are asking for more money but he did not see any numbers in there at all to justify their needing more money, especially for the psychiatric portion.They went from $1,000 to $3,000.He asked how many people they served this year and what kind of increases did they have.They did not show anything like that.He needs some numbers to prove that they need it for that.To him, they did not prove that they need the additional money. Chairperson Weeter agreed.That is why she said earlier that she did not like it.Whoever was supervising knew that. Vice Chairperson Whiteneck commented that is how he felt in the first meeting.They have someone in place now. City Clerk Kathleen Connelly stated they have a temporary person in place.Marge Walter, who sometimes comes here for the meeting on behalf of the organization, is trying to work her way HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION MEETING OCTOBER 5, 2010 PAGE 2 OF 7 through it now.She was told they were going to hire a replacement.If they have, she has not had any contact with that person.There will still be a training period for that person.They know the problem exists and they are working to fix it.If they are asking if it is fixed, she would have to say she does not know because she has not had the opportunity to see that it has been fixed. Commissioner Mullen stated they are asking for two different amounts, broken up that way.If the commission gives them money, he asked if they can break it up likewise saying they want some for this and some for that. City Clerk Kathleen Connelly stated they can absolutely do that. It is at their discretion, and however they want it worded and distributed, that is how it will be in the agreement. Chairperson Weeter asked if he wanted the mental health center and whoever else to come and talk about anything. Commissioner Mullen commented he is in agreement with her as far as how the money should be distributed.He thinks everyone else should get what they need and they should get whatever is left over.After reading through what they do and the services they provide, he thinks the psychiatric portion is fantastic.The other portion where they pay for peoples' cars to get fixed he is not in agreement with.He thinks there are other agencies that provide those kinds of services. Chairperson Weeter commented they could offer them $4,000 for the psychiatric services and let it go at that.That is where she was coming from. Commissioner Mullen stated that sounds good to him. Chairperson Weeter commented she supervised mental health in the Wichita Veterans Administration.She knew when people were screwing up because somebody told on them.They cannot tell her that they did not know the problems that were being caused by this other person.Whatever was going on, they were too lazy to get it corrected.She is sorry, but let them bite the bullet, figure it out and come back. HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION MEETING OCTOBER 5, 2010 PAGE 3 OF 7 City Clerk Kathleen Connelly stated they have become a very big organization.When they first started off they had one office here and now they have grown and recently opened offices in Yuma.She does not know if all of the support staff is here or if they have support in Yuma.She does not know much they have looked.That is a question for them.Maybe they have overwhelmed themselves. Chairperson Weeter stated she understands that; she has been there, too.But they have to take responsibility for their own actions. City Clerk Kathleen Connelly commented for Commissioner Mullen's benefit that a few years ago Community Alliance Against Family Abuse also asked for gasoline vouchers and things like that. When she was reading the mental health center's request it jogged her memory.The commission had said no to Community Alliance Against Family Abuse because they could not see the direct benefit and whether or not that could be accountable. Chairperson Weeter stated she learned one thing being a single mom and being out of work.If she wanted to do something, she could find a way to get gas in her car. Vice Chairperson Whiteneck stated there are ways to get around it.He had no rebuttal for what she said. Chairperson Weeter commented those are just her thoughts and if they want to call people in and ask for a report, they can do so. Vice Chairperson Whiteneck stated the only ones that appear to have an issue are Community Alliance Against Family Abuse and Superstition Mountain Mental Health.They have seen all the rest and they are pretty cut and dry.He asked if there were any Commissioner Mullen wanted to see. Commissioner Mullen stated those were fine with him, but if they are going to come in and not show him any numbers, it will not change his opinion at all.If they are going to be asking for more money, he needs to see some figures, not just what they plan to do with it.He is a numbers guy. HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION MEETING OCTOBER 5, 2010 PAGE 4 OF 7 Chairperson Weeter commented she thinks that is good.She always worked for numbers guys.If she wanted to go in and ask for more money, she had better say she has 20 men that need this and these are the reasons why, and she better have those reasons ready.They need to get their stuff together to get it done. City Clerk Kathleen Connelly commented if they want to interview them, then they need to give the commission something to show an increase in the services. Commissioner Mullen stated that is correct.He does not know what their projection is for this year. If two years ago they treated 50 people, last year they treated 30 people, but they want more money this year, he wants to know why they would need more money when they have a drop in productivity.He would think that information would be readily available to them. City Clerk Kathleen Connelly stated she would hope so.She is sure the city is not the only place that would want that information.They get federal funding and grants.She is sure they would need that information for them, also. Chairperson Weeter commented she thinks that mental health is a worthwhile thing to support, but she also thinks that if they are going to support them, they need to be supportive right back.She still believes someone higher up than the girl that was giving them the reports knew what was going on.They would have to be deaf, dumb and blind not to have noticed.She is willing to talk to them.She asked if anyone wants to talk to the boys and girls club.They are showing what they are doing and she would like to go out and see the new facility. City Clerk Kathleen Connelly suggested they go out this weekend as they are having a haunted house fundraiser. Chairperson Weeter commented Apache Junction Reach Out Food Bank has only asked for $14,400, which is what the commission gave them last year.With the economic conditions that are currently going on, they will need increased amounts. City Clerk Kathleen Connelly stated they budget very well. Chairperson Weeter stated she was impressed with them last year. The man who runs it is a numbers guy and he had it all down. HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION MEETING OCTOBER 5, 2010 PAGE 5 OF 7 The only problem they had last year was their refrigerated truck and they had the money.She added East Valley Adult Resources changed their name again. City Clerk Kathleen Connelly stated it used to be the East Valley Senior Services, now they are East Valley Adult Resources, but it is the same organization. Chairperson Weeter stated they are asking for $30,000.That is for home meals and for home -delivered.She wanted to ask them about the one way trips they list on their transportation services. City Clerk Kathleen Connelly stated she thinks they log it as one way each direction.One would be going to and one would be the return trip. Chairperson Weeter stated she was wondering the same thing. City Clerk Kathleen Connelly agreed.They would not just take them and leave them.She thinks that is what they do for their reporting services. Chairperson Weeter stated the Community Alliance Against Family Abuse only has $12,000 requested.They do a good job. City Clerk Kathleen Connelly stated they have been great.She asked if they remembered last year that they had set up the training sessions.They had a super reporting system where everyone had to sign in, including the police officers.They sent her a copy of the sign in sheet. Chairperson Weeter commented she would still like to know if they asked to have their interest rate dropped.She would like to talk to them. City Clerk Kathleen Connelly stated she has two that they want to talk to:Superstition Mountain Mental Health and Community Alliance Against Family Abuse.She asked if they wanted to talk to anyone else. Chairperson Weeter asked the members of the commission if they wanted to talk to those two agencies.The consensus was they did. HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION MEETING OCTOBER 5, 2010 PAGE 6 OF 7 City Clerk Kathleen Connelly stated she will let them know that they want this additional information. 3.Selection of future meeting dates. Vice Chairperson Whiteneck stated the next meeting will be when we do our interviews and then do our budget after the meeting. Chairperson Weeter asked when they would want to have the meeting.There was general discussion on what day and time would be convenient for everyone.The consensus was October 18, 2010 at 4:00 p.m. City Clerk Kathleen Connelly asked if they wanted to do their deliberations at the same meeting.The consensus was that they do them at the same meeting.They would do the same thing as they have done before with fifteen minutes for each interview. Chairperson Weeter asked when they would have to report their deliberations to the council. City Clerk Kathleen Connelly stated they are looking at the meetings on November 1 and November 2. 4.Adjournment. Vice Chairperson Whiteneck MOVED TO ADJOURN THE MEETING. Commissioner Mullen SECONDED THE MOTION. VOTE:Unanimous. The motion carried. Chairperson Weeter adjourned the meeting at 5:09 p.m. 1 . )/ J ene Weeter Kathleen Connelly 4--- airperson City Clerk HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION MEETING OCTOBER 5, 2010 PAGE 1 OF 7