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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCommunity Development Block Grant Commission - Minutes - 04/13/2000CITY OF FORT COLLINS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT Meeting Minutes Question and Answer Session April 13, 2000 Phil Majerus, Chair Alfred Flores, Vice Chair Bill Bertschy, City Council Liaison The meeting of the Community Development Block Grant Commission was called to order by Chair Phil Majerus, beginning at 6:00 p.m., at the CIC Room, 300 West Laporte Street, Fort Collins, Colorado. Board members present included: Chair Phil Majerus, Vice Chair Alfred Flores, Linda Coxen, Vi Guthrie, Brett Hill, Holly Sample, Bill Steffes, Cheryl Zimlich. Staff present: Ken Waido, Jackie Davis, Julie Smith, and Melissa Bauer Islam. In reference to the proceedings of the previous night, Mr. Waido stated that he had spoken to CSU Habitat concerning amending their application from flooring to development fees. They can pay those fees at the Certificate of Occupancy stage. PS1. Education & Life Training Center — Adult Literacy Services. Request: $12,000. The applicants stated that economic expansion requires full participation from the community. Without a workforce that has skills to participate, inflation will rise. There are no throwaway workers anymore. She reiterated the importance of retraining workers to be capable of working in the current economy; the shortage of workers; the greater need of community colleges to develop remedial courses for GED and late diplomas; and the importance of teaching these skills in a one-on-one situation. The program uses community volunteers to call, connect applicants up with the program, get tutors, and place them with mentors. The best way to provide a nontraditional student with traditional skills is to get them into Front Range and obtain their GED. This dovetails with the affordable housing issue. Clients have to find ways to pay their rent and living expenses. They need technical training and a literacy level that allows for postsecondary training. Last year, one out of seven high school diplomas were GEDs. In a recent survey of companies for reasons of rejecting applicants, one-third of those rejections were due to an inability of applicants to read or communicate appropriately. This program uses trained volunteers and part-time staff to provide literacy training to the less -skilled people in the county. There is a large salary difference between Community Development Bloc .rant Commission Question and Answer Session of April 13, 2000 Page 2 those who have high school educations and those who do not. The program is working with LCDC to get GED and work skill training. In response to questions by the Commission, the applicants stated: They work with the Work Force Center by referring clients to the formal classes or through tutor training. The Center provides tutors to the Center for Adult Learning. There is no financial support from the Center's contracts. Most of the clients are Fort Collins residents, with the exception of the efforts at the Larimer County Detention Center. There is a growing percentage from the Loveland area. The program's budget does not exactly meet the grants. Adult Literacy operates on about $15,000 per year. The program expands or contracts according to its means. The budget reflects what has been applied for but yet not awarded. Another quirk is United Way. They are on a June/July budget; ELT is on a calendar budget. The budget contains estimates to help grow the program. The applicants were asked, as best as possible, to quantify the effectiveness of the program. Everyone is at a unique level. Some work well in small groups; for others, one-on-one is needed. Instead of having five or six agencies recruiting tutors, there is one agency receiving the calls, realizing a cost savings. The Read Line has been in the community 12 years, and applicants and agencies know to call. Care is taken to match up needs with agencies. In terms of what happens with a given individual, the applicants stated that last year, they worked with about 112 tutors, working one and a half to two students a year. In a classroom setting, 70 percent of students at the loth grade level improve one level in ten weeks. For lower levels, it takes longer. Sometimes clients are as low as a grade 3 level; their progress is much slower. PS2. Disabled Resource Services — Supported Youth Employment Program — Request: $18,000. Patricia Frisbee presented. She noted that around the state, two centers in Denver are closed; a center in Colorado Springs is $60,000 in debt; a center in Boulder is about to go under. They expected funding to come from one source to be reimbursed; when that source dried up, the centers suffered. The Fort Collins program has 12 sources of funding. The CDBG element goes to the job coaches' salaries or their payroll taxes. The CDBG participation provides proof of support from the local community. This year more funding is requested because next year, the School District contribution will be cut. The program offers on the job training. A quantifiable value is difficult to define. The job coach fills out a form as to the sufficiency and progress of the participant. The program administration tracks the hours of the student with the Community Development Block Grant Commission Question and Answer Session of April 13, 2000 Page 3 job coach and evaluates the level. The sample chart on last page comes from last year's program. The raise in levels from 33 to 54 percent were to see if students are getting benefit from the coaches. Robbie, a student, and Drew, Robbie's job coach, were introduced. Robbie has worked at HealthWorks, Safeway, Marriott, and now at Bath Nursery. Robbie is getting more and more independent. They reviewed Robbie's duties and progress over the course of his employment with Drew's oversight. Ms. Frisbee noted that employment diminishes disability. People may have very obvious disabilities and be noticeable in public; but when they are productive, they become like everyone else in their work environment. In response to questions by the Commission, the applicant stated that Robbie has been to so many different jobs in order to give him a variety of experiences. She outlined the different experiences that he had gained. The program tries to match up jobs with abilities. The clients at the beginning sometime do not want to work; they do not know how to dress and act appropriately. The program was created to provide the disabled community with the necessary skills to function in the work environment. The school district is helping out more with the severely impaired, but they do not have the funds, and there will be less funds next year. This is making everyone a part of the community. Many employers have talked about the lack of qualified or motivated employees. The employees are often transitory always looking for a better job. It is an employee market. There are effective services that the program finds in the community. The program pays $12 to 14 an hour for job coaches in order to compensate them fairly and pay them enough on a part-time basis to keep them. Job coaches also need to have an interest in people with disabilities. The program hasn't lost a job coach unless the coach moved. There are presently eight job coaches. Most of them like to work with more than one student. Many of the job coaches are students, young people with new ideas. They depend on the company's supervisor to let them know how things are going. The most important thing in supported employment is the working environment, including the other employees. It helps to make friends with others and get integrated into the culture of the company. The program emphasizes not only work skills but also training the other employees to accept the student. The program strives to educate the employer. PS3. Project Self -Sufficiency — Project Self -Sufficiency. Request: $25,000. Mary Cosgrove presented. The average age of a client is 33 years. The age or participants ranges from 18 to 40s. A client has an average of two children. Sixty-nine percent of clients receive Medicaid for themselves or their children. Community Development Bloc, ,rant Commission _ Question and Answer Session of April 13, 2000 Page 4 Sixty-two percent of clients receive food stamps at some time during the program. The program is looking for increased income. Present statistics: 41 people combined together have doubled their income since coming into the program, 41 have earned income but are still in school and have not increased it. Ms. Cosgrove reviewed the range of careers of recent graduates: LPN, medical assistant, computer information studies, forestry, veterinary school, microbiology, PVH, and special education. A number of people are in technical training programs. A PSS client spoke to the commission. She stated that she would graduate with some reluctance, because PSS has been her support and family for four years; if it hadn't been for PSS, she would not be where she is. She works at Agilent on a temporary basis and is interviewing to fill the position permanently. The program has helped her and her son. It taught her how to be a good single parent and create a family out of the bad situations of the past, to learn to be self-sufficient, realize self-worth, self-esteem, self-confidence, and to be a viable part of community and a contributing member of society. In response to questions by the Commission, Ms. Cosgrove noted that the Human Resource grant program, presently in jeopardy, is the third largest contributor, with $32,000. That grant program is reviewing what services need to be provided by the County, and the program will be tighter in the coming year. PSS is meeting with Mr. Fischbach about future possibilities. The current grant is through December 2000, with uncertainty after that time. Ms. Cosgrove stated due to welfare reform, many choose to give up benefits or take out student loans as an alternative. The size of the student loans is scary at times and what that means to the client once they are out of school. The percentage of goal accomplishment for the program's clients is directly proportional to the barriers that they face. The clients with high barriers generally do not do as well in personal and family goals because of the time taken to become economically self-sufficient. This year's request is $25,000; last year's award was $20,000. The program appreciates the difficulty in the allocations that the Commission must recommend but is looking at a real deficit in normal funding in 2001. Whatever is awarded will be spent. All the moneys awarded will be used for Fort Collins participants. Fort Collins leads in participation because of the size of the community and greater ease of finding volunteer help. The new Loveland office space is a great improvement. It is being rented at low cost from the Loveland Housing Authority. Community Development Block Grant Commission Question and Answer Session of April 13, 2000 Page 5 PS4/PF2. Food Bank for Larimer County — Capital improvements warehouse & operations. $23,800. Paul Blackburn and Chuck Gill presented. The Food Bank is the central clearinghouse for donated food in the county. Fort Collins is the primary recipient, but Loveland and Berthoud are beneficiaries as well. The facility is 29,000 square feet, of which about 7,000 are rented out. The amount applied for will help increase program efficiency. For every dollar donated, the program distributes $10 of food to low-income individuals and over 80 nonprofit agencies. Dock, electrical, shelving, and the floor in the cooler are needed to increase capacity of work. There have been double-digit increases in pounds processed; they are at the 3 million pound mark for current year. The applicants cited various quotes from grateful recipients. The community has a good view of what they do. The applicants presented some center news: The center has a new logo, provided through services and discounts. The Taste of the Nation part will be May 4, 5:30 p.m., at the Lincoln Center; proceeds to benefit Neighbor to Neighbor, Food Bank of Larimer County, and Share our Strengths. Discussion was held over the parameters of the application and the items to be funded. It was decided that attached items needed to be in the PF2 application. Under the proposal, 30% of the shelving would be replaced. 60 pallet spots would be provided over what is there presently. Rotary Club is helping to add motors to the roll -up doors. The Loveland CDBG has a request for help with pallet jacks. The truck repair and improvement will be $20,000. The Loveland Human Relations Commission is being asked for $15,000 for operating expenses, which they funded last year. The cooler floor is for the same cooler that CDBG helped with previously. The epoxy floor, which is separate from the prior applications, cannot hold up to the forklift driving through. The Health Department has concerns with it. Rental income is used for general budget items. It is unknown how much is placed into capital reserves; that figure will be provided. If the center had to pick priorities, they would be: No. 1, cooler floor. No. 2, electric pallet jack. No. 3, dock leveler. No. 4, pallet rack. Community Development Blocn rant Commission Question and Answer Session of April 13, 2000 Page 6 PS6. Child Care Collaborative — Sliding scale Tuition Assistance. Request: $60,335. The applicants reviewed their history of joint effort. The services they provide help families to become sufficient, and provides for safe, learning places for families. Supply and demand isn't much different this year. There is a big need for child care that is affordable. Social Services is helping, but families are having a difficult time finding affordable day care. Welfare reform is working but is causing certain levels of frustration. The collaboration continues to take children who are not on Social Services, because the need continues. The collaborative has discussions frequently. Staffing costs keep going up, even with few or no benefits. Their employees are in same boat as many of the families in regards to income levels. The collaborative works to support regulations in licensing. The new regulations require that everyone has training. The hard cost is minimal, but staff time needs to be paid for. It will take a couple thousand dollars to meet the training requirement. Base camp is cutting back on services. Last year showed a waiting list, but with additional classrooms, operations were very expensive. The program simply cannot afford the extra children because of the reduced fees in the summertime. Staff is underpaid, especially in light of the many and varied tasks that they perform. The future of the Larimer County Human Development money is a concern. The collaborative will be having a meeting with John Fischbach to discuss the possibilities of City funds being used in the gap, if it occurs. The CDBG funding has a huge impact on the success of the program. It helps low-income families by helping to keep the program viable. It provides funding for the gap between tuition and the amount that the low-income family can pay. Eligibility is determined by family size and income, with other extenuating circumstances such as medical expenses playing a part. The reason that not all funding has been expended form the last grant is that the funding cycle has not yet been completed. The program tries to be judicious in case of rough times. Referrals are received from a variety of sources: other families; neighbors; Women's Center; School District. People tend to find the sliding scale fee places. Discussion was held in the differences in the programs of Base Camp, Sunshine, and United. A cut in funding simply means a cut in the number of children that can be served by these programs. Community Development Block Grant Commission Question and Answer Session of April 13, 2000 Page 7 PS7. Northern Colorado Health Network dba Northern Colorado AIDS Project. Request: $20,000. The applicant helps to ensure that people in the community with HIV/AIDS are in treatment for the disease. Comprehensive care is provided. The second program component is prevention and education outreach to reduce incidence through proactive, comprehensive, and educational program in junior high, high school, CSU, and community and business forums. There has been a 10 fold decrease in the primary funding source. The Ryan White Care Act funding will most likely be cut. The program is looking for more diversity in funding sources, particularly in the local community. The program increased its request by $5,000 this year. It hopes to achieve its goal and continue the services that the community has come to expect. Outreach person; already on staff or part-time? When the grant was written, no outreach person was in place. The site coordinator is funded through the State. Initially, the program hired a part-time person for that position. With CDBG dollars currently, they are able to extend the person to full-time and would like to continue. The program could continue to operate at the '99 CDBG-funded level. The program has recently finished a close assessment of the services offered. The program went through a very rough three months of evaluation and cutting. The Board is now excited about the things happening at the agency and the positive financial situation. Even through cuts and loss of staff, the program is on the right track. The negotiations for the move to the Remington facility closed in late February or early March. Funding is very competitive and difficult to obtain. However, at the State level, the Fort Collins program is no longer competing with Denver agencies. It is difficult to quantify the effectiveness of education outreach or to measure 'behavior change. The program provides information with the hope that it is utilized and results in a lower risk of contracting the disease. Knowledge surveys are done before and after training, with elevated knowledge levels shown. Anecdotes indicate that change is effected through knowledge. Incidence of new infections in served areas is going down. PS8. New Bridges — Daytime shelter & services referral for the homeless. Request: $35,000 This request is to cover part of the budget of the program. The program serves homeless and socially isolated persons from Fort Collins and adjacent communities. It is looking for diverse sources of funding. New Bridges is the only day shelter in Larimer County. The applicant reviewed the profile of its clientele Community Development Bloc. :rant Commission Question and Answer Session of April 13, 2000 Page 8 and the services offered to homeless adults and children. The program benefits the homeless and thereby the community and citizens at large. The program helps to lessen the impact on other community services, especially police departments. Without, New Bridges the homeless community would surf from agency to agency, requesting services. This agency acts as a refuge and protection to the community and lessens the impact on other agencies. Their clients are largely looking for attention which is best provided in a day shelter. The program relies .heavily on grants and donors. The program does not currently offer GED classes. Non -English-speaking clients are brought to minimal levels of communication. Education and Life Training charges a base fee which the clients can't afford. The program provides TLC and basic assistance. The program realizes the problems facing the Commission regarding the limited funds to distribute. The applicant is asking for whatever funding can be distributed. The program is aggressively pursuing funding from all areas. Funding from other services has been lost. New Bridges is prepared to accept whatever is granted and is appreciative. The applicant reviewed the problems facing it at the present site. The rent at 225 North College continues to rise. They are talking with the City Manager with the hope of identifying and relocating to a long-term facility. The clientele are often high -risk people, sometimes with mental health, substance abuse, or criminal history issues. The rent is $16/square foot. The rent is high because of the program's central location. The history was reviewed that brought New Bridges to its present location. Further discussion focused on whether the level of rent is having an effect on the program's ability to effectively deliver services. PS9. Mercy Housing — Community & resident initiatives — Springfield Court . apartments. Request: $44,550. This program works predominantly with Weld and Larimer Counties to provide enriched housing and services for disadvantaged families. The program has expanded to connect with and mirror the community, to use the talents of residents and community resources. The applicant reviewed a number of programs that the facility has sponsored. The applicant corrected some of the data provided on the application. 14 of 60 units serve at 60% AMI. 26 units serve at 50%. 22 units serve at 40%. Some in - kind donations don't necessarily have dollar figures. The project enjoys a tremendous amount of volunteer labor. Community Development Block Grant Commission Question and Answer Session of April 13, 2000 Page 9 The program is based out of Denver where they own four properties. The properties are a mixture of projects similar to Springfield Court as well as transitional housing and housing for developmentally disabled. A Durango property is similar in scope to the Fort Collins property. There is an SRO property in Colorado Springs. The applicant is a not -for -profit company. The property is its own LLP. The applicant will sign an annexation agreement if funded. The program has been in Fort Collins almost three years. Services provided up to the present have generally been funded in a pro bono fashion. Another employee is not envisioned. The administrative salary is paid through other grant sources. The CDBG grant would replace other grants that are no longer available. There is good participation on the part of the residents. A new partnership is being formed with FRCC to bring in GED classes and family literacy. The applicant reviewed the scope of the education area: Five computers; a room designated as a lab; two printers and a scanner. The community center includes a common area, computer center, and day-care. It became impossible for the director to work in both Greeley and Fort Collins. The Greeley site will hire someone work part-time. PS10. Elderhaus Adult Day Programs — Elderhaus multi -cultural day and community group. Request: $16,640. The applicant presented statistics of the overall and elderly population in Larimer County, including the family and medical impacts. Elderhaus has offered services to the elderly for 22 years in the community. A variety of care levels and services are provided. The program would like to add three new groups, with one person to coordinate them: a community group offering community services; a multicultural group to help serve the Hispanic community; and a life transition group to help those with dementia dealing with issues in their life. The funds would provide 75 percent funding for a full-time employee at $8/hour. Elderhaus would pay benefits and payroll costs. A bilingual employee is needed. The applicant reviewed the services it presently offers and the coordination that takes place with other community programs. The program's services and costs were summarized. An average day will see 15 to 25 clients. The multicultural program will attract new clients and has five new clients in the last two weeks. The community group has started. A bilingual staff Community Development Bloc .rant Commission Question and Answer Session of April 13, 2000 Page 10 member is present, but the program needs another. Staff/client ratio needs to be 1:4. The applicant reviewed the decreased funding along with the increased need for service. The program needs to reach the disadvantaged community. Often times in the Hispanic community, families takes over the role of institutions in caring for the elderly. Outreach is being conducted. The bilingual employee is not Hispanic. The applicant reviewed the various ways in which the program is promoting itself to the Hispanic community. PSI 1. Lutheran Family Services — Fostering family strengths: prevention of child abuse. Request: $8,000. The program's mission is to prevent child abuse and neglect through parenting education and support, for children from birth to 12. Parenting groups are offered three times per year, for Fort Collins and Loveland, on a sliding scale basis. Parents meet and cover topics of child development, behavior management, and family care. Children's groups are run by trained volunteers. Enrichment activities are offered to parents. An Infants/toddlers program has been incorporated for ages up to 3 year old to play together and sponsor neat activities with the children and parents. A second component of the program is a visiting friends program on a more individualized basis. Staff members and volunteers go to homes at no cost to help them with schedules and other issues. Crisis counseling: Up to six free therapy sessions are provided for these individuals on a sliding scale basis. Three staff members are clinician levels or above. The program offers community education workshops to provide parenting information to individuals for ways of interacting with children. Three hundred twenty individuals are served through direct services and four hundred through indirect services such as workshops. This request represents a 100% increase for funds to be awarded. The program is revising and updating its curriculum. The Terrific Infant and Toddlers Program is new. The presenter was unsure of the cost of the infants and toddlers program; that will be provided for the next week's meeting. Three thousand cases of child abuse and neglect were reported in Larimer County, illustrating a definite need for the service. The outcome measures report was done through CSU and could possibly be provided. Other measures and evaluations are internal. The program is based on the nurturing program, Community Development Block Grant Commission Question and Answer Session of April 13, 2000 Page 11 present since the early '80s, and revised in late '99. It is based more on psychological data than religious beliefs. It is very compatible with current services in the managed care environment. The program has two major fundraising events; the remaining revenue is based primarily on grants. PS12. Catholic Charities Northern — Senior Services for Frail and homebound elderly. Request: $6,500. Catholic Charities Northern Senior Services has provided services for over twenty years dealing strictly with the poorest of the poor in the community, which at first was primarily within the Hispanic community. Services have been developed with the growing elder population, and the profile has changed; it is now 30% Hispanic and 70% Non -Hispanic. The program primarily serves persons in the Fort Collins community with minimal outreach in Wellington and Laporte. The senior programs help elderly persons remain at home and independent. Early, the program dealt mostly with seniors in their 60s and 70s. Today the program targets to seniors in the late 70s, 80s, and 90s who have greater needs: health needs, housing needs, and transportation needs. The staff receives a referral from a medical care provider; or family member; neighbor; or other agency. Staff makes an assessment as to issues and needs and develops a care plan. The program works with other services. Transportation is a major issue. The clients rarely have family support and the majority have a chronic illness. Volunteers are placed in a home once a week for few hours, to help with errands and provide companionship. The program tries to provide dignity and a stable and helpful environment. The applicant reviewed the vagaries of the County Human Resources grant. The County staff, through Jenny Riley, has given an indication that the funds may be allocated very differently. This type project needs a stream of funding to continue. The funding will complement social services programs. The County is changing its allocation philosophy; the applicant did not know the reasoning behind the change. PS13. Catholic Charities Northern — Shelter and supportive services for the homeless. Request: $25,000. This program provides homeless services to Larimer and Weld Counties. Two years ago, the Commission assisted in completing a walk-in cooler at the Mission. That funding was very cost-effective. The applicant reviewed the scope of services and the population served in the last year. The project is an important part of the Front Range continuum of care. Community Development Bloc. rant Commission Question and Answer Session of April 13, 2000 Page 12 The program is going after national HUD funding in order to consolidate efforts. The program serves four thousand homeless in a population base of over four hundred fifty thousand people. Case management is provided. The success rate has been eighty percent to help families out of the cycle of homelessness. The reason for the raise in funding is to address the very basic need to house families with children, provide nutrition and basic needs, and get the families off the streets. Competition is increasing for available funds. Case management is probably the most effective service delivered to turn a client's life around. The program houses families, feeds them, provides safety, and provides counseling. The program is meeting with major public housing authorities in Loveland, Greeley, and Weld County to provide support services and housing. The intention is to iron out the issues to create the linkages between these services and housing. Carryover grant money is present that has not yet been spent. The contingency is about $235,00 for capital improvement programs and other things. The City owns the land; the program owns the building. There are no deed restrictions. The hours and scope of services were reviewed with the Commission. PA2. City of Fort Collins — BAVA Subarea (Neighborhood) plan. Request: $100,000. City resources are not available to handle this program. Outside help is requested. In the past, the City has used CDBG resources for different area plans. The BAVA Subarea has been a concern since 1982. BAVA is the only older neighborhood strategy area in which a plan was not developed. The total cost is $150,000 to $200,000. A supplemental budget request will be presented to the City Council. Any funding help from the commission is greatly appreciated. The applicant presented two reasons to fund this: 1) It's needed. This is an area that needs a plan without resources in the Planning Department to produce it. 2) There will be tough decisions on how to spend the funds. This year, the gap between what is requested and what is available is smaller, but projects versus funding is still at a 2:1 dollar ratio. Without a city -recommended project, Council is put in a comer in terms of funding; but if granted, Council has a pool of money to take from. BAVA is an acronym for the Buckingham/Andersonville/Alta Vista area. The Wal-Mart project, Colorado 14 projects, and floodplain and land use issues Community Development• k Grant Commission • Question and Answer Session of April 13, 2000 Page 13 present significant challenges for this neighborhood in the future. The Neighborhood will help identify issues and provide aid to the stabilization plan. The neighborhood will be more developed by the time the plan is completed. The applicant reviewed other neighborhood plans and their effectiveness in dealing with growth and stabilization issues. The impetus for this effort came from residents. They recognize that they need something from the City in terms of an overall plan. These areas are underdeveloped from an infrastructure standpoint. The plan will identify ways to improve the neighborhood environment. The plan is distinct from the broad -brush approach of City Plan. The two funding mechanisms for capital improvements for neighborhoods are: 1) Development; 2) the City's capital program. Every five or seven years, the City prepares a citizen -based wish list of the highest priorities. Neighborhoods with a will have a better chance of getting those dollars because there is a plan of how it fits in overall. Planning is a continuing process. The meeting adjourned at 9:45 p.m.