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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCommunity Development Block Grant Commission - Minutes - 04/04/2002CITY OF FORT COLLINS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT Meeting Minutes Question and Answer Session April 4, 2002 �1 Phil ler� us, Chair Terri' Vice Chair Bill Bertschy, City Council Liaison The meeting of the Community Development Block Grant Commission was called to order by Chairman Phil Majerus, beginning at 6:05 p.m., at 281 North College Avenue, Fort Collins, Colorado. Board members present included: Chairman Phil Majerus, Terri Bryant, Robert Browning, Linda Coxen, Vi Guthrie, Jennifer Molock, Billie Rosen, Dennis Vanderheiden, and Cheryl Zimlich. Staff present: Kenn Waido, Julie Smith, Heidi Phelps, Maurice Head, and Stacy Kelley. Mr. Waido refe�rr d to discussion the prior night with Habitat concerning funding a loan. In accordance with a Staff meeting, Staff will set, for current projects, a $25,000 per lot zero -interest deferred loan on the property. The property owner would have to repay that loan upon sale. Formerly, the term was 20 years. Now the term is unlimited. In Habitat homes, if the house is sold before 20 years have elapsed, then Habitat has agreed to build a replacement unit. Lutheran Family Services Following presentation by Judy VanEgdom, the following questions were asked and areas addressed by the Commission: What are the referral sources? Personal friends, health care providers, attorneys, and fliers. How many referrals are eligible for the Victims Compensation program? 52% of people have victimization issues of some sort. The criteria is liberally applied to cover the entire family if one of the family is victimized. They are advised that compensation is available through Victims Compensation. Is tuition paid for the needy? The program would distribute the grant to only the neediest families, if such is desired by the Commission. The program has seen cuts since 9/11 and fewer contributors than previously. People individually are contributing less. How is the success rate determined and follow-up accomplished? Testing occurs both before and after classes. There is also an evaluation form that can be completed anonymously six months later. The clients learn skills, practice them in the class, take them home, and ultimately send feedback to the program. Community Development Block Grant Commission Meeting of April 4, 2002 Page 2 Why is this segment of services broken out for CDBG aid? This is a program within Lutheran Family Services with a separate budget within the whole entity. It focuses on prevention. Foster care is a different branch. Prevention generally is able to draw on available resources, and mutual referrals are made with other programs. How would the minimum request of $4,000 be processed, if awarded? The program would stretch out other funds. The program is already down $15,000 from anticipated resources. Staff numbers and hours have been cut. Every contribution helps. Societal issues seem to be harder to deal with currently, highlighting the importance of prevention. What is the budget for Fostering Family Strengths? $147,266 for this particular program. Some salaries come from other grants. Can mentors be moved into the parenting aspect? Sometimes. The higher - trained people can be used for both disciplines. FirstCall Following presentation by Patty Schmidt, the following questions were asked and areas addressed by the Commission: What is the total expected increase in costs by adding 211? The present budget of $275,00 will reach over $600,000 as the number becomes available 24/7. The budget for the 211 program alone is $492,000? Yes. The budget is primarily devoted to staffing. There are presently 2.5 FTEs on staff. To be available 24/7, the program will add 2.5 more FTEs. This will cover the region, not just Fort Collins. Outreach and other administrative responsibilities will be done as well. Can the Fort Collins contacts be tracked separately? Yes. Calls are distinguished between Fort Collins and Loveland. The program served 4,000 people in Fort Collins last year. If 211 is implemented, will there be a need for any other referral services? There are agencies that provide information referrals to their clients. The applicant is working with specialized offices for information referral and is taking referral responsibilities over from private and public agencies. Community Development Block Grant Commission Meeting of April 4, 2002 Page 3 The Commission is concerned about funding referral agencies who then refer to other funded referral agencies. 211 will be a universal number, will consolidate these types of calls, and also takes a burden off of 911 calls. After referral is done, what followup is done to ensure that services are available? How are results quantified? Callers are queried as to their needs and previous referrals. Sources are referred to, and they may refer to each other as well. Data is updated weekly on sources and referrals. Seen as partnering with agencies to ensure that people get the help they need from the specific agency that they are referred to. The program has a good relationship with most nonprofits in Larimer County. FirstCall is not in competition but ensures that these agencies get the clients who should be calling them. FirstCall works closely with agencies so they are comfortable in referring clients. Do you approach agencies for funding, since you are a service for them and providing a resource? Never. Other referral sources have done that. That type of request has been frowned upon by agencies because of the paucity of funds. Why did payroll go down between 2000 and 2001, from $60,000 to $48,000? Unknown, because staff was added in 2001. This may be a difference between the staff of the two different organizations within the agency. The Commission had questions concerning the disparity between budgets. From 2001 to 2002, the budget went up substantially. It is presently $273,000. The agency rents space at the Consumer Credit Counseling building. The Women's Center runs referrals for child care. Does FirstCall? No. When looking for a child care program, they are referred to The Child Care Assistance Program. An explanation was made between a general and specific information -and -referral effort. How do you determine a caller's income? FirstCall will ask a caller how many individuals are within the family and the income range. FirstCall explains that the purpose is to verify eligibility. Callers do not have to share that information; usually, they do. About 52% of Fort Collins calls are from low-income families. This 211 effort is part of a state-wide coalition. Eventually there will be seven regional sites in Colorado. The effort is starting with four pilot sites, of which Fort Collins is one. By the third year, the state should be covered. FirstCall hopes to come back with a smaller request next year, after building its effort and the level of donations. It has copied other successful efforts around the nation. Community Development Block Grant Commission Meeting of April 4, 2002 Page 4 The layout of the office is a front desk area with two phone centers, with five individuals offices of up to two people each. The program uses volunteers in addition to the 2.5 FTEs. There is an executive director and a volunteer center coordinator. How do all callers get through in time of disaster? The service has handled massive calls before. They are working on a system where callers can get through and not have to call back. What percentage of calls are from Fort Collins? 4,000 calls were from Fort Collins; 52% of those calls were from low-income callers. Could you integrate other referral programs, such as child care? Child care is a very specialized referral service. It has very specialized needs that do not work well with a generalized referral. The program has seen increased calls from just being on the CDBG Affordable Housing poster. Child Care Collaborative Following presentation by the applicants, the following questions were asked and areas addressed by the Commission: What do you pay your employees providing care? Above minimum wage. Wages start at $6.75/hour, but this is part-time with no benefits. Other employees may earn over that, up to $9.50-$10.00/hour. This is with a master's degree and experience. Sunshine pays part-time at $6.50/hour. One employee is at $13.00/hour, but with 24 years with the program. The total budget is around $200,000 for the sliding fee. This is a portion of the total operation. How many children are in Sunshine? The facility is licensed for 34, which is the maximum number allowed in the building at one time. Last year, 81 children were served, both full -pay and sliding fee, both on temporary and long-term bases. United is licensed for 78 and serviced 144 at one of their three sites. The program selected 149 as the number for sliding fees that meet the CDBG guidelines. Another facility serves 75 families. Where does the space come from? Sunshine has space available. There has been a waiting list until recently. Generally, 45% of clients are full -pay families, 55% sliding scale. Right now, about 75% are sliding scale. All agencies are concerned about the impact of this on the budget. The provision of the service generates more clientele. Some programs may be cut because the cost is Community Development Block Grant Commission Meeting of April 4, 2002 Page 5 prohibitive. The programs could not manage without CDBG fees. The programs are carrying more families and seeing more debt than ever before. Elderhaus Following presentation by Joanne Johnson and a program client, the following questions were asked and areas addressed by the Commission: Does the agency receive referrals from FirstCall? Yes, and the two services are on committees together as well. Are your services duplicated in the community? Elderhaus is the only nonprofit agency of its kind in the city. Stepping Stones is in Loveland provides similar services, and Elderhaus works with that agency. To the program client: Are you receiving services? Yes. Her husband is in the program and is one of the higher -functioning clients. Her husband loves the program, and it relieves the stress of caregiving from her. Dial -A -Ride provides transportation. She did not realize the stress of caregiving until it was removed. What is the level of volunteer support? 1200 volunteers provide 10,000 hours of help. The program received help in relation to Day of Unity/Day of Caring. Interns from CSU and UNC provide support. Front Range provides help through its CNA program. Volunteers take care of both labor and capital needs. How many clients are Medicaid -eligible for disbursements to the program? About 40% of the 150 residents are Medicaid clients. Other costs are received through grants. The program kept services down to $20/hour. How do you manage the volume of volunteers? With a volunteer coordinator and a structured orientation program, the volunteers choose where they want. They can help on grant writing; administration; direct care. The program is limited to the types of direct care that it provides. The volunteers provide companionship, particularly to Alzheimer -afflicted clients. Companionship is one of the highest and best uses of volunteer time. Are you building long-term relationships with volunteers? Yes. The program hired a grant writer who was a volunteer. Another volunteer has kept in contact for job possibilities. Many volunteers come back on a long-term basis and enjoy the time that they spend. Do you own the building? No. The amount shown is the value of physical improvements that were put in. The new bathrooms are awesome, and the Commission is to be thanked for its support. Community Development Block Grant Commission Meeting of April 4, 2002 Page 6 Disabled Resources Following presentation by Nancy Jackson, the following questions were asked and areas addressed by the Commission: Taxes of $1683 are payroll taxes; is the request to cover salaries and benefits? Correct. Are you still running the SYEP program, and will funding will go to that? Yes. The Commission's attention was directed to the third page of the proposal, Question 10, Independent Skills Training. This represents about $60,000 or more of the agency. If $16,000 is awarded, it would all go to SYEP, and funding over that level will go to the total agency funding. Mr. Waido noted a potential logistical program tracking funds to go to the specific program. Staff needs an auditable share of time sheets in order to effect this allocation. The applicant expressed comfort with this approach. Do you charge for any services? Yes, but no one is denied services due to affordability. Some people have to be hired for certain services, which then necessitates fees. Some clients do not fit in the low-income category and will be more inclined to pay fees for such things as the equipment -borrowing program. This is listed as client revenue. Why are United Way dollars declining? This service is in "Panel 2," people with disabilities. This is the largest group compressed into one panel, and dollars are insufficient to support this panel. When previously declined agencies were brought back for funding, it decreased the available funding pool. Project Self -Sufficiency Bob Browning noted that his wife is a volunteer in this program. Following presentation by Mary Cosgrove and a program client, the following questions were asked and areas addressed by the Commission: What does the waiting list mean? Do they receive services? Applicants are told they are on a list and are offered referrals. They keep in touch with further questions, further needs, and when applicable, they are referred out to the appropriate services. Community Development Block Grant Commission Meeting of April 4, 2002 Page 7 How many single male parents are in the program? The program has not seen a father applicant in many years. One made it through the application process and did not show up for the program. Do you conduct outreach efforts? It's possible but difficult with a six-month wait. "Come apply and then wait for six months" does not work very well. The program could do more outreach to more dads, but with this type of waiting list, the program has a level of trepidation with that approach. What is your relationship with Interfaith Hospitality? The two refers clients back and forth, tailoring needs to the type of program. A number of years have passed since the program requested an increase. The budget keeps rising, funding stays level, all necessitating the need for an increased request. Are the numbers shown applicable to Fort Collins or Fort Collins/Loveland? The 65 client refers to Fort Collins. It is not split out on the budget. 125 to 130 people are in the program in a given year, with 95-100 at a given time, with turnover occurring. Ms. Cosgrove distributed program literature and presented a thank -you plaque. Commission question to the program client: How is the transition move being paid from here to Boston? Tax return money and grants, including a Pell grant. Ensight Following presentation by Denny Bettenhausen, the following questions were asked and areas addressed by the Commission: Is the population mostly elderly? Yes. The program targets 18 and older, but the vast majority are seniors with degenerative vision. What are the Fort Collins demographics of the target population? Unknown. 14 million Americans over 65 suffer from vision loss. What is the definition of low vision? Vision that cannot be corrected with eyeglasses or medically. It affects activities of daily living. 20/70 or lower is considered low vision. What are the outreach efforts? There has been a presentation at CSU. The program does not address the blind population. Community Development Block Grant Commission Meeting of April 4, 2002 Page 8 Does the facility teach the skills at the facility? Yes. Using lighting and the program aids, clients are taught how to set up a house. Training is not limited to the facility. Home safety assessments are done to help set up appropriate safety and independence training. The fiscal year is June to June? Yes. 70 clients have been seen, but not all are able to do training. A goal is to increase the budget, as shown on page 4, for the next year in order to transition a volunteer position to a paid staff member. The program is catching on, but because of the specialized nature of the program, the people who are qualified for services are very limited in number. Do you share your space with Elderhaus? Elderhaus has loaned out the basement, which they remodeled. That is donated space. Elderhaus wanted to ensure that unused space could be used for beneficial purposes. When did you open?July7. Two clients were seen immediately. Is vision the number one health problem of seniors? Yes, and it presents safety and independence needs that must be addressed. Are you achieving your specific goals? The shortfall to date occurs with the chairlift. The basement is not completely accessible. That may be remedied by July. The other goals have been exceeded. No one is turned away. The equipment loan program is working well. What is the significance of the $1,000 a month as shown for the basement? That is the value of the space. No money is being paid. Mercy Housing Following presentation by Sherry Kirschbaum, the following questions were asked and areas addressed by the Commission: What is the minimum funding? The amount on the application reflects the total amount of funding from all sources. Any amount of support is very much appreciated. Many sources of funding are being explored, and this would provide seed money when doing those explorations. How many of these services are provided by other services in the community? These services elsewhere are not accessible to most of the residents. There is one-on-one help, with no fee. The nearest comparable computer lab is on Harmony, but without transportation access for latchkey Community Development Block Grant Commission Meeting of April 4, 2002 Page 9 children. Anecdotes were provided on individuals who have used and benefited from the services. Is the grant asking for funds for additional staffing? No, the request is to offset ongoing expenses. Is there a way to self -fund the program in the future? The program is looking at funding opportunities from other environments. This is program -based locally, which limits the funding sources. The property itself may make a contribution to the program. Do child care problems affect this effort? No. Child care is not addressed by this program but by Catholic Charities, who leases space from this program. When will more units be built in this community? The program would enjoy the opportunity to provide more units. Land acquisition is a problem. Educo Following presentation by Becky Kramer and David Miller, the following questions were asked and areas addressed by the Commission: What is the property and how does it tie in? A nonprofit owner sold the property for $365,000. Its value is $600,000-700,000. A group of private investors bought it from the nonprofit owner. This group will put in place a conservation easement and will sell it to this program for $150,000 a year. The property will be used for environmental education programs and as a base for youth programs and instruction in alternative technologies. Does the program receive money from such groups as Sierra Club and more environmentally -based funding sources? Yes. Is the program applying for GOCO funds? The deadline for GOCO is July 1 st and the program needs to start its grant request. The program has started a capital campaign. Foundations and private donors will be approached, and the program is confident that it will raise the money. The budget is not complete, but the goal is to buy the property, build it out in 1.5 to 2 years, with perhaps a $1 million to $1.5 million budget. Is this property the "base camp"? Yes. What is the funding from FirstCall? Funding is for the mural and educational materials for a natural area. Community Development Block Grant Commission Meeting of April 4, 2002 Page 10 Do you focus on low-income kids? Yes, although this is not the entire focus. The program wishes to provide a diverse element and is trying to increase the numbers of Hispanic kids. This presents a challenge. The numbers drawn are not as economically disadvantaged as desired. What are the outreach efforts? Schools, booths, networking with school counselors, handing out fliers, public service announcements, youth agencies. This is a $304,000 budget program with 24 students. This results in a high expenditure per student. These are two of the many programs year-round. Only a small portion of funding resides with the portion of the program that is applying for funding. Do you go to schools or agencies to give clinics? Yes, as permitted. CRISP Following presentation by Kim Christianssen, the following questions were asked and areas addressed by the Commission: Is transportation a problem? Initially, yes. Group homes have their own vans, families have vehicles, and friends provide transportation in exchange for tickets. Generally, transportation can be arranged. Dial -A -Ride and church groups are resources as well. Is there a wish list for particular tickets? Yes. The program tries to be as fair as possible, with appropriate priorities, and requests are met as well as possible. How do you ensure that low-income clients receive tickets? Clients are referred by particular agencies. In case of a personal referral, screening is done to determine that the recipients are in true need. What are the income levels addressed? The next packet sent to agencies will ask questions to determine particular income levels of recipients. Agencies will disclose the income levels that they serve. Recipients are tracked generally. Income levels are difficult to determine, but that effort needs to be made. What is a 509(a)(1) as shown on the application? The program is a 501(c)(3). Staff stated that this sets forth a paperwork connection to a 501(c)(3). Donations are tax-deductible. Are there restrictions on giveaway tickets? Tickets are freely given to those providing transportation or providing aid. Unused tickets are given out to other Community Development Block Grant Commission Meeting of April 4, 2002 Page 11 than low-income groups. The program has been very successful in obtaining tickets in a wide range of venues. Education & Life Adult Literacy No presentation. Catholic Charities Northern (two projects) Following presentation by Ernie Giron and a program client, the following questions were asked and areas addressed by the Commission: What is the project's relationship with the dioceses, and why is the Dioceses not a contributor? The project receives $86,000 from the Dioceses out of a million -dollar budget. Are you receiving less from United Way? This year's request to United Way is much higher than last year's. The program has a notable track record in the city and enjoys a high degree of employee and volunteer longevity. The program received a 3% increase last year over the year prior. These types of revenues are traditionally flat. The panel hearing with United Way is scheduled for next month. This is separate from Open Door Mission? Yes. Can these efforts be consolidated? Area programs have conferred on a number of occasions, with a history of community cooperating and initiating of local collaborations. Open Door has been invited but does not have a similar sense of collaboration and cooperation. Catholic Charities is working with a number of churches to address the need of a day shelter. No viable solution has existed since New Bridges closed. Catholic Charities attempts to provide day shelter in cold weather; A number of churches have banded together for this need. Open Door Mission has not been part of this collaborative effort. An expression of faith is required in Open Door Mission. Catholic Charities does not proselytize and does not impose faith or prayer requirements upon its clients. Staff noted that Open Door Mission submitted an application for funding last year that had to be rejected due to church/state separation requirements. The program client noted that religion was not a subject of inquiry, and the client is not Catholic. What is the area served by the program? The program has recently redrafted its guidelines. Historically, the program served Larimer and Weld Counties. It now looks to be responsive to the needs of Northern Colorado, going out to the Eastern Plains. As of now, the resources do not exist; the effort is strictly Community Development Block Grant Commission Meeting of April 4, 2002 Page 12 exploratory. The last outpouring seen was as a result of the flood, with massive collaboration on case management and distributing resources to meet the high level of demand from that event. Women's Center (three projects) Following presentation by the applicants, the following questions were asked and areas addressed by the Commission: Are all these discrete projects in one building? One office is in Fort Collins and one in Loveland. The Fort Collins office is in the United Way Service Center. Are other referrals seen within the building? Yes, a number of them. Cross - referrals are made. These projects work with other projects in the town. Is the landlord United Way? Yes. How many people does the child care referral serve? 1500 per year, county- wide. Can that number be separated out by community? 57% are Fort Collins residents. What is considered low-income, and how is income level determined? Demographic information is gathered from clients, including income. Income is not verified but accepted at face value. No one is turned down. The monthly gross income is questioned and recorded. Is anyone else providing the services provided by Career Quest? No. Is there linkage or duplication with Project Self -Sufficiency? PSS makes many referrals to this program, particularly women with older children. Is there a charge for services? Charges are based on a sliding scale. The charges are based on income and determined with the intake. The maximum amount charged is $25. Very few clients pay that amount. How are the services provided similar to those provided by Job Service? This program's focus is on women, although men are not excluded. Most of the clients, perhaps 95%, are not ready for a job search, whereas clients of Job Service are job -ready. This program's clients need other services first that can be provided through this program. They then return with needs such as resume preparation and job search techniques. Can funding sources be split out more specifically? The list is produced generically because of the numerous sources divided among the different programs. The top contributors by program: Community Development Block Grant Commission Meeting of April 4, 2002 Page 13 Child Care: United Way; COBRA; Temple Buell Foundation; Loveland Community Foundation; Herbert D. Parker Trust; Larimer County. Health and Dental Care: United Way, Larimer County Office on Aging; Avon Breast Care Foundation; Colorado Foundation. Career Quest: United Way, Women's Foundation for Colorado, Surrell Foundation, Thornton Foundation, Schramm Foundation. What is CORRA? The Colorado Office of Resource and Referral Agencies. This is a statewide network for referral agencies. The base funding is provided by Federal funds. COBRA manages the funds and contracts with local offices with regard to child care issues. Upon motion, second, and unanimous approval, the meeting adjourned at 9:55 p.m.