HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 1/3/2013City of
Fit Collins
MEMORANDUM
December 27, 2012
TO: Mayor Weitkunat and City Council Members
TH: Darin Atteberry, City Manager `--i
Bruce Hendee, Chief Sustainability Officer fIRI
FM: Joe Frank, Director of Social Sustainability
RE: Sister Mary Alice Murphy Center of Hope
Social Sustainability
321 Maple Street
PO Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522
The purpose of this memo is to update the Council on the status of the Sister Mary Alice Murphy Center
of Hope. Last November, a small group met to discuss the near future of the Murphy Center. The group
consisted of Gordon Thibedeau (United Way), Randy Ratliff (CEO Touchstone Health Partners), Cheryl
Zimlich (Bohemian Foundation), Julie Brewen (FCHA), Bryce Hach (Homeward 2020), and Joe Frank
(Social Sustainability Department). This was a more intimate follow-up to a meeting held a few weeks
earlier that included a larger group of affected interests. The Murphy Center is a one -stop center in Fort
Collins for homeless and near homeless persons; approximately 24 agencies provide services at the
Center; the Center also provides showers, breakfast, phones/computers, washers/dryers, clothing, day
shelter services, and more.
Background
The brief background is that, originally, United Way committed to owning/funding/operating the Murphy
Center for 3 years. The three year commitment was completed in March of 2012. Touchstone Health
Partners have been operating the facility for United Way United Way staff is hoping for an ownership
change by the first of next year, 2013. Touchstone is willing to continue to be the operators but still will
require funding in order to do so. The Center is a linchpin to the delivery of homeless services in the Fort
Collins area. A large group of homeless service providers, City staff, homeless persons, and others,
recently attended a four day clinic, hosted by Homeward 2020, on a potential new model for the north
Front Range homeless system; the Murphy Center is an important component of any future service
delivery system.
The City has invested approximately $75,000 of federal funds in the property and funds several of the
agencies that provide services in the Center. The City has been a long term financial supporter of the
facility and wants to be sure the Center continues to operate as originally intended. For the past several
months, United Way has been searching for someone to take over the Center. The Salvation Army (SA)
and a non-profit arm of the Timberline Church have indicated an interest (Touchstone Partners and
Catholic Community Charities declined), however, some concemsoncerns have been expressed (by
whom?) about any future owners; specifically the desire is that they not have a religious emphasis, and
wanting the future owners to have appropriate, experience and be committed to a new regional model, to
City of
Fort Collins
name a few. Nearly everyone agrees that the Murphy Center needs to continue to be a "community" asset.
Nearly everyone agrees that there needs to be a long term sustainable plan for the Center.
Conversations have thus far centered on interim funding for the next six months and developing a long
term funding strategy that will ensure a stable financial and operating environment. The immediate need
is for six months of operating costs, which will be approximately $190,000. There have already been
some financial commitments but there remains an approximate $70,000 funding gap. The City has not
yet committed to any funding. Currently two options are under consideration: 1) reducing programs to
reduce cost; 2) finding additional revenue to cover the gap. The program demand is quite large so there is
a desire not to reduce costs unless absolutely necessary however, United Way is considering the options
in the event this is necessary.
There is a meeting scheduled in January to further discuss these matters.