HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 204-05
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TO: HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
ATTN: FINANCE COMMITTEE
FROM: CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: COMMUNITY SERVICES
DATE: APRIL 5, 2005 CMR: 204:05
SUBJECT: PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR 2005-07 HUMAN SERVICES RESOURCE
ALLOCATION PROCESS FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS
REPORT IN BRIEF
This report transmits the Human Services Resource Allocation Process (HSRAP) Allocations
Committee funding recommendations for fiscal year 2005-07 (Attachment A), the Human
Relations Commission’s HSR AP Priority of Needs for fiscal year 2005-07 (Attachment B), the
Human Relations Commission’s HSRAP funding recommendations (Attachment C) and the
proposal summaries submitted for funding consideration (Attachment D).
The funding recommendations will provide $1,214,910 to fifteen programs for a two-year
contract. In past years, the HSRAP allocation has included a Consumer Price Index (CPI)
increase for the recommended agencies. Due to the continued downturn in the economy, staff
continues to recommend a temporary suspension of the CPI increase to the recommended
agencies and an additional HSRAP funding decrease of 5 percent. This will result in a $63,943
decrease to the HSRAP base budget for 2005-07.
This report discusses funding criteria, funding ratio nale and current human service priorities.
This report also reviews coordination efforts with the Community Development Block Grant
(CDBG) process.
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the Finance Committee recommend to Council that:
1. The funding allocati ons, as recommended by staff and the HSRAP Allocations Committee
(Attachment A), be included in the fiscal year 2005-07 Community Services Department
contract budget.
2. The City Manager or his designee be authorized to execute the Human Services contracts and
any other necessary documents concerning the contracts.
BACKGROUND
The City’s Human Relations Commission (HRC) participates in identifying human service needs
through the information provided by the community at the HRC monthly meetings and by
hosting community forums. The needs assessment activities assist in establishing bi-annual
priorities of human service needs for the Palo Alto community. The Allocations Committee
comprised of Human Services staff, Planning Department staff and an HRC Commissione r,
reviews and analyzes the merits of funding requests and provides funding recommendations
based on established funding criteria and the bi-annual priority of needs. The HSRAP
Allocations Committee recommendations are reviewed by the City administration and are then
forwarded to Council for consideration and approval.
The funding process included the following seven components:
1. Staff and the HRC conducted three needs assessment activities and a citywide forum on
landlord/tenant education issues. County a nd local needs assessment documents were utilized
to assess human service needs in the community.
2. Staff sent out a letter of interest during the request of proposal period between October 12,
2004 to December 10, 2004 to recruit any non-profit service providers who would be
interested in providing the sole source services that include:
v Senior Services
v Child Care Subsidy Program for Low Income Families
v Food Distribution
v Mediation Services
Every five years staff sends out the letter of interest to insure that other non-profits may have
an opportunity to compete for the City contracts for these services. City staff did not receive
a response from any other non-profit agencies demonstrating a desire to submit a proposal for
these services.
Project Sentinel, Avenidas, Palo Alto Community Child Care and Second Harvest Food
Bank, which provide mediation, senior services, child care subsidies and food respectively
will continue to be sole source contract agencies because they meet the criteria as set forth in
CMR:118:99, “Proposed Human Services Resource Allocation Process (HSRAP)
Implementation Plan;” i.e. consideration for on-going services may be considered when the
service meets the City of Palo Alto target population needs as described in the City’s
Comprehensive Plan or Consolidated Plan. Services to seniors, children, youth,
conflict/resolution and food were established as priority needs. The two-year programs
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proposals will be reviewed and contracts will be renewed contingent upon meeting
performance objectives and standards.
3. The HRC established an annual Priority of Needs for the community that provided guidance
for funding recommendations. (Attachment B). HSRAP funding requests were reviewed to
determine if they addressed the community Priority of Ne eds established by the HRC for
fiscal year 2005-07. Proposals that did not address the priority of needs were removed from
further funding consideration. Funding requests are for a two-year period only.
4. The Request for Proposals (RFP) process has been expanded to a wider distribution base in
order to reach a more diverse and a greater pool of providers. The RFP was made available
online to increase accessibility to the document.
5. The HSRAP and the CDBG processes were coordinated to maximize resources and
streamline the City’s human services funding approach. Coordination involved specifying
what funding requests each fund would entertain, adopting the same request for proposal
schedule and conducting a joint bidder’s workshop for interested non-profit providers.
DISCUSSION
Council policy, enacted in 1993 (CMR143:93), limits available funds to $1,214,910 which
represents a 5 percent decrease and does not include a CPI for fiscal year 2005-07 for the
HSRAP base budget. Sole source agencies are recommend ed for $914,457. The funding
recommendations were as follows:
§ Avenidas, which provides a comprehensive system of services to senior citizens, was
recommended for $420,216.
§ Palo Alto Community Child Care (PACCC), which administers the City subsidy for child
care to low-income families, was recommended for $425,720.
§ Second Harvest Food Bank, which is the sole provider for food in Santa Clara County
and the City of Palo Alto, was recommended for $7,372.
§ Palo Alto Mediation Program, which provides mediation services to Palo Alto and
implements the Mandatory Response Program that is part of the City’s Mandatory
Discussion of Disputes between Landlords and Tenants Ordinance, was recommended
for $61,149.
The funding for HSRAP requests is $300,453. Eleven non-profit agencies are recommended for
HSRAP funding. They are as follows:
1. Adolescent Counseling Service is recommended for $90,000 to provide comprehensive
services to students and families in the Palo Alto Unified School District’s secondary
schools.
2. Alliance for Community Care is recommended for $24,000 for the homeless outreach
program in Palo Alto. The Outreach Program will provide emergency on-call services to
City departments, libraries, community centers and local homeless service providers.
3. Communi ty Association for Rehabilitation is recommended for $40,353 to provide a
wide range of support services to people with disabilities. These services include day
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center support services, child care for the developmentally delayed child, employment
services for the disabled, a creative recreation program and a therapeutic aquatic program
for autistic and developmentally disabled children and their families.
4. May View Community Health Center is recommended for $17,000 to provide medical
and health care services to Palo Alto’s homeless and very low -income residents.
5. Senior Adult Legal Assistance is recommended for $8,800 to provide Palo Alto seniors
with legal advice counseling sessions at Avenidas Senior Center and at Stevenson House,
an affordable senior ho using complex in South Palo Alto.
6. Bay Area Community Resources-Youth Community Service is recommended for
$12,000 to provide community service opportunities for youth in the community and also
with local non-profit agencies.
7. Community Health Awareness Council’s Outlet Program is a new crisis counseling and
sensitivity training services for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning Teens.
The program targets Palo Alto teens in 12 Palo Alto Unified School District schools and
is recommended for $9,000.
8. Community Technology Alliance (CTA) is recommended for $12,300 to provide access
to subsidized housing units in Palo Alto and Santa Clara County through its searchable
website, Housing SCC. In addition, CTA will continue to provide voicemail to Palo
Alto’s non-profit agencies serving the homeless population.
9. La Comida de California is recommended for $33,000 to provide hot meals for Palo
Alto’s senior citizens. The agency provides a hot lunch at the Avenidas Senior Center
and Stevenson House five days a week. La Comida also provides a hot lunch every
Wednesday at the Senior Friendship Day Program at Cubberley Community Center.
10. InnVision/Urban Ministry is recommended for $36,000 to provide hot meals to the
homeless and low -income people in Palo Alto. The meals are provided in local churches
and synagogues six times per week.
11. Support Network for Battered Women is recommended for $18,000 to provide crisis
intervention, legal advocacy and shelter to victims of domestic violence.
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATION
At its March 10, 2005 meeting, the City of Palo Alto’s Human Relations Commission (HRC) put
forth an alternate proposal as follows (Attachment C).
v Increase Palo Alto Community Child Care (PACCC) by $40,000 for a funding level of
$465,720 and increase Youth Community Services (YCS) by $5,000 for a funding level
of $17,000.
v The $45,00 allocated to these two programs would be realized by decreasing the funding
for Avenidas. The HRC is recommending $375,216 for 2005/07 for Avenidas Senior
Services.
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v The City Council provide, from its reserve, one -time monies of $31,000 over a two-year
period to InnVision/Urban Ministry of Palo Alto, bringing the total allocation to
$67,000.
v The Palo Alto Mediation Program charge for mediation services for the Mandatory
Mediation Program and seek guidance from the City Attorney’s Office to pursue these
fees for service.
RESOURCE IMPACT
The HSRAP funding recommendations will provide $1,214,910 in General Fund support to 15
programs, eleven HSRAP agencies and four sole source agencies. The HSRAP funding
recommendation of $1,214,910 is reflected in the Community Services Department’s proposed
budget for 2005-07.
TIMELINE
Upon approval by the City Council, staff will finalize the agency contracts and funding will
begin July 1, 2005.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This program is not a project as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA);
and is not subject to CEQA requirements.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: HSRAP 2003-05 Allocations Committee Funding Recommendations
Attachment B: Human Relations Commission HSRAP Priority of Needs FY 2003-05
Attachment C: Human Relations Commission HSRAP Recommendations
Attachment D: Proposal Summary Sheets
PREPARED BY:_______________________________________________________________
KATHY ESPINOZA-HOWARD
Division Manager, Cubberley and Human Services Division
DEPARTMENT HEAD: _________________________________________________________
RICHARD JAMES
Director of Community Services
CITY MANAGER APPROVAL: __________________________________________________
EMILY HARRISON
Assistant City Manager
Cc: Palo Alto Human Relations Commission
All HSRAP Applicants