HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 182-08City of Palo Alto
CRy Manager’s Report
BUDGET 2008-09
TO:HONOI~BLE CITY COUNCIL
ATTN:FINANCE COMMITTEE
FROM:CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: COMMUNITY SERVICES
DATE:APRIL 1, 2008 CMR: 182:08
SUBJECT:I~COMMENDATIONS TO THE CITY COUNCIL REGARDING
PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR 2008-09 HUMAN SERVICES RESOURCE
ALLOCATION PROCESS FUNDING
RECOM: IENDATION
Staff and the Human Relations Cormnission (HRC) recolmnend that the Finance Cmmnittee
recommend to Council that:
1. The funding allocations, as recormnended by the Ci~, Council for 2007-09 (A~actm~ent A), be
included in the fiscal year 2008-09 Cubberley & Human Services Division’s contract budget.
2. The City Manager or his designee is authorized to execute year two of the two-year contract,
which was first approved in June 2007.
BACKGROU~’D
Since 1983, the HSR_AP process has identified communi~" service needs to determine City funding
for human services (CMR: 147:83). The City’s Human Relations Commission (HRC) participates ir~
identifying human service needs tha-ough the information provided by the conmmnity at the HRC
monthly meetings and by hosting coImnunity formns. The needs assessment activities assist in
establishing bi-mmual priorities of human service needs for the Palo Alto conununity. The
Allocations Committee, comprised of Human Services staf~ Planning Depamnent staff and an HRC
Commissioner, reviews and analyzes the merits of funding requests and provides funding
reconvnendations based on established funding criteria and the bi-annual priority of needs. The
HS1LkP Allocations Commit-tee recommendations are reviewed by the City administa’ation and are
then forwarded to Council for consideration and approval.
The funding process included the following seven components:
1. Cubberley Comnmnity Center and Human Services Division staff and the HRC conducted
meetings on health care, child care and immerging needs in the conmmnity as part of the HRC’s
regular monthly meetings. County and local needs assessment documents were utilized to assess
human se~wice needs in the commmaity.
CMR: 182:08 Page 1 of 4
2.The HRC and the Palo Alto Mediation Program hosted a Tenant Rights Forum on June (5, 2007.
3.The HRC established and adopted an almual Priority of Needs for the community that provided
guidance for funding recommendations. (Attact~ment B).
4.The Request for Proposals (RFP) process has been expanded to a wider distribution base in order
to reach a more diverse and 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.
6. Avenidas, Palo Alto Comlauni~ Child Care and Second Harvest Food Bank, which provide
senior services, child care subsidies and food respectively, are sole source contract agencies
because they, meet the criteria as set forth in CMR: 118:99, ~Proposed Human Se~wices Resource
Allocation Process (HSRAP) Implementation Plan". Designation as a sole source contract
agency may be considered when the service meets the Ci~ 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
prograna proposals will be reviewed as they are received and contracts will be renewed
contingent upon meeting perforrnance objectives and standmds.
7. HS~’-KP funding requests, for a two-year period, were re¥iewed to determine if they addressed
the community Priority of Needs established by, the HRC for fiscal year 2007-2009. Proposals
that did not address the priori~, of needs were removed from f~u-ther funding consideration.
DISCUSSION
Council policy, enacted in 1993 (CMR143: 93), limits available funds to $1,168,897 for fiscal years
2007-2009 for the HSRAP base budget. This does not include any CPI adjustment. Sole Source
Agencies are recommended for $868,444. The funding reconm~endations are as follows:
Avenidas, which provides a comprehensive system of services to senior citizens, is
reconm~ended to receive $427,670.
Palo Alto Community Child Care (PACCC), which administers the City subsidy for child care to
low-income families, is recommended to receive $433,271.
Second Harvest Food Bank, which is the sole provider for food in Santa Clara County to non-
profit agencies such as La Comida, Food Pantry, and iamVision’ s Family Brown Bag Progam, to
distribute to extremely low and low income seniors, families and the homeless population. This
program is recommended to receive $7,503.
The remaining available funding for HSRAP requests is $300,453. Ten non-profit agencies are
reconm~ended for HSR_AP funding in fiscal year 2008-09 as follows:
1. Adolescent Counseling Service is reconm~ended to receive $93,100 to provide
comprehensive counseling services to students and families in the Palo Alto Unified School
District’s secondmy, schools.
2. Abilities United (formerly, Community Association for Rehabilitation) is recommended to
receive $42,153 to provide a wide range of support services to people with disabilities.
These services include day center support services, child care for the developmentally
delayed child, employment services for the disabled, a creative recreation program and a
CMR: 182:08 Page 2 of 4
therapeutic aquatic program for autistic and developmentally disabled children and their
families.
3.Communit3, Health Awareness Council’s Outlet Program provides crisis counseling and
sensitivity training se~wices for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning Teens.
The program targets Palo Alto teens in 12 Palo Alto Unified School District schools and is
recommended to receive $10,000.
4.Community Tectmology Alliance (CTA) is recommended to receive $12,700 to provide
internet access to subsidized housing units in Palo Alto and Santa Clara Count3’ tt~rough its
searchable website, Housing SCC. In addition, CTA will contirme to provide voicemail to
Palo Alto’s non-profit agencies se~wing the homeless population.
5.Downtown Streets Team Inc. is recommended to receive $37,700 to provide funding to train
homeless participants in job skills and intensive job search and to work with the Pato Alto
Police Department, downtown merchants, the Palo Alto Downtown Business and
Professional Association and other agencies in addressing homeless issues.
6.La Comida de California is recommended to receive $34,000 to provide hot meals for Palo
Alto’s senior citizens. The agency provides hot lunches at the Avenidas Senior Center and
Stevenson House, an affordable senior housing complex in South Palo Alto, five days a
week. La Comida also provides hot lunches evex3~ Wednesday as part of the Senior
Friendship Day Program at Cubberley Community Cemer.
7.May View Community Health Center is recormnended to receive $18,000 to provide medical
and health care services to Palo Alto’s homeless and vex3’ low-income residents.
8. Momemum for Mental Health is recormnended to receive $27,000 for the homeless outreach
progran~ in Pa!o Alto. The outreach program will provide emergency on-call sen, ices to City
departments, libraries, community centers and local homeless service providers.
9. Senior Adult Legal Assistance is recommended to receive $9,000 to provide Palo Alto
seniors with legal advice counseling sessions at Avenidas Senior Center and at Stevenson
House.
10.Youth Communit3~ Service is reconm~ended to receive $16,800 to provide conmmnit3, service
opportunities for youth in the convnunity and also with local non-profit agencies.
TIMELINE
Upon approval by the City Council, the contract period will be July 1, 2008 tl~rough June 30, 2009.
RESOURCE IMPACT
The HStLA.P funding reconm~endations will provide $1,168,897 in Oeneral Fund to support 13
programs provided through ten HS!La~P agencies and tt~ee sole source agencies. The HSRAP
funding from the General Fund is reflected in the Con~nunity Services Department’s proposed
budget for 2008-09.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This program is not a project as defined by the California Enviroim~ental Quality Act (CEQA); and is
not subject to CEQA review.
CMR: 182:08 Page 3 of 4
ATTACHMENTS
Attactmaent A:
Attac!~nent B:
HSRAP 2007-09 City Council Funding Recommendations
Hmrian Relations Commission HSRAP Priority of Needs FY 2007-09
PREPARED BY:
)ZA-HOWARD
Division Manager, Human Services & Cubberley
DEPARTMENT HEAD:
CITY MANAGER APPROVAL: ~ !,~,,~ _.(~’Icvt__.,. 5. ~
EMILY HANSON
Assistam City Manager
Palo Alto Human Relations Commission
All HSRAP Applicants
CMR: 182:08 Page 4 of 4
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HSRAP PRIORITIES
2007-2009
HEALTHCARE
o MENTAL HEALTH
o DISABILITY SERVICES
o PREVENTATIVE SERVICES/WELLNESS
SERVICES
HOMELESSNESS/HOUSING
SENIORS
FOOD
EMERGENCY SERVICES
o RAPE CRISIS
o DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
o RENTAL ASSISTANCE
YOUTH
o COUNSELING
o COMMUNITY SERVICES
DIVERSITY/TOLERANCE
o COMMUNITY BUILDING