Item 6-C

City Council Meeting: 02-23-99 Santa Monica, California



STAFF REPORT

TO: Mayor and City Council

FROM:   City Staff

SUBJECT: RECOMMENDATION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING GRANT APPLICATIONS FOR SENIOR NUTRITION AND TELEPHONE REASSURANCE PROGRAMS AND AUTHORIZING CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE CONTRACT UPON RECEIPT OF FUNDING

INTRODUCTION

This report recommends that the City Council adopt the attached resolution authorizing the submittal of a grant application to the County of Los Angeles Department of Community and Senior Services for funding for FY 1999/2000 and authorizing the City Manager to negotiate and execute a contract with the County for provision of services to the elderly through the City's Senior Nutrition and Recreation Program.

BACKGROUND

The City of Santa Monica has been sponsoring the Senior Nutrition and Recreation Program for the past twenty-two years. Every four years the County conducts an open competitive bid process for program service, with renewal applications being submitted in subsequent years. This is the year for open competitive bids.

Currently the C-1 or Congregate Meals Program is contracted to serve186 meals per day, Monday through Friday, at five sites: Reed Park, Ken Edwards Center, Virginia Avenue Park, the Senior Recreation Center and Memorial Park; and forty-one meals each Saturday at the Senior Recreation Center. The suggested donation for the Congregate Meal Program is $1.50 per meal, with an average actual donation of $1.17 per meal.

As of July 1994, the City subcontracted its Home Delivered Meals Program to Santa Monica/Malibu Meals on Wheels. This arrangement has proved to be a cost effective and productive method of providing this service, given the organization's experience and broader program in delivering meals to homebound seniors. The Home Delivered Meals Program is contracted to provide approximately 55 meals per day, seven days a week, for homebound seniors in Santa Monica.

Revenue for these programs comes from this grant, the United States Department of Agriculture, participant donations, fund-raising and the City's General Fund. The City is required to provide a minimum 15% local match for the Congregate Meals Program, and provisions to do so are already in place as indicated below.

The City is hoping to expand service in both the Congregate and Home Delivered Meals Programs by increasing the number of meals contracted by the County. If this request is approved, the Congregate Meals Program will be contracted to serve 191 meals per week day and 41 meals on Saturdays, and the Home Delivered Meals Program will serve an average of 96 meals per day, with 45 clients receiving two meals per day. The City currently receives a per meal County reimbursement rate of $2.06 and is requesting an increase to $2.43 per meal for the Congregate Meals Program. The Home Delivered Meals Program currently receives a County reimbursement rate of $2.88 per meal and is requesting an increase to $3.00 per meal.

New this year, the City is also applying for funding to operate a Telephone Reassurance Program for home delivered meals clients. If funds are received for this program, clients receiving frozen meal delivery will be called twice per week. The City is expecting to serve an average of 35 clients through this program with a reimbursement rate of $1.90 per call. This program will also be subcontracted to Santa Monica/Malibu Meals on Wheels.

BUDGET/FINANCIAL IMPACT

Total projected City Congregate Meals, Home Delivered Meals and Telephone Reassurance Program revenues and expenses for FY 1998/99 and FY 1999/2000 are shown below:

CONGREGATE MEALS PROGRAM

    FY 1998/99     FY 1999/2000
# of Meals Served 49,004 # of Meals Served 50,373
Tot. City Cash Expen. $261,714 Tot. City Cash Expen. $264,490
Less Grant Revenues $127,900 Less Grant Revenues $150,111
Less Partic. Donation $ 57,335 Less Partic. Donation $ 58,936
Net City Cost $ 76,479 Net City Cost $ 55,443


HOME DELIVERED MEALS PROGRAM

FY 1998/99 FY 1999/2000
# of Meals Served 19,918 # of Meals Served 35,175
Tot. City Cash Expen. $ 68,319 Tot. City Cash Expen. $124,871
Less Grant Revenues $ 68,319 Less Grant Revenues $124,871
Net City Cost $ 0 Net City Cost $ 0


TELEPHONE REASSURANCE PROGRAM

FY 1998/99 FY 1999/2000
# of Calls N/A # of Calls 3,640
Tot. City Cash Expen. N/A Tot. City Cash Expen. $6,916
Less Grant Revenues N/A Less Grant Revenues $6,916
Net City Cost N/A Net City Cost $ 0


RECOMMENDATION

Staff recommends that the City Council: (1) adopt the attached resolution authorizing the submittal of a grant application to the County of Los Angeles Department of Community and Senior Services for funding and (2) authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute a contract with the County for provision of services to the elderly through the City's Senior Nutrition and Recreation Program.

Prepared by:

Barbara Stinchfield

Director, Community and Cultural Services

Kathy Kucharski

Community and Senior Programs Manager