Council Social Services & Community Development Committee

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Social Services and Community Development Committee met on October 18, 2011, at 10:00 a.m. in the Council Chambers, with Myers presiding. The committee addressed three agenda items during the session: a continuation of discussion on leveraging new money for partner agency funding, a discussion with UK around needs assessment, and items in committee. All three agenda items were deferred. The committee took one motion and vote during the meeting and heard one public comment.

Attendance

The following individuals were present at the meeting on October 18, 2011:

• Myers
• Henson
• Kay
• Ford
• Lawless
• Stinnett
• McChord
• Ellinger
• Lane
• Crosbie

No absences or late arrivals were recorded.

Votes and Decisions

The council took one action during this meeting.

Community Needs Assessment Recommendation 29:06

The council voted on a recommendation to the full council that the commissioner work with the deans of the University of Kentucky's College of Social Work and Martin School of Public Policy to determine a way forward for a community needs assessment.

The motion was made by Kay and seconded by McChord. The vote passed unanimously, with all ten council members voting in favor: Myers, Henson, Kay, Ford, Lawless, Stinnett, McChord, Ellinger, Lane, and Crosbie. There were no votes against or abstentions.

Public Comment

37:13

Corey Dunn addressed the meeting with suggestions regarding community needs assessment methodology. Dunn proposed leveraging school social workers and the public school system as resources for gathering data on community needs, with a particular focus on issues affecting children and youth. Dunn noted that students in practicum placements could gain valuable real-world experience through participation in this data collection effort.

Appointments

Vice Mayor Gordon was appointed to the Senior Services Commission.

Contested Items

Use of Student Interns for Needs Assessment

A heated discussion emerged regarding the employment of student interns for needs assessment work. The central point of contention was whether students should receive financial compensation for their participation.

One perspective held that student involvement in needs assessment constitutes part of their academic training and educational experience, and therefore should not be treated as compensable work. Proponents of this view argued that the learning opportunity itself represents adequate recognition of the students' contributions.

Other meeting members advocated for providing modest stipends to the student interns. This group contended that recognizing the students' work through financial compensation was appropriate, even if the primary purpose remained educational in nature.

The discussion reflected differing philosophies about the value of student labor and the distinction between educational experience and compensable work. No outcome or resolution was documented in the available meeting materials.

Continuation of discussion on how to leverage new money for partner agency funding

3:02

The committee discussed strategies for leveraging external funding through partnerships and internal resources to support partner agency funding. Key participants in this discussion included Myers, Kay, Henson, Stinnett, McChord, Lawless, and Lane.

The committee emphasized that a needs assessment should serve as a foundational step before pursuing new funding opportunities. This assessment was identified as critical to establishing a clear understanding of requirements before moving forward with funding strategies.

University representatives contributed to the conversation by proposing the use of graduate students and faculty within a structured academic framework. This approach was presented as a potential mechanism for leveraging internal resources to support partner agency funding objectives.

The discussion explored the feasibility of both external funding through third-party partnerships and the development of in-house staffing solutions. Committee members considered the relative merits and practical implications of each approach.

Outcome: The discussion on this agenda item was deferred, indicating that further consideration and development of these strategies will be needed at a future meeting.

Discussion with UK around needs assessment

11:53

University representatives from the College of Social Work and Martin School of Public Policy presented their perspectives on student involvement in a community needs assessment. The discussion focused on how students could contribute to this work while maintaining academic standards and curriculum integrity.

Key Presentations and Points

The university representatives, including Dean Adams, Dean Holt, and Associate Dean Badger, emphasized several important considerations:

• The necessity of academic supervision for student participation in the needs assessment
• The importance of meeting accreditation standards in any student-involved projects
• The integration of internships and community work into the formal curriculum

Committee Response

Commissioner Mills and other committee members engaged with the university representatives on these points. The discussion centered on how to structure student involvement in a way that satisfied both academic requirements and the practical needs of the community assessment.

Outcome

The committee agreed to support collaboration between the city and the universities on this initiative. However, the agenda item was deferred, indicating that further discussion or action on specific implementation details would occur at a later time.

Items in Committee

The committee discussed two matters during this agenda item.

Employee Raises for Pilot Agencies

The committee addressed funding for pilot agencies that provide employee raises. Kay and McChord participated in this discussion. The committee noted that information would be gathered across all agencies before making recommendations on this matter.

Senior Citizen Center Task Force

The vice mayor's appointment of a task force for a new senior citizen center was brought to the committee's attention. Commissioner Mills explained that the Senior Services Commission is already conducting a needs assessment through the 'Ask Lexington' initiative, indicating that preliminary work on understanding community needs in this area is underway.

Outcome

This agenda item was deferred.

40:36