Council Social Services & Community Development Committee

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Social Services and Community Development Committee met on February 14, 2012, at 11:00 AM in the Council Chambers, with Myers presiding. The committee addressed three agenda items during the meeting: an update on the recovery of social services, which was presented as informational; items in committee, which were deferred; and Section 108, which was also deferred. The committee heard six public comments and took one motion to a vote. Overall, the meeting resulted in one informational presentation while two items were postponed for future consideration.

Attendance

Present: Myers, Henson, Kay, Ford, Lawless, Stinnett, McChord, Ellinger, Lane, Crosbie

Absent: Chuck Ellinger, Steve Kay

Late: None

Votes and Decisions

The meeting included one vote on February 14, 2012.

Approval of Minutes from January 17, 2012 Meeting 7:30

Ed Lane moved to approve the minutes from the January 17, 2012 meeting, and Jay McChord seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously with no abstentions.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting addressed two significant financial commitments:

Stormwater Priority Projects Funding

The government approved $1.45 million in funding for stormwater priority projects through the Storm Water Quality Management Fee (SWQMF). These funds support the implementation of priority stormwater management initiatives.

Consent Decree Obligation

The government allocated $30 million in grant funding to LFUCG to support the $30 million Consent Decree obligation under the SEP (Supplemental Environmental Project). This funding addresses a major compliance requirement.

Public Comment

Several council members raised concerns about staffing, funding, and service capacity during the meeting.

Grant Funding and Staffing 55:44 Councilman Lawless expressed concern over the city's decreased capacity to apply for grants due to lack of staff in grants and special projects. He highlighted that $1.5 million in potential grant funding remains unclaimed due to staffing shortages.

Community Collaboration and Social Services 1:02:25 Councilman McCord called for breaking down territorial barriers in the community to access more funding. He emphasized that social services are stretched thin and need more support despite existing efforts.

Family Services Funding 1:06:07 Councilman Ellinger asked for clarification on the source of a $1 million decrease in family services funding. He emphasized that the reduction was due to staffing losses and grant reductions, not solely program cuts.

Senior Citizen Center Support 1:11:39 Councilman Crosby expressed strong support for prioritizing the Senior Citizen Center, noting that 84 seniors are at capacity and that the community needs more accessible senior services.

Senior Center Expansion 1:13:47 Councilman O'Beeb asked about the feasibility of satellite senior centers, noting that the current central center is at capacity and that a multi-site model may be needed to serve the community adequately.

School Transportation Reimbursement 1:19:15 Councilman Stinnett highlighted the need for Fayette County Public Schools to reimburse the city for transporting students to the Family Care Center and Day Treatment Center. He noted that 80% state reimbursement is available for this service.

Contested Items

Staffing and Budget Cuts

The council experienced a split vote regarding staffing levels and budget reductions. Councilmembers disagreed about the department's capacity to maintain services under current staffing constraints. Some members expressed concern that additional cuts would necessitate the elimination of programs, while others advocated for increased collaboration and additional funding as a means to prevent service collapse. The division reflected differing priorities regarding resource allocation and service sustainability.

Funding for Senior Services

A heated discussion arose over funding and prioritization of the Senior Citizen Center. Councilmember Ellinger stressed that the facility is operating at capacity and is significantly underfunded, indicating an urgent need for increased resources. Other councilmembers countered by emphasizing the importance of long-term planning and gathering community input before making funding decisions. This disagreement highlighted competing views on how to address immediate service demands versus the need for broader strategic planning in senior services.

Update on the Recovery of Social Services

Commissioner Beth Mills presented a mid-year report on the Department of Social Services 8:04, highlighting the department's current budget allocation and staffing situation.

Budget and Staffing Overview

The Department of Social Services currently represents 2% of the urban county government budget—the lowest share since 2000. Full-time staff levels have decreased to 195 positions. Despite these constraints, the department leverages $135 million in grants to support its operations.

Key Challenges

Staffing cuts and grant reductions have significantly limited the department's capacity to serve the community. These resource constraints were identified as ongoing concerns affecting service delivery across multiple divisions.

Departmental Updates

Directors from four service areas provided detailed reports on their programs, challenges, and successes:

• Aging Services
• Adult and Tenant Services
• Family Services
• Youth Services

Speakers

In addition to Commissioner Beth Mills, the following individuals presented information during this agenda item:

• Christy Stambaugh
• Connie Godfrey
• Joanna Rhodes
• Stephanie Hong

Outcome

This agenda item was informational in nature, providing the governing body with an update on the department's mid-year status, resource constraints, and service delivery across its major divisions.

Items in Committee

The committee discussed the Storm Water Quality Management Fee (SWQMF) and its application to funding projects from the Storm Water Flooding Priority List 1:00.

Presentation and Key Topics

Charlie Martin presented on several aspects of the SWQMF program, including revenue projections, the $30 million Stormwater Enterprise Program (SEP) obligation, and challenges related to project prioritization and bonding mechanisms.

Issues and Concerns Raised

Committee members raised several concerns during the discussion:

• Administrative costs associated with the SWQMF
• Underfunded maintenance needs within the stormwater system
• The need for a new methodology to address current challenges

The committee also reviewed the Meadows Northland Arlington (MNA) project, which faces significant cost pressures. The project is estimated to require $45 million to complete, an increase attributed to cost overruns and necessary utility replacements.

Committee Members

The discussion involved multiple committee members, including Bob Bayert, CM Myers, CM Lane, and CM Stinnett, along with Charlie Martin's presentation.

Outcome

The item was deferred, indicating that further discussion or action on the SWQMF and related projects will occur at a future meeting.

Section 108

The committee addressed Section 108 as agenda item 36 during the meeting 1:27:17. The committee acknowledged that Section 108 was not ready for discussion at this meeting. Rather than proceeding with the agenda item, the committee agreed to revisit Section 108 at the next session.

The outcome of this agenda item was deferred.