Council Social Services and Community Development Committee

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Social Services & Community Development Committee met on November 19, 2013, at 11:00 AM, presided over by Ford. The meeting, held in downtown Lexington, included five agenda items addressing various social services matters. The committee took four votes during the session and heard seven public comments from community members. Two agenda items were removed from consideration, one was deferred for future discussion, and one was presented for informational purposes only. The committee approved the introduction of Mr. Malcolm Ratchford, Executive Director of the Community Action Council.

Attendance

The following individuals were present at the meeting on November 19, 2013:

• Ford
• Akers
• Ellinger
• Kay
• Lawless
• Stinnett
• Scutchfield
• Myers
• Beard
• Lane

No absences or late arrivals were recorded.

Votes and Decisions

The committee took four votes during this meeting, all of which passed by voice vote.

Approval of Committee Summary 8:00 The committee approved the summary from the September 24, 2013 meeting. The motion was made by Scutchfield and seconded by Beard. The motion passed by voice vote with no abstentions.

Economic Impact Analysis on Child Care Assistance Reductions 1:17:15 The committee passed a motion to request that the Department of Social Services begin preparing an economic impact analysis on child care assistance reductions. Ford made the motion and Myers seconded it. The motion passed by voice vote with no abstentions.

Removal of Social Service Needs Assessment from Agenda 2:02:14 The committee voted to remove the Social Service Needs Assessment from the committee agenda. Ellinger made the motion and Myers seconded it. The motion passed by voice vote with no abstentions.

Removal of Summer Youth Employment Program from Agenda 2:02:45 The committee voted to remove the Summer Youth Employment Program from the committee agenda. Myers made the motion and Ellinger seconded it. The motion passed by voice vote with no abstentions.

Public Comment

Several community members and stakeholders addressed the board on topics ranging from organizational leadership and program priorities to workforce development and community needs.

Community Action Council Leadership and Programs

Kay congratulated Malcolm Ratchford on his new role and requested details on how the organization plans to transition from crisis-based services to long-term sustainability 26:35. Akers followed with a question about whether the Community Action Council should reduce its 43 programs to focus on core priorities. Ratchford responded that the organization is evaluating which programs to continue based on impact and sustainability 31:57.

Child Care Assistance and Workforce Development

Myers highlighted the long-term economic consequences of cutting child care assistance and emphasized the need for local solutions and data to inform state policy 1:00:27. Stinnett advocated for a formal resolution to be sent to Frankfort to oppose the cuts, arguing that the policy discourages work and undermines workforce development 1:03:45.

Affordable Housing

Kay expressed concern that affordable housing, identified as a major community issue, was not included in the three-point bonus system despite its significance 1:21:12.

Manchester Bidwell Replication Project

Josh Nazem presented the vision for a Manchester Bidwell center in Lexington, emphasizing community-driven development, youth arts programming, and workforce training 1:31:43. Myers subsequently asked about the feasibility study process and funding sources, noting the project's potential to reduce youth violence and support local employment 1:58:25.

Contested Items

Child Care Assistance Cuts

The committee experienced a split vote regarding child care assistance cuts. While members agreed on the necessity of conducting an economic impact study, disagreement emerged over the broader implications of the cuts. The debate centered on whether the proposed reductions were counterproductive to workforce development and long-term economic growth. The committee ultimately proceeded with the economic impact study, though the underlying concern about the cuts' effects on economic development remained contested.

Affordable Housing in Needs Assessment

A heated discussion arose regarding the exclusion of affordable housing from the three-point bonus system. Council Member Kaye expressed concern that affordable housing, identified as a major community priority, had been left out of this evaluation framework despite its significance to the community. This omission became a point of contention, with Council Member Kaye advocating for the inclusion of affordable housing in the assessment criteria used to determine bonus eligibility.

Introduction of Mr. Malcolm Ratchford, Executive Director, Community Action Council

8:35

Malcolm Ratchford was introduced as the new executive director of the Community Action Council. During his presentation, Ratchford outlined a strategic shift in the organization's approach and priorities.

Key Points Presented:

• A transition from crisis response to long-term sustainability as the organization's primary focus
• Emphasis on economic security as a core objective
• Commitment to community investment initiatives
• The importance of exposure and advocacy in the organization's work

Ratchford's remarks indicated a reorientation of the Community Action Council's mission toward building lasting solutions rather than addressing immediate crises, with particular attention to strengthening economic conditions and deepening community engagement.

Outcome:

The introduction was approved.

Childcare Assistance Reductions

Joanna Rhodes and Bradley Stevenson presented on the impact of state-level cuts to the Child Care Assistance Program 43:28. The presentation focused on consequences for Fayette County and the broader region.

Key Findings Presented

The presenters highlighted that Fayette County faced a reduction affecting 525 families enrolled in the Child Care Assistance Program due to state-level budget cuts. The presentation emphasized that these reductions would have cascading effects across multiple sectors.

Areas of Concern

The discussion identified three primary areas of impact from the childcare assistance reductions:

• Workforce development challenges, as parents—particularly mothers—may be unable to maintain employment without affordable childcare
• Education outcomes, given the connection between early childhood care and educational readiness
• Child safety concerns related to the loss of regulated childcare options

Committee Action

The committee voted to initiate an economic impact analysis to further understand the full scope of consequences from the childcare assistance reductions. This analysis would provide data to support future advocacy or policy discussions regarding the program cuts.

The agenda item was deferred, indicating the committee did not reach a final resolution during this meeting and may revisit the topic at a future session.

Social Services Needs Assessment

Craig Benz presented findings from a UK-led study during this agenda item 1:18:19. The study identified four priority barriers affecting social services needs:

• Child care cost
• Mental health access
• Job skills
• Substance abuse

Benz explained that partner agencies addressing these priority barriers would receive a three-point bonus in grant scoring as an incentive to focus efforts on these identified areas of need.

Following the presentation, the committee agreed to remove this item from the agenda.

Manchester Bidwell Replication Project

Josh Nazem presented a proposal to replicate the Manchester Bidwell model in Lexington 1:31:43. The presentation outlined a community-led initiative focused on youth arts programming, workforce training, and community revitalization.

The proposal emphasizes bringing the Manchester Bidwell approach—which combines arts education with job training and community development—to Lexington. The project is currently in the fundraising phase, with efforts underway to secure funding for a feasibility study that would assess the viability and specific needs for implementing this model locally.

This agenda item was presented for informational purposes.

Items Referred to Committee

During this agenda item, the committee took action on several referred matters. 2:02:14

Actions Taken

The committee voted to remove two items from the agenda: - Social Service Needs Assessment - Summer Youth Employment Program

Remaining Items

Items that remained under committee consideration include: - Workforce investment - Child care assistance

Key Participants

Ellinger and Myers were the key speakers during this discussion.

Follow-up

A follow-up report on the remaining items is expected to be presented next month.