* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:02] GOOD MORNING. THE TIME IS NOW 10:02 AM ON AUGUST 9TH, 2022, AND THE MEETING OF THE COMMUNITY HEALTH ENVIRONMENT AND CULTURE COMMITTEE IS NOW CALLED TO ORDER. MADAM CLERK, CAN YOU CALL THE ROLE COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO. COUNCIL MEMBER QUI RODRIGUEZ. PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. HERE. CHAIR PROTE VRAN. HERE, MA'AM, WE HAVE A QUORUM. THE FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA [Approval of Minutes  ] IS THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES. CAN I GET A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE MINUTES? SECOND. I HAVE, I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE MINUTES. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE MINUTES. PLEASE VOTE USING THE SYSTEM. OKAY. MOTION CARRIES. MADAM CLERK, PLEASE READ THE CAPTION. OH, ARE WE GONNA DO PUBLIC COMMENT FIRST? OH, YES. I'M SORRY. FIRST WE'LL DO PUBLIC COMMENT. THE FIRST SPEAKER IS JOSHUA LOPEZ. THAT'S THE ONLY SPEAKER. WE HAVE OUR STAFF SIGNED UP. OKAY. THANK YOU. UM, OKAY. MADAM CLERK, PLEASE READ THE CAPTION [Briefing and Possible Action on  ] FOR ITEM NUMBER TWO TWO, AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT, A ARPA STATE AND LOCAL FISCAL RECOVERY FUNDS SPENDING FRAMEWORK FOR NONPROFIT AND SOCIAL SERVICES. IS THERE A STAFF PRESENTATION? GOOD MORNING, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND, UM, CHAIR. SO THIS COMMUNITY HEALTH ENVIRONMENT AND CULTURE COMMITTEE BRIEFING PROVIDES AN UPDATE ON PHASE TWO OF THE ARPA NONPROFIT SOCIAL SERVICES IMPLEMENTATION PLAN. DURING THIS PRESENTATION, I'LL GO OVER OUR PROPOSED FUNDING PRIORITY INVESTMENTS, THE COMPETITIVE FUNDING PROCESS, POLICY DIRECTION, AND NEXT STEPS. IN JUNE, CITY COUNCIL APPROVED THE PHASE ONE NONPROFIT IMPLEMENTATION PLAN TO PROVIDE IMMIGRATION SERVICES IN THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF 1.5 MILLION. UM, D H S ISSUED AN R F P AND IS IN THE PROCESS OF EVALUATING PROPOSALS SUBMITTED, AND WE'LL BRING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMMIGRATION CONTRACTS TO COUNCIL IN SEPTEMBER. THE PHASE TWO IMPLEMENTATION PLAN PROPOSES FUNDING PRIORITY INVESTMENTS FOR THE REMAINING 2.5 MILLION IN THE NONPROFIT CATEGORY FOR ORGANIZATIONS DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED BY C OVID 19, INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING STRATEGIES AND RECOMMENDATIONS AND, UM, FUNDING AMOUNTS. $1 MILLION FOR FLEXIBLE FUNDING TO SUPPORT ADMINISTRATION AND OPERATION STRATEGIES, SYSTEMS AND STRUCTURES TO IMPROVE ORGANIZATIONAL RESILIENCY AND LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY, ESPECIALLY FOR SMALL ORGANIZATIONS. CAPITAL INVESTMENTS TO SUPPORT EXPANSION OF PROGRAMS AND SERVICES. HALF A MILLION DOLLARS WOULD BE USED TO FUND INNOVATIONS, UM, AND INITIATIVES TO EXPAND LOCAL CAPACITY TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE SPECIALISTS, BOTH WITHIN NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND IN THE LARGER COMMUNITY. THE INTENT IS TO CONNECT NONPROFITS TO CAPACITY BUILDING RESOURCES TO SUPPORT THEIR LONG-TERM VIABILITY. AND THEN $1 MILLION WOULD BE USED FOR CLIENT NAVIGATION SERVICES TO ACCESS RESOURCES ACROSS PROVIDERS AND AGENCIES, INCLUDING DIRECTING PUBLIC BENEFITS AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO STABILIZE FAMILIES IN CRISIS, AS WELL AS CONNECTING INDIVIDUALS TO WORKFORCE TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES. I WILL REQUEST. THERE WE GO. AND SO, I WOULD REQUEST FULL CITY COUNCIL IMPLEMENTATION PLAN. THE FULL CITY COUNCIL IMPLEMENTATION PLAN ON AUGUST 18TH, $1 MILLION. UM, LIKE I SAID, AGAIN, IN SUMMARY WOULD BE TO SUPPORT OPERATION STRATEGIES, HALF A MILLION DOLLARS WOULD BE USED TO FUND INITIATIVES, UM, AND TO REALLY EXPAND OUR ABILITY TO PROVIDE TECHNICAL [00:05:01] ASSISTANCE. AND THEN 1 MILLION WOULD BE USED FOR CLIENT NAVIGATION. WE WILL RELEASE THE COMPETITIVE R F P IN EARLY SEPTEMBER, WHICH WILL BE OPEN FOR 30 DAYS DURING THE APPLICATION PERIOD. WE WOULD HOST TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WORKSHOPS, COMPLETE THE EVALUATION AND REQUEST, UM, CHECK AND CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL OF RECOMMENDATIONS IN NOVEMBER. WE PLAN TO MAKE OUR AWARD RECOMMENDATIONS AT A CITY COUNCIL SESSION IN NOVEMBER. AN ABBREVIATED NON-COMMUNICATION POLICY FOR CITY COUNCIL. THAT BEGINS WHEN THE R F P CLOSES AND APPLICATIONS ARE RECEIVED IS ALSO ONE OF THE POLICY DIRECTION AREAS THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED IN PREVIOUS PRESENTATIONS. EVALUATION OF APPLICATIONS WILL INCLUDE PRIORITY POINTS FOR SMALL AND NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, AND THE R F P IS SIMPLIFIED TO ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION IN THE PROCESS BY SMALLER AGENCIES. WE ARE ALSO RECOMMENDING A 30% ADMINISTRATIVE CAP, UM, WHICH, UH, NORMALLY WE WOULD HAVE A 20% ADMINISTRATIVE CAP, AND THE PURPOSE IS TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL FLEXIBILITY TO NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AS WELL AS, UM, RECOMMENDING A MINIMUM AWARD OF A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IN A TWO YEAR CONTRACT TERM. AND SO, IN SUMMARY, ON THIS PRESENTATION, UM, NEXT STEPS INCLUDE REQUESTING FINAL PLAN APPROVAL FROM CITY COUNCIL ON AUGUST 18TH, ISSUING THE COMPETITIVE R F P PROCESS COMBINED. THAT WILL BE COMBINED WITH ARPA, SENIOR YOUTH AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, AND WE WOULD ISSUE THAT ON SEPTEMBER 2ND. UM, IN MID-SEPTEMBER, SEPTEMBER 12TH THROUGH 16, WE WOULD HOLD A PRE-SUBMIT CONFERENCES AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WORKSHOPS. UM, THE R F P WOULD CLOSE ON OCTOBER THE THIRD, AND SEVERAL EVALUATION PANELS. WE'LL REVIEW PROPOSALS IN EACH ARPA PRIORITY AREA AND THEN MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS. WE WOULD REQUEST A CHECK, AND THEN CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL OF RECOMMENDED AWARDS IN NOVEMBER WITH CONTRACTS BEGINNING DECEMBER THE FIRST. AND SO THAT INCLUDE, THAT CONCLUDES THIS FIRST PRESENTATION, AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS. OKAY. UH, MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES, UH, WE'LL START WITH, UH, COUNCILMAN MCKEE RODRIGUEZ. SURE. THANK YOU. UM, MAY HAVE TO COME BACK TO ME IN A SECOND, BUT I DO WANT TO ASK, UM, HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT THE R F P, UM, OR HOW WOULD THE R F P ENSURE THAT ORGANIZATIONS IMPACT TAKES PLACE IN DISTRICTS THAT ARE MOST NEEDED? RIGHT. SO WHEN WE ISSUE THE R F P, WE'LL SPECIFY THOSE, THOSE DISTRICTS OF HIGHEST NEED USING THE EQUITY ATLAS. SO THE HIGH SCORES, THE TENS AND THE NINES, WHICH TYPICALLY ARE, UM, PARTS OF DISTRICT TWO AND PARTS OF DISTRICT FIVE, UH, WOULD BE PRIORITIZED. AND THAT COULD BE THAT THE AGENCY RESIDES IN ONE OF THOSE AREAS, OR THAT THE MAJORITY OF THEIR CLIENTS ARE COMING FROM THOSE AREAS. THANK YOU. I'M SORRY, I'M LOOKING THROUGH THE, I'M GOING THROUGH THE LIST REAL QUICK. UM, IF SOMEONE ELSE WANTS TO GO, YOU CAN GO BACK TO ME. . THANK YOU. NO, IT'S FINE. WE'LL COME BACK AROUND. UM, COUNCILMAN CASTILLO. THANK YOU CHAIR. AND THANK YOU MELODY FOR THE PRESENTATION. I KNOW THERE'S MANY NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS WHO ARE READY TO SUBMIT, UM, AND RECEIVE THAT MUCH NEEDED, UH, FINANCIAL RELIEF. UH, I WANTED TO BE SURE THAT I EMPHASIZED RIGHT THAT LAST WEEK WE PASSED THE ABORTION RESOLUTION TO ENSURE THAT WE SUPPORT REPRODUCTIVE HEALTHCARE. AND I'M, UH, GRATEFUL FOR THE SUPPORT OF MY COLLEAGUES. AND, UH, WHILE WE AWAIT, YOU KNOW, UH, ORDINANCE THAT MY COLLEAGUE COUNCILMAN BELAY AND TENDS TO PUT FORWARD, UM, I THINK THESE NONPROFIT, UH, DOLLARS PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR NONPROFIT REPRODUCTIVE ORGANIZATIONS, UH, WHO MAY HAVE BEEN IMPACTED BY COVID TO RECEIVE SOME TYPE OF SUPPORT. UH, FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE CITY OF ATLANTA, THEY'VE CREATED A FUND TO SUPPORT REPRODUCTIVE NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS. UM, AND I WANNA ENSURE THAT WE DON'T LOSE SIGHT, LOSE SIGHT OF THE TIME THAT WE'RE IN AND THE OPPORTUNITY THAT WE HAVE, UH, TO SUPPORT REPRODUCTIVE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS WHO HAVE BEEN FINANCIALLY, UM, OR IMPACTED RATHER, BY C OVID 19. UM, SO I LOOK FORWARD TO THE CONTINUED SUPPORT ON THIS ISSUE, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO MOVING THIS PROCESS FORWARD AND TO SEPTEMBER WHERE, YOU KNOW, ALL THE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS RECEIVE THEIR MUCH NEEDED FINANCIAL RELIEF. THANK YOU, MELODY. THANK YOU. UH, WITH THAT, I I MOVE TO, UH, APPROVE THE, THE FRAMEWORK. THANK YOU. [00:10:02] DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND. OKAY. COUNCILMAN SANDOVAL? YES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. CHAIR PRO TEM. UH, , UH, MEL, JUST UH, A QUESTION REGARDING THE FINANCIAL SERVICES OR SERVICES FOR FINANCIAL SECURITY. WE HAVE ONGOING PROGRAMS THAT DO THAT HERE IN, IN THE CITY ALREADY, RIGHT? UH, ONE, LIKE AT THE CLAUDE BLACK, UH, CENTER. SO CAN YOU TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW THIS WILL GO BEYOND THAT OR, UM, IT, I GUESS WHY, WHY WOULD WE CHOOSE SOMETHING THAT WE'RE ALREADY DOING? CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT THAT? THANKS. AND SO THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES HAS BENEFITS NAVIGATORS AND FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT COUNSELORS THAT PROVIDE ONE-ON-ONE, UH, COUNSELING THROUGH THAT PROCESS. THIS WOULD ALLOW NONPROFIT AGENCIES, SOME OF WHICH ARE ALSO DOING THAT WORK RIGHT NOW TO EXPAND, UM, THEIR ROLE. AND A LOT OF TIMES THE NONPROFITS CAN GET FURTHER INTO THE COMMUNITY. UM, THEY'RE NEIGHBORHOOD BASED, GRASSROOTS BASED, UM, AND PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES, THEIR OUTREACH, UM, WILL BE HELPFUL IN GETTING THE SERVICES TO THE PEOPLE THAT NEED IT MOST. OKAY, THANK YOU. AND, UM, I KNOW THAT WE HAD SOME INTEREST FROM ORGANIZATIONS THAT DO HEALTH WORK OR MEDICAL WORK, UM, ROED AND, UH, THE BLOOD AND TISSUE CENTER. SO WHAT CATEGORY MIGHT THEY BE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY IN? WELL, UH, IN THE NONPROFIT SERVICES CATEGORY, POTENTIALLY, UM, IF THEY'RE PROVIDING SPECIFIC SERVICES TO SENIORS OR CAREGIVERS, MAYBE THAT, THAT FIT IN THIS, UM, FRAMEWORK, THAT WOULD BE A POSSIBILITY. THEY'LL JUST HAVE, THEY WOULD HAVE TO LOOK AT THE R F P ONCE IT COMES OUT AND LOOK FOR FIT. UM, IT'S, IT'S NOT, UM, ALRIGHT, GO AHEAD. YEAH. THANK YOU CHAIR. COUNCILMAN KEY RODRIGUEZ. THANK YOU. UM, SO WHEN I HAD ORIGINALLY ASKED YOU IF WE COULD HAVE WORKSHOPS AND WHATNOT FOR THE, FOR THE NONPROFITS THAT HAVE LESS ADMINISTRATIVE CAPACITY, THIS IS ABSOLUTELY, UM, YOU KNOW, AND ONE OF THE NECESSARY ONES AND ONE OF THE ONES THAT I HAD IN MIND. UM, SO I WOULD LOVE IF YOU COULD SHARE WITH MY OFFICE, UM, DATES FOR THE WORKSHOPS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. AND MORE SPECIFICALLY, I WOULD LIKE TO CO-HOST ONE, UM, SO MY OFFICE WOULD LOVE TO COORDINATE THAT WITH YOU. UM, I'M ALSO WONDERING, AND THIS IS ON TOPIC, BUT NOT IS, UM, IF IT IS THE FULL COUNCIL'S WISH, I UNDERSTAND THAT THE DELEGATE AGENCY PROCESS HAPPENS, UM, BI-ANNUALLY. AND SO THIS YEAR WE'RE IN AN OFF YEAR. IF IT IS A FULL COUNCIL'S WISH, COULD WE ADD ADDITIONAL CAPACITY TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF DELEGATE AGENCIES WE HAVE? UM, OF COURSE WE WOULD HAVE TO ADD FUNDING FOR THAT, BUT IS THAT A POSSIBILITY? SO WE WILL BE STARTING THE R F P PROCESS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 24 AND 25, UM, CONTRACTS IN JANUARY. SO AS SOON AS WE FINISH ARPA WE'LL MOVE INTO LAUNCHING THAT PROCESS. WE GO THROUGH A, UM, A COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDER PROCESS TO GET INPUT. AND, YOU KNOW, THAT IS, THAT IS A POSSIBILITY. IT WOULD REQUIRE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ALWAYS BRING THOSE, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS FORWARD DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS. AND SO IF THAT WAS THE, YOU KNOW, THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, EXCEEDED WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE, THEN THAT WOULD BE A BUDGET DISCUSSION, UM, WITH COUNCIL AND AND STAFF. OKAY. I APPRECIATE THAT. OTHER THAN THAT, I THINK THAT THE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE INFORMATION YOU'VE SHARED WITH US TODAY, UM, FAIRLY ACCURATELY REPRESENT WHAT WE'VE, WHAT WE'VE REQUESTED. SO I APPRECIATE THAT AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THIS COMING BEFORE THE FULL COUNCIL. THANK YOU. GO AGAIN, ANA, DO YOU WANNA CHIME IN AGAIN? NO, I'M JUST DISTURBED AT THE SIZE OF MY FACE ON THAT SCREEN. UM, FROM, FROM HERE. IT JUST SEEMS SO HUGE. NO, THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN. UM, I'M, UH, I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO SUPPORTING THIS. THANK YOU. UH, AND I JUST WANNA CLOSE WITH, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE HARD WORK OF D H SS, UH, TO BE VI VIGILANT ON WHAT THE COUNCIL ASKED FOR. I THINK THE ONE THING, WHEN [00:15:01] WE SEE NONPROFIT SOCIAL SERVICES THAT ARE MEDICAL PROVIDERS, UM, VERY SIMILAR TO, TO THE FOOD BANK, TO THE, UH, SOUTH TEXAS BLOOD TISSUE, UNDERSTAND THAT, THAT THEY CAN FIND A, A SPOT HERE IN TERMS OF WHAT, WHAT THEY DO, UH, AND UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE ON A LIMITED BUDGET. AND IF I FEEL LIKE WE'RE REALLY TARGETING THOSE, UM, NON-PROFITS WITH THAT ARE THAT LIVE OR PRIMARILY WORK WITHIN THE SOUTHERN SECTOR DISTRICTS IN THE EAST AND THE WEST SIDE, UH, AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY CAN CONTINUE TO DO THE GOOD WORK THAT, THAT THEY'VE BEEN DOING. UM, SO I, I LOOK FORWARD TO MOVING THIS FORWARD AND HAVING, UM, THE FULL COUNCIL SUPPORT THIS. UM, SO WE HAVE A SECOND AND A MOTION. PLEASE VOTE USING THE SYSTEM. MAD AND CHAIR. YES. OVER HERE. IF WE COULD JUST HEAR COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL'S AUDIBLE VOTE PLEASE. OH, OH ANNA, WE NEED TO HEAR YOU SAY IT. SAY AYE. THANK YOU. OKAY. THE NEXT ITEM IS ITEM NUMBER THREE. MADAM CLERK, PLEASE READ THE CAPTION. ITEM THREE IS AN AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN, ARPA, STATE AND LOCAL FISCAL RECOVERY FUNDS SPENDING FRAMEWORK FOR SENIOR SERVICES. DO WE HAVE A STAFF PRESENTATION? SO DURING TODAY'S THIS PRESENTATION, I'LL GO OVER OUR PROPOSED FUNDING PRIORITY INVESTMENTS FOR THE SENIOR SERVICES, UM, CATEGORY, WHICH IS IN THE AMOUNT OF $5 MILLION, THE COMPETITIVE FUNDING PROCESS, WHICH WILL COMBINE NON-PROFIT YOUTH, SENIOR SERVICES, AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, AND INTO ONE R F P AND POLICY DIRECTION AND NEXT STEPS. AND SO THE PROPOSED FUNDING PRIORITY INVESTMENTS FOR NONPROFITS IMPACTED, UM, AND SENIORS IMPACT SENIOR NONPROFITS IMPACTED BY C OVID 19 INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING PROGRAMS AND STRATEGIES, $2 MILLION FOR COMMUNITY-BASED TRANSPORTATION PROGRAMS THAT IMPROVE ACCESS TO SENIOR RESOURCES AND ACTIVITIES, FUNDING FOR ON-CENTER BASED PROGRAMMING TO REDUCE SOCIAL ISOLATION AND CONNECTING OLDER ADULTS TO VOLUNTEER WORKFORCE TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES. 2 MILLION FOR NEIGHBORHOOD BASED ACCESS TO FOOD AND COMMODITIES NAVIGATION SERVICES TO COORDINATE ACCESS TO, TO RESOURCES ACROSS PROVIDERS AND SERVICES FOR HOME BOUND SENIORS. AND DIRECT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO STABILIZE SENIORS IN CRISIS AND ALLEVIATE INCREASED COSTS OF BASIC NEEDS FOR OLDER ADULTS WITH FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS. THIS CAN INCLUDE UTILITY ASSISTANCE, FOOD ASSISTANCE, PRESCRIPTION ASSISTANCE, AND THEN $1 MILLION FOR CAREGIVER CONNECTION TO AVAILABLE RESOURCES TO IMPROVE THE SAFETY AND QUALITY OF CARE THAT'S PROVIDED TO OLDER ADULTS, INCLUDING EDUCATION AND TRAINING. FOR EXAMPLE, WORKING WITH OLDER ADULTS, HELP WORKING WITH OLDER ADULTS THAT HAVE DEMENTIA AND FUNDING FOR RESPITE RESOURCES FOR CAREGIVERS TO MITIGATE INCREASED SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL ISSUES THAT CAREGIVERS ARE EXPERIENCING. AND SO I WILL REQUEST FULL CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL OF THE SENIOR SERVICES, NONPROFIT SERVICES AND YOUTH IMPLEMENTATION PLANS ON AUGUST THE 18TH. WE WOULD RELEASE THE COMPETITIVE R F P IN EARLY SEPTEMBER, WHICH WILL BE OPEN FOR 30 DAYS, UM, THROUGH THE APPLICATION PERIOD. WE WILL HOST THOSE TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WORKSHOPS, COMPLETE THE EVALUATION PROCESS, AND THEN REQUEST CHECK IN CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL OF RECOMMENDATIONS IN NOVEMBER. UM, CONTRACTS WOULD BEGIN DEC DECEMBER 1ST. WE PLAN TO MAKE OUR AWARD RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, AT THAT CITY COUNCIL SESSION IN NOVEMBER. AN ABBREVIATED NON-COMMUNICATION POLICY, UM, AGAIN, WOULD BE IN PLACE FOR CITY COUNCIL. THAT BEGINS WHEN THE R F P CLOSES AND APPLICATIONS ARE RECEIVED. AND WE WILL, UM, MAKE SURE THAT WE NOTIFY COUNCIL AND COUNCIL STAFF WHEN THAT HAPPENS. NON-COMMUNICATION FOR CITY STAFF WILL BE ALONG THE NORMAL PROCESS AND BEGIN WHEN THE R F P IS ISSUED. APPLICATION OR EVALUATION OF APPLICATIONS WILL INCLUDE PRIORITY POINTS FOR SMALL NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS. AND THE R F P IS SIMPLIFIED TO ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION IN [00:20:01] THE PROCESS. WE ARE ALSO RECOMMENDING THE 30% ADMINISTRATIVE RATE CAP FOR SENIOR SERVICES AGENCIES AND MINIMUM AWARD OF A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS AND THE TWO YEAR CONTRACT TERM. AND SO, UM, TO SUMMARIZE WITH YOUR APPROVAL TODAY, WE WOULD REQUEST FINAL APPROVAL OF THE ARPA SENIOR SERVICES PLAN FROM CITY COUNCIL ON AUGUST 18TH, ISSUED A COMPETITIVE R F P, WHICH WILL BE COMBINED TO INCLUDE FOUR OF THE ARPA CATEGORIES. WE'LL HOLD THE PRE-SUBMIT SUBMITTAL CONFERENCES AND, AND WORK WITH YOU ALL ON THE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WORKSHOPS. AND THE R F P WOULD CLOSE, UM, OCTOBER THE THIRD. WE'LL HAVE EVALUATION PANELS THAT ARE FOCUSED ON SENIOR AWARD APPLICATIONS, NONPROFIT AWARD APPLICATIONS, YOUTH, THE YOUTH AREA, UM, AND THEN MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, WHICH COULD POTENTIALLY PROB BE MORE THAN ONE, UM, PANEL. AND SO WE WOULD REQUEST CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL, UM, OF ALL FOUR FUNDING CATEGORIES. RECOMMENDED, RECOMMENDED AWARDS IN NOVEMBER. AND AGAIN, THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION. I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS. UH, THANK YOU MELODY. I'M GONNA START WITH SOME QUESTIONS 'CAUSE UH, AS MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES KNOW, THE SENIORS ARE NEAR AND DEAR TO ALL OF US, BUT TO ME ESPECIALLY AS, AS MY MOTHER AGES AND MY COMMUNITY AGES. SO, UH, THE ONE THING DO WE, IS PART OF THE R F P GOING TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE FACT THAT ESPECIALLY IN THE, IN THE DISTRICTS IN NEED, OUR SENIORS ARE STILL WORKING. SO IN TERMS OF THAT WORKFORCE READINESS, IN TERMS OF THAT WORKFORCE PIVOT, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION. DO WE HAVE A PLAN FOR THAT? WE KNOW THAT A LOT OF, UM, SENIORS ARE STILL WORKING AND THEY DON'T RETIRE AND GO TO THE SENIOR CENTERS WHEN THEY'RE 60. AND WE, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF REQUESTS FOR HELP FINDING JOBS, UM, TRAINING, AND THAT, YOU KNOW, THE STAKEHOLDERS, UH, IN THE MEETINGS WE HELD REALLY, UM, MENTIONED THAT AS A HIGH NEED AREA. AND, YOU KNOW, SOME SENIORS LOST THEIR JOBS DURING COVID. AND SO THE IDEA IS TO, UM, SEEK CONTRACTS WITH AGENCIES THAT CAN HELP, YOU KNOW, WITH THAT, UH, REATTACHMENT TO THE WORKFORCE FOR, FOR THOSE THAT WANT IT. YEAH, I, I JUST, I APPRECIATE THAT. 'CAUSE I HAD A SENIOR AT SOUTHSIDE LIONS WHO ACTUALLY GOT A JOB, I THINK, A PART-TIME JOB WITH THE CITY, UH, BECAUSE SHE NEEDED TO OUT OF NECESSITY. SO I THINK WE NEED TO TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION IN TERMS OF WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THESE, NOT ONLY THE SENIORS IN DEEP ISOLATION THAT NEED OUR MEAL MEALS ON WHEELS, BUT OUR SENIORS THAT ARE STILL HAVING TO BE OUT THERE IN THE WORKFORCE, PERHAPS BECAUSE THEIR GRANDPARENTS RAISING GRANDKIDS OR THE RETIREMENT IS JUST NOT THERE AFTER, UM, THIS TWO YEARS IN THE PANDEMIC AND WHAT THAT DID TO OUR, OUR, OUR FINANCES. AND, UM, AND THE OTHER THING I HAVE IS, AGAIN, WITH THE DIGITAL DIVIDE, AS WE LOOK AT THE R F P I, I WANNA MAKE SURE WE ARE GIVING TO GROUPS THAT AREN'T JUST STRICTLY, IF YOU WANNA SIGN UP FOR OUR SERVICES, GO ONLINE. I'D, I'D LIKE TO SEE GROUPS WHO ARE WORKING WITH SENIORS THAT ACTUALLY GO OUT TO THE SENIOR CENTERS OR GO OUT TO OUR EVENTS AND TRY AND CONNECT WITH THE SENIORS AND, AND SIGN THEM UP. BECAUSE I THINK RIGHT NOW EVERYTHING'S MOVING ONLINE AND THERE'S STILL THAT HESITANCY WITH OUR SENIORS ABOUT, UM, CAN THEY DO THAT FROM THEIR PHONE? SHOULD THEY DOWNLOAD AN APP? UM, THINGS LIKE THAT. UM, SO ORGANIZATIONS THAT WILL WALK INTO OUR FIELD OFFICES AND MEET WITH THE SENIORS OR WALK INTO OUR SENIOR CENTERS IS IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER THAT KIND OF HISTORY OF WHAT THEY HAVE OR THEIR WILLINGNESS TO GO OUT AND BE IN PERSON WITH OUR SENIORS, UM, IS ANOTHER THING. BUT I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING MY, UM, COUNCIL'S COMMENTS. WHO WANTS TO GO FIRST? JAYLEN, THANK YOU CHAIR. UM, I DO HAVE A FEW, I HAVE, I WOULDN'T SAY QUITE A FEW QUESTIONS, BUT A FEW QUESTIONS AND THEN ONE SUGGESTION THAT I WANNA SEE. UM, I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW IF YOU GUYS HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON IT, AND I'LL LET YOU KNOW WHEN THAT IS. UM, NUMBER ONE IS HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT EACH OF THE BULLETS UNDER EACH C OVID 19 IMPACT IS ADDRESSED? SO, UM, WE'RE GONNA GET A BUNCH OF RFPS AND SOME OF THEM, I GUESS WHAT I'M GETTING AT IS I WOULD HATE TO SEE SOMETHING LIKE THE COMMUNITY-BASED TRANSPORTATION NOT HAVE AN APPLICATION THAT MEETS THAT NEED. SO IT GOES UNRESOLVED. SO HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT? SO WHEN WE DO THE OUTREACH AND WE HOLD THE TRAININGS FOR, IN THE PRE-SUBMIT CONFERENCE, WE'LL EMPHASIZE THAT WE WANT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED WELL-ROUNDED APPLICATIONS THAT, THAT, UM, HIT EVERY CA CATEGORY. UM, SOME APPLICATIONS [00:25:01] COULD HIT A COUPLE OF THE CATEGORIES PROVIDING TRANSPORTATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES. SO, WE'LL, YOU KNOW, WE'LL START WITH THAT OUTREACH. IF WE WERE TO GET PROPOSALS BACK AND SAY TRANSPORTATION, WE DIDN'T RECEIVE ANY, UM, WE WOULD HAVE THE OPTION OF REISSUING AND, AND GOING OUT AND REALLY SEEKING PROPOSALS FROM QUALIFIED AGENCIES. BUT UPFRONT IS REALLY THE MORE IMPORTANT PIECE. AND YOU ACTUALLY TALKING TO AGENCIES THAT WE KNOW PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION SERVICES TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY KNOW THIS IS AVAILABLE. SO WE SEND OUR NOTICES OUT TO, YOU KNOW, PRETTY HUGE DATABASE OF NONPROFITS. WE'LL WORK THROUGH THE NONPROFIT COUNCIL, WHICH HAS AN EVEN LARGER DATABASE OF NONPROFITS AND ENSURE THAT, THAT FOLKS ARE AWARE THAT THIS IS AN OPTION IF A NON, IF A EXISTING NONPROFIT THAT CURRENTLY DOESN'T PROVIDE TRANSPORT, DOESN'T DO SAY NON TRANSPORTATION FROM HOME MM-HMM. TO A SENIOR CENTER, COULD THEY SAY AS A PART OF THE PROPOSAL THAT THEY WANT TO PURCHASE, SAY TWO VANS OR SOMETHING OF THE SORT? THEY COULD DO THAT. WE COULD CONS, WE WOULD CONSIDER THAT. YEAH. UM, I'M ALSO WONDERING, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WAS MENTIONED IN THE, UM, PREVIOUS PRESENTATION, BUT WHAT DOES DIRECT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE LOOK LIKE? UM, AND FOR THIS ONE, IT WAS UNDER THE INCREASED FOOD ACCESS AND RESOURCE INSECURITY. UM, CAN YOU LIST SOME EXAMPLES OF AN AGENCY THAT DOES THAT OR A PROGRAM THAT YOU'VE SEEN? SURE. UM, FAMILY SERVICES FOR EXAMPLE, PROVIDES, UM, AND CATHOLIC CHARITIES PROVIDE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE IN THE FORM OF UTILITY ASSISTANCE, FOOD ASSISTANCE, UM, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THOSE PRESCRIPTIONS. ASSISTANCE FOR PEOPLE WHO CAN'T MAKE ENDS MEET NEITHER, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE MAKING CHOICES BETWEEN RENT AND PRESCRIPTIONS. I'M SO, AND SO THAT WOULD BE THE IDEA. I'M SO GLAD YOU MENTIONED, UH, PRESCRIPTION ASSISTANCE. 'CAUSE I WAS LOOKING, BECAUSE I WAS THINKING TO MYSELF, WHERE DID I SEE OR HEAR THAT? AND COULD YOU DESCRIBE PRES, UH, PRESCRIPTION ASSISTANCE A LITTLE BIT MORE? SO RIGHT NOW, WE ACTUALLY DO FUND, UM, ANY BABY CAN AN AGENCY THAT, THAT HELPS FAM CONNECT FAMILIES TO PRESCRIPTIONS THAT ARE NOT AFFORDABLE. UM, AND THEY DO MOST OF THAT BY WORKING THROUGH THE DRUG COMPANY PROCESS WHERE THEY HAVE, UM, UH, THE ABILITY TO GET A STIPEND FOR THE DRUG OR A LOWER RATE THAT MAKES UP THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ANY INSURANCE THEY HAVE AND, UM, THE TRUE COST OF THE PRESCRIPTION. ASTHMA MEDICINE IS A GOOD EXAMPLE. UM, SO THERE ARE OTHER AGENCIES THAT DO THAT WORK AND THAT'S WHAT WE WOULD BE SEEKING, BUT FOCUSED ON SENIORS. THANK YOU. UM, AND THEN UNDER FUNDING FLEXIBILITY, I THINK ON SLIDE FIVE IT MENTIONS A MINIMUM $100,000 AWARD. DOES THAT MEAN THE 30% ADMINISTRATIVE RATE IS ONLY FOR AWARDS A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS OR HIGHER? OR, THAT WOULD BE FOR ALL. SO IF WE, IF WE AWARD THE MINIMUM, THEY WOULD STILL BE ABLE TO, UM, REACH A 30% ADMIN CAP. SO WE'RE JUST SAYING THAT A HUNDRED THOUSAND IS THE MINIMUM. RIGHT. FOR ALL AWARDS. FOR ALL AWARDS, OKAY. OVER TWO YEARS. MM-HMM. , WONDERFUL. AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION, AND THIS IS WHERE I THINK YOU WOULD SEEK DIRECTION, AND IF THERE'S A MAJORITY OF US WHO WANT IT, IT WOULD BE ADDED, RIGHT? UM, AND I'M WONDERING IF THERE'S A WAY TO INCLUDE TRANSPORTATION TO MEDICAL FACILITIES AND PROVIDERS AS A PROGRAM STRATEGY. I KNOW THAT ED MENTIONED, UM, LIKE SENIOR CENTERS AND RESOURCES, BUT I WOULD LIKE IT TO BE EXPLICITLY NAMED MEDICAL FACILITIES. AND WE HAVE, UM, MANY YEARS AGO PROVIDED SOME OF THAT MEDICAL TRANSPORTATION. THERE ARE A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS NOW, UM, MEDICAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT PROVIDE IT THEMSELVES. THEY HAVE SHUTTLE SERVICES, ESPECIALLY FOR DIALYSIS. UM, SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK WHAT WE WOULD DO IS RECOMMEND THAT IN THE ABSENCE OF THAT KIND OF ASSISTANCE, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD BE THE LAST RESORT. BUT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE COULD LOOK AT PROVIDING THAT, BUT WE'LL TAKE A LOOK, YOU KNOW, DO SOME ANALYSIS ON COST AND HOW FAR THAT TWO AND A HALF MILLION WOULD GO. ABSOLUTELY. AND MAKE THAT RECOMMENDATION. THANK YOU. AND I, I I JUST SAY THAT ONE SPECIFICALLY AND EXPLICITLY BECAUSE AS MANY KNOW, THE EAST SIDE DOES NOT HAVE A HOSPITAL AND THE SOUTHEAST SIDE, UM, IS ALMOST ENTIRELY WITHOUT MEDICAL SERVICES. AND SO, UM, I JUST WOULD LIKE THAT NAMED. THANK YOU. SURE, SURE. THANK YOU COUNCILMAN CASTILLO. THANK YOU CHAIR. AND THANK YOU MY LYDIAN TEAM, UM, FOR THIS PRESENTATION. OVERALL, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A SOLID PLAN. UH, I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS. FOR EXAMPLE, A HUGE PRIORITY FOR DISTRICT FIVE SENIORS OR THOSE WHO ATTEND DISTRICT FIVE SENIOR CENTERS WAS, [00:30:01] UH, AND AN ASK OF OUR OFFICE WAS, UH, INCREASE OF, OF PHYSICAL FITNESS CLASSES, RIGHT? MM-HMM. , THEY ABSOLUTELY LOVE THOSE CLASSES. AND I SEE ON SLIDE THREE, UM, IT SAYS FUND NON CENTERED BASED PROGRAMMING. WOULD THAT EXCLUDE INCREASING PROGRAMMING FOR CITY SENIOR CENTERS, OR WOULD IT BE IN ADDITION? UM, IT, IT COULD INCLUDE BOTH. WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT JUST, SO WHEN WE ISSUE OUR DELEGATE AGENCY, R F P SENIOR, UM, PROGRAMMING, THAT CATEGORY IS FOCUSED ON PROVIDING THE ACTIVITIES IN OUR SENIORS. AND WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE GOT FEEDBACK THAT, UM, THERE ARE NEEDS OUTSIDE OF THE SENIOR CENTERS AND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ALSO FOCUSED ON THAT. YES, ABSOLUTELY. UM, AND UM, MOVING ON TO TRANSPORTATION, RIGHT? WHAT I HEAR FROM, UH, SENIORS WHO LIVE IN SENIOR HOMES MM-HMM. AND CLOSE ACCESS TO NORMAL SENIOR CENTER, FOR EXAMPLE, RIGHT? UM, THEY'VE ASKED LIKE, WHAT IS THE CITY DOING FOR SENIORS? AND I'M LIKE, NORMAL OILS, LIKE RIGHT DOWN THE STREET. UM, BUT GETTING THERE, RIGHT? WHETHER IT'S NOT HAVING A SAFE SIDEWALK OR, UM, THE FUNDS TO GET ON THE VIA BUS, HOW, WHAT WOULD BE REQUIRED IN THE R F P PROCESS TO DETERMINE IF ANNUAL VIA BUS PASSES IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN GET FOR, UH, SENIORS AND SENIOR HOMES THAT AREN'T NECESSARILY, UM, COSA SENIOR CENTER PARTICIPANTS YET? SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S A COUPLE OF THINGS. A LOT OF THE SENIOR HOMES DO HAVE TRANSPORTATION SHUTTLES AND YOU KNOW, ONE JUST OUTSIDE OF THIS PROCESS, WE CAN WORK WITH THEM ON POTENTIALLY TAKING SENIORS. ALSO, UM, THE VIA TRANS, I BELIEVE THERE'S NO COST FOR THAT. SO GETTING MORE OF THE SENIORS HOOKED UP TO THAT. IF, UM, YOU OR SOMEONE FROM D H SS CAN HELP THE SAN JUAN SENIOR HOME, UH, GET CONNECTED TO SOME TYPE OF SHUTTLE, 'CAUSE ONE DOESN'T PICK UP SENIORS THERE. UM, BUT IF THAT IS A SERVICE THAT WE COULD CONNECT THEM TO, I'D BE HAPPY TO LEARN SOME MORE AND CONNECT THEM TO THAT. RIGHT. UM, ALSO, UM, AGAIN, RIGHT, WHAT WE HEAR FROM FOLKS AT THE SENIOR CENTERS IS, UM, FOOD INSECURITY AND SEEING THE INCREASE OF, UH, SENIORS WHO NEED TO ACCESS THE FOOD BANK, UM, BUT THEY DON'T MEET THAT INCOME THRESHOLD. THEY'RE BARELY ABOVE IT. HOW CAN WE HELP, UH, THOSE WHO MAY CURRENTLY MAKE SLIGHTLY ABOVE THE REQUIRED INCOME ACCESS, UH, RESOURCES AT THE FOOD BANK? SO WE HAD A, A BRIEF CONVERSATION WITH ERIC COOPER ABOUT THAT, THE PROGRAM, UM, THAT, THAT WE OPERATE PROJECT HOPE TOGETHER, WE FUND PART OF IT. FOOD BANK ALSO GETS FUNDING FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR THAT PART OF IT. THEY WOULD HAVE TO FOLLOW THOSE INCOME GUIDELINES THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SETS. UM, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HOW WE CAN USE OUR GENERAL FUND, UM, TO POTENTIALLY RAISE THAT UP. UM, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, OKAY, WHAT, WHAT WOULD THE POTENTIAL COST OF THAT BE? AND, AND HOW FAR WOULD THOSE FUNDS GO IF WE INCREASE THE DOLLAR AMOUNT? WE COULD ALSO LOOK AT A WAIVER, BECAUSE SOMETIMES YOUR INCOME DOESN'T TELL THE WHOLE STORY. RIGHT. YOU KNOW, YOU MAY HAVE HAD, UM, REALLY HIGH EXPENSES MAYBE FOR YOUR CAR OR REPAIRS TO AN APPLIANCE OR YOUR ROOF. UM, AND SO WE COULD LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, IN THOSE INSTANCES, HOW CAN WE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL FOOD TO HELP THEM MAKE IT THROUGH THOSE, THOSE BILLS? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. RIGHT. AND WE KNOW INFLATION'S HITTING EVERYONE RIGHT NOW, UM, ESPECIALLY OUR SENIORS WHO MAY, YOU KNOW, HAVE TO DETERMINE WHETHER THEY WANNA TURN THEIR AC OR NOT. UM, BUT CAN YOU TELL ME A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE DIRECT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AND HOW THAT'S STRUCTURED? UH, FOR EXAMPLE, IF A SENIOR IS, YOU KNOW, FALLING BEHIND ON THEIR RENT, WOULD THIS BE AN ADDITIONAL BUCKET TO THE HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM? OR HOW WOULD THOSE TWO WORK TOGETHER? SO WHEN WE GENERALLY, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT BASIC NEEDS, IT'S HOUSING, IT'S UTILITIES, FOOD PRESCRIPTIONS. UM, AND SO WE WOULD ASK FOR AGENCIES TO APPLY AND DESCRIBE THE PROCESS THEY USE TO PROVIDE THAT. UM, WHICH SHOULD INCLUDE COORDINATING WITH NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING ON THEIR PROGRAM AND TO MAKE SURE THERE AREN'T, THERE AREN'T OTHER FUNDS AVAILABLE AS WELL AS HUMAN SERVICES. WE ALSO PROVIDE UTILITY ASSISTANCE AND WE CAN LOOK INTO THE SYSTEM AND KNOW, YOU KNOW, HAVE THEY RECEIVED UTILITY ASSISTANCE ALREADY? IS THERE ANOTHER WAY WE CAN HELP? UM, BECAUSE WE WANT THE ARPA DOLLARS TO GO AS FAR AS THEY CAN. OKAY. THANK YOU, MELODY. THANK YOU, CHAIR. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN SANDOVAL. THANK YOU CHAIR. UM, THANK YOU MEL, FOR THE PRESENTATION. UH, A A FEW COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS. UM, I SAW THE, UM, WHAT YOU MENTIONED RIGHT NOW ABOUT, UM, ON-CENTER BASED PROGRAMMING TO REDUCE SOCIAL ISOLATION. I'M REALLY GLAD TO SEE THAT. UH, I THINK THAT WAS, UH, SOMETHING THAT I HAD REQUESTED BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY SENIORS THAT DON'T [00:35:01] YET, AS THE COUNCILMAN SAID, DON'T YET PARTICIPATE AT OUR SENIOR CENTERS, BUT ARE IN NEED OF REDUCED, YOU KNOW, HELPING THEM WITH SOCIAL ISOLATION. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR INCLUDING THAT. ONE OF THE OTHER, UM, SUGGESTIONS I THINK I MADE HAD TO DO WITH, UM, ACTIVITIES FOR SENIORS, BUT OUTDOORS, UH, IN THE EVENT THAT WE HAVE ANOTHER COVID SPIKE OR FOR THOSE WHO MAY NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE RETURNING TO THE SENIOR CENTERS AFTER COVID, UM, IS THAT STILL A POSSIBILITY? I DON'T THINK WE CALL IT OUT SPECIFICALLY. UM, BUT I RECALL THE, THE RECOMMENDATION AND WE CAN LOOK AT, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT BEING ONE OF THE, UM, SCOPE OF WORK ITEMS FOR THE FIRST ONE THAT TALKS ABOUT, UM, INCREASING ACTIVITIES AND RESOURCES TO PREVENT ISOLATION. I THINK IF, IF SOMEONE WERE TO APPLY TO DO THAT IN AN OUTDOOR SETTING, THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD BE, UM, ABSOLUTELY WELCOMED. SO I DON'T, I DON'T THINK THE RIGHT, RIGHT. THE R F P PRECLUDES OUTDOORS. UM, AND WE COULD ADD THAT IN WHEN WE WRITE THE SCOPE OF WORK TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, APPLICANTS UNDERSTAND THAT OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES WOULD ALSO COUNT AS PART OF THIS. UH, I'M SORRY, COULD YOU REPEAT THAT? DID YOU SAY THE R F P PRECLUDES OUTDOORS, SO IT DOESN'T ALLOW FOR THAT? NO, IT DOES NOT PRECLUDE. AND SO AS WE WRITE THE R F P SCOPE OF WORK, INSTEAD OF BEING SILENT ABOUT OUTDOORS AND ASSUMING THAT AN AGENCY KNOWS THEY COULD DO OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES, WE, WE COULD SPELL THAT OUT. OKAY. WONDERFUL. THANK YOU, MEL. UM, MY OTHER QUESTION HAS TO DO WITH THE WORKFORCE TRAINING. I SEE IT, UM, MENTIONED IN THE FIRST TWO CATEGORIES, WHAT, WELL, IT SAYS CONNECTION. UM, CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AND WHAT TRAINING PROGRAMS WE MIGHT CONNECT OUR SENIORS TO? SO, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF SENIORS THAT ARE WORKING PART-TIME OR EVEN FULL-TIME OR THAT WANT TO WORK BECAUSE THEY'RE, THEY'RE STRUGGLING FINANCIALLY. AND SO WE WOULD LOOK FOR AGENCIES THAT COULD MAKE THAT CONNECTION. UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE CATHOLIC CHARITIES THAT DOES VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS. I THINK THEY COULD MAKE THAT CONNECTION IF THEY WERE, UM, INTERESTED IN IT. UM, POTENTIALLY SOME OF THE CURRENT WORKFORCE AGENCIES WORKING WITH READY TO WORK COULD EXTEND, UM, TO SENIOR ACT, YOU KNOW, WORKING, UM, A LITTLE MORE SPECIFICALLY WITH SENIORS. UM, SO, UH, YOU KNOW, THE Y W C YEAH, FIRM ABOUT THAT. WE'RE, WE'RE HOPING TO GET SOME TYPE OF ORGANIZATION THAT WILL, RIGHT, WAIT, WE GET SOME ORGANIZATIONS AND MM-HMM. , WE HAVE Y W C A THAT PROVIDES SENIOR, UM, ACTIVITIES AND THEY ALSO PROVIDE WORKFORCE. SO I THINK THAT WOULD BE A FIT. SO THERE ARE AGENCIES I THAT CAN RESPOND TO THAT. OKAY. I'M JUST WONDERING, IS THAT, IS THE WORKFORCE TRAINING ANY DIFFERENT FOR SENIORS THAN IT IS FOR, YOU KNOW, THE POPULATION AT LARGE? YOU KNOW, I, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION THAT I'M NOT REALLY SURE ABOUT, BUT I'LL, I'LL FOLLOW UP ON THAT AND WE WILL PROVIDE A LITTLE MORE DETAIL ON, ON HOW THE WORKFORCE PIECE WOULD LOOK. OKAY, THANK YOU. AND THEN, UH, LASTLY, UM, YOU INCLUDED CAREGIVER, UH, CONNECTION AND, UH, IS THAT FROM, UM, THE STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS THAT YOU, THAT YOU CONDUCTED WAS THAT SUGGESTED THROUGH THAT? SO WE HEARD FROM A LOT OF HOLDERS THAT CAREGIVERS ARE TIRED, THEY'RE, UM, HAVING SOCIAL EMOTIONAL ISSUES OF THEIR OWN. AND, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THAT THAT LEADS TO A LOWER QUALITY OF CARE FOR THE SENIORS. AND SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO ADDRESS AND WE WOULD, YOU KNOW, LOOK FOR THOSE RESOURCES THROUGH ACOG, THROUGH, UM, SALSA, THROUGH OTHER NONPROFITS THAT, UM, CAN ASSIST WITH THAT. AND IN TERMS OF FUNDING RESPITE RESOURCES FOR CAREGIVERS, UM, UM, IS THE IDEA THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, AN ORGANIZATION THAT, THAT ENDS UP GETTING THIS FUNDING WOULD, UM, WOULD DO THAT FOR INDIVIDUAL CAREGIVERS. SO FOR INSTANCE, IF I'M TAKING CARE OF, UM, A SICK PARENT, UM, I COULD, UH, PRESUMABLY GET SOME RESPITE CARE BY CALLING DIRECTLY, OR DO I NEED TO BE ? THAT'S POSSIBLE. I MEAN, IT, I THINK IT HAS A LOT TO DO WITH WHAT THEY HAVE IN PLACE. YOU GENERALLY RESPITE CARE, UM, REQUIRES A EITHER [00:40:01] A LOCATION WHERE, UM, SENIORS COULD BE TAKEN, UM, SO THAT THE CAREGIVER WOULD HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A BREAK WHILE THE SENIORS WERE CARED FOR IN A SAFE AND HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT. UM, IT COULD ALSO INCLUDE, UM, BRINGING IN A DIFFERENT CAREGIVER SO THAT THE OTHER CAREGIVER COULD TAKE A BREAK. OKAY. THANK YOU. UM, I DO WANNA TOUCH ON THE, THE QUESTIONS THAT COUNCILMAN GUSTY BROUGHT UP REGARDING TRANSPORTATION. UH, I THINK THE VIA PASSES SOUNDS GREAT. ANY, ANY SENIOR SHOULD HAVE A, A PASS TO GO ALL OVER TOWN. UM, I THINK THAT THAT COULD GIVE THEM A LITTLE BIT OF, UM, IT MIGHT FEEL LIKE A LITTLE BIT OF FREEDOM, UM, DESPITE HOW, HOW HARD IT IS TO GET AROUND ON THE BUS SOMETIMES. UH, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE COULD DO IN PARTNERSHIP WITH VIA AT LOCAL SENIOR CENTERS? IT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD, UM, DISCUSS WITH THEM. AND SO, YOU KNOW, AT THE LOCAL SENIOR CENTERS, WE CAN GENERALLY PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION TO SENIORS WITHIN FIVE MILES, UH, FIVE MILE RADIUS OF THE CENTER, UM, FOR THOSE THAT ARE OUTSIDE THAT RADIUS OR, UM, DON'T, YOU KNOW, WHO WANT TO GET THERE AT SEVEN O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING, A LITTLE BIT AHEAD OF WHAT OUR, OUR ROUTE SCHEDULE WORK LOOKS LIKE. WE CAN TALK TO VIA ABOUT HOW TO ACCESS BUS PASSES AND VIA TRANS. AND SO, AND THEN FOR SENIORS WHO AREN'T CONNECTED TO THE SENIOR CENTERS, YOU KNOW, DEFINITELY VIA PASSES AND, AND VIA TRANS IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN TALK TO ABOUT, SORRY. AND WHAT ABOUT, UH, SENIOR, UH, LIVING FACILITIES? SO, LIKE I SAID, SOME OF THEM HAVE, UM, TRANSPORTATION AND, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE CAN WORK SOMETHING OUT WITH THOSE ORGANIZATIONS IF THEY'RE WITHIN FIVE MILE RADIUS OF A SENIOR CENTER, WE CAN, UM, WE CAN MAKE A STOP THERE AND PICK THEM UP, UM, OR WORK WITH VIA. SO THERE'S, THERE'S A FEW OPTIONS AND THEN THERE'S SOME SMALL, UM, SENIOR TRANSPORTATION PROVIDERS, UM, WHO DO A LOT OF IT BY VOL WITH VOLUNTEER DRIVERS. AND THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE AN OPTION AS WELL. YEAH. UH, WE HAVE ORGANIZATIONS LIKE, UM, THE JE, WHAT IS IT CALLED? I'M SORRY, JEFFERSON OUTREACH FOR OLDER PEOPLE THAT DOES, UH, PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION. UH, BUT SPECIFICALLY I JUST WANNA EXPRESS MY SUPPORT FOR, UH, WORKING WITH VIA TO VISIT EVERY SENIOR LIVING FACILITY AND, UH, DISCUSS HAVING, UH, BUS PASSES FOR, FOR THE SENIORS THERE AND, AND FINDING A WAY TO DO THAT. UM, I DO JUST WANT TO, UH, PUT OUT A CAVEAT REGARDING, UH, VIA TRANS, SO IT'S, UM, IT IS FREE, UH, LIKE YOU SAID, IT IS, UH, NOT AS CONVENIENT AS AS OTHER WAYS BECAUSE IT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S A SCHEDULED SHUTTLE AND, AND IT'S SHARED. UM, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY NOT THAT EASY TO QUALIFY FOR FOR VIATRANS AND IT'S A, AND IT'S A LONG PROCESS. SO, UM, I JUST, UH, DON'T WANT US TO, TO THINK IT'S GONNA BE A QUICK SOLUTION, UM, BECAUSE UH, THERE ARE MANY STEPS TO, TO QUALIFY AND REALLY THE INDIVIDUAL HAS TO HAVE, UH, MOBILITY IMPAIRMENT. SO I MEAN, THAT MAY BE THE CASE WITH SOME OF OUR SENIORS, RIGHT? THAT THEY CAN'T, UM, WALK THREE BLOCKS WITHOUT, WITHOUT GETTING WINDED AND, AND THEY WOULD PROBABLY END UP QUALIFYING. BUT, UM, JUST TO COPY IT. UM, THANK YOU CHAIR. I LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING THE ITEM. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN NKI RODRIGUEZ. UM, THANK YOU. I'M SUPER EXCITED. I MOVED TO, UM, SEND THE ITEM TO FULL COUNT THE ITEM TO FULL COUNSEL. GREAT. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND IF YOU CAN VOTE ON YOUR SYSTEM. AYE. AND ANA, CAN WE GET YOUR VERBAL VOTE? VOTE? AYE. CAN YOU HEAR ME? MOTION CARRIES. UH, OKAY. THE TIME IS NOW 10 47 AND THE MEETING IS NOW ADJOURN ADJOURNED. THANK YOU. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.