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Senior Millage Allocation Committee Minutes

Senior Millage Allocation Committee
July 24, 2009 8:30 a.m.
Calhoun County Building-Marshall
Lower Level Conference Room

The meeting was called to order at 8:34 a.m. by Chair Lisa Gerow.

Members Present: Arlene Bolton, Julie Camp, , Lisa Gerow, Jennie Hoffmann, Viola Johnson, Joanne Konkle, Father Ed Scully

Members Absent: Mary Crowell, Kristy Smith, Matt Lynn, Jill Booth, Rebecca Rocho,

Staff Present: Carl Gibson, Rodna Stealy, Brad Wilcox, Ben Copeland (student intern)

Guests: Richard Lindsey (corporate counsel)

Approval of the Agenda

Joanne made a motion to approve the agenda, Father Ed supported the motion. Motion Carried.

Approval of June 26, 2009 Minutes

Fr. Ed made a motion to approve the minutes from the June 26, 2009 meeting, Viola supported the motion. Motion Carried.

Consent Agenda

Father Ed made a motion to approve the consent agenda. Julie supported the motion. Motion Carried.

Citizens’ Time: There were no citizens present who chose to speak at this time.

Discussion Items:

Carl discussed the need for a committee to start working on the 2010 Senior Millage Renewal and requested volunteers to start things in motion. Joanne, Lisa and Viola volunteered and Jennie reported that Jill had previously stated that she would like to volunteer for this committee.

New Business:

Service Standards

Carl and Joanne presented the standards that the Standards Committee reviewed at their meeting on Wednesday July 22.

All Services Standard

Recipient Eligibility:

• It is expected that all residents in licensed nursing facilities will receive their primary benefits and services from those facilities and not utilize senior millage funds. This does not preclude or exclude mutual programs or special events that benefit the facility residents and senior millage.
• For services that have an income limitation requirement for eligibility, the income limitation is program specific. Depending upon the specific service, recipients must be at or below either 150% or 200% of the poverty level as published in the most recent Federal Register. (See Chart of Services at the end of this Section.)

Page 6 Income limitations for Services.

Arlene made a motion to accept the proposed changes to the All Services Standard as presented. Jennie supported the motion. Motion Carried.

Hearing Services Standard

Income Requirement

Yes. Recipients must be at or below 150% of the poverty level as published in the most recent Federal Register.

Service Delivery

• Hearing aid device provided must be the least costly alternative that is appropriate for the person’s hearing condition, up to a maximum of $3,000 per individual, including program administrative costs.
• Participants will not be eligible for more than one (1) hearing aid service as a lifetime benefit.
• The program is to seek alternative service delivery methods that would utilize local service organizations (e.g. Lions, Rotary, and Kiwanis) as partners in longer term community ventures that maximize the number of seniors served.

Arlene made a motion to accept the proposed changes to the Hearing Standard. Father Ed. supported the motion. Motion Carried 6- yes 1-no ( Julie Camp)

Personal Emergency Response System

Income Requirement

Yes. Recipients must be at or below 150% of the poverty level as published in the most recent Federal Register.

Recipient Eligibility

1. Re-determination of eligibility and ability to use equipment must be completed and verified semi-annually, and may be completed concurrently with a monthly equipment check.

Service Delivery

Equipment provided must be the least costly alternative that is appropriate for individual needs. The cost of additional services capabilities or add-ons are the participant’s obligation.

Members discussed what changes would result from the change of 200% of Poverty Level to 150% of Poverty Level. Father suggested that people who are currently being served and are at 200% of poverty level should be grandfathered in but that new applicants would need to be at 150% of poverty level as published in the most recent Federal Register.

Father Ed made a motion to accept the changes as recommended with the exception that clients that are currently enrolled who are between 150% and 200% of Poverty Level as published in the most recent Federal Register would be grandfathered in so that they would not just lose their service. Joanne supported the motion. Motion Carried.

Prescription Vouchers

Income Requirement

Yes. Recipients must be at or below 150% of the poverty level as published in the most recent Federal Register.

Recipient Eligibility Requirement

• The amount allowable per individual is $750 per calendar year.

Service Delivery

Cost of program service will include the prescription voucher and no more than a 25% program administrative fee.

Members discussed the Administration fee. Recommendation was that cost of program will include the prescription voucher and no more than 25% program administrative fee, but members felt that was too high and that it should be 20%.

Father Ed made a motion to accept the proposed changes to the standard but that it should read Cost of program service will include the prescription voucher and no more than a 20% program administrative fee. Viola supported the motion. Motion Carried.

Transportation Central Dispatch

Service Priority

Exclusions: Senior Millage transportation shall not be utilized or scheduled for trips to casinos/gaming facilities.

Father Ed made a motion to accept the changes as proposed to the Transportation Standard. Joanne supported the motion. Motion Carried.

Vision Services

INCOME REQUIREMENT

Yes. Recipients must be at or below 150% of the poverty level as published in the most recent Federal Register.

Service Costs

Eyeglasses provided must be the least costly alternative that is appropriate for the individual’s vision condition up to a maximum cost of $275 per pair plus administrative fee. Total of eyeglasses, exam and administrative costs should not exceed $400 per individual.

• Participants will not be eligible for more than one (1) pair eyeglasses every five (5) years.
• The program is to seek alternative service delivery methods that would utilize local service organizations (e.g. Lions, Rotary, and Kiwanis) as partners in longer term community ventures that maximize the number of seniors served.

Members discussed the proposed changes and felt that the administrative fees should be 20% so it should read-

Eyeglasses provided must be the least costly alternative that is appropriate for the individual’s vision condition up to a maximum cost of $275 per pair plus 20% administrative fee. Total of eyeglasses, exam and administrative costs should not exceed $400 per individual.

Arlene made a motion to accept the proposed changes with this adjustment. Father Ed supported the motion. Motion Carried.

2010 RFP Committee Funding Budget Recommendation

At the June meeting Carl presented a sample document of funding recommendations for the 2010 funding year and explained to members that we need to start working on making some cuts in funding for 2010. He explained to members that we will need to cut approximately $150,000 in funding for 2010. Last year money was taken from the fund balance to allow 2009 funding to remain at the 2008 level. As tax revenues decrease we need to decrease our funding level. The hand-out is only a suggestion of possible ways to look at things, by first identifying “CORE” services. Carl suggested “CORE” services would be Care Management, Prescriptions, Dental, Nutrition/Meals and Transportation.

Members suggested that they would like to have a committee look at this recommendation, discuss ways to cut and then make a recommendation to the whole committee. This will need to be done fairly quickly as we will need to advise Purchasing about services to be bid out soon. There is the possibility of continuing some services without going through the bid process. Carl and Brad discussed this process with members and recommended that a work group get working on this issue as soon as possible. Members suggested that those who worked on the RFP committee last year (Jennie, Jill, and Father Ed) should look at funding for 2010 and make a recommendation to the whole committee.

The RFP committee met and the following recommendation is the result of that meeting as well as email votes from the whole committee.

Following an in-depth discussion Brad explained that Carl had discussed this recommendation with him and Richard Lindsey, Calhoun County Corporate Council, and that he feels the recommendation as presented is good. He noted that the committee could make changes to amounts to reduce the grants if they wished but that if they wanted to increase a grant they would need to re-bid that service. Jenny made a suggestion to, re-bid--WholePerson Wellness, Legal Assistance, Hands-on, and Marian Burch Adult Day Care.

After discussion Committee Members voted on each of those services;

Whole Person Wellness –6 NO 1 Yes

Legal Assistance-6 NO 1 Yes

Hands-on Battle Creek-6 NO 1 Yes

M. Burch Adult Day Care-6 NO 1 Yes

Arlene questioned Forks Senior Center funding and why we need to continue to fund this program when it was anticipated in the beginning that this would only be for a couple of years. Joanne explained that Forks is doing a lot of good things for Senior Citizens in Albion. They felt that the programs including educational programs, social programs, as well as the fitness room that is used every day are very important. Members felt that Senior Millage funding is critical for this program to continue. Joanne also pointed out that this program reaches a large number of minority citizens since they moved to their location on Cooper Street.

Members suggested that Hands on Battle Creek funding should be cut $2,000 as was suggested last month in the preliminary recommendation by Carl.

Father Ed made a motion to approve the funding recommendation as presented with the exception of Funding for Hands on Battle Creek be cut from $17,000 to $15,000. Arlene supported the motion. Motion Carried 6-Yes 1-No (Jennie opposed).

Announcements

Father Ed announced to the Committee that this was his last meeting as he is moving to Tampa, Florida.

Ben passed out Member Notebooks that Carl, Rodna, and Ben had put together for members. Carl noted that he hoped these notebooks would be helpful to current members but that he expected them to be particularly helpful for new members joining the committee.

Citizens Time

There were no citizens present that chose to speak at this time.

Adjournment

Meeting adjourned at 10:15 a.m.

Next Meeting: August 28, 2009

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