Purpose:

The purpose of this report is to receive City Council authorization to file a grant application with the Los Angeles County Department of Community and Senior Citizen Services and the Area Agency on Aging (AAA) to receive Federal grant monies for the Nutrition and Supportive Services which are part of the Park, Recreation and Community Services Department�s Senior and Human Services Division.

Background:

During the 2003-04 fiscal year, the L.A. County Department of Community Services granted the City funding approval from their 2004-2007 allocation cycle.  In February 2005, the County of Los Angeles Department of Community and Senior Citizen Services requested that agencies receiving Title III Older American�s Act federal funding for senior citizen nutrition and supportive services submit a grant proposal for the continuation of funding during the 2005-06 fiscal year.  The City has received a grant annually and the funding is an approved budgeted item.

The Supplemental Nutrition Services Program is responsible for providing approximately 104,000 congregate and home delivered meals.  The program receives funding from the AAA, US Department of Agriculture, donations from the clients, and the City�s General Fund.  The meals for the program are prepared daily, Monday thru Friday at the McCambridge Park central kitchen.  All tasks necessary to provide the meals are performed by City employees.  This includes preparing the menus, which are approved by AAA personnel, ordering food items, packaging goods, as well as cooking and serving the meals.  Once the food has been prepared, it is packaged for distribution.

The Supportive Services Program provides the critical services of collecting and disseminating information about senior adult services and directs callers to an agency or organization that can extend the assistance necessary to resolve the individual�s problem or need.  In some cases, staff works directly with supportive service agencies to ensure that needy clients receive proper attention.  This program area receives funding only for the telephone reassurance program.  It is an outreach program which links frail seniors, who often can not leave their residences, with volunteers who place phone calls to these individuals on a regular basis.  Staff coordinates this program, and the City is reimbursed for the service.  Currently there are approximately 100 individuals receiving this service. 

Analysis:

Pros

• If the application is accepted at the amount submitted, the City will receive $276,359 in Older Americans Act funding for the congregate and home delivered meal program.  Home delivered meals are provided five days a week, with some clients receiving individual frozen meals to meet their weekend needs.  Congregate meals are served Monday through Friday. This program will also receive additional USDA funding based upon the number of meals served.  One hundred volunteers who are instrumental to these programs provide over 16,000 hours of service.

• In addition, if the application is accepted at its submittal level, the City will receive $906 for supportive services programs.  This funding will provide payments for the telephone reassurance program.  This program employs four volunteers who are in contact with one hundred clients.

Cons

• If the grant application if not submitted, the City will not receive any Federal Funds to help offset the cost of these services.

Fiscal Impact:

This item has been included in the FY 2005-2006 budget.  The revenue anticipated from the grant has been projected to offset a significant portion of the general fund cost of these services. In accordance with the County and Federal proposal guidelines, the City of Burbank�s proposal has been prepared to include the following:

Title III-C1                   Congregate Meals                $138,165.00

Title III-C2                   Home Delivered Meals          138,194.00

Title III-B                      Supportive Services                       906.00

                                    Total                                       $277,265.00

Recommendation:

It is staff�s recommendation that a resolution of the Council of the City of Burbank be adopted authorizing the execution and filing for a proposal for a further grant under Title III of the Older Americans Act of 1965, as amended, for supplemental nutrition programs and supportive services.

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