Purpose

The purpose of this report is to request 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 Senior and Human Services Division of the Park, Recreation and Community Services Department.

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.  The County of Los Angeles Department of Community and Senior Citizen Services is requesting 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 2006-07 fiscal year.  The City has received a grant annually, and the funding is an approved budgeted item.

The Supplemental Nutrition Services Program for the City of Burbank 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.  These tasks include creating the menus which are approved by AAA personnel, ordering food items and packaging goods, and 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 problems or needs of the individual.

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 cannot 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 150 individuals receiving this service. 

Analysis

If the application is accepted in 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 (100) volunteers who are vital to these programs provide over 16,000 hours of service annually.

In addition, 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 (100) clients.

Fiscal Impact

This item has been included in the FY 2006-2007 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 proposal for the City of Burbank 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 the recommendation of staff that City Council approve a resolution authorizing the Park, Recreation and Community Services Department to apply for a Senior Citizen Nutrition and Supportive Services Grant from the Los Angeles County Department of Community Services and the Area Agency on Aging.

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