DRAFT

The Health and Human Services Committee of the DeKalb County Board met on Monday, December 8, 2008 @ 6:30p.m. in the Administration Building’s Conference Room East.  Chairman Jeffery L. Metzger, Sr., called the meeting to order.  Members present were John Emerson, Pat LaVigne, Richard Osborne and Paul Stoddard.  Ms. Dubin was absent.  Others present were Mary Ramp and Mary Overby with Family Service Agency.  A quorum was present.

APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES

          Moved by Ms. LaVigne, seconded by Mr. Osborne, and it was carried unanimously to approve the minutes from November 2008.

APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

          Moved by Mr. Stoddard, seconded by Mr. Emerson, and it was carried unanimously to approve the agenda as presented.

COMMITTEE DATE AND TIME DECISION

          The committee approved the FY2009 annual meeting dates and time for the Health and Human Services Committee.  Ms. Ramp asked if she could be added to the February meeting to give her annual report. 

Chairman Metzger, Sr., also told the committee that he planned on keeping the time limit for the meeting each month at one hour.

ONE-TIME ALLOCATION FOR SENIOR TAX LEVY

          Chairman Metzger, Sr., told the new committee members that there were some agencies that came through at the last committee meeting and we approved some of them.  However, there were two agencies that we needed more information from, he said. 

          Ms. Mary Ramp, Community Services Director for DeKalb County, said that the committee would be using the excess money that has been building up in the Senior Services Tax Levy Fund for these one-time allocations. The two agencies that are left to review are the Family Service Agency and Elder Care Services.

          Ms. Ramp introduced Ms. Mary Overby, who is the Director of Senior Services at Family Services Agency.  Ms. Overby said that the 12 handheld devices that they are requesting will help them with the HIPPA requirements while their case managers visit the seniors.  She said that they are bound by the Department on Aging requirements, to follow a care plan.  The Palm T3 is the model that she is looking at for these handheld devices.  She is asking for 12 of these.

          She explained that the homemaker would come in each day and transfer all of their information from the Palm T3 with their hours worked and the care plan.  She is going to ask Best Buy to come to their facility to train each homemaker on the Palm T3.  She invited the committee members to come to their agency and visit with them.

          The total amount for this purchase of 12 Palm T3 models equals $2,988.00.

          Moved by Ms. LaVigne, seconded by Mr. Stoddard, and it was carried unanimously to approve the one-time allocation to Family Services Agency for the purchase of 12 hand held devices in the total amount of $2,988.00, and to forward this recommendation to the full board for approval.

          The second request was from Elder Care Services.  They requested the amount of $8100.00 to cover the costs for three new laptops and five portable printers, scanners and protective cases at the committee’s meeting last month. 

          Ms. Ramp explained to the committee that there was no one present from Elder Care Services tonight and that she will do her best to explain their request for 3 laptops, 5 portable printers and scanners and protective cases totaling $8100.00

          Ms. LaVigne said that she felt that Elder Care Services has not proved the need for this many laptops, printers, scanners and cases. 

          Ms. Ramp explained to the committee that Elder Care Services would use the laptops the same way as Family Services Agency will use the Palm held devices.  The equipment will be used for elder abuse and self-neglect cases.

          Ms. LaVigne said that she could approve one of each and would like to see what happens.  She would like Elder Care Services prove their need for the rest of the equipment. 

          Moved by Ms. LaVigne, seconded by Mr. Emerson, and it was carried unanimously to approve the allocation for 1 laptop computer totaling $1391.00, 1 printer for $265.00, 1 scanner for $349.00and 1 protective case for $36.47, at the total cost to equal $2,041.47 and to forward this recommendation to the full board for approval.

PRESENTATION FROM MARY RAMP, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT

          Ms. Mary Ramp, Director of the DeKalb County Community Services Department, introduced herself to the new committee members and explained her department’s functions.  She explained that most of her funds come from the Federal Community Block Grant, state grants and the money from the Senior Services Tax Levy.  She then explained the Senior Services Tax Levy funding to the committee, also.  She said that the applications from the various agencies are bids for service and that the County of DeKalb is purchasing these services. 

          Mr. Stoddard said that the purpose of the Senior Service Tax Levy is to keep senior citizens as independent adults, which helps to prevent seniors from entering nursing homes.

          Ms. Ramp said that the Community Services Block grant is the largest grant that her department receives ($200,000), which helps to cover their salaries.  She said that she has 3 staff members in her department currently. 

          Chairman Metzger, Sr., asked, with the foreclosures and unemployment issues in the country currently, has Ms. Ramp seen an increase in her office of people seeking help and is she concerned about next year?

          Ms. Ramp said that she has seen an increase in her caseload, it used to be at 30%, but she feels she will see it go up by 35% to 40%.  She is seeing more people that are unemployed and they are seeing some people that are in danger of being foreclosed on.  She also cautioned the committee that those people that may be foreclosed on will go into the rental market and will squeeze-out those people at the bottom of the rental market.  She also mentioned that the food pantries in the County are struggling now, too.

SOLICITING MORE AGENCIES IN NEED IN DEKALB COUNTY FOR SENIOR SERVICES TAX LEVY FUNDS        

          The committee discussed whether or not the County is missing other agencies that are in the community that service senior citizens.  Chairman Metzger, Sr. said that the committee would be looking for other ideas in 2009.

          Ms. Ramp explained to the committee that there was an application for the one-time allocation for senior service tax levy funds from the YMCA for the Senior Walking Program.  The committee at the time asked them to submit an application at the regular Senior Services Tax Levy Hearings because they felt that this was an activity that would be done all year long.  This will be the first time that they will be applying for these funds.

          Ms. LaVigne said that at Safe Passage she thought that there may be some seniors there that may be served from the tax levy, she was not sure.

DISCUSSION ON THE POVERTY LEVEL IN DEKALB COUNTY 

          Ms. Ramp explained to the committee that by the Federal Guidelines for poverty levels - the amount of money that a person makes a month would equal $867.00 (gross), which would amount to $5.00 an hour based on a 40-hour workweek.  At the last census in 2000, our poverty level was at 9,000 people.  However, she feels that estimate now would show that the poverty level in DeKalb County is significantly higher, like around 14,000 people. 

ADJOURNMENT

Moved by Mr. Emerson, seconded by Ms. LaVigne, and it was carried unanimously to adjourn the meeting.

                                                Respectively submitted,

                                                _________________________________  

                                                Chairman Jeffery L. Metzger, Sr.

_____________________________ 

Mary C. Supple, Secretary