The Health and Human Services Committee of the DeKalb County Board met on Monday, October 6, 2008 @ 6:30p.m. in the Administration Building’s Conference Room East.  Chairman Robert Rosemier called the meeting to order.  Members present were Ms. LaVigne and Mr. Stoddard.  Others present were Mary Ramp, Chuck Rose, Gary Hanson and Karen Grush.  A quorum was not present.

FY2009 BUDGET DISCUSSION

          Chairman Rosemier discussed the appeal #26B relative to the Increase amount of $1,000 for the Community Services Budget to the Senior Services Program. He feels that the office deserved another $1,000 for the administrative staff .  The funding for this $1,000 would come by reducing the monies allocated for seniors.  He continued by saying that the current administrative fee is $6,000 so this would raise it to $7,000 if it is approved. 

          Mr. Hanson, Deputy County Administrator, said that he disagreed with the $1,000 appeal and you look at the hourly rate, the work is normally clerical in nature, he would assume the hourly rate would be around $25.00 as an example.  The total amount then would be $7,000 @ $25.00 an hour would equal 280 hours.  This would total 7 weeks worth of work.  This is really too much time and seems really high to him.

          Ms. Ramp said that when she figures this out for her grant - the salaries are based on health insurance, workmen’s compensation, everything.  She then has to come up with an average hourly rate, it comes out to be around $40.00 and hour. 

Ms. Fullerton arrived at 6:37p.m. and a quorum is now present.

          Mr. Rosemier said that he feels accountability responsibility has increased with the increase in number of agencies, the total amount of allocations, and the addition of one-time grant cycles.

          Mr. Hanson said that he feels that there is just too much time devoted to this program.

          After further discussion it was moved by Ms. LaVigne, seconded by Ms. Fullerton, and it was carried unanimously to approve the appeal to add $1,000 to the administrative fee charged by the Community Services Department to the  Senior Services Program and to forward it to the Finance Committee.

          The committee then discussed appeal item #4 that would reduce the fee increase requested by the Public Health so that the net gain for 2009 would be $10,000 rather than $20,000. 

          Ms. Grush said that the County has always promoted user fees for programs where appropriate.  She does not feel that these are huge fee increases. 

          Mr. Stoddard asked what the percentage of increase would be for these fees?

          Ms. Grush said for example the environmental health fees estimate would bring about $188,000 and of this $14,600 is the increase - most of them are around 5%.

          Mr. Hanson said to remember that the County always encourages departments to use fees where they can because they’re based on property tax dollars.  If you lower these fees through the appeal we now will have to go back to find out places to cut within public health or to pay taxes from somewhere.  They are doing what we ask them to do.

          Moved by Ms. LaVigne, seconded by Ms. Fullerton, and it was carried unanimously to deny the appeal to reduce the fee increases requested by the Health Department and to forward this recommendation to the Finance Committee.

          The committee then discussed appeal item #24 regarding the freezing of the funding levels for the Health Department for offsetting IMRF and FICA costs. 

          Ms. Grush said that the County does not pay for IMRF or FICA for Home Health Care employees.  It has paid it for the public health care employees, though. 

          Mr. Hanson said that the one thing that we cannot do is not pay the FICA or IMRF because it is required by law.

          Moved by Mr. Stoddard, seconded by Ms. Fullerton, and it was carried unanimously to deny the appeal to freeze the funding levels for the Health Department for off-setting IMRF and FICA costs and to forward this recommendation to the Finance Committee.

MENTAL HEALTH BOARD GRANT YEAR 2009 BUDGET AND 2007 ANNUAL REPORT – CHUCK ROSE

          Mr. Chuck Rose, President of the Mental Health 708 Board, presented the grant year FY2009 budget and 2007 Annual Report. 

          Mr. Rose said that the Mental Health Board funds 41 programs in 12 different agencies.  They are also the landlord to the Ben Gordon Center.  These programs cover the ages from youth to senior citizens.  He said that the annual rent that is charged to the Ben Gordon Center is $1.00 a year and they have not increased that amount. 

          In the Grant Year 2008 allocations through the Sheriff’s Department they funded the Jail Based Services.  It used to be funded through the Ben Gordon Center.  Currently it is in-house at the Jail, but it is not permanent yet.  They have given the money directly to the Sheriff’s Department for about 10 months now.  At the last count, covering those 10 months, 825 inmates have been helped.

          They are trying to fund positions if they can.  The purchase of services is the largest item they fund currently.  They recently have funded the Advanced Practice Nurse and have paid a full years’ worth of time.  This Advanced Practice Nurse will lessen the need to have a full-time psychiatrist serve the inmates.  The Ben Gordon Center was able to hire 2 half-time positions because of this funding from the Mental Health Board.

          They are also doing a community assessment through the University of Illinois out of Rockford.  When they complete the assessment, the Mental Health Board will hold a retreat and outline what DeKalb County needs are.  The board will decide what the higher priorities are.  They then will send out materials detailing their findings.

APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES

          Moved by Ms. Fullerton, seconded by Mr. Stoddard, and it was carried unanimously to approve the minutes from September 2008.

APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

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

SPECIAL ONE-TIME GRANTS FROM SENIOR TAX LEVY FUNDS

          Ms. Ramp, Director of the DeKalb County Community Services Department, is the administrator of the Senior Services Tax Levy Funds.  She informed the committee that there is $148,000 in funds that are available yet.  She said to remember that you need to keep at least $25,000 in the fund for reserves.  The committee has already allocated $17,700 for the Cycle 1 for the first round of special requests.  The also reminded the committee that $12,000 will be used for the community assessments project and the $1,000 additional administrative fees for next year if it is approved this year through the budget process.  The $148,000 is the balance in the account after all of these deductions are taken into consideration.

          Ms. Ramp then proceeded to pass out the 2^nd round of one-time request applications to the committee to review.

          Ms. LaVigne suggested that the committee should review these over the next month and discuss this at their November 2008 Health and Human Services Committee meeting.

          The committee agreed to review these applications and discuss it at their November 2008 meeting.

ADJOURNMENT

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

                                                Respectively submitted,

                                                _________________________________  

                                                Chairman Robert Rosemier

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Mary C. Supple, Secretary