SR-302-001 (29)
City Council Meeting: March 25, 2003 Santa Monica, California
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: City Staff
SUBJECT: Resolution Authorizing Grant Applications for Senior Nutrition and
Recreation Program
INTRODUCTION
This report recommends that the City Council adopt the attached resolution authorizing
the submittal of a grant application to the County of Los Angeles Department of
Community and Senior Services for funding for FY 2003/2004 and authorizing the City
Manager to negotiate and execute a contract with the County for provision of services to
the elderly through the City's Senior Nutrition and Recreation Program.
BACKGROUND
The City of Santa Monica has been sponsoring the Senior Nutrition and Recreation
Program for the past 26 years. Every four years the County conducts an open
competitive bid process for program service, with renewal applications submitted in
subsequent years. Fiscal year 2003-2004 is an open competitive year.
Programs funded through Los Angeles County are the Congregate Meals Program,
Home Delivered Meals Program and Telephone Reassurance Program. Revenue for
these programs comes from this Los Angeles County grant, the United States
Department of Agriculture (U.S.D.A), participant donations and the City's General Fund.
The City is required to provide a minimum 15% local match for the Congregate Meals
Program, and provisions to do so are already in place.
During FY 2002-2003, the Congregate Meals Program was funded to serve meals each
week-day at five sites: Reed Park, Ken Edwards Center, Virginia Avenue Park, the
Senior Recreation Center and WISE Day Care Center, plus Saturday service at the
Senior Recreation Center. The actual service level is approximately 2,790 meals per
month. The suggested donation for the Congregate Meals Program is $1.50 per meal,
with an average actual donation of $1.10 per meal. During FY 2003-2004, the
Congregate Meals Program is projected to again serve approximately 2,790 meals per
month. Due to reduced available funding from the County, it is expected that the City
will be funded based on actual service levels with little, if any, room for expansion. Our
grant proposal will be requesting a reimbursement rate of $2.16 per meal from the
County and 54 cents from the U.S.D.A., a 5 cent cost of living increase from the County
and a 1 cent increase from the U.S.D.A.
As of July 1994, the City subcontracted its Home Delivered Meals Program to Meals on
Wheels West. This arrangement is a cost effective and productive method of providing
this service, given the organization's experience and broader program in delivering
meals to homebound seniors. During FY 2002-2003, the Home Delivered Meals
Program operates seven days a week and provides approximately 1,791 meals per
month for homebound seniors in Santa Monica. During FY 2003-2004, the Home
Delivered Meals Program is proposed to serve an average of 1,780 meals per month
with 45 clients receiving two meals per day. The City is requesting a reimbursement
rate of $3.00 per meal from the County plus $0.54 from the U.S.D.A. This is an increase
for cost of living of 7 cents from the County plus a 1 cent increase from the U.S.D.A.
The City is also applying for funding to operate a Telephone Reassurance Program for
Home Delivered Meals Program clients. Clients are contacted to check for any
questions or concerns regarding the meal program. A total of 95 calls per month will be
made to clients receiving frozen meal delivery. The City expects an average of 35
clients to be served through this program with a reimbursement rate of $.50 per call.
This program is also subcontracted to Meals on Wheels West.
BUDGET/FINANCIAL IMPACT
All revenues and appropriations associated with the grant programs will be included in
the FY2003-04 budget based on the current year’s service levels. These appropriations
may be adjusted when final grant allocations are made, if necessary. Appropriations
will be made to the following accounts: 20544.403390, 20544.403400, 20262.403420
and 20262.406340.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt the attached resolution authorizing the
submittal of a grant application to the County of Los Angeles Department of Community
and Senior Services for funding and authorize the City Manager to negotiate and
execute a contract with the County for provision of services to the elderly through the
City's Senior Nutrition and Recreation Program.
Prepared by: Barbara Stinchfield
Director, Community and Cultural Services
Kathy LePrevost
Community Programs Manager
ATTACHMENT 1. Resolution