Fiscal Note
The proposed resolution authorizes allocating up to $23,950 to both Freedom, Inc. and the Hmong Institute, totaling $47,900, to support senior activities programming for South East Asian seniors in 2019 and authorizes another $57,500 each to the same contractors, totaling $115,000, for the same services in 2020. The 2019 adopted operating budget includes $100,000 to support senior programming for South East Asian seniors; no additional City appropriation is required. The Community Development Division’s 2020 operating budget request includes community agency contract funding for the $115,000 total for 2020. The $115,000 contract amount for 2020 is subject to Common Council approval of the 2020 operating budet.
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Approving the allocation of up to $47,900 in funding authorized for use in 2019 for senior case management and/or senior activities programming for Madison’s South East Asian senior population, and up to $115,000 in 2020 (provided that sufficient funds are authorized in the 2020 budget), to the organizations and in the amounts specified, and authorizing the Mayor and the City Clerk to enter into contractual agreements with those organizations.
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WHEREAS, the City of Madison is home to a significant population of South East Asian elders who continue to struggle with the effects of traumas inflicted in service to the United States and, who have benefitted from mental health and community programming provided through local partnerships and collaborations financed, in part, with City resources; and,
WHEREAS, in 2018, the City of Madison contracted with Journey Mental Health Center and provided $15,175 to support its Kajsiab House program for South East Asian Seniors to support case management services that were coordinated with mental health services provided by Journey Mental Health; and,
WHEREAS, in response to Journey Mental Health’s decision to discontinue its Kajsiab House programming in 2018, the Mayor proposed and the Common Council approved as part of the City’s 2019 Operating Budget, a $100,000 increase in funding for Senior Services for the purpose of supporting services for South East Asian seniors previously provided through the Kajsiab House program, which included senior case management and senior activities programming; and,
WHEREAS, the services envisioned to be supported with the new funds authorized in the 2019 Operating Budget fall under the purview of the City’s framework for Senior Adult Services, which are scheduled next to be the subject of a funding process in 2020; and,
WHEREAS, on February 26, 2019, the Common Council adopted RES-19-00162 (Legistar #54202), directing the Community Development Division to conduct a Request for Proposals (RFP) process to allocate authorized funds that:
• ensures that all programs and services demonstrate relationships or experience working with Southeast Asian (specifically Cambodian, Hmong, Lao, and Thai) elders and communities, a partnership with a provider of mental health and psychiatric services, and experience with and knowledge of culturally and linguistically appropriate senior case management and senior activities services to ensure services build trust with clients and are relevant to their needs;
• leverages other resources, including County-administered mental health funding, that are available to serve this population; and
• applies the City standards for Case Management and Senior Activities required of all City-funded senior service providers, and
WHEREAS, on May 13, CDD issued an RFP soliciting proposals from organizations seeking support to provide services to South East Asian elders and received two responses - one from Freedom Inc., the other from the Hmong Institute; and,
WHEREAS, CDD staff; in consultation with a review team comprised of two staff members from Dane County, a faculty member from the UW-Milwaukee College of Nursing, a (Southeast Asian) community member and a member of the City’s Committee on Aging; reviewed and evaluated the proposals, heard presentations from and put questions to both applicant organizations, and considered hours of public comment presented by members of the community at several City committee hearings; and,
WHEREAS, CDD staff concluded that though neither organization satisfied the guidelines set forth in the RFP with respect to the provision of case management services, both offered credible proposals for senior activity programming; and,
WHEREAS, CDD determined that the goal of ensuring the greatest access to programming by elders would best be achieved by offering support to both applicant organizations; and,
WHEREAS, in the interest of achieving that goal, CDD staff formulated the following funding allocation recommendations for consideration by the Committee on Aging:
• For 2019, in anticipation of mid- to late-September 2019 contract start dates, the recommended 2019 allocations, prorated to reflect a partial-year contract period, are:
o Up to $23,950 to Freedom Inc. for use in support of Senior Activities Programming
o Up to $23,950 to the Hmong Institute for use in support of Senior Activities Programming
• For 2020, provided sufficient funding is included in the City’s 2020 Adopted Operating Budget, the recommended 2020 allocations are:
o Up to $57,500 to Freedom Inc. for use in support of Senior Activities Programming
o Up to $57,500 to the Hmong Institute for use in support of Senior Activities Programming; and,
WHEREAS, the Committee on Aging met on July 24th , and voted to approve the staff recommendations described above and forward them to the Common Council for adoption; and,
WHEREAS, the Community Development Division currently anticipates conducting an RFP process in 2020 that will determine the allocation of all authorized funding for Senior Services beginning in 2021, including the funding addressed in this resolution.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Common Council approves the recommendations of the Committee on Aging and directs the Community Development Division to allocate funds to support the provision of senior activities programming to South East Asian seniors as follows in 2019, and in 2020, provided sufficient funds are included in the 2020 Adopted Operating Budget:
• Up to $23,950 in 2019 and up to $57,500 in 2020 to Freedom Inc., and
• Up to $23,950 in 2019 and up to $57,500 in 2020 to The Hmong Institute; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Mayor and City Clerk are hereby authorized to enter into contracts, on behalf of the City, with Freedom Inc. and The Hmong Institute to accomplish the purposes described in this resolution.