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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Minutes - Community Development Advisory Commission - Meeting Date: 1/8/2009 CITY OF GLENDALE, ARIZONA COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE (CDAC) PUBLIC HEARING#2 MUNICIPAL OFFICE COMPLEX 5850 W. GLENDALE AVENUE Council Chambers Glendale, AZ FINAL MINUTES Thursday, January 8, 2009 6:30 P.M. MEMBERS PRESENT: Erin Hart, Chair Chris Flippen, Vice Chair Karen Mankoski Susan Jernigan Rebecca Ontiveros Mary Jean Eggleston Pattie Johnston Madelin Page Yolanda Hernandez MEMBERS ABSENT: Kim Toops OTHERS PRESENT: Erik Strunk, Community Partnerships Director Gilbert Lopez, Revitalization Administrator Mona Francis-Spellman, Revitalization Supervisor Brian Lotto, Revitalization Coordinator Beth Coughenour, Senior Secretary I. Call to Order and Introductions Chair Hart called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. and Committee members and Staff introduced themselves. II. Business from the Floor/Public Comment None. III. Fiscal Year(FY) 2009-2010 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Funding Requests Mr. Strunk thanked all of the agencies in advance for their presentations and their hard work on the grant applications. Mr. Strunk also thanked the Committee members for their dedication to the city of Glendale and time served during this process. Mr. Lopez echoed those comments. Chair Hart noted that each presentation would be limited to four minutes and afterwards, the Committee members will ask questions if necessary. The following agencies made presentations requesting funds for Public Service Activity. 1.) Glendale Community Assistance Program Ms. Rebecca Daniel represented the agency, which is requesting $100,000 in funding. Highlights from the presentation include the following: • The agency provides assistance to Glendale residents with mortgage and rent payments. • Residents must meet federal poverty guidelines or emergency criteria. • Verification of income, social security number, birth certificate and other general requirements are performed. • Most clients need help because of loss of income, reduction of work hours, a medical crisis and/or unexpected expenses. • Once eligibility is determined, assistance is also dependent on the amount of available funds. • Payments are made directly to the landlord. • For the first time in twenty-two years, the agency expended all of its rent funds within the first quarter of this current fiscal year. This was due to the bad economy. Currently, the agency is utilizing funds from the State Housing Trust Fund to continue assisting clients. • Assistance is limited to once a year. Committee member Jernigan expressed concern about the fact that available funding was fully utilized in the first quarter alone. Ms. Daniel explained that due to the high amount of requests, the agency did not want to turn away eligible clients. Ms. Daniel stated that during the first quarter, $86,846 in assistance was distributed. Ms. Daniel noted that approximately 100-200 people every two weeks are requesting assistance. Ms. Daniel added that the agency had partnered with local church-based organizations to continue providing funds to clients after the budget had been depleted. Committee member Mankoski entered the meeting. Chair Hart inquired about the typical award amount. Ms. Daniel replied that it was usually up to $1,000. Chair Hart thanked Ms. Daniel for her presentation. 2.) Glendale Family Development Center Ms. Michele Goodman, Executive Director, represented the agency which is requesting $80,880. Highlights from the presentation include the following: • Low cost, affordable child care is provided, which in turn, can help prevent illiteracy, abuse and homelessness. • The agency assists families who could not otherwise afford child care because they are the working poor and do not meet the poverty level. Most parents are making about $10 to $14 an hour. • The center also provides free and/or reduced priced clothing. • The families who come to the center have no other options because they cannot afford traditional child care and they are striving to make an income for their families. • 90% of the families in the program are from Glendale; however, less than 3% of funding is received from the city of Glendale. • A grant was received from Del Webb to hire a MSW for the program. Committee member Jernigan inquired as to the responsibilities of the MSW employee. Ms. Goodman replied that this employee would provide resources for parents to find better employment, to assist families with issues of abuse and to assess the children for special needs. Committee member Jernigan noted that the application had not been adjusted for the Del Webb grant. Ms. Goodman replied that the grant was recently approved. Ms. Goodman will provide a revision to the grant request($25,000 less) and forward to Mr. Lopez. Committee member Flippen inquired about the parent donations. Ms. Goodman replied that there is a sliding-scale fee based on verified income. Committee member Eggleston asked how many families were being served this year. Ms. Goodman stated that there were approximately 23. Committee member Ontiveros asked how the Thrift Store was performing. Ms. Goodman replied that the store was doing well and approximately $37,000 in revenue was anticipated this year. One free outfit per family member is also available with a referral letter from another agency or church. Plus, a free business outfit is available for those seeking employment. Chair Hart thanked Ms. Goodman for her presentation. 3.) Catholic Community Services of Southern Arizona DBA Valley Center for the Deaf Ms. Cindy Walsh represented the agency which is requesting $20,000. Highlights from the presentation include the following: • The agency provides programs and services for the deaf/blind. • Many deaf/blind people want to live independent lives and SSP's (service providers) assist clients with tasks to enable them to live independently. SSP's accompany clients and use sign language to communicate and translate for the client. • Ms. Walsh read comments from the clients in attendance with their SSP's which detailed how important this service was to them. • The service gives the deaf/blind greater independence, an improved quality of life and improved social interaction. • If the request was fully funded, it would provide 500 hours of SSP service to Glendale residents. Committee member Eggleston inquired how clients would find out about the agency. Ms. Walsh replied that this can be hard as many of them are sheltered. However, clients do arrive through word-of-mouth, agencies and even senior centers. Committee member Mankoski asked if the agency received funding through Catholic Community Services. Ms. Walsh replied that it did not, and that Catholic Community Services was an umbrella foundation which provides legal support, auditing and other functions, not funding. Chair Hart thanked Ms. Walsh for her presentation. 4.) Foundation for Blind Children (Infant Program—Parent Education) Mr. Marc Ashton, CEO, represented the agency which is requesting $20,000. Highlights from the presentation include the following: • Blind infants are a very specialized field. Not only does the infant need assistance, the family needs assistance, education and counseling as well. • Once the agency learns of a family with a blind infant, a home visit is made immediately. • Home visits are made and also classes and meetings are held at the agency. • Parents are taught how to teach their blind children and to advocate for them. • This is the only agency of its kind that does on site visits. • The agency has existed for thirty-five years and Glendale is a large requestor of services. • There has been an increase in requests for this service because more preemies are saved due to modern medicine. Preemies can have a variety of sight problems, including blindness. • Thirty-six Glendale residents are noted in the application; however, an additional six were added after the filing of the application. Committee member Jernigan inquired about the full-time counselor. Mr. Ashton replied this counselor is licensed, specializes in blindness and disabilities and helps families cope with grieving and facilitates parent meetings. Services are also given to siblings as well. Committee member Jernigan inquired about travel costs. Mr. Ashton explained that many clients do not have transportation and so they are picked up. Committee member Flippen asked if the families donated funds to offset the cost of the services. Mr. Ashton replied that blindness affects all income levels and those families who can help financially do. Furthermore, some families come back to volunteer and help in other ways. Committee member Jernigan asked for details on the $320 cost per person. Mr. Ashton stated that this included early interventionists (age 0 —3), a teacher of the visually impaired, therapy and staff to provide care for siblings who must come along as well. Chair Hart thanked Mr. Ashton for his presentation. 5.) Foundation for Senior Living - Restorative Therapy for Glendale Adult Day Health Center (ADHC) Ms. Mary Servin, a registered nurse at the Glendale ADHC, represented the agency which is requesting $26,264. Highlights from the presentation include the following: • The majority of clients is low-income and would not be able to afford the services provided at the center. • Clients have suffered traumatic brain injuries, Alzheimer's, strokes as well as other major health issues. • Restorative programs such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, art, and music and dance movement are provided. • A free health assessment is given and an individualized plan is established. • The program helps the client function better and also help their families as well because there is better interaction and improved communication. • Tangible achievements are made and measured; however, there are other intangible rewards such as increased self-esteem and courage. Committee member Flippen inquired about the number of clients. Ms. Servin replied that there were 135 enrolled and an average of seventy clients a day at the center. Committee member Flippen asked if the clients paid any fees. Ms. Servin replied that there is a sliding-fee scale for clients that can pay and federal funding is received for clients who have a serious mental illness. Chair Hart thanked Ms. Servin for her presentation. 6.) Citivan Foundation (Respite Services for Families with Disabled Family Members) Ms. Dawn Trapp, and clients Frankie and Sophia, represented the agency which is requesting $12,000. Frankie and Sophia commented on how much they liked the program. Highlights from the presentation include the following: • The foundation celebrated its forty-year anniversary last year. • The foundation provides services to people with disabilities. Initially, camp programs were offered and then parents began requesting more options. • The foundation now provides "Our Night Out" nights for kids around the valley. • The foundation currently has a partnership with Independence High School. However, another location will soon be added which is at the First Southern Baptist Church. The foundation is here to request funding to assist with this program. • Various classes are held such as music, photography, cooking and art at the foundation's center. Committee member Mankoski inquired as to the amount of Glendale clients. Ms. Trapp replied that there are five clients attending the program at Independence High School, which just started this year. However, there are at least thirty Glendale clients who come to the center. Ms. Trapp expects the number of Glendale participants to increase with the added partner location and as the program grows. Chair Hart thanked Ms. Trapp for her presentation. 7.) Advocates for the Disabled (Fiduciary Support Program) Ms. Sherry Whitener, Executive Director, represented the agency which is requesting $10,000. Highlights from the presentation include the following: • The agency has been in service in Arizona since 1970. • The agency assists over 600 disabled people manage their social security benefits. Many of these clients are veterans. • The government has deemed these clients unable to manage their funds. This agency is one of two that has been deemed to handle and distribute funds for these clients. • All bills for the clients are paid directly to the mortgage companies, landlords, utility companies, etc. • The agency helps clients better manage their money, to budget and to spend their social security money correctly. The goal is to present to the government that the clients have learned skills to manage their money independently. However, some clients may never be able to manage these funds independently. • The agency manages an average of$4 million in benefits a year. Committee member Flippen asked about the caseload for a case manager. Ms. Whitener replied that there are two full-time case managers with a part-time support person. The case managers handle approximately 200-300 clients each, depending on need. There is also a bookkeeping department. The staff utilizes a team approach when working on cases. Committee member Flippen inquired if the accounting recommendation from the 2007 audit was resolved. Ms. Whitener replied that it had been taken care of and remedied and it was no longer an issue in the audit performed in 2008. Chair Hart thanked Ms. Whitener for her presentation. 8.) ACORN Institute (Acorn Centers) Ms. Monica Sandschafer, Executive Director, represented the agency which is requesting $15,000. Highlights from the presentation include the following: • ACORN is a research and training-based 501(C) 3 which strives to bring financial literacy and independence to communities. • ACORN tries to address systemic social problems in communities. • ACORN has been in Arizona for years. • Arizona has the third highest foreclosure rate in the U.S. as of November 2008. • In Glendale, there were 738 new foreclosures in just November 2008 alone. The majority of foreclosures are the 85303, 85301 and 85308 zip codes. • Besides the obvious, home loss and devastation for homeowners going through foreclosure, people are squatting in vacant homes, vandalizing them and also using them for drug deals. • With the recent foreclosure crisis,the agency is striving to provide trained three part-time community leaders to perform outreach to the community and assist residents with foreclosure issues. The goal is foreclosure avoidance. • The community leaders would have experience in housing, counseling and housing loans, plus would have training in AZ Saves. Committee member Jernigan inquired as to the location of the ACORN center. Ms. Sandschafer replied that it was located at 7011 N. 57th Avenue in Glendale. Committee member Page asked for more detail on how ACORN was established. Ms. Sandschafer replied that ACORN stands for"Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now" and began with a very grass roots leadership model. ACORN works with low-to- moderate income communities on issues they are facing (ESL, health and human services and housing.) Chair Hart thanked Ms. Sandschafer for her presentation. 9.) Community Legal Services (Removing Barriers to Justice for Low-Income Glendale Residents) Ms. Lillian Johnson, Executive Director, represented the agency which is requesting $30,000. Highlights from the presentation include the following: • The agency is a non-profit law firm which provides civil legal services to the low-income population in various Arizona counties. • This is the only program that offers this type of legal assistance. • The lawyers dispense advice, provide services and provide actual court representation for clients in civil law cases. • The majority of cases are for family law and housing. • In Glendale, there has been a 500% increase in assistance requests this past fiscal year. Much of this is due to the foreclosure crisis. Other housing issues include equity scams, illegal evictions and rental discrimination. • The family law cases all involve domestic violence. • Clients are not charged fees for the services. Committee member Flippen asked if any of the attorneys worked on a pro-bono basis. Ms. Johnson explained that typically, lawyers who take on pro-bono cases are employed full-time with other firms, and therefore, cannot turn around the cases quickly. All of the full-time staff work only for Community Legal Services. However, the agency does recruit volunteer lawyers. Committee member Eggleston asked for clarification, that three out of five of all requests are turned away due to available staff. Ms. Johnson explained that this shows the great demand for this service. Ms. Johnson noted that crisis cases are taken first. Committee member Page asked if the agency offered any preventative or educational work. Ms. Johnson stated that the agency had a number of educational programs, including self-help instruction (do-it-yourself divorce) and community education on housing issues and housing law. The agency is also working on providing a hotline whereby callers can access a lawyer for answers to basic questions. 10.) St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance (Emergency Food Box Program) Mr. Jack Marc, represented the agency which is requesting $30,000. Highlights from the presentation included the following: • Funding is requested for the emergency food box program in Glendale. • Each food box is designed to provide three days worth of nutritious food. • 90% of the food is donated. Some food is purchased to ensure that all nutritious food groups are provided to clients. • The economic situation has caused requests to increase dramatically. • From July 1st, 2008 to December 31st, 2008, 12,953 clients were served out of the Glendale office. From July 15`, 2007 to December 3150, 2007, St. Mary's served 6,770 people, so the figure has doubled in one year. Chair Hart thanked Mr. Marc for his presentation. V. Director/Staff Report Staff thanked the Committee and the presenters for their time and dedication. Mr. Lopez distributed spreadsheets for the Committee's use in allocating funding at the next meeting. Mr. Lopez announced that the next meeting was scheduled for Monday, January 12, 2009, 6:30 p.m. at the Council Chambers, 5850 W. Glendale Avenue, Glendale. VI. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 8:15 p.m. by consensus. Respectfully Submitted, Denise Kazmierczak