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HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - ASSET Meeting Minutes 05/14/20 www.storycountyasset.org MINUTES ASSET Meeting City Hall, 515 Clark Ave May 14, 2020 5:00 pm Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, this was an electronic meeting. Access to the meeting was made available by video (Zoom) and call-in. The Analysis of Social Services Evaluation Team (ASSET) was called to order at 5:00 p.m. by Chair Keith Hobson with the following members present: Jane Acker, Jehan Faisal, Nikki Fischer, Mary Beth Golemo, Keith Hobson, Joel Hochstein, Sandra King, Jean Kresse, Judy Meierkord, Jenn Plagman-Galvin, Andrea Rich, Deb Schildroth, Jen Schill, Matt Soderstrum, Stephanie Spence, Kimberly Stephens, Ashley Thompson, Karla Webb, and Quinn Wood. Also present: Erika Peterson, Leslie Schaefer, and Gloria Symons. WELCOME/ INTRODUCTIONS Introductions took place. APPROVAL OF APRIL 2, 2020 ASSET MINUTES Moved by Rich, seconded by Hochstein, to approve the April 2, 2020 minutes. Motion declared carried unanimously. TREASURER’S REPORT Treasurer Schill reported an ASSET balance of $4,264.13 REPORTS Administrative Team – Ms. Schildroth said most FY 20/21 City of Ames ASSET contracts have been returned and will be brought before City Council on June 9, 2020. She said she is anticipating some agencies requesting to roll over FY 19/20 funds to FY 20/21 as approved by City Council and she will know of those requests by June 1. Ms. Schildroth said City programs and events have been canceled, and facilities will remain closed to the public until July 1. She said the library will be closed until July 1, but staff is working on curbside pickup options. She said staff will be determining which recreation programs will be offered during the summer session. She said City Council is concerned about the safety and health of employees and citizens as they consider reopening facilities. She said the ice arena will be opened at the direction of staff and pools will be discussed again at the May 26 City Council meeting. She said pools are still closed under the governor’s orders. She said the 4 th of July parade and breakfast, Rummage Rampage, and other events on City property are canceled until September 1, including bike races. She said farmers markets will be opening on May 23. Ms. Kresse said UWSC is open with most staff working remotely. She said the building will be locked until July 1 but there is a doorbell. She said COVID -19 came about the time partner agency meetings would have taken place, so that information was delivered electronically. www.storycountyasset.org Contracts and agreements are being processed for 20/21 and will be sent to agencies by the beginning of next week and will be due the first part of June. Ms. Kresse explained that the UWSC campaign is in the fall and pledges are typically collected throughout the following calendar year. Because of that, allocations for 20/21 have been refigured with a few programs that the Board decided to hold harmless (rent/utility assistance, food, mental health services, and sheltering). She said difficult decisions were made, but the Board did not want to have to make reductions mid-year. She said the finances will be continually monitored. Ms. Kresse said the City of Ames is taking applications for the ASSET Administrative Assistant position. Mr. Hobson asked how individuals apply. Ms. Schildroth said the position is listed on the City’s website. She said the position is not an employee of any funder and is a contract position. She said applications are due by May 22, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. She noted the position averages about 10 hours per week. Ms. Webb said the County offices are closed to the public, and the Human Services Center has been closed to the public with a few staff members working at the office. She said most CICS contracts have gone out. Ms. King said the Board of Supervisors will be looking at the number of new cases in Story County to determine when offices should reopen. They are following the president’s guidelines of 14 days of decreasing cases before reopening. She said 20/21 contracts will go out the end of May or beginning of June. She said the County may be rolling over some 19/20 funds if requested by agencies. Ms. Kresse said $15,000 has been pushed out to agencies from the virtual food drive along with close to 15,000 pounds of pasta. She said Ms. Mundel has worked closely with a coalition to assist immigrants during this time. Leslie Schaffer of American Red Cross said the need for blood is high and she’s hoping the fall ISU blood drive can go on. She said they have been responding to single family fires virtually, and that there have been an unusually high number of single family fires in central Iowa. She said they are concerned about what happens if there’s a large event like a tornado requiring sheltering and care for a large group of people that lose homes. She said volunteers are being trained and they are putting together a shelter team so if that happens they’ll be able to open shelters if hotels are not available. She said they have gone to more of a shelterin g model. Gloria Symons of MICA said the dental clinic has been closed. She said the dental board has been requiring more protective personal equipment (PPE) so the dental process is challenging. She said telehealth is being used to offer services from home. WIC is still being provided. Adolescent health is still being provided. She said the food shelf is not open but deliveries are being made. She said she is glad the state and federal government s are allowing remote telehealth services. She said there has been in an increase in the WIC participation. Ms. Thompson asked about the food pantry. Ms. Kresse said appointments are being taken and individuals come at a certain time to be picked up or delivered to the car. www.storycountyasset.org Emergency Residence Project CEO Jodi Stumbo joined the meeting. She thanked ASSET for the support during this time. She said staff has adjusted well to care for clients an d is doing an amazing job at getting people housed. She said they are becoming more efficient. Mr. Hobson said agencies should remain in contact with the administrative team as needs arise. Boys & Girls Clubs CEO Erika Peterson said weekly care kits for families with food, non-digital activities, and digital activities have been provided weekly. She said they are developin g a plan for reopening and are sending a survey to families regarding summer needs and possible formats. She said many children have fallen behind while being out of school for some time, and they want to use input from families to make some decisions soon. NEW BUSINESS ASSET Agency Updates – COVID-19 – Ms. Kresse said the administrative team surveyed the agencies to find out what is happening with agency services, the status of agency finances, if funding through the CARES Act has been received, and to identify if individual programs are being continued, stopped, or modified. The ASSET Admin team was able to go through the responses and determine how the services have been affected, and individual funders are making decisions regarding FY 19/20 funding. She told the group that UWSC paid agencies for April for any stopped/ pending programs and those that were modified a nd deemed stopped by UWSC board. For those same services, May and June payments were stopped. If agencies can restart the service in June, they must notify UWSC in writing. She said they don’t have the ability to roll funds over to the next fiscal year. Ms. Schildroth said the results from the survey sent to agencies by the Administrative Team were taken to City Council. She said the City contracts with 24 of the ASSET agencies, and 8 had drawn down all funds. She said Council authorized staff to work with agencies to continue to draw down funds if services are being delivered as usual and if there are modifications to services she will work with agencies to see if the way services are being provided lines up with service definitions. She said Council authorized agencies to request reallocation of FY 19/20 funds in one service to another service, and Council is also allowing agencies to request carryover of FY 19/20 funds to FY 20/21. Ms. King said Story County is providing some flexibility with agencies for funding. She said they are providing some funding for administrative or fixed costs even for stopped services and will be providing the option to rollover funds to the next fiscal year. Ms. King said agencies can request any changes to funding by May 22 or request funds be rolled over by June 1. CICS Withdrawal from ASSET – Ms. Webb said the CICS Governing Board decided at its April meeting to withdraw from ASSET effective July 1, 2020. She said CICS will be withdrawing from the 28E agreement. CICS spans across 11 counties, and ASSET is unique within Story County. She said they have worked really hard to standardize contracting region-wide and the budget time frame is different than ASSET’s. She said the recommendation was for local staff to continue to collaborate. She said she will continue to be involved in some way to ensure www.storycountyasset.org information regarding mental health and disability services is shared. Ms. Webb said that Matt Soderstrum, Judy Meierkord, and Quinn Wood’s volunteer terms will end June 30. Ms. Webb said the other funding bodies will approve the 28E amendment. Mr. Hobson encouraged CICS volunteers to stay involved in ASSET through an agency. He said he appreciates their knowledge and input over the years. Ms. Kresse said policies are being revised to state four remaining funders would bring six volunteers to the process. Ms. Webb said she has appreciated being involved with ASSET and thanked everyone for their work. Ms. Schildroth said she attended the Governing Board meeting with the region in April and said it has been a challenge to get governing board members from other counties to understand how ASSET benefits the region. Ms. Schildroth said it will be necessary to have a June ASSET meeting to approve the Policies and Procedures and discuss liaison assignments and new volunteers. Mr. Hobson said the Policies and Procedures and Reference Manual are on the ASSET website. OLD BUSINESS Update on Joint Set of Funder Priorities – Ms. Schildroth said this is work the funders are continuing. The ASSET process and funder priorities are being looked at along with the Community Needs Assessment and the Clear Impact Scorecard. She said individual priorities are set by funders each year to be a guide for volunteers during the allocation process and for agencies as they request funding for certain services. She said a year ago funders discussed the possibility of having joint priorities. In September a rough draft was taken to funders, and last week they were discussed among funders again. Ms. Schildroth reviewed the draft joint funder priorities: Education: Education, Awareness, and Mobilization about Issues; Youth programs Financial Stability: Childcare, emergency basic needs, legal counsel/assistance, transportation Health: dental care, medical care, mental health, substance abuse, and services supporting safety and well-being Ms. Schildroth said these could possibly be used for the fiscal year 21/22 process. Mr. Hobson said the administrative team will be working on next steps. He also said there was not ISU representation at the meeting. Update on Community Needs Assessment – Ms. Kresse said the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) requires a needs assessment every five years. Data is being considered as well as information from citizens and information gleaned from focus groups. Ms. Schildroth said Nancy Franz facilitated the meeting with Joint Funders and is also working on this assessment. ADDITIONAL ITEMS www.storycountyasset.org Ms. Schildroth said Ames is receiving Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding in the amount of $350,000 which will be overseen by the City’s Planning and Housing department and public input will be invited. Ms. Thompson said Eyerly Ball, the community mental health center serving central Iowa is one of six recipients to become a behavioral health clinic. She said it has been expanded in Iowa. Mr. Hobson asked about Census 2020. Ms. Schildroth said the “Claim Ames” campaign was in place to educate students on claiming Ames as their residence because it is their residence nine months out of the year. She said the census is used to delegate federal dollars, so if the population dips the loss will be felt. She said there may be an option for a recount without it being a cost to taxpayers. She said before students left there was a mechanism to count students living in university housing. INFORMATION/ ANNOUNCEMENTS: A. Letters of Intent due for potential ASSET Agencies: June 1, 2020 B. Next ASSET Administrative Team Meeting: June 3, 2020 (12:15 p.m.) C. Next ASSET Meeting: June 11, 2020 via Zoom (5:00 p.m.) ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 6:30 p.m.