STAFF REPORT
DATE: February 28, 2023
TO: Justin Hess, City Manager
FROM: Marisa Garcia, Park, Recreation, and Community Services Director VIA: Erin Barrows, Recreation Services Manager
BY: Roxana Tabibi, Recreation Supervisor
SUBJECT: Approval to Accept $ 275,000 from the Los Angeles County Aging and Disabilities Department (County) Additional Baseline Funding for Elderly Nutrition Program Services and to Amend the Fiscal Year (FY) 202 2-23 Budget
RECOMMENDATION
Accept $275,000 Additional Baseline Funding for Elderly Nutrition Program Services and amend the FY 2022-23 Adopted Budget to appropriate $ 275,000 from revenue account 001.PR000.48010.1145.000000 (General Fund, Other Intergovernmental Revenue, California Department of Aging (CDA) and Disabilities Department, Nutrition State C -1) to expenditure account 001.PR42A.62300.0000.000000 (General Fund, Supplemental Nutrition Program, Special Department Supplies).
BACKGROUND
Since 1973, the City of Burbank (City) has provided congregate and home -delivered meals to seniors through its Supplemental Nutrition Program (Program). The Program provides approximately 100,0001 congregate and home -delivered meals annually. The goal of the Program is to provide nutritious, balanced meals in a safe, friendly, supportive group setting, in conjunction with a variety of community -based services that maximize seniors’ independence and quality of life. The City has two dedicated Senior Centers (Joslyn Adult Center and Tuttle Senior Center) and one multi -purpose recreation facility (McCambridge Recreation Center) at which it provides congregate meal services to persons who are 60 years of age or older.
In 2003, the County of Los Angeles Workforce Development, Aging and Community Services (WDACS) formerly known as the Los Angeles County Department of Community
1 Approximately 77,228 congregate meals are provided at three different senior meal sites within the City.
Approximately 37,000 home-delivered meals are provided to seniors and qualified disabled participants within the City.
PARKS AND
RECREATION
2 and Senior Services released a Request for Proposal (RFP) soliciting applications from local government agencies and non -profit organizations to receive federal funds. Under the Federal Older Americans Act and the State Mello-Granlund Older Californians Act, the California Department of Aging is authorized to administer elements of these programs as they relate to nutrition services. As a result , the County established its Elderly Nutrition Program (ENP) and entered into an agreement with the State to implement the ENP. WDACS received funds to support the ENP and procured agencies to assist in providi ng elderly nutrition and supportive services programs. Funds are allocated to sub-recipients for a one-year ENP sub-award term with three annual renewal options for a maximum term of four years.
Notably, the City successfully received awards from the County’s ENP in the 2004-2008; 2008-2012; 2012-2016; 2016-2020 and 2020-2024 cycles. In accordance with Title 22 California Code of Regulations Section 7360 (Noncompetitive Awards), the County may procure Area Agency on Aging Program Services using noncompetitive sub-awards with other public/government entities. As such, the County proceeded with the City as a sub- recipient under the guidelines of the noncompetitive award. Therefore, in February 2020, the County offered the City a Noncompetitive Subaward for the ENP. The City responded on February 24, 2020, to proceed with the noncompetitive ENP award process for FY 2020-21. By proceeding with the award process, the County offer ed the C ity the opportunity to enter into an agreement (Attachment 1) to provide C-1 (congregate meals) and/or C-2 (home delivered meals) service categories (Nutrition Services). Based on the City’s past performance and a limited number of City-run operators within the County, the County waived the RFP process for applicants who were approved for the 2012-2016 and 2016-2020 subaward cycles.
DISCUSSION
To support the City’s Supplemental Nutrition and Supportive Services programs , the County Board of Supervisors authorized the City to receive funding through the ENP 2020-2021 subaward cycle in an amount up to $ 584,000 for FY 2022-23, and an estimated total amount of up to $2,027,000 for the four-year subaward term. The County has authorized an additional $275,000 in reallocation funds (Attachment 2), which will increase the total four-year subaward amount to $2,302,000.
The City has almost 50 years of experience in preparing and delivering meals to seniors.
Meals for congregate and home -delivered meal programs are prepared by City staff at McCambridge Recreation Center’s central kitchen. Meals comply with applicable provisions of State and County laws regarding the safe and sanitary handling of food, equipment, and supplies used in the storage, preparation, service, and delivery of meals.
To meet the Dietary Reference Intakes included in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the Program’s menus and recipes are created by the City’s Nutrition Program staff and assigned a County Project Dietitian. All menus and recipes are certified by the Dietary Administrative Support Services (DASS) Program in conjunction with WDACS to provide nutritious, appetizing, tasty, and cost-effective meals to the seniors. A nutritional analysis is also performed by the City’s Nutrition Program staff and DASS to ensure that nutritional information for the program is made available to the general public. Meals are required to average 750 milligrams of sodium or less and are trans-fatty acid free.
3 Congregate Meals (C-1)
The Congregate Meals Program , currently operating under the County’s COVID-19 guidelines, provides mobile seniors with meals five days-a-week, Monday through Friday at three City facility sites. Recipients of these meals receive a nutritious three-course sit down lunch. Moreover, the congregate setting provides opportunities for socialization and companionship. Although income is not verified to participate in this program, program costs are a $2 suggested donation for participants that are 60 years of age and older, and a $4 fee for participants 59 years of age and younger.
Home Delivered Meals (C-2)
The Home Delivered Meals Program provides meals seven days-a-week for those that meet the following eligibility criteria: frail and homebound by reason of illness, disability, or otherwise isolated; the spouse of any older individual who is in the program (regardless of age or condition); and any disabled person who resides at a home with an older individual. Meals are transported from the Program’s central kitchen via City -owned vehicles to eligible recipients or via approved registered Burbank Volunteer Program (BVP) volunteers utilizing City hot bags and ice chests to ensure proper food temperatures. Income is not verified to participate in this program. A lthough the County subaward does not allow the City to charge seniors for their meals, donations are accepted. The suggested donation is $3 per meal.
Additionally, t he City has successfully provided telephone reassurance services to seniors through its Supportive Services Program. The program collects and disseminates information about senior adult services and directs callers to an agency or organization that can meet their needs, thus providing a critical service to Burbank’s senior and disabled population. This outreach program connects homebound seniors with volunteers who place phone calls to these individuals on a regular basis. If the subaward is accepted, up to $1,000 of the ENP subaward will be allocated towards telephone reassurance services, in an annual amount of up to $1,000 subject to availability and appropriation.
Currently, there are approximately 150 individuals receiving this service.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This activity involves administering services to senior and disabled populations and administrative changes to the FY 2022 -23 Adopted Budget and has no potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical ch ange in the environment, and as such, is not a “project” subject to the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) 14 Cal.
Code Regs § 15378.
FISCAL IMPACT
Funding for the City’s Supplemental Nutrition and Supportive Services Program is included in the FY 2022-2023 Budget. With the additional baseline funding of $275,000, the maximum revenue anticipated from the ENP for FY 2022-2023 is $859,000.
Acceptance of the ENP funds will help to offset Program costs from the General Fund for the next four years, as the subaward may be renewed for up to three additional years. In addition to the ENP funding allocation, the City also receives approximately $90,000 in
4 nutrition donations annually through suggested donations made by program participants.
The General Fund subsidizes approximately $736,000 annually for the Nutrition Program, which can fluctuate depending on actual donation revenue received.
The estimated annual $859,000 ENP subaward will be allocated as follows:
Title III-C1 Congregate Meals $546,000
Title III-C2 Home Delivered Meals $312,000
Title III-B Telephone Reassurance $1,000
Total $859,000
Staff is requesting City Council authority to amend the FY 2022 -23 Adopted Budget by accepting $275,000 and appropriating the funds from revenue account 001.PR000.48010.1007.0000.00000 (General Fund, Other Intergovernmental Revenue, Nutrition State C -1) to account number 001.PR42A.62300.0000.00000 (General Fund, Supplemental Nutrition Program, Special Department Supplies) upon receipt of the award from the Los Angeles County Aging and Disabilities Department for the Elderly Nutrition Program.
CONCLUSION
Staff recommends that the City Council accept $275,000 additional baseline funding for ENP services to support the City’s Supplemental Nutrition and Supportive Services Program and amend the FY 2022 -23 Adopted Budget accordingly. The ENP is an essential community program, operated by volunteers and City staff to serve nutritious, balanced meals to seniors at congregate sites and through home-delivered meals.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 1 – Subaward Agreement
Attachment 2 – Allocation Letter