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Memo- Social Service Funding-Feedback on Proposed Dept FundingMemorandum Office of the City Manager To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council From: Steven C. Mielke, City Manager Date: September 4, 1998 Subject: Social Service Funding— Feedback on Proposed Department Funding At the August Work Session, the City Council directed the staff to review a method of allocating funds to social service organizations, based upon department budgeting requests. In light of that discussion, the department heads have reviewed various pieces of information and are ready to provide feedback to the Council. • Should the Council choose to determine funding based upon department review and prioritization followed by a request for funding, the departments indicated that it was both feasible to allocate funds in that manner, and additionally, that several of those organizations that have received funding in the past, would receive department requests for funding this year. • Some of the areas in which the city has funded in the past, have not been identified as department programs or goals, and therefore, would not be requested for funding. Others may be appropriate to suggest to other organizations to fund. • The department heads thought it appropriate to suggest to the Council that it may be appropriate to provide greater notice to the organizations by providing partial or full funding for 1999, and weaning the organizations off city funding after 1999. A policy would need to be developed on how to handle requests for funding, since the requests usually go initially to the Council instead of to departments. Based upon these comments, I would offer the following comments concerning each individual request. • Child's Play Theatre Company Child's Play's request has been for general operating support. It may be more appropriate to request that either the operations board from the Hopkins Center for the Arts or the joint Recreation board develop a programming Page 2 option for the community, with Child's Play Theatre Company being a potential contractor for that service. The City of Minnetonka also provides funding to Child's Play Theatre Company, and they may also wish to divert the general operating support to a more focused city program approach with funding of that specific program. • West Wind Concert Band of Hopkins The primary purpose of this support is for community promotions. There does not appear to be a specific program within the city budget for that effort, but it is a legitimate use of community funds. It was suggested by the Council that in lieu of a direct payment by the city to the band, that a donation of time at the Center for the Arts may be of greater or equal value. • Hopkins Area Arts Association HAAA's funding has also been for general operating support. There is no department who is specifically in charge of funding arts promotion and community arts interaction, other than the Hopkins Center for the Arts. This funding request may be best funneled in their direction to determine whether or not the Hopkins Center for the Arts wishes to include such an item in their budget. • Sojourner Intervention Project The Police Department indicated that this is an important component of their ability to deal with domestic violence. They expressed support and a desire to include this funding in their budget request. • Senior Community Services Staff wishes to further investigate this funding request, but it may be appropriate to include at the Hopkins Activity Center, funding for a specific targeted program as part of their budgeting process. Additional information is needed before the staff can fully advise on this issue. • West Suburban Mediation Center Many departments expressed a desire to see this service provided within the City of Hopkins. It seemed most appropriate to provide this funding through the Police Department, since the majority of referrals come from the PD. • Vail Place Vail Place does provide some specific programs for the Housing and Redevelopment Authority at Dow Towers. The HRA may wish to include this item in their budget request for a specified program on a contract basis. • Teens Alone Inc. The Police Department indicated that there were a variety of sources available to provide services similarly to Teens Alone. They likely would not Page 3 request funding for this organization, as long as those other resources are available. • Family Resource Center The housing personnel, as well as the Police Department, utilize and refer individuals to the Resource Center on a regular basis. Staff would recommend continued support of the Family Resource Center, based upon those needs. The specific department to which the request would lie, may fall primarily in the area of housing, although other areas would also be looked at. In general, many of those service organizations to which the city has funded the organization, have provided services deemed important by the departments. Should the Council wish to continue directing this process towards the departments, we would consider altering our budget requests to include contracting for various services. It was stated to the department heads that the funding would switch from the current funding source, to the departments' fund, to not take away from existing resources. Please contact me if you have additional questions concerning this item prior to the work session. Mayorccsocialservice 1998 BUDGET OPTION SERVICE ORGANIZATION FUNDING FROM HOPKINS CITY BUDGETS �un ding has been proposed from the City's General Fund levy. Mayor- Council Budget Child's Play Theatre Company $ Westwind Concert Band of Hopkin H.A.A. Association Total Mayor- Council $ Health & Welfare Dept: Sojourner Intervention Project, In$ Replacement of Suburban Allianc Senior Community Services West Suburban Mediation Ctr. Vail Place Teens Alone, Inc Family Resource Center Total Health & Welfare Total General Fund Percentage Increase Over Prior Year 123- servorg $ Proposed Requested Adopted Actual Actual Actual 1998 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1,500 $ 3,000* $ 1,500 $ 1,500 $ 1,500 $ 1,500 800 800 800 800 800 800 1,000- 2,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,159 3,300 $ 5,800 3,300 $ 3,300 $ 3T300 $ 3.459 2,100 $ 0 10,200 2,750 1 ,500 2, 000 6,300 6,200 12,100 $ 12,100 $ 11,800 $ 11,800 0 0 4,650 4,650 3,650 11,150 10,200 11,150 10,900 10,900 2,750 2,750 2,750 2,750 2,750 1,500 1,250 1,250 1,200 1,200 2,000 2,000 2,000 2000 2,000 7,500 6,300 6,300 34,600 $ 41,100 $ 37,900 $ 23.7 % -12.9% 4.6% 5,000 5,000 34,600 $ 40200 $ 38,300 $ 37,300 46,900 37,900 $ 43,500 $ 41 ,600 $ 40,759 2.1% 18.8%