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AD HOC SENIOR SERVICES COMMITTEE
MEETING AGENDA
Monday, June 23, 2014, 3:30 PM
Harvat Hall / City Hall
410 East Washington Street
1. CALL TO ORDER
2. CONSIDER MOTION ADOPTING CONSENT CALENDAR AS PRESENTED OR AMENDED
a. Minutes of the meeting on 06/9/14
b. Correspondence
1) Charlotte Walker: Part 1 — SEATS new application and instructions
2) Asst. City Manager Fruin: City Council Strategic Plan
3) Library Dir. Craig: Library Room Availability & Technology Support for Seniors
3. REPORT ON CITY SUPPORT AND FUNDING OF SERVICES FOR SENIORS
4. SELECTION OF MEMBERS FOR SENIOR CENTER EVALUATION SUBCOMMITTEE
5. DISCUSSION OF METHOD FOR ASSESSING THE USE OF FINANCIAL AND PHYSICAL RESOURCES
6. DISCUSSION OF PROPOSED TIMELINE FOR COMPLETING THE COMMITTEE'S CHARGES
7. PUBLIC DISCUSSION (ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA)
8. PENDING ITEMS FOR FUTURE MEETINGS
9. TENTATIVE THREE MONTH MEETING SCHEDULE (First and third Monday of each month)
July 7
July 21
August 4
August 18
September schedule to be determined
10. ADJOURNMENT
* Speakers are asked to limit remarks to five minutes and wait until
after everyone has had the opportunity to speak once before
approaching the podium again on the same topic
Ad Hoc Senior Services Committee
June 9, 2014
Page 1
MINUTES DRAFT
AD HOC SENIOR SERVICES COMMITTEE
JUNE 9, 2014 — 3:30 P.M.
HARVAT HALL, CITY HALL
Members Present: Joe Younker (Chair), Jay Honohan, Rick Dobyns, Jane Dohrmann,
Mercedes Bern -Klug (arrived 3:50), Ellen Cannon, Hiram Rick Webber
Staff Present: Fruin, Karr, Kopping, Craig, O'Brien, Moran, Dyson, Hightshoe
RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL: (to become effective only after separate Council
action):
None
CALL TO ORDER:
Chairperson Younker called the meeting to order at 3:30 P.M.
a. Minutes of the Meeting on 05/19/14 — Younker asked if there were any
changes or additions to the Consent Calendar. Honohan moved to accept the
Consent Calendar as presented, seconded by Dobyns. Motion carried 6-0;
Bern -Klug absent.
b. Correspondence — None.
CITY DEPARTMENT PRESENTATIONS:
a. Library — Susan Craig, Iowa City Public Library Director, spoke to Members first.
She noted that they should have received a memo from Karen Logsden,
Community and Access Services Coordinator, about the variety of services the
Library offers. She added that the Library used the age of 55 as they reviewed
their services for seniors. There are approximately 5,000 people within the Iowa
City city limits who are over the age of 55 and currently have an active library
card, and around 1,000 people in rural Johnson County. Craig noted that the
large -print collection, for example, is one more heavily used by people over the
age of 55. Another area of interest for this age group is learning the new
technologies. The Library offers both classes and one-on-one learning through
the 'Drop -In Tech Help' feature for those needing help with a new smart phone,
for example. Craig also noted that they have hundreds of volunteers at the
Library, and that these volunteers are typically over the age of 55. Another
service of the Library that is typically utilized by the over 55 age group is the 'At -
Home Services' program. This program is open to all ages, but the majority of
users are over 55 and are unable to physically leave their homes to use the
library services.
Craig continued, noting that in their current strategic plan there is a specific goal
of doing more outreach to those citizens over the age of 55. This led to the
offering of more classes for this age group, and also more promotion of the 'At -
Home' program. Honohan noted that he had read the report and he asked for
some clarification on the numbers shown. Craig responded, noting that they do
not track participants' ages, other than when someone applies for a library card.
Ad Hoc Senior Services Committee
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In this instance, participants are asked their date of birth. Honohan then asked
about the tech programs and how the Library staffs these. Craig noted that if it is
a class, the Library has trained staff to teach these. If staff is unable to answer a
question, they will find somebody who can, according to Craig. Honohan asked if
Craig had any idea of attendance numbers for these tech -type of programs,
where the senior age group may have attended. For the drop-in and the classes
offered, Craig stated that a significant number of the participants are over the age
of 55, but that again, they do not collect this information from participants.
Honohan stated that it would be helpful to have some attendance numbers for
these programs, mainly for the over 55 group.
Dobyns stated that he had a couple of questions for Craig. First he asked that
she briefly describe the conference rooms that are available at the Library, and
times of day that these are available, as well. Craig responded, noting that the
Library has five public meeting rooms, which are booked through either the
online process, via telephone, or in person. To use these rooms, Craig noted,
you need to be the representative of a non-profit group. Commercial use is not
allowed for these rooms, as the Library does not charge for use of these rooms.
In addition to these larger rooms, the Library also has four conference rooms and
four discussion rooms, each of varying sizes. These rooms are on a first-come,
first -serve basis. Dobyns noted that it sounds like the busiest time for these
spaces is during the academic year. He asked what the probability is of
obtaining Room A, the most popular at the Library, during this peak use time.
Craig stated that between 9:00 and 4:00, chances would be greater, that the
evening times are typically booked well ahead of time. Dobyns asked Craig if
she could get some numbers on both Rooms A, B, and C. He asked if the
Library has staff on -hand for these rooms when they are so heavily used, to do
things like set up, clean, etc. Craig stated that staff does typically check the
rooms after usage, but that due to not charging for the rooms, staff does not do
anything special. There is a standard set up with a podium chairs, tables, that
type of thing. If a special set up is needed, the user needs to do that themselves.
Craig stated that the Library does have sophisticated AV capabilities in Room A
for people to use, and if help is needed, the Library asks that participants contact
them beforehand in order to make sure they know how to use the equipment
prior to their use of the room.
Dobyns then asked about grants and whether the Library has seen any that are
geared towards senior services. Craig responded that she has seen some small
ones, such as the one they recently received from the Pilot Club. Next year the
Library will begin a program called 'Traveling Tales,' which is based on books
and programming that goes to dementia facilities in the area. This program is
specifically designed for people with dementia to talk about books and to
experience other cultures through this. The grant from the local Pilot Club will
allow the Library to purchase materials for this program. Craig stated that the
Library, in addition to grant funding, can go through their Foundation for local
donations to help fund programming initiatives.
Honohan asked if these types of grants are one-time things. Craig responded
that typically they are, that they are meant to help get programming started in a
particular area. A question was then asked about the Library's outreach
services. Craig noted that the biggest outreach efforts go to those citizens who
have a difficult time getting to the Library in person. There are currently around
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20 outreach collections, according to Craig, which are primarily made up of items
the Library has multiple copies of, gift materials that are not needed in the main
collections, and large -print material for the various retirement communities and
nursing homes in the area. Another outreach area that the Library has
experimented with is having a tech drop-in at the local HyVee. Craig stated that
this was not very well received and that they have had better luck with this
offering at the Library instead.
C. Parks & Recreation — Mike Moran, Parks and Recreation Director, spoke next.
Chad Dyson, Recreation Superintendent, was also present. Moran gave
Members some background on the relationship between Parks and Rec and the
Senior Center, beginning with the Golden Age Club and the annual Christmas
dinner. Moran then spoke to the philosophy differences between Parks and Rec
and the Senior Center. Where Parks and Rec provides services to all age
groups, from birth through death so to speak, the Senior Center is targeting a
specific audience. Moran noted that where the Senior Center is unable to
provide something, such as swimming, Parks and Rec can provide. In this way
they have collaborated on facility -based needs.
Moran continued, stating that Parks and Rec works towards recovering 50% of
their budget through fees and charges. They also work towards having their
adult programs fully recovered through fees, and youth programs at 50%.
Programs for those with special needs has an almost zero recoupment,
according to Moran. As for fee policies, Moran explained that Parks & Rec fees
are based on income, not age. He then spoke to the structure of Parks and Rec,
and how they are similar to the Senior Center in that they also have a
Commission appointed by City Council. Also similar is how both Parks and Rec
and the Senior Center put out brochures of their programming for the public's
information. Moran then laid out the various departments within Parks and Rec,
with Recreation being the largest.
Dyson spoke to Members next and shared a handout showing some of the
breakdown in numbers regarding Parks and Rec's senior services. Aquatic
programming is one of the more popular programs with the senior crowd,
according to Dyson. Of the total 220 annual swim passes sold each year, 139, or
63%, are to people in the 55 and up crowd. Younkers asked if there are any
perceived obstacles to Parks and Rec delivering programming to seniors. Moran
responded that space would be one major factor. Dobyns asked what time of
room space Parks and Rec has in its various facilities for public use, and also
what their general availability is. Moran stated that the Recreation Center has
three rooms, sometimes four. Mercer Park has two, with their availability being
slim to none, according to Moran. He added that summer is their busiest time
due to summer camp programming. Evenings are also busy, with local service
organizations using the rooms. Dobyns then asked what type of opportunities
are available for decentralizing programs and putting them into the
neighborhoods instead by using places of faith, community centers, etc., instead.
Moran stated that during the summer months they do bring the programs to the
neighborhoods, through Party in the Park and similar programs. Moran stated
that they could look into more of this, but that it would then become a staffing
issue of some type. He added that they do have a good relationship with the
School District and do use various facilities throughout the district. Fruin noted
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that currently they are working with the District as they plan new facilities and
renovate old ones. As renovations are done, the City is looking for ways to
participate so that renovated spaces can become more available for public uses
outside of the school. Honohan asked if there is a charge for using school
facilities. Moran responded that this has been free, but that this is one of the
things they have been discussing. With new facilities coming online, this is likely
to change.
Honohan then asked some questions of Dyson regarding the handout on
attendance numbers. More specifically, he asked how many sessions there are
of the Adult Art Class. Dyson responded, stating that they typically have two
sessions per season, and then three seasons. This would be six to eight
sessions annually. Honohan asked if this would be the same for other program/
activities listed. Dyson stated that it would also apply to Adult Fitness/Dance,
Aquacise, and Adult Athletics. Pickle Ball, on the other hand, shows a daily
average. The Arthritis Foundation Aquatic Program is a bit different, with classes
fluctuating from three participants in a class to 12 or 15. This program is done on
a volunteer basis through the Arthritis Foundation.
d. Transportation — Chris O'Brien, Transportation Services Director, spoke about
his department's operations, noting that they oversee both Parking and Transit
operations for the City. O'Brien gave a brief overview of what services Transit
offers, including their SEATS operation. O'Brien made special note of 'off-peak
hours,' stating that they will further discuss this when they speak to 'off-peak
passes' for seniors and those with disabilities. Speaking to goals of the Transit
department, O'Brien noted that they have a goal of 33% that they try to recoup
with fares. He continued to explain the various funding sources for Transit, and
also shared various statistics with Members. O'Brien highlighted three bus
passes of particular interest to this group — the 'Off -Peak Senior,' 'Senior Low
Income,' and a 'Disabled' pass. Bern -Klug asked which service is ending in
January. O'Brien responded that this is the SEATS reduced fare, the paratransit
services. O'Brien further explained that this fare was part of a phased out option
that was set to expire in 18 months.
Dobyns asked O'Brien to further explain the revenue realities that led to these
changes, especially in light of the fact that there is a change in available
resources. O'Brien broke down the cost of a ride, both in regular transit and in
SEATS, giving Members a clearer picture of what they are talking about with a
change in available resources. Dobyns asked O'Brien to further clarify just why
there is less money available for paratransit services, and O'Brien outlined
funding changes and philosophies. Fruin noted that the City, along with
Coralville, contracted with the County to provide the SEATS service. The County
significantly reduced their funding during the last negotiation, and the City had to
make some adjustments. Therefore, Sunday service was one service cut and
half -fare was set to be phased out.
Fruin asked O'Brien to address an issue that was brought up at the previous
meeting, and that is when does the bus stop in front of the Senior Center and
when do they only drop off at the main hub downtown. O'Brien responded that
the Towncrest, Court Hill, free shuttle, and 7th Avenue routes all stop on
Washington Street, outside the Senior Center. O'Brien continued to respond to
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Members' questions regarding transit and SEATS services. Bern -Klug asked
O'Brien if they intend to seek more funds in order to restore Sunday service, or is
this going to be the new normal. He noted that as of right now, this is the new
normal.
O'Brien then spoke to Parking operations. He noted in particular the Tower
Place parking facility, directly next to the Senior Center. He noted that they have
an arrangement with the Center to buffer off an additional 75 spaces, especially
during the academic year. Honohan noted that during the time when it states the
parking deck is full, he can still get in with his pass. O'Brien stated that this is
correct and he further explained how Senior Center users can be assured of a
parking space during these peak periods. Honohan noted that he pays $100 per
year for his pass.
Dobyns asked what they have available for parking at the Library and at the
Recreation Center, and if any of the new developments in the area will interfere
with parking. O'Brien noted that his understanding is that much of this new
development will be providing its own parking on-site. As for the Recreation
Center's lot, it is to be reconfigured to allow for more parking. As for the Library,
O'Brien noted the on -street parking availability, as well as the Dubuque Street
facility at the corner of Linn and Burlington Streets. Honohan noted that the
Library also has five or six spaces for 20 -minute parking, and in his experience
these work very well.
b. Neighborhood & Development Services (Aid to Agencies) — Tracy Hightshoe
from Neighborhood and Development Services addressed Members on the Aid
to Agencies process, as well as the Community Development Block Grant funds.
Hightshoe noted that the Aid to Agencies funds are available for operating
expenses, especially for local non -profits to use in their operations. She
explained the process that agencies go through annually, and how their
application is a request not only to Aid to Agencies, but also for United Way,
Johnson County, and Coralville funding. Hightshoe further explained where
these funds come from, noting that they have seen a decrease in funding. She
then explained what the Community Development Block Grant funds are and
where they come from. Hightshoe noted that these funds were used in several
senior housing projects — Concord Terrace, Lexington, Regency Place.
Fruin clarified for Members what City Steps is — a five-year plan that the federal
government requires, one that basically forces you to prioritize needs within the
community. He asked Hightshoe to address where senior services falls in the
City's priority list at this time. Fruin added that this is important as they will be
working on a new five-year plan very soon. He asked Hightshoe to also address
the level of funding they have been working with in the last few years when it
comes to senior services. Hightshoe noted that the funding provided for senior
services in the last few years has been made mostly to Elder Services to fund
four of their programs. Meals on Wheels and case management are two of the
primary programs being funded. Pathways Adult Day Health Care has also
received funds from the City, according to Hightshoe. Through the Home
program, Hightshoe noted that funds have gone to Lexington, Concord, and
Regency Heights for housing needs.
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As for where senior services is ranked in the City's priority list, Hightshoe noted
that the current five-year plan has given senior services a `medium' priority. She
explained that they are currently beginning the process of working with a
consultant to create the next five-year plan's priorities. She added that, in fact,
there is a community needs hearing tomorrow evening at the Senior Center.
Hightshoe then further clarified how they are addressing this prioritization
process. Younker asked how Elder Services is categorized, and Hightshoe
responded that they are classified in a `general' category of senior services. She
noted that when it comes to housing, it is typically not categorized as senior so
much as it is income level.
Fruin then asked Hightshoe to give some examples from the various priority
levels, such as some high priority items. Hightshoe noted that high priorities are
mental health services, transportation, youth services, and neighborhood
services. Medium priorities include items such as health services, and Free
Lunch, Free Medical Clinic, and Pathways all fit in this category. Hightshoe
further explained that just because something is given a medium priority, it does
not mean the service is not needed. The priorities are given based on whether
something is a good fit for federal funds. Due to the income documenting
needed, some programs just are not a good fit for these requirements, according
to Hightshoe.
Honohan then asked for some clarification about the number of neighborhood
centers that are funded from these federal funds. Hightshoe noted that
Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County is the actual non-profit agency that
has two neighborhood centers — Pheasant Ridge and Broadway — in Iowa City.
The funding goes to the actual non-profit, who in turn takes care of the two
centers. These centers provide mainly subsidized childcare for children under
five, youth programming, summer camps, and GED services for adults.
Honohan asked for some further clarification on where these federal funds go
and Hightshoe gave several examples of this, noting that the key here is the
agencies have to apply for these funds. The primary programs for seniors, that
are funded through these dollars, are Elder Services and Pathways. Fruin asked
if the City itself can apply for these funds, and Hightshoe noted that it can, and
that Parks and Rec has applied for funds to the various splash pads in the
neighborhoods. The School District has also applied for funds to use in
playground improvements, and the Housing Authority has applied for tenant -
based rent assistance for seniors.
Dobyns stated that he finds what Housing does for seniors to be very broad
based. He noted that what Hightshoe has been talking about covers many
entities who may or may not touch on senior services. However, the amount of
monies given to these many agencies is actually very small when you look at the
whole picture. Hightshoe noted that the annual action plan for the last five years
is on the City's web site, and that there is a page in there showing what was
requested and what was actually funded, which might show Dobyns that gap he
is referring to. Dobyns stated that he has seen this, but that it doesn't really give
all the information he is looking for. Younker asked how difficult it would be for
Hightshoe to gather this information for a five-year period. Hightshoe noted that
staff can work on gathering this information for the Committee.
Ad Hoc Senior Services Committee
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Bern -Klug noted that this Committee needs to formulate their report by
December, and she asked Hightshoe when they will have their prioritization of
senior services completed. Hightshoe stated that they have to have their
document finalized in December, as well. She briefly explained that they have
been cautioning agencies to not expect the same amount of funding as previous
years, because much of the amounts that will be available are still unknown.
Fruin interjected that this is why meetings like tomorrow's hearing at the Senior
Center on community needs is so important. By getting feedback on what
services are truly needed and what should be a high priority, the process can
hopefully rank these items accordingly. Hightshoe noted several other meetings
where senior services can be talked about — tomorrow at 8:30 A.M. a session for
affordable housing providers; Wednesday, June 11, at 11:00 A.M. a session for
social service providers; and tomorrow evening the meeting at the Senior Center
for general input.
PUBLIC COMMENT:
Bryson Dean, a member of the Senior Center, spoke to Members, stating that she is
happy that the City Council has chosen to address senior needs in this manner. She
stated that she finds it rather interesting that questions keep coming up about space
when she thought they were talking about people and their needs. Continuing, she
stated that at the last meeting Councilperson Dobyns hypothetically asked Senior
Services Coordinator Linda Kopping what she might do for senior services if there was
`zero footprint.' She questioned what Dobyns meant by this comment, adding that in
this meeting he is again talking about space and meeting rooms and what events are
taking place where. Dean stated that it was also curious when the transportation piece
was presented. Nobody asked what might be the possibility of a dedicated stop for the
Senior Center. She added that this has been a very popular topic at the Center, as
some of the Members have trouble walking from the closest bus stop. She stated that
right now it appears there are some hidden agendas here and that hopefully things will
be clarified as they move through these issues. Webber asked for some clarification on
the dedicated stop issue, and whether Dean means right in front of the Center, versus a
stop nearby. She responded that this is indeed what she is referring to.
Kathy Mitchell, a Senior Center Commissioner, spoke next. She spoke to the choices in
the community for young people and children, for families, and for the college students.
She pointed out that this shows how unique the Iowa City/Johnson County Senior
Center is, in that it provides seven days of dedicated service to seniors with the
computer lab and continual volunteers to help anyone needing it. She spoke to some of
the other services offered, many seven days a week, that help seniors with the modern
technologies and the modern world.
USE OF SUBCOMMITTEES:
Younker stated that he and Vice Chair Dohrmann met recently to discuss ways to give
some structure to this Committee's work in order for them to meet their goals and
timelines. He reiterated what their charge is — evaluating and assessing the Senior
Center; making recommendations to City Council on the use of financial and physical
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June 9, 2014
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resources as they relate to senior services; and to then identify obstacles, including
facility obstacles, that impede people's opportunities to take advantage of senior
services. Younker added that he believes it is important for this Committee to have
transparency and for the public to know just what they are doing. He added that
Members have a copy of the email that basically lays out a proposal. This proposal is to
have three subcommittees. One would be tasked with completing the Senior Center
evaluation. The second would be charged with evaluating the physical and financial
resources; and the third subcommittee would be a drafting subcommittee. The finished
product will be a written recommendation to the City Council. The third charge of
identifying obstacles to these services will be covered by the first two subcommittees as
they work through their issues. As for a timeline, Younker explained how they would
like to handle this. First, they need to have more periods for public comment. He
suggested they have an open public forum in early July, in order to get the public's
perception of what is working well, what is not working, what needs to be made
available, etc., before the subcommittees dive into their work. Younker stated that the
goal would be to have the subcommittees meet on their own and work towards
preparing draft reports for their particular areas. Ideally these draft reports would be
ready by early September. At that time, these can be brought to the Committee as a
whole for comment, as well as for more public comment. Once these reports are given
to the drafting subcommittee, the goal would be to have an initial draft report by early
October. At this time there would be more public comment and revisions made as
needed, with the goal then of meeting that December deadline.
Webber noted that this gives them three months to get the understanding they need to
make these decisions. He added that they won't know what the critical funding is going
to be until the end of the year. Honohan noted that this is due in December, and the
Council will start its budget process in early January, and that this may be why the
Council selected the December date. Webber agreed, stating that they would have
former budgetary considerations to review to see what is actually needed to keep things
running. Honohan stated that he is all in favor of the public meeting that Younker
mentioned, but he questioned the location of said meeting. He added that he believes
they would have better participation if held at the Senior Center versus City Hall.
Webber agreed, stating that he was unaware that the Senior Center has been managed
by three professionals for 30 -some odd years, and they use only volunteers to fill in the
gaps. He added that the Center has been accredited twice, which is quite impressive,
and rated in the top ten in the nation. He believes they need to focus some attention on
this ongoing victory, perhaps with a plague.
Dobyns then asked if there is going to be one public meeting with a lot of comment, or
several meetings to gather this info. Younker stated that he believes there will be
several types of public meetings needed. The one he is calling for in July is a general
public forum. As they work through their recommendations in subcommittee, Younker
stated that the public meetings then can be more focused on particular
recommendations, for example. Dobyns stated that he strongly disagrees with having
this particular meeting at the Senior Center due to the bias with that population. He
further explained his belief, adding that City Hall represents all of the people, all of the
entities involved in this issue. Honohan noted that obviously they disagree here. He
Ad Hoc Senior Services Committee
June 9, 2014
Page 9
noted that a specific charge is to review the Senior Center, and he believes they need to
hear from the people who use the Center. Younker further explained what his original
intent was for this first meeting. He believes that they need to let the public comment on
the process and the job of the Committee before they move forward. Honohan noted
that only 10 people are attending the current meeting in the City Hall location, versus 20
that attended a Commission meeting at the Senior Center regarding the ad hoc
committee itself. He also spoke to the time of day that meetings are held and what
population they can expect at evening meetings versus daytime meetings. Honohan
reiterated that he believes they need to start with a public meeting at the Senior Center.
Bern -Klug then asked if the evaluation of the Senior Center will affect the resources
evaluation, or if these are two completely separate items. Younker stated that his
understanding is that these are separate, at least in the initial analysis. There is overlap
between the two, he believes. Berg -Klug stated that she believes what is of highest
importance to everyone is resources and how they are going to be used. She strongly
suggested that they lay out how they plan to look at the resources and what a draft
report might look like, prior to getting public comment. She stated that she believes the
anxiety around these unknown changes is what needs to be addressed. Younker
further clarified what the Committee's charges are and how he believes they can
achieve their goals. The conversation continued on this topic, with Younker stating that
he believes they need several types of public comment. One is the general comment
type of session where people can comment on what they feel they need, what they like,
etc., just an overall comment session. Secondly, the subcommittee charged with
looking at resources would do just that — work with the City staff to see what resources
are available for senior services.
Fruin stated that staff can give the Committee some information on this, such as here is
what is spent on the Senior Center every year; here is what we spend on the support of
social services every year that senior service agencies could apply for. This would give
Members somewhat of a baseline understanding of what they are being asked to look
at. He added that looking at the financial aspects of this will not be part of the
Committee's charge. Bern -Klug noted that everyone on the Committee needs to be
privy to all of the information available, especially the items that the resource
subcommittee would have. Otherwise they stand the risk of disagreeing with the report
if they haven't all seen the same information. She believes this is the main part of their
charge and that all of them need to be part of the resource evaluation work. Honohan
stated that he would support this.
Younker agreed, stating that this is a very important part of their charge. However, a
concern he has with having the entire Committee tasked with assessing resources from
the beginning is for them to be able to make all of the meetings they will need, to get all
of the speakers in that they need, and still be able to present a report by December 1St
With the meeting rules they have to follow, this requires posting an agenda in a certain
amount of time, quorum issues, that type of thing. By having subcommittees, they can
be a bit more flexible in schedules as they go about getting the information they need
for their issues. Dohrmann asked if they were looking at subcommittees existing of
three people, and Younker agreed they were. Dobyns stated that he agrees with Bern -
Klug, that they need to do this in the best possible way in order to achieve their goals.
Ad Hoc Senior Services Committee
June 9, 2014
Page 10
Younker stated that he believes the role of the subcommittees will be to decide what the
entire Committee needs to hear or read. He added that members of these
subcommittees will be able to request items be placed on the agenda, such as needing
further information on an issue. Honohan stated that he agrees with Berg -Klug too, that
the evaluation of the Senior Center itself will be less of their task, that the resources
portion needs the most attention. He added that with the information they will be
receiving from Fruin and Hightshoe, they will be able to move forward with that part of
the resources aspect.
Bern -Klug stated that it appears to her that part of the agenda is that the Senior Center
is receiving the lion's share of City funding, and other agencies would like a piece of this
funding. She asked if this is correct, and if their charge is to take this funding and
distribute more of it to these other groups. Younker explained that the
recommendations are to include how current financial and physical resources can be
used to meet the needs of Iowa City seniors, that this is where the idea of a
subcommittee was developed. Bern -Klug stated that if this is the case, and that
finances are not going to be increasing, then she believes they are basically talking
about redistribution of the Center's share of City finances.
Fruin responded to Bern-Klug's comments by stating that as a group they are going to
figure out the needs as put forth in their charge. Several scenarios could occur, and he
gave examples — such as staying the course and keeping funding as is. Another could
be taking money from the Senior Center funding and diverting it to agencies serving
seniors. Yet another idea could be identifying an unmet need, but stating that the
Senior Center funding should not be sacrificed to meet it — that another resource should
pay this. Bern -Klug moved that the full Committee do the resource evaluation
portion of their charge, seconded by Honohan. Younker noted that they have a
motion and a second on the floor, and he called for further discussion. He stated that
he believes without a subcommittee that several individuals will need to be tasked with
gathering some of this information, and he questioned how this would be done.
Dohrmann stated that she likes the idea of two open forums at the Senior Center, with
one being specifically for the Senior Center and the other a general one. She
questioned how the Committee would then regroup in order to accomplish their tasks,
as some of this will need to take place outside of their regular meetings.
Honohan responded that information can be gathered by Members and then put into
their meeting packets for distribution to the entire Committee. He expressed his
concern with only three Members being on a subcommittee. Bern -Klug again spoke to
how they could best achieve this, and she noted that perhaps the best way to go about
this is to have the subcommittee doing the legwork, but having the resources report
come from the Committee as a whole. She believes this will help them come to a
consensus as a whole better for the final report. Her concern is that others who are not
a part of this evaluation will not know as much as others on the Committee, and she
feels it is important that every one of them knows the same information.
The discussion continued, with members discussing how they can handle getting this
work done, without a subcommittee, and how they can delegate particular tasks to
Ad Hoc Senior Services Committee
June 9, 2014
Page 11
Members, who can then work on obtaining the needed information outside of meeting
times. Cannon agreed, stating that she also believes they all should be getting the
same information from the same sources in real time together and then they can
discuss this as a group. If they find that they need further clarification, she stated that
she would be glad to volunteer in making sure they had their issue taken care of.
Younker asked if there was any further discussion as they have a pending motion on
the floor at this point. . Bern -Klug moved that the full Committee do the resource
evaluation portion of their charge, seconded by Honohan. Motion carried 7-0.
Moving on to the issue of establishing a subcommittee to evaluate the Senior Center,
Younker asked for a motion. Honohan moved to establish a Senior Center
evaluation subcommittee, seconded by Dohrmann. Motion carried 7-0.
Younker then asked Hightshoe if she would be able to gather her information prior to
the meeting on June 23rd. Honohan asked if Fruin would be able to provide his
information as well for that packet. Younker then moved on to the topic of public
comment, receiving public comment at the meeting on the 23rd. This would be a
broader-based issue forum. Dobyns asked if this is something that will be special,
outside of the normal public comment at each meeting. Younker spoke to this, stating
that instead of the general public comment time they would devote more time to a
broader public comment session. By that date they will have had several meetings
under their belt and he believes it makes sense to invite the public to comment on the
Committee at this juncture. Dobyns moved that this meeting be held in a neutral
site, such as Harvat Hall in City Hall, and that a subsequent meeting be held at the
Senior Center. The agenda would also include the information from Hightshoe
and Fruin. Dohrmann seconded the motion. Honohan stated that he didn't envision
the 23rd meeting to be one for public comment. He thought this was to be at a meeting
in July. He thought that comment at the next meeting would be on the information they
are going to be receiving. Younker stated that whether the meeting takes place on the
23rd or in July he doesn't believe matters. That he wants to get as much broad public
comment as possible, as soon as possible. Honohan reiterated that he still believes the
July date works best. Bern -Klug stated that she believes the public will be most
interested once they see the draft proposal. The sooner they can get this draft out to
the public and receive their comments, she believes the better off they will be.
Younker asked for some clarification from Karr about how much discussion is
appropriate in response to a public comment during that section of the agenda. Karr
asked if this is for subject matter or timeframe, and Younker stated subject matter. Karr
stated that they can have more than one public comment, that they can have it under
their financial reports, for example, and then more of an open period for items not on the
agenda. Honohan stated that as he recalls what Dilkes said, they are restricted in their
interactions with speakers on items not on the agenda. Karr noted that this is a policy
that Council does follow. Honohan then asked Dobyns what the purpose of his motion
is. Dobyns responded that the purpose is to have a meeting early on in their process
that would be considered the meeting for people who are interested in this matter to
attend. He believes this is an important meeting, and that such a meeting should be
Ad Hoc Senior Services Committee
June 9, 2014
Page 12
held on neutral grounds, such as City Hall. Dobyns moved that this meeting, June
23rd, be held in a neutral site, such as Harvat Hall in City Hall, and that a
subsequent meeting be held at the Senior Center. The agenda would also include
the information from Hightshoe and Fruin. Dohrmann seconded the motion.
Motion carried 7-0.
Honohan then asked Karr if it would be possible to get the meeting packets out on
Thursday evening. She stated that the first priority will be to the Council agenda, and
that she can work on the Ad Hoc agenda. It was agreed that information for the
Thursday packet should be to Karr no later than noon on Thursday.
PENDING ITEMS FOR FUTURE MEETINGS:
None.
TENTATIVE THREE MONTH MEETING SCHEDULE: (first and third Monday of each month):
Younker asked if there are any conflicts with the schedule so far. Karr stated that there is one
for August 4th, and Honohan added that they now have two. Younker suggested they wait and
address this at a future meeting. Karr asked that others get any dates to her so that staff can
work up a new calendar. Dobyns stated that he has been told he will be starting clinics in
September on Monday afternoons, and suggested meeting Monday mornings. The September
schedule will be discussed at the June 23' meeting. Members confirmed the start time of 3:30
for all meetings.
Tentative meeting times were discussed:
June 23
July 7
July 21
August
August 18
ADJOURNMENT:
Honohan moved to adjourn the meeting at 6:10 P.M., seconded by Bern -Klug. Motion
carried 7-0.
Ad Hoc Senior Services Committee
June 9, 2014
Page 13
Ad Hoc Senior Services Committee
ATTENDANCE RECORD
2014
Kev;
X = Present
O = Absent
O/E = Absent/Excused
NM = No meeting
--- = Not a Member at this time
TERM
0
0
0
Q
w
m
NAME
EXP.
N
A
A
a
12/1/14
X
X
X
Joe
Younker
Jay
12/1/14
X
X
X
Honohan
Mercedes
12/1/14
X
X
X
Bern -Klug
Hiram
12/1/14
X
X
X
Richard
Webber
Ellen
12/1/14
X
X
X
Cannon
Jane
12/1/14
X
X
X
Dohrmann
Rick
12/1/14
X
XX
Dobyns
Kev;
X = Present
O = Absent
O/E = Absent/Excused
NM = No meeting
--- = Not a Member at this time
01i) (1)
Marian Karr
From: Rick Dobyns <dobynsforcouncil@gmail. com>
Sent: Saturday, June 14, 2014 1:18 PM
To: WalkerCL04@aol.com
Cc: Marian Karr
Subject: Re: Part 1 -- SEATS new application and instructions
Charlotte,
Thank you for your interest. The changes in the form were new requirements for paratransit services that were
beyond the control of Iowa City. As a geriatric physician who fills the doctor part out many times you could
imagine my empathy. Our transportation director Chris OBrien did a great job of shrinking and simplifying the
form. You should have seen how touch more difficult it was before he altered it. We alerted Coralville, North
Liberty and Johnson County so they could also use a our shorter version of the newly required long form. We
are continually looking at new ways to restore finding for reduced paratransit services. Making sure only those
who need it can use it will help. Mr. OBrien has replied to you as well in a separate email.
Rick Dobyns
Iowa City Council
On Jun 10, 2014, at 9:59 PM, WalkerCL04 cr,aol.com wrote:
FYI -- your council email address does not work. My message to you using your council
email address bounced.
Charlotte Walker
1799 5th Street, # 102
Coralville, IA 52241
From: WalkerCL04(cDaol.com
To: Rick-Dobyns(a�iowacity.orq
CC: chris-obrien(a.iowa-city.org, tom-markus(5�iowa-city.org
Sent: 6/10/2014 6:58:02 P.M. Central Daylight Time
Subj: Part 1 -- about the new application and instructions for SEATS
service
To Councilman Rick Dobyns, I'm sorry that I failed to include you in the list
that received my messages about SEATS changes. I know you have
interest in that important service. I am aware that you are on the Johnson
County Paratransit Advisory Committee. I have seen the very brief
minutes of that Committee's last meeting that took place in February.
Those minutes tell that the SEATS application was discussed.
Below you will find a copy of Part One of what I sent earlier today to
members of the Johnson County Task Force on Aging about changes that
have been planned for SEATS eligibility. If you have any interest is seeing
Part Two, which includes direct quotes from the packet's troubling
instructions and a few comments about Coralville's SEATS plan, let me
know and I'll send that to you too.
Right now, I don't know if Iowa City, or University Heights, or North Liberty
plans to use Coralville's questionable SEATS application forms and
instructions. Yesterday I emailed Chris Obrien, Director of Iowa City's
Transit Dept, about this subject but so far he has not repled.
I am hopeful that you will try hard to protect those who need that important
transit service.
Charlotte Walker
Member of the Johnson County Task Force on Aging
From: WalkerCL04(a)aol.com
To: marketing(cDwindmillmanor.com, blkiowa@gmail.com,
welshbob@aol.com, brian-kaskie(cDuiowa.edu,
brian.rummelhart atriswoldhomecare.com,
brace.teaque(a caringhandsandmore.com,
walkerc104@aol.com, pastordsc(a)gmail.com,
eddunbar(a)msn.com, everington3@gmail.com,
casserly@mchsi.com, harryo$(a aol.com,
Irvinpfab(a)gmail.com, ikellbach@abbe.orq,
ohnsoncountV(@IivablecommunitV.org ioe(c)ioebolkcom.org,
letheredge(a)co.iohnsonJams, iosephine-gittler(a),uiowa.edu,
kicW( iowatelecom.net, Idkude6(5�aol.com, lavon-
yeggy(a uiowa.edu, leonard-sandler(a)uiowa.edu, linda-
koppinq(@iowa-city.org, loisbart(aD_aol.com, lorraine-
dorfman(d.uiowa.edu, Icannon920(cDgmail.com,
rs2george(ayahoo.com, sally.stutsman(a0egis.iowa.gov,
sato-ashida(a)uiowa.edu, shawn.zierke a()gmail.com,
swehr(cD_elderservicesinc.com, terrilynn1964 gmail.com,
cunninghamt50(cDgmail.com, tbrase(a)co.lohnson.ia.us,
printress98(ogmail.com
BCC: jlundell(a)ci.coralville.ia.us,
khayworth(ir)ci.coralville.ia.us, Igoodrich(abci.coralville.ia.us
Sent: 6/10/2014 10:59:43 A.M. Central Daylight Time
Subj.- Part 1 -- about the new application and
instuctions for SEATS service
To members of the Johnson County Task Force on Aging:
On June 3 1 received a large envelope from the Coralville
Transit department that contained many pages related to
applying to ride the Johnson County SEATS bus. The
application part is for both new and a required re -certification
for current riders. This is the first recertification request since
I became approved in 2010.
Besides the application itself, the large packet also included
a 4 page SEATS rider survey, a 5 page "Physician's
verification of Disability" form, and 5 pages of instructions
and liability information.
This bunch of forms, including the Physician's verification, is
to be returned to the Coralville Transit Dept by July 11th.
The current riders who are not approved will be able to
continue to ride until July 31st. The paper work tells that
service cannot continue while a denial is being appealed. It
also tells that the application process can involve in-person
interview and/or functional assessment. It also says that
eligibility is not automatically assumed because of a
disability.
After reading over these forms, it looks like it will be much
harder for elderly people, without serious visible disability, to
be approved to ride SEATS.
This is a complex topic that needs the attention of our Task
Force since it could greatly impact the ability for elderly
people who are trying to remain in their own or rented home,
especially our low income elderly and those who are above
75 to 80 years old. Daily life does get more difficult in
advanced old age.
Even the people who live in Emerson Point, the affordable
assisted living facility, will have to be recertified due to this
new SEATS application process. It appears that even those
frail elders will be forced to go through this new effort to
remove as many as possible people from the SEATS
service.
I will send next a message that quotes some troubling parts
that were in that SEATS packet from Coralville's Transit
Dept. I will be interested to hear any comments.
Charlotte Walker
Member of the JC Task Force on Aging
:�O'ab (a)
® " N V M O INA C 1
=�4� 1A >i M KA a l [A JA
Date: June 18, 2014
To: Ad -Hoc Senior Services Committee
From: Geoff Fruin, Assistant City Manager
Re: City Council Strategic Plan
Every two years, the City Council engages in a strategic planning effort to help guide policy and
operational decisions. A new 2014-2015 Strategic Plan was recently adopted by the City
Council. An excerpt of the plan that outlines the City Council priorities and new initiatives is
attached to this memo. The full report, as well as the latest quarterly update is available online
at www.icgov.org/strategicolan.
The attached establishing resolution for the Ad-hoc Senior Services Committee references the
City's Strategic Plan. At the Chair's request, I am providing this brief overview. If anyone has
questions about the plan, I am happy to discuss it at any time.
Prepared by: Geoff Fruin, Asst. to the City Manager, 410 E. Washington St., Iowa City, IA 52240 (319) 356-5010
RESOLUTION NO. 14-37
RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING AN AD HOC SENIOR SERVICES COMMITTEE
TO REVIEW THE VISION, MISSION, AND PROGRAMMING OF CITY
SPONSORED SENIOR SERVICES IN RELATION TO THE OVERALL NEEDS
OF SENIORS IN THE COMMUNITY
WHEREAS, The vast majority of city sponsored senior services are provided through the Senior
Center (aka The Center). The Vision of the Senior Center is that it "will be the communities'
primary resource for the highest quality programs, services, and opportunities that promote
optimal aging'. The Mission of the Senior Center is "to promote optimal aging among older
adults by offering programs and services that promote wellness, social interaction, community
engagement, and intellectual growth. The Center serves the public through intergenerational
programming and community outreach. ",• and
WHEREAS, According to the United States Census Bureau, the segments of the United States
population that grew the fastest between 2000 and 2010 were persons ages 45 to 64 years and
65 years and older. Statistics on the State of Iowa and the City of Iowa City indicate that the senior
population is growing in similar fashion; and
WHEREAS, The City Council recently adopted its 2014-15 Strategic Plan, which includes a
commitment to foster a more inclusive and sustainable Iowa City. The Strategic Plan also included
a new Initiative to examine alternative approaches to delivering services and programs for senior
citizens; and
WHEREAS, It is important for City services to recognize and adapt to the changing demographic
and socioeconomic profile of Iowa City residents in order to ensure that municipal services are
best meeting the needs of the population; and
WHEREAS, The City Council has expressed a desire to evaluate the current services offered
by the Senior Center in order to ensure that the City is effectively meeting the needs of the
senior population within the community.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF IOWA
CITY, IOWA, THAT:
1. The Ad Hoc Senior Services Committee is established.
2. The Senior Service Committee shall consist of seven (7) members to be appointed by the
City Council. Members of other City boards and commissions may serve on the Senior Services
Committee. Membership shall include at least one member of the City Council, Senior Center
Commission and a non-member of the Senior Center. Up to two non-residents of the City of Iowa
City shall be eligible to serve on the committee if they are residents of Johnson County and offer
desirable expertise not available from applicants who reside in Iowa City.
Resolution No. 14-37
Page 2
3. Applications for membership on the Senior Services Committee shall be announced,
advertised, and available in the same manner as those for all City boards and commissions. The
term of members shall commence immediately upon City Council appointment.
4. City Council shall select the Chair, who when present will preside over all meetings, and
the Vice -Chair, who will serve as chair in absence of the Chair.
5. The City Manager and City Clerk, or their designees, shall staff the Senior Services
Committee.
6. The Senior Services Committee shall determine the frequency and conduct of its
meetings. The meetings will be open to the public in accordance with Chapter 21 of the Iowa
Code.
7. The Senior Services Committee shall serve from May 1, 2014 to December 1, 2014 and
shall have an organizational meeting no later than June 13, 2014.
8. The charges of the Senior Services Committee are as follows:
A. To evaluate the current vision, mission, programming, and recent
accomplishments of the Senior Center, as detailed in the 2013 Annual Report.
Further, and to review the current demographics of the participants served by
existing operations. Such evaluation should consider the 2013 Senior Center
Survey of Members, Former Members and Non -Members, as well as other
available data sources from the Senior Center, and determine whether segments
of the senior population are not accessing available services. A summary of this
committee evaluation and its related findings shall be included in the final written
report submitted to the City Council.
B. To make recommendations to the City Council on how Iowa City should use
current financial and physical resources to meet the needs of Iowa City seniors.
These recommendations should consider the City's use of existing resources and
the vision, mission and programming required to more effectively serve the
growing senior population in the community in accordance with the inclusive and
sustainable values expressed in the City's Strategic Plan. Such recommendations
shall include commentary regarding the specific segments of the senior population
that they are intended to serve.
C. To identify any obstacles, including facility considerations, which may be hindering
the City's ability to serve the senior population and to make recommendations that
would minimize or eliminate such obstacles.
9. The Senior Services Committee shall submit a written report to the City Council by
December 1, 2014, that responds to each of the charges listed above and that contains
recommendations, if any, with respect to each of the charges.
10. Absent further action by the City Council, the Senior Services Committee will dissolve on
December 1, 2014.
Resolution No. 14-37
Page 3
Passed and approved this 18th day of February 2014.
Aak'�-1y\
MAYOR
`A
ATTEST: !!i(�atic��,y �. rt/
J
CITY CLERK City Attorney's Office
Resolution No.
Page 4_
It was moved by Mims and seconded by Payne the
Resolution be adopted, and upon roll call there were:
AYES: NAYS: ABSENT:
_ x Botchway
x Dickens
_cx Dobyns
x Hayek
x Mims
x Payne
x Throgmorton
2014-15 Strategic Planning Council Priorities
After review and discussion, the City Council identified the following as their
strategic planning focus for 2014-15:
Fostering a more Gvccusivc and SUSTAINABLE Iowa City through a commitment to:
• Healthy Neighborhoods
• A Strong Urban Core
• Strategic Economic Development Activities
• A Solid Financial Foundation
• Enhanced Communication and Marketing
It should be noted, that the City Council has placed an emphasis on malting Iowa City
more inclusive and sustainable. These two goals are intended to filter through all of
the City's activities and thus were not listed as a single isolated priority in the
strategic plan. They are rather guiding principles that should be considered when
working within each of the stated priorities.
As in previous years, staff will prepare an Action Plan for City Council review and
approval. The Action Plan will set forth specific goals, defined actions and
designation of responsibilities. The status of implementation of the Action Plan will
be reviewed on a regular basis with the City Council.
During the strategic planning session, the City Council identified several new
initiatives that will be combined with on-going commitments from the 2012-13
Strategic Plan and incorporated into the new Action Plan for 2014-15. Those new
initiatives include:
Healthy Neighborhoods
• Evaluate programs and methods to promote affordable housing including
city specific and regional actions
• Partner with the ICCSD regarding planned improvements to older schools
and the development of new elementary schools that collectively contribute
to stronger neighborhoods designed for long-term sustainability
Strategic Economic Development Activities
• Inform the City Council and the Iowa City community about current
programs and services provided by City, Chamber of Commerce, ICAD and
others to foster local business growth and economic development; and
review duties and responsibilities of the various organizations engaged in
economic development in Iowa City
• Forge additional partnerships with the University of Iowa (Research Park,
mixed use, etc.)
Examine enhancing the CDBG micro -enterprise loan program to demonstrate
to the general public that Iowa City is committed to serving all populations
and ensuring the long-term sustainability of the community
13
Enhanced Communication and Marketine
• Advance intent of Ad Hoc Diversity Committee recommendations and
develop new programs/initiatives that directly respond to ongoing concerns
• Increase the diversity of city staff and department leadership
• Explore ways to facilitate and improve relations between city staff and
minority residents
• Achieve greater racial/ethnic diversity on city boards and commissions
• Examine alternative approaches to delivering services and programs for
senior citizens
• Consider establishing council member "listening posts" on a regular basis in
different parts of the city; consider the possibility of joint listening posts with
representatives of other governing bodies
• Meet on regular basis with members of the ICCSD board
• Develop comprehensive communications plan and a marketing strategy for
the community
• Incorporate the 2013 Sustainability Assessment findings into operations and
develop an associated action plan for the community
Final Comments
It was a pleasure to again assist the City of Iowa City with this strategic planning process.
I continue to be extremely impressed with the level of commitment, cooperation and
positive attitudes demonstrated by all the elected officials and department/division
directors.
Jeff Schott
Institute of Public Affairs
University of Iowa
December 3, 2013
14
W IOWA CITY
PUBLIC citLIBRARY
123 S. ,
DATE: June 17, 2014
TO: Senior Services Committee 4 1
FROM: Susan Craig, Library Director kQ5%
DIRECTOR Susan Craig
PHONE 319-356-5200
FAx 319-356-5494
www.icpl.org
RE: Library Meeting Room Availability & Technology Support for Seniors
I have some information to share about several questions that were asked at the recent
Committee meeting. The first question was about the availability of meeting room
space at the Library. We have five public meeting rooms with capacities that range
from 200 (achieved by opening walls to combine three rooms) to 10. One of the rooms
is set up classroom style and wired as an ICN facility and is not very flexible for uses
other than that type of seating. Last year there were just over 1700 publicly booked
meetings in these five rooms. I estimate the Library used the rooms an additional 200
times bringing the total to about 1,900 uses a year.
In addition to these five meeting rooms we have small conference and discussion rooms
(four of each) that were used 5500 times last year. They are not available for
reservation. Several library spaces are used extensively for programming, but are not
available for general public use including the Storytime Room, Computer Lab, and Teen
Center.
As I said at the meeting, it is difficult to gauge the availability of rooms at one point in
time. Looking at our current schedule, one month out we have about 55% of the hours
available. This is just one snapshot and would be a lower number during the school
year. The purpose of the Library's meeting rooms is to provide space where the public
can attend informational, educational and cultural events as well as to provide space for
library programs and events. There is no charge, but users who desire other than the
standard set up must return the room to the standard configuration if they change it.
Booking for a "standing" time over a series of weeks is not generally allowed.
We do not request or track demographic data for people attending our classes or
programs. Sixty-nine people attended classes in the last six months, and, by staff
estimate a conservative 60% of them were over age 55. In a similar period of time 358
people stopped by during Drop -in -Tech -Help, about half of them are over 55.
Please let me know if I can provide any other information regarding library services.
CITY OF IOWA CITY
� MEMORANDUM
Date: June 19, 2014
To: Ad -Hoc Senior Services Committee
From: Geoff Fruin, Assistant City Manager
Re: Budget Report
At your January 9, 2014 meeting, the committee requested additional financial information on
the various ways the City supports senior services. Included with this memo is a budget report
that provides more detail on our recent past support of social service agencies, as well as a
summary of the Senior Center budget and parking and transit programs specifically geared to
seniors.
The committee also previously heard how both Parks and Recreation and the Library serve area
seniors. However, those programs generally are not offered exclusively for seniors. For this
reason, the City does not specifically track financials for the senior population in these
operations.
I will plan to walk the committee through this report at the July 23rd meeting.
Assistance to Social Service Agencies
Iowa City annually provides funding to area social service agencies and non -profits. To receive funding, agencies must apply and go
through a competitive process that involves a review and recommendation from the City's Housing and Community Development
Commission (HCDC) and an ultimate decision by the City Council. Funding decisions are guided by a federally mandated five year
locally adopted Consolidated Plan, which identifies the most critical priorities for the community. Iowa City refers to our five year
plan as "CITY STEPS" and is currently in the process of drafting a new plan that will guide funding decisions for the next five years.
Funding to agencies is distributed through two separate, yet related processes. The first process is the Aid to Agencies process,
which focuses on operational needs of agencies. The Aid to Agencies program includes federal dollars and local dollars from
property taxes and utility accounts. The federal funding fluctuates on a year to year basis and we generally expect a downward
trend in federal revenues in the coming years. The local dollars are also subject to annual appropriations by the City. Due to the 2013
property tax reform legislation, we expect stagnant or declining property tax revenues over the next ten years. Therefore, adding
additional local funds to this process will likely require cuts In other areas of local government operations or an Increase in our local
property tax rate.
The second process is a competitive allocation of federal funds (CDBG and HOME) for non -operational, typically capital related
expenses (e.g. physical construction). These projects go through a similar review process and are guided by the same five year plan.
As with the Aid to Agencies program, the federal revenue is projected to be on a downward trend.
For the five-year period of 2011 through 2015, the City identified the following needs as high priorities in the CITY STEPS plan:
Housing Needs
o Non -student renter households up to 50% of MFI: Small families, specifically renters, experience the greatest degree of
housing problems. Existing affordable housing demand exceeds projected demand, and the need for rental units far
outpaces the need for owner units. With the cost of home ownership outpacing real median household income,
providing assistance to rental households would be more cost-effective at this time.
o Persons and families at -risk for homelessness: With more "new homeless" being created during the recession, it is
critical that efforts be made to assist them in maintaining their current housing, and not increase the number of
homeless in Iowa City. Rental assistance, including rent and utility deposits, achieves this objective and is far more
cost-effective than transitioning out of homelessness.
o Owner -occupied housing units: Elderly and small family owner households experience very high degree of housing
problems, especially cost burden. Weatherization, emergency rehab and rehab activities help to decrease monthly
utility costs and preserve and maintain the City's affordable owner housing stock. In addition, physical improvements
including handicap accessibility features that may assist elderly owners to age -in-place is a high priority.
Community Development Needs
o Public service activities that focus on crime prevention and awareness, child care, youth services, life skills, financial
literacy, substance abuse services, mental health services, homeless services, transportation and employment training
are high priorities. As a result of the recession, there are many more households at -risk for becoming homeless due to
job loss, etc. Assisting these families with day care, life skills, etc. to maintain their job and housing will be a priority.
o Public facilities, specifically the structural facilities that house the public service providers listed above. In addition,
child care facilities that are affordable to LMI households or accept Title 20 funding would be a high priority. Investing
in the physical facilities used by non-profit organizations would prolong the life of their facilities and enable the
agencies to continue their missions. Park and recreational facilities, flood prevention and mitigation strategies in low
income neighborhoods are also high priorities.
o Economic development activities, specifically employment training and micro -enterprise loan financing.
Senior Services were identified as a medium priority in the plan, although it should be noted that many of the high priorities benefit
the senior population. The 2011-2015 CITY STEPS Plan can be found at www.icgov.org/action plan.
FY13-15 Aid To Agencies History
Agency
FY13
Request
FY13
Actual
FY14
Request
FY14
Actual
FY15
Request
FY15
Actual
Main Priority -CITY STEPS
4 C's Community Coord.
Child Care
$2,000
$2,000
$2,000
$1,850
$10,000
$5,000
High - Child Care
Arc of Southeast Iowa
NA
NA
$4,000
$2,163
$5,000
$5,000
Medium- Handicap Services
Big Brothers/Big Sisters
$35,000
$32,000
$40,000
$29,325
$35,200
$30,000
High - Youth Services
Community Corrections
Imp. Assoc.
NA
NA
NA
NA
$10,000
$0
High - Crime Prevention &
Employment Training
Compeer of Johnson
County
$10,000
$5,000
$6,000
$3,313
Missed
Deadline
$0
High- Mental Health Services
Crisis Center of Johnson
County
$42,000
$40,000
$49,540
$38,000
$49,540
$40,000
High - Homeless Services, Medium -
Health Services
Domestic Violence
Intervention Program
$55,000
$50,000
$52,500
$47,500
$50,000
$45,000
High -Homeless Services (as it relates
to housing)
Elder Services Inc.
$55,620
$52,000
$60,000
$48,819
$50,000
$30,010
Medium -Senior Services
Extend the Dream
Foundation
NA
NA
$20,000
Not Eligible
NA
NA
Medium - Handicap Services
Four Oaks - Pal Program
$1,000
$1,000
NA
NA
$5,000
$0
High -Child Care
Free Lunch Program
$2,000
$2,000
$2,000
$2,000
$2,000
$5,000
Medium - Health Services
HACAP - Food Reservoir
Backpack Program
NA
NA
NA
NA
$28,000
$12,000
Medium - Health Services
Hillcrest Family Services
NA
NA
$4,000
$0
NA
NA
High- Mental Health Services
Housing Trust Fund of JC
$8,000
$8,000
$8,000
$8,000
$24,000
$24,000
High - Housing (non -student renters
under 50% MI)
ICCSD Family Resource
Centers
NA
NA
$50,000
$10,000
$37,500
$15,000
High - Youth Services
IC Free Medical/Dental
Clinic
$8,000
$7,500
$10,000
$7,500
$7,500
$7,500
Medium -Health Services
IV Habitat for Humanity -
Furniture Project
NA
NA
NA
NA
$10,000
$5,000
High - Homeless Services
Johnson County Social
Services
NA
NA
$10,000
$6,000
NA
NA
High- Employment Training
Mayor's Youth
Employment Program
NA
NA
$15,000
$6,000
NA
NA
High- Employment Training
MECCA
$20,000 1
$18,950
$33,022 1
$16,880
$20,000
$15,000
High -Substance Abuse
Neighborhood Centers of
1C
$63,000
$60,000
$70,000
$51,000
$60,000
$50,000
High - Youth Services/Child Care
Pathways Adult Day
Health Center
$5,000
$4,879
$5,000
$4,000
$15,000
$5,000
Medium - Senior/Handicap Services
Rape Victim Advocacy
Program
$14,000
$12,000
$15,400
$10,325
$12,000
$10,000
High - Crime Prevention, Medium -
Health/Legal Services
Shelter House
$40,000
$36,500
$64,500
$32,525
$64,500
$45,000
High- Homeless Services
The Dream Center
NA
NA
$39,300
$0
NA
NA
High - Youth Services
United Action for Youth
$65,000
$60,000
$65,000
$53,500
$72,000
$49,000
High -Youth Services
Total Request:
$425,620
$391,829
$625,262
$378,700
$567,240
$397,510
Note: No other agency that exclusively serves seniors has applied for Aid to Agency assistance in recent years. It should be noted that
agencies identified with amain priority other than Senior Services may assist the senior population through their services (Example:
Free Lunch Program).
FY1.3-FY15 CDBG & HOME Competitive Application History
Housing
CHARM Homes LLC - Rental Housing
CJs Construction, Inc. - Rental Housing
Hawkeye Area Comm. Action Program - Rental Rehab.
The Housing Fellowship -CHDO Operating Funds
The Housing Fellowship -Rental Housing
Iowa City Cohousing - Downpayment Assistance
Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity - Homeownership
Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity - Owner -occupied Rehab.
City of Iowa City - Owner -occupied Rehabilitation
Shelter House - Rapid Rehousing (TBRA)
Successful Living -Rental Rehabilitation
3 Diamond Development - Rental Housing
Housing Total
Public Facilities
Arc of Southeast Iowa - Playground
Iowa City -Downtown Fa4ade Imp.
Community Mental Health Center -Accessibility
Crisis Center of Johnson County -Rehabilitation
Domestic Violence Intervention Program - Facility Rehab.
Extend the Dream/PATV- Facility Rehabilitation
HACAP - Playground
Iowa City Free Medical Clinic - Facility Rehab,
Mayor's Youth - Facility Rehab.
MECCA- Facility Rehabilitation
NCJC- Facility Rehab,
Sudanese American Community Services - Property Acq.
United Action for Youth - Facility Rehab.
Public Facilities Total
TOTAL;
Note: The yellow highlight indicates the project was specifically geared to seniors. Other projects may serve the senior population but
not in an exclusive manner. Other senior oriented projects to receive these funds in recent years include Lexington Senior Housing
$275,000 (2001), Concorde Terrace Senior Housing $275,000 (2000) and Regency Heights Senior Housing $150,000 (1999).
FY13
FY14
FY15
Requested
FY13
Requested
FY14
Requested
FY15
Amount
Allocation
Amount
Allocation
Amount
Allocation
$61,650
$61,650
$61,650
$61,650
NA
NA
$650,000
$0
NA
NA
NA
NA
$360,000
$290,014
NA
NA
NA
NA
$20,630
$19,260
$23,250
$17,630
$20,000
$15,000
$258,239
$0
NA
NA
$300,000
$200,000
NA
NA
NA
NA
$100,950
$0
$120,000
$0
$150,000
Withdrawn
$100,000
$0
$90,000
$90,000
NA
NA
NA
NA
$220,000
$200,000
$300,000
$300,000
$250,000
$140,000
NA
NA
NA
NA
$75,000
$75,000
$300,000
$0
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
$450,000
$0
NA
NA
$2,080,519
$660,924
$984,900
$379,280
$845,950
$430,000
NA
NA
NA
NA
$100,000
$75,000
NA
NA
$50,000
$0
NA
NA
$183,564
$100,000
NA
NA
NA
NA
$300,400
$160,000
$120,000
Withdrawn
NA
NA
$172,076
$172,076
NA
NA
NA
NA
$35,360
$0
NA
NA
NA
NA
$40,000
$40,000
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
$85,371
$20,000
NA
NA
$119,424
$0
$114,270
$70,000
NA
NA
$339,767
$12,500
$59,645
$23,850
NA
NA
$111,500
$111,500
$55,000
$55,000
$84'000
$0
NA
NA
$50,000
$0
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
$122,620
$25,000
$1,302,091
$596,076
$534,286
$168,850
$306,620
$100,000
$3,382,610
$1,257,000
$1,519,186
$548,130
$1,152,570
$530,000
The Senior Center
The Senior Center budget consists of several revenue and expense categories. General Fund (i.e. property tax) support of the Senior
Center is not listed as a revenue, but rather it is expressed as the Net Difference at the end of the table. As with most departments,
the bulk of the expenses associated with the Senior Center operations are personnel related. Specifically, this refers to the salaries
and benefits of the 6.5 permanent employees.
SENIOR CENTER
REVENUES
LOCAL GRANTS
CULTURE & RECREATION
MISC. CHARGES FOR SERVICES
PARKING CHARGES
CONTRIBUTIONS & DONATIONS
MISC. MERCHANDISE
OTHER MISC. REVENUE
RENTS
PARKING RAMP REVENUE
ROYALTIES & COMMISSIONS
MISC. TRANSFERS IN
TOTAL REVENUES
EXPENSES
REGULAR SALARIES
OTHER SALARIES
GROUP INSURANCE
SOCIAL SECURITY CONTRIBUTION
RETIREMENT CONTRIBUTION
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
DATA AND COMMUNICATION
TRAVEL & TRAINING
UTILITY SERVICES
BUILDING R&M SERVICES
EQUIPMENT R&M SERVICES
IT EQUIP R&M SERVICES
OPERATING SERVICES
INTRA -CITY SERVICES
MISC. SERVICES & CHARGES
GENERALSUPPLIES
COMMUNICATION SUPPLIES
BOOKS & PERIODICALS
COMP & PRINT SUPPLIES
AGRICULTURE SUPPLIES
FUELS & LUBRICANTS
FY2013
FY2014*
FY2015
ACTUAL
REVISED
BUDGET
ADOPTED
BUDGET
(70,000)
(59,215)
(70,000)
(54,701)
(56,427)
(54,680)
(14,459)
(16,698)
0
0
(22,000)
(17,050)
(37,130)
(40,000)
(51,000)
(7,736)
(12,491)
(7,736)
(6,719)
(27,500)
0
(1,624)
(1,539)
(1,624)
(17,035)
0
0
(322)
(299)
(322)
0
(2,500)
0
(209,724)
(238,669)
(202,412)
382,006
406,211
418,245
7,650
10,456
9,091
56,976
56,576
56,267
29,310
31,443
32,092
33,426
36,585
38,063
3,715
11,275
14,404
29,796
33,543
31,832
3,459
4,401
4,355
51,957
49,675
55,492
19,634
40,786
24,858
435 1
99
452
267
324
278
40,255
53,640
43,013
36,377
35,149
37,454
28,983
30,551
28,513
17,671
20,035
19,431
0
251
251
659
1,583
1,500
1,760
0
3,000
66
0
69
0
9
15
FY15 Notes:
Johnson County contribution
Memberships and lessons
Parking fees
Friends contribution, donations and fundraising
Sales of merchandise
Building and locker rent
Vending
6.5 regular employees and temporary employees
Overtime and longevity
Financial, computers, survey ($10k), building engineer
Mailings and advertisements
Conferences
Gas, electricity, etc.
HVAC, pest control, loading dock repair, painting, etc.
Laundry, printing, snow, work study, instructor fees
Computer, software, copy and other support fees
Dues, parking fee ($22k), piano tuning, elevator permit
Office supplies, new furniture, cleaning supplies, etc.
newspapers
Wireless building access, computer lab software fees
R&M SUPPLIES
EQUIPMENT R&M SUPPLIES
OTHER SUPPLIES & EQUIPMENT
BUILDING
IMPROVEMENTS (NOW
BUILDINGS)
OPERATING EQUIPMENT
IT HARDWARE/SOFTWARE
TOTAL EXPENSES
NET DIFFERENCE
665
0
1,667
702
73
75
25,849
28,776
27,498
0
0
7,605
6,872
15,000
0
0
41,138
13,000
0
18,000
0
778,491
925,579
868,521
(568,766)
(686,910)
(666,109)
Misc. building repair needs, small tools, etc.
Fitness equipment, Great courses videos, volunteer
gifts, member appreciation events, etc.
Fitness room flooring
Technology upgrades in rooms 202 and 208
General Fund contribution to the Senior Center
(property tax allocation)
Note: Significant building expenses are budgeted in the City's Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). Examples of types of projects that
could be in the CIP budget include new HVAC, roof replacement, and large scale flooring or remodeling. The current CIP does not
have any Senior Center related projects. Also, the above information excludes smaller Senior Center accounts that do not play a
significant role in the overall budget. Such programs include the New Horizons Bond, Senior Center Chorus, and other special events.
* The FY 2014 budget ends on July 1, 2014. As is the case in most years, the Senior Center is expected to spend less than their budget
authority. Currently, actuals for FY 2014 are just under 80% of budgeted expenditures, while revenues are tracking closer to 90%.
Similarly, it is expected that the Friends of the Center will be providing approximately $14,000 to cover expenses with programs they
have sponsored.
Parking and Transit
The Parking Division has an agreement with the Senior Center to provide discounted parking to those that are permitted through the
Senior Center. The Senior Center pays a lump sum of $20,000 to the Parking Division annually for this benefit. Below is a table
showing annual hours used by the Senior Center and the corresponding market rate value of those hours. The difference is
highlighted, which states the variance between the market rate value of the parking hours used and the Senior Center payment.
FY14 numbers are not complete, but will likely vary as the City implemented its first hour free rate structure at the beginning of that
fiscal year.
Senior Center Parking
FY11
FY12
FY13
56,669
61,491
55,820
Annual Hours
Rate
$ 0.75
$ 0.75
$ 0.75
Total Value
$ 42,501.75
$ 46,118.25
$ 41,865.00
Senior Center Payment
$ 20,000.00
$ 20,000.00
$ 20,000.00
Difference, _.,
X22,50175°~$26.118:25
,$2118&00
The Transit Division offers a reduced fare, off-peak transit pass to seniors that reside in Iowa City. There is a 50% discount off of the
base transit fare for those 60 years and over. This can be utilized Monday through Friday from 9:00am to 3:30pm and after 6:30pm.
On Saturdays, the pass is honored all day. In addition, if income qualifications are met, a low-income pass can be obtained that
allows free rides to the user during off-peak hours. Below is a table that shows the number of rides seniors with this pass have taken
in each of the last three years. The difference is highlighted, which shows the variance between the market rate of the rides and the
actual payment collected from the seniors.
Senior Off -Peak Pass
FY11 I FY12 FY13
Rides 236301 253421 2550.
Regular Fare $ 0.75 $ 0.75 $ 1A0
Total Value $ 17,722.50 $ 19,006.50 $ 25,509.00
Senior Fare Value(50%Discount) $ 8,270.50 $ 8,869.70 $ 12,754.50
�e IT
MEMORANDUM
TO: Ad Hoc Senior Services Committee
FROM: Joe Younker, Chair; Jane Dohrmann, Vice -Chair
RE: Discussion of Method for Assessing the Use of Financial and Physical Resources
DATE: June 17, 2014
One of the City Council's charges to the Ad Hoc Senior Services Committee ("Committee") is:
To make recommendations to the City Council on how Iowa City should use
current financial and physical resources to meet the needs of Iowa City seniors.
These recommendations should consider the City's use of existing resources and
the vision, mission, and programming required to more effectively serve the
growing senior population in the community in accordance with the inclusive
and sustainable values expressed in the City's Strategic Plan. Such
recommendations shall include commentary regarding the specific segments of
the senior population that they are intended to serve. Res. No. 14-37, 118(6).
At the June 9, 2014 meeting, the Committee decided that this charge should not be delegated
to a subcommittee. The Chair and the Vice -Chair have met to discuss a method to satisfy this
charge efficiently and effectively. Satisfying this charge will require the completion of at least
the following tasks:
1. Review of the inclusive and sustainable values set forth in the City's Strategic Plan;
2. Assessment of current programming offered to seniors by the City;
3. Identification of current financial and physical resources available;
4. Identification and assessment of senior services provided: A) by other local agencies
such as Elder Services, Pathways and Shelter House; and B) through consultation with
Johnson County Livable Community, Consultation of Religious Communities, and
consortia representing multiple organizations who serve seniors; and
5. Consideration of needs of specific segments of the senior population.
Regarding number 1 (Strategic Plan values), the Chair will contact Geoff Fruin to coordinate the
delivery of information on the relevant sections of the Strategic Plan.
Regarding number 2 (City Programming), the Committee has already received this information
from the Senior Center, Library, Neighborhood and Development Services, Parks & Recreation,
and Transportation Departments, and through presentations and information received at the
first meeting.
Regarding number 3 (Financial Resources), this information will be presented at the June 23
meeting.
(01692914.DOCX)
Regarding number 4 (Other Agencies and Consortia), the Chair and Vice -Chair suggest that the
Chair solicit nominations for an individual committee member to serve as the contact point for
each agency or consortium (the "Contact Member').
Each Contact Member will be responsible for contacting his or her agency to A) obtain a
summary of the senior services provided by the agency or consortium; B) ask the agency or
consortium to identify perceived gaps in the services available to seniors in the Iowa City; and
C) solicit other input from the agency or consortium. Each Contact Member will present this
preliminary information to the full Committee at the meetings in July. After presentation of
this preliminary information, the Committee will determine what follow up information is
necessary, including whether more formal presentations or reports from any of the agencies or
consortia are necessary.
At the first meeting in July, Committee members should come prepared to identify additional
organizations that the Committee should consider in completing its charge.
Any additional information or formal presentations will be received at subsequent meetings in
July.
i01692914.DOCX}
WE
MEMORANDUM
TO: Ad Hoc Senior Services Committee
FROM: Joe Younker, Chair; Jane Dohrmann, Vice -Chair
RE: Working Timeline
DATE: June 17, 2014
The Resolution establishing the Ad Hoc Senior Services Committee ("Committee") provides that
the Committee "shall submit a written report to the City Council by December 1, 2014..." and
that "[a]bsent further action by the City Council, the Senior Services Committee will dissolve on
December 1, 2014." Res. No. 14-37,11119-10.
To enable the Committee to complete its charges by the City Council's deadline, the Chair and
Vice -Chair suggest the following working timeline:
1. June 23: Receive report on City funding for senior services; Public comment City report, and on
Committee process.
2. First Meeting in July: Preliminary report regarding services offered by other agencies; discussion
of other information needed.
3. July: Gather additional information; schedule presentations.
4. First Meeting in August: Receive draft Senior Center evaluation from subcommittee; identify
additional information needed.
5. Second Meeting in August: Public comment on draft evaluation of Senior Center.
6. First Meeting in September: Preliminary draft of assessment of financial and physical resources
(see Res. No. 14-37, 118(6)); identify additional information needed.
7. Second Meeting in September: Public comment on preliminary draft of assessment of financial
and physical resources.
8. First Meeting in October: Complete initial draft of report to Council.
9. Second Meeting in October: Public comment on initial draft of report to Council.
10. First meeting in November: Incorporate comments, revisions into draft report to Council.
11. November: Complete final drafting of report to Council.
12. December 1: Submit report to Council.
(01694579.DDCX)
Q'
r 0
h,pr�r CITY OF IOWA CITY
r;
Date: June 19, 2014
To: Ad Hoc Senior Services Commission Members
From: Marian K. Karr, City Clerk
Re: Pending Items for Future Meetings
Members have contacted me requesting the following items be added to the list:
1. Open meeting for participants and public to discuss experiences
2. Senior Center funding from Johnson County
3. Elder Service funding
4. Pathways Adult Day Services
5. Johnson County Livable Communities Initiative
6. Area Agency on Aging (subcontracts with Elder Services Agency)
CITY OF IOWA CITY
MEMORANDUM
Date: June 19, 2014
To: Ad Hoc Senior Services Commission Members
From: Marian K. Karr, City Clerk
Re: Schedule and calendar
Below is a list of scheduled meetings for July and August, with updated member
absences indicated. I will update the calendar with revised dates and absences as I get
information from you.
Absences:
July 7 —
July 21 —
August 4 — Dohrmann; Bern -Klug; Dobyns"
August 18 —
It will be necessary to change meeting times starting in September. At your last
meeting there was discussion about the possibility of Monday morning meetings.
Please come prepared to discuss the meeting schedule starting in September.
'If the meeting date is changed - July 28 Member Dohrmann will be absent
August 11 Member Honohan will be absent
S: ad h ocse n io rse vices/sched u lecalendar
La -ye- ka t�--Iou-� o/�3
Comments
Mary Gutmann
1717 Mackinaw Drive,
Iowa City, Iowa 52245
319-333-1423
To: the Ad Hoc Senior Services Committee
My husband and I moved to Iowa City last October. After a few weeks, winter moved in
and I was very lonely. I had Internet projects and plenty to do, but no friends locally—no-one to
talk to, or work with. Then I saw an article in the paper about a Senior Center and "Learn to
Quilt" Friday afternoon sessions with expert hand quilters. I called and was told I could park in
the parking garage next door and walk over on a skyway, which meant snow and ice would not
be a deterrent.
I have found friends at the Senior Center, and now I'm also a member of the Read Aloud
group, and am considering Tai Chi. All of these programs and dozens more are available under
one roof, right in the center of town. And it isn't just the programs themselves, it's the synergy,
the positive effect on one another of groups of people who are simply in the same place at the
same time doing interesting things. They are active, they are engaged, their minds and bodies are
working; they may have overlapping interests when they start, or find new ones, it doesn't
matter—the important thing is their engagement with life and with one another.
The Mission of the Senior Center is, in part, "To promote optimal aging among older
adults by offering programs and services that promote wellness, social interaction, community
engagement, and intellectual growth." Having most of the programs under one roof is crucial to
the success of this mission. Social interaction and community engagement, in particular, happen
when people are together.
I discovered there is also an active volunteer corps. As anyone knows who has given their
time and expertise, volunteers get as much as they give.
Someone said to me, "The Senior Center? Oh, it's a tradition in Iowa City. They took an
old post office and put it to great use—shows how much we Iowans value our older citizens—
one of the reasons for the saying, "Iowa, nice."
C`.C�um00C�rnG�s,
�cc Y1 3-yNo Ve ✓ nY to V)
I am interested in knowing if the committee has a base figure for the number of
senior citizens in the area to be served and what age parameters and
demographics are utilized as determinants. There appear to be differences in
the age parameters for "seniorhood" in the available data and since the size of
the area senior population is a key factor in city planning, it appears some
clarification is necessary.
For example:The 2012 Census Data of Johnson County Population lists 9.3% of
the population 65 and older. Of that group 17.6 are below poverty level. There
is no data listed in this report for the population 50-65 years.
However the Johnson County Report for 2010 estimated a total of 131,225
persons. Of those, 23.1% or 30,181 persons were ages 50-84. Yet another
estimate found in the Iowa Data Center 2010 lists 31,936 persons ages 50 to 80
& up ( http://data.iowadatanceter.org/DemographicProfiles/2010) but this
includes West Branch which was annexed into Johnson County in 1994) One
notes that the membership of the Senior Center at that time was close to 1600
persons ages 50 and up.
A Press Citizen article on May 25, 2011 was headlined" Johnson County's Older
Population Increase Nearly Double That of the Rest of the State" According to
the new census figures, Johnson County residents ages 55-64 increased by 98%
over the last decade. The number of residents 65 and older jumped 34%. Jeff
Schott, Institute of Public Affairs said the increase could be attributed to people
living longer, and also wanting to live in an area that provides a lot of services
for older residents. There is also evidence of migration of people from rural to
urban areas of the states and from western to the eastern part of the state.
So we see that our sepior population is growing, and predictably a
r mQ n i
commensurate need cross the board from all groups working with seniors. In
order to address these needs I think we need a handle on the number of folks
we serve and how best to accomplish this in times of diminishing out of pocket
funds. Thank You.
Marian Karr
From: WELSHBOB@aol.com
Sent: Tuesday, June 24, 2014 12:21 PM
To: Marian Karr
Subject: This is the statement that I made yesterday. Good Meeting
JUNE 23, 2014 STATEMENT TO IOWA CITY AD HOC SENIOR SERVICES COMMITTEE
Allow me to make two side remarks prior to my basic suggestion to you as a committee.
I have heard that the City plans to move some of its offices into the Senior Center. I was able to stop this move
from occurring over 20 years ago by showing the City Council documents that would have required the city to
repay some of the federal funds used to secure the Senior Center. That might not be true now, 20 years later,
but I still hope this move can be avoided.
My second side comment has to do with parking. The City's move to provide free parking for the first hour is a
positive move. It would be great if the city would allow 15 — 20 minutes more free time if their parking ticket
is validated by a program at the Senior Center. This would mean, for example, that a person attending an hour's
class could park free.
Now for my basic thought.
I believe it would be helpful for you as a committee to look at various models for Senior Centers and the
delivery of services to seniors. In all cases a key is intergovernmental cooperation, i
One model is that the Senior Center is (a place) and the basic provider of all services for seniors.
A second model is that the Senior Center be a facility that is used by various providers to serve the needs of
seniors.
Iowa City has adopted a third model -- that the Senior Center is a facility that provides some services and
provides space for other services.
I would suggest to you that the model #1 would provide the maximum service with the least administrative
cost. The problem with this model, however, is that it would put many agencies out of existence and fairness
would involve cutting all existing staff. This model would also need to be phased in over a period of several
years.
I believe the second model is the most practical and would result in the most "bang for the buck." It would have
the least negative impact on employees and agencies. If the committee is interested in exploring this model, I
would be happy to spell out details about this model at one of your future meetings.
Thank you!
Bob Welsh
84 Penfro Drive
Iowa City, IA 52246 319-354-4618 welshbob@aol.com
Address::__
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Address:
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