NORTH METRO COMMUNITY SERVICES BOARD MINUTES
For
May 28, 2015
Meeting of the Board of Directors
The meeting was called to order by President Dr. Bertagnolli at approximately 6:02 PM
Dr. Bertagnolli said that he would entertain a motion to approve the minutes of the April 28, 2015 meeting and the agenda for this evening’s meeting. Wayne McCombs made the motion; it was seconded by Mona Valdez, and passed unanimously. Dr. Bertagnolli noted that Judy Stevens, Pauline Burton, Dr. Taylor, and John Coates were unable to attend the meeting. All other board members were present. Dr. Bertagnolli requested a motion to excuse the absent members. Mona Valdez made the motion which was seconded by Paul Yantorno. The motion passed unanimously.
Dr. Bertagnolli mentioned that the recent Annual Achievement Awards for People in Service that was held on May 7th. Dr. Bertagnolli felt that the event was very well received. He said he had received several positive phone calls and a letter. Several people on the committee remarked on how it impacts the individuals in service and provides positive motivation.
Finance Committee Report
Treasurer Doug Shepherd reviewed the financials for April.
North Metro earned a little over $64,000 in net revenue for the month of April. This was approximately $10,000 more than was budgeted. However, North Metro is a little more than $165,000 under budget Year to Date. This shortfall is not recoverable. The majority of the short fall is from the vocational area, and more specifically, from the contract at the Caesar Chavez building. NMCS earned net revenue in the Vocational area of over $15,000 in April. Net revenue was earned on the Buckley, Mint, Rocky Mountain Arsenal, and Repository contracts. We continue to absorb substantial losses on the Cesar Chavez contract where an $11,600 loss was recorded. This represents a 55% cost overrun for the month. The year to date loss on the Cesar Chavez building is $88,154. We continue to staff this contract beyond what the contract provides for. Despite the overstaffing we are failing to meet the unrealistic expectations of the building managers and contracting officers at that facility.
Supported Living and Comprehensive Services realized a combined loss of $49,946. The bulk of this loss was recorded in the Supported Living area. A couple of factors contribute to the loss in Supported Living. Our State SLS contract was reduced by $40,607. This reduction is for individuals in our contract that reside in nursing homes. For a variety of reasons these individuals are not receiving services. This has been a common occurrence over the years. In the past the State has left these funds in our contract and we either provided additional services, or served additional people. This year, however, the State has asked that these funds be returned. This adjustment will be realized over the final three months of the year.
In April our phone system was upgraded at a cost of $10,950. This upgrade will allow the replacement of some of our aging hardware without a complete overhaul of the phone system.
Dr. Bertagnolli asked for a motion to approve the finance report. Wayne McCombs made the motion, which was seconded by Mona Valdez, and passed unanimously.
Executive Committee Report
Randy Brodersen mentioned that officers were up for re-election next month and asked that anyone interested in running contact him via email.
Additional Executive Committee Topics were covered under the Executive Director’s Report.
Person Centered Training for the Board
Person Centered Training is the concept that services and case management be designed around the individual’s needs and goals rather than attempting to fit them into a pre-determined program.
NMCS has already trained many team leaders and staff members in a full 2 day Person Centered Training course, and is providing an Introduction to Person Centered Training class to all new staff within the first 90 days of employment. The goal is to provide all employees with the full 2 day PCT course. The State has allocated $500,000 for PCT, but those funds have not yet been made available.
North Metro has identified 4 people on staff who will learn how to deliver the 2 day course and provide the training to other employees. We would like to provide an abbreviated Introduction to PCT class to the Board as part of the October Board Meeting and make either the introductory class or the full 2 day training available to any interested Board Member.
Legislative Planning for 2016 Session
There are several bills coming up during the 2016 Legislative session that will impact the Developmentally Disabled community. Randy mentioned that he might be asking Board Members, Individuals in Service, or Family Members of Individuals in Service to provide testimony in regards to the bills. Randy recently provided testimony for a bill. While the bill passed, Randy feels that the testimony would have more impact coming from someone more directly affected.
Source One Contract for Caesar Chavez Building
As discussed in the Financial Report, North Metro continues to struggle with meeting the expectations of the contract for the Caesar Chavez building for the money that is being paid. This month is a great example. North Metro lost $11,000 in a single month on this contract. North Metro is planning to give notice On the Source One Contract when it runs out in September. NMCS intends to keep the contract for the Denver Mint and Buckley Air Force Base.
There are currently 7 individuals employed through the Chavez contract. Two of the employees are not developmentally disabled. Five of the employees are developmentally disabled. None of the individuals employed through the Chavez contract are in services at North Metro. They are some of our most productive vocational employees, however. Ideally, North Metro would like to retain the services of the staff at Chavez. The terms of the Source One Contract stipulate that whoever takes over the contract will have the opportunity to retain the staff. Another potential issue with retaining the current staff is that they may not want to transfer to Buckley as it is a significant distance from their current work location. North Metro does not provide transportation to any of the employees who work at the Chavez building.
New Business – The Future of Group Homes
North Metro currently has 5 group homes and one Personal Care Alternative (PCA). The group homes are Adams House, Clayton, Thornton, Unity, and James House. The PCA is Cottonwood. Federal regulators are pushing for more autonomy and community involvement for the IDD community which includes the ability for them to choose the people with whom they live. This could be extremely problematic in a group home setting and require negotiating approval from all current residents and/or their family members. Federal regulators want to see individuals in the least restrictive setting as possible. In most cases, this is not a group home environment. Restrictions are put in place to respect the needs of all the people in the group home. This means that there are restrictions in place regarding the use of the TV, the kitchen, visiting hours, etc. In addition, group homes typically cost more to run and require 24 hour staffing. Group homes also fall under different licensing requirements than PCAs. For example, North Metro recently had to install smoke and heat detectors in all the attics of all the group homes due to a change in the regulating body from the Office of Public Health to the Office of Public Safety. This was an unbudgeted capital expense. Host Homes and other PCAs are not subject to this regulation.
North Metro would like the Board to give consideration to closing down 3 of our group homes in the next 3 to 4 years. The group homes being considered for closure are Thornton, Unity, and James House. North Metro is committed to continuing to provide services at Clayton House where several medically fragile individuals live and Adams and Cottonwood Houses that provides services to at risk individuals.
North Metro could potentially sell the properties, which are owned, or convert them to small day program sites for individuals who would enjoy a smaller program than is offered at the Westminster or Brighton campuses.
Several other CCBs have already begun the process of closing their group homes. However, there will still be CCBs who will continue to run group homes if there are families that feel this is the best option for them.
Additional Topic
Edie Wallace mentioned that she had been asked to present a request to the Board that a picture of Roxanne Pinneo be posted in the building in honor of her many years of commitment and service at North Metro. This request was well received by all members of the board. Edie suggested the picture that was in the recent Enhancing Lives.
Adjournment
Bill Hawthorne moved that the meeting be adjourned, which was seconded by Wayne McCombs. The motion passed unanimously, and the board adjourned at approximately 6:55 PM.
Board Meeting Dates for 2015
June 25, 2015
July – no meeting
August – no meeting
September 24, 2015
October 22, 2015
November – no meeting
December 3, 2015
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