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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutesCity Commission Meeting Minutes June 5, 2008 Commissioner Gonzalez: Well, SP.9 is also public service, right? It's not? SP.9, is that public service also or not? Mr. Mensah: That's just the allocation of the CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) funds itself Chair Sanchez: Just -- it's just the allocation. Commissioner Gonzalez.. Just the allocation -- Mr Mensah.. Yes. Commissioner Gonzalez: -- to both funds. That ' you know, and maybe if I can make my statement, we will avoid a lot of people getting up and trying to -- Chair Sanchez: Okay. Commissioner Gonzalez: -- you know, plead a case that actually we have no way to solve. My -- Chair Sanchez: But the public could speak on I 0 and -- All right. You're recognized for the record, Commissioner Gonzalez V/C- ommissioner Gonzalez: And my directive is the same that I have been making -- or ins_moLn is going to be the same that I have been making the -- for the past three or four years, and that is that the Administration fund the social service agencies at the same level that they have been funded for the last three or four years. Everybody knows that we cannot increase services. We cannot expand because there is a limitation, but at least we need to be able to provide services to the same amount of people that we have been providing services to, and that is my motion. Chair Sanchez: Okay. There is a motion — Pedro G. Hernandez (City Manager): Commissioner Gonzcilez, just for clarification, that relates to the feeding services. Commissioner Gonzalez: To the what2 Mr Hernandez: To the feeding services. Commissioner Gonzalez: That's correct. Chair Sanchez My understanding is that, based on the 4dministration's meetings that we've had, they will be able to maintain at the same level, right, the same Jimding? Mr Hernandez. Yes We will be able to accommodate and cover the shortfall on any feeding services with funding coining from the Mayor's poverty initiative. Chair Sanchez: Okay, so, I ?neon, do you still want to present that motion even though the issue has been addressed? Commissioner Gonzalez: No Then if it's been addressed I have no motion. Chair Sanchez: Okay Commissioner Regalado. Can l --? Gay of Mtami Page 22 Printed e 9/16/2008 City Commission Meeting Minutes June 5, 2008 Commissioner Gonzalez Okay Chair Sanchez • Yes. Conunissioner Gonzalez: 1 withdraw my monon. Chair Sanchez Commissioner Regalado -- For the record, on SP.9, the motion that was jjoffered has been withdrawn. Commissioner Regalado, you're recognized for the record. Commissioner Regalado: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. So this funding shows the actual amount that it will he distributed with the money that is coming from the general fund to the Mayor's poverty initiative, right? Mr. Hernandez: Correct. Commissioner Regalado: Okay. Mr. Hernandez: Well -- Commissioner Regalado: 1 don't think so. Mr. Mensah: No. This is -- this particular item is only CDBG. It's just the distribution of CDBG. Commissioner Regalado: Right, so we're approving the federal funding -- Mr. Mensah: Yes. Commissioner Regalado: -- but we're still missing the supplement -- Mr. Mensah: Yes. Commissioner Regalado: -- on this fund Mr. Mensah: That will come later. Commissioner Regalado: That will come later. Later on -- Mr. Mensah: Not on this item. Commissioner Regalado: Huh? Mr Mensah: Not on -- not at this Commission meeting. Commissioner Regalado: Okay, but we have legislation that supports that this funding at last year level for feeding programs will be coming for the next fiscal year. Mr Mensah: Yes, as part of the budget. Commissioner Regalado: Okay, but we have not contemplated a gas surcharge. Mr Mensah: No, but what we've done is that -- especially for the feeding, 1 think we've allowed them to go higher than this year's amount so that they -- it -- because there's increase in prices for food and for gas, like he said So we're allowing them to be able to charge a higher per meal cost than we allowed this year. City of Mrarni Page 23 Printed on 9/16/2008 City Commission Meeting Minutes June 5, 2008 -- I still haven't figured out exactly because 1 don't know what the per unit cost increase is going to be Conunissioner Gonzalez: Okay. That's -- Chair Sanchez I haven't figured that number out, and I'm certainly not just going to increase nvo, three, five percent. We need to find out exactly -- because I think the purpose here is that we want to provide the same level of service to all those that are being benefited. We have done that in the past through the Mayor's poverty initiative where we come up with the money, and us some of the Commissioners just stated here, the burden falls on local government. The burden falls on us, and 1 Think every year, at least the len years that I've been here, that we have, as a local government entity, gone out of our way to make sure that no elderly person in our community goes without a meal. But I am certainly not going to be making a motion on anything that I don't know how much it's going to be costing, I don't know if it's justifiable, or 1 don't know if the agency can justify the cost because I haven't figured that out. But 1 am one to tell you I don't want anybody to lose their meal. 1 don't want anybody to lose their service that we're providing, but the thing that we could assure you here is that every agency that will leave here today will be able to provide the same level of service that they have been maintaining for the last couple of years because, ladies and gentlemen, it's only going to be getting worse. The County right now has to cut their budget 200 million. We still haven't figured out exactly how many millions we're going to have to cut, but we're going 10 be faced with some tough challenges in local government as well as county government because the burden falls on local government, and we're the ones that have to provide it. Yes, we have been 'very creative in coming up with revenues. Every time that we have an opportunity, we put a category in that that money has to go to providing for the elderly, providing services for our needy, but we need to find out exactly what is the amount based on these agencies, and that hasn't been determined yet. Mr. Hernandez: Mr Chairman, if I -- Chair Sanchez: Mr. City Manager. Mr. Hernandez: -- may, a suggestion. 1 think what I hear from the City Commission is that you would like for us to provide the same level of service on the meals to the same number of people that we have been assisting in the past. Chair Sanchez: Exactly. And as -- Commissioner Gonzalez: Exactly Chair Sanchez. -- we speak -- and 1 can't speak for the other Commissioners, but I could certainly speak for my office -- 1 have a list of elderly people in my district that have not been able to get meals yet, and we're working hard to try to get them -- get meals. The need is there. We're not going to dispute because the need is there, but still, as we discuss all this to trying to find solutions to these problems, there're people our there that are not being fed. Mr Hernandez. And Mr. Chairman, with -- if I get that direction, I'll work with our staff in developing what the fiscal unpact is, and then our proposal will be to include that as part of the supplemental budget support as part of the budget to order to achieve that goal. Chair Sanchez: 1 think that's the most reasonable thing that we could do here, to find out exactly how much is it going to be besides us saying, well, let's give them a five -percent, ten -percent -- we don? know. Let you come back with an exact amount of what it's going to take to main -- to make sure that they maintain the same level of services, whether it's gas supplement, whether it's meal supplement, whatever the supplement may be, but at least you will have an opportunity to sit down with the agencies and they could tell you exactly what is it that they need City of Miami Page 31 Printed on 9/16/2008