By E. Roberts Musser –
“The Davis Senior Center will continue to be designated as a Focal Point, despite the fact that it will no longer be receiving grant funds for the Information & Assistance function beyond June 2010. The Focal Point designation is based upon the site meeting the following criteria:
- A recognized access point for services for seniors within the community
- A service-based philosophy
- Providing senior nutrition services (on a regularly scheduled basis)
- Providing Information & Referral/Assistance
- Providing or linking to transportation services
- Linkages to other community services
- A Coordinating Council that records its meetings
The Davis Senior Center will continue to provide all of the required functions of a Focal Point Senior Center in fiscal year 2010-11, including the Information & Assistance function. The only operational change will be that this function will be funded in a different manner than in years past. The Davis Senior Center will also remain eligible to apply under the Focal Point designation for any One-Time-Only grant funding that becomes available through the Area 4 Agency on Aging for this purpose.
The decision by the Davis Senior Center not to re-apply for the next multi-year grant cycle in Spring 2010 was not solely based upon the finding that “the cost of doing the required federal paperwork was more than the amount allotted for this task.” The decision was carefully considered by program staff and a decision made based on the following reasons:
- The amount of the A4AA Information & Assistance grant is not able to keep pace with the continuing rise in costs associated with the provision of services over the past two grant cycles (8 years).
- As the Information & Assistance Grant Administrator, the City of Davis would be contractually responsible to provide Information and Assistance services throughout the entire County. Over the past 4-year grant cycle, repeated concerns have been expressed by our agency partners (Cities of West Sacramento and Woodland) about the uncertainty of their ability to sustain the same level of commitment and resources as in years past. With the recent departure by the City of Woodland during the last year of this current grant contract, staff became increasingly concerned about whether the City of Davis has the ability and/or desire to continue providing the same level of services beyond its city limits in future years.
- A4AA Information & Assistance grant funding remains susceptible to both Federal and State budgetary reductions, thus placing vital City services precariously at risk for future reductions and/or elimination.
- An alternative funding mechanism has been implemented in anticipation of not applying for the A4AA Information and Assistance grant in future years. This alternative funding mechanism will reduce the funding risks for the City, and therefore will ensure that the City does not experience any potential funding shortfalls similar to that which has recently been experienced in the City’s Child Care Services division…
“Official Minutes of the City of Davis Senior Citizens Commission may be found at http://cityofdavis.org/meetings/senior.”
