Perry Township Board Meeting Minutes: September 14, 2017

The meeting is called to order at 4:15 pm

Members Present: Barb Sturbaum, Jack Davis, Dan Combs

Non-Members Present: Pat Combs, Sharon Yoder, Novella Shuck

Agency Representatives Present

• Mark DeLong, Amethyst House
• Vicki Pierce, Executive Director, Community Kitchen
• Dorothy Granger, Development Director, Shalom Community Center, Friend's Place
• Amy Stark, Girl's Place
• Julio Alonso, CEO, Hoosier Hills Food Bank
• Sarah Cahillane, Mother Hubbard's Cupboard
• Levi Combs, Mt. Salem Cemetery Preservation Society
• Steven Dyer, New Hope Family Shelter
• Melissa Paneto & Beth Rodrigues, Stepping Stones, Inc.
• Bethany Turrenting, VITAL

Agency Representitives Not Present

• Boys and Girls Club (no letter received requesting funds)
• SCCAP-Growing Opportunities (no letter received requesting funds)
• Interfaith Winter Shelter
• New Leaf New Life
• Community Justice and Mediation Center (first time request)

Agenda

1. Funding Request from Community Groups in Bloomington
2. Budget Review
3. Interfund Borrowing
4. Re-Adopt 2016 Annual Budget
5. Other

Funding Request from Community Groups in Bloomington

After all the agencies present signed in, they were given permission to leave if they had already received Township grants in the past and their programing request has not changed. Beth and Melissa from Stepping Stones, Inc were asked to stay and present their agency/request again this year because they integrated with Centerstone in October of last year and while their mission remains the same, their funding has changed somewhat. Stepping Stones is still a HUD Housing program, but they can now bill Medicaid for certain services if they are disability eligible. This does not cover 100% of services, but many are covered. This makes it easier for youth to get behavioral health, and to get these services more quickly. It expands the number of youths that Stepping Stones can serve. They now have a capacity of 9-12 youth and 1-2 overnight staff.

Right now, the shelter is home to 8 youths, and they are working on furnishing another apartment. They hope to be at a capacity of 12 apartments soon. Every year 80 eligible youth sit on their waitlist. They have also seen an uptick in youth from Perry Township specifically requesting services. Jack asks how Stepping Stones decides who goes to the top of the waitlist, and Stepping Stones states this is decided through a vulnerability index, and they obtain a release of information to speak to others, such as MCCSC, the probation department, Department of Child Services, and to get a full background check. They also meet with the youth during the week to get them set up with other services.

While someone is on the waitlist, Stepping Stones still tries to engage them with outreach. They schedule a meeting with them within 1-2 days to gauge their needs. They also try to determine if Friend’s Place, Wheeler Mission, or the city youth shelter are more appropriate agencies for the youth. If the youth is a minor, they automatically call Department of Child Services (DCS). If DCS refers to the youth to Stepping Stones, the youth then receives full wraparound services. They also see youth transitioning out of foster care. They try to engage youth in a Crisis Access and Engagement Program, or, if the youth has more serious needs (physical or mental health or addiction), they get triaged onto a more intensive team.

Dan raises concerns that because Stepping Stones is now a program within Centerstone, they may no longer qualify for services because of a tax levy that Centerstone may receive (or has received in the past), being the primary health center of record for the county. Centerstone is 501-c3 and Beth states she is willing to provide this designation letter as well as their annual report for 2016. Dan states that the Township will check with the State Board of Accounts about this, and that the Township is in the process of seeking a new lawyer (as we have not engaged our last one in over a year).

The Community Justice and Mediation Center was the only new agency requesting a Township grant, but no representative from this organization was present.

Budget Review

The growth quotient is 4% this year. It usually ranges between 2-5% and means that we will get 4% more from the levy. The staff is receiving 3.5% raises in 2018 (1% for cost-of-living, 2.5% for merit). Employee insurance comes out of the Township general fund.

Over the summer a paid intern was operating the food pantry, which helped, especially when one of the regular case investigators was out, so Dan would like to continue this in the future. $1,500 is budgeted for Township Association dues and seminars, and it is noted that the case managers and accounts manager will be receiving certifications at the upcoming conference in Indianapolis. Telephone internet expenses are up $2,000 due to the new lines, which are now all functioning. The PERF fund did not increase because it is no longer paying into Dan’s account anymore. There is an insurance increase on the Township buildings, and utilities are up. The training budget increased in addition to what is paid for dues and seminars to $3,000.

If the board approves it, the tax levy will increase to $0.0286, a difference of 4/1000 of a cent from last year. now.

Jack motions to set the tax levy at $0.0286. Barb seconds the motion. All vote “Aye.” There will be another board meeting in 2 weeks to finalize the budget. It will be on September 28th at 4:15pm.

Interfund Borrowing

A resolution is needed authorizing interfund borrowing, so that the Township is approved to borrow from itself to pay the bond payment on parking lot, as we are 6 months behind the tax authorization.

Barb moves to agree with this resolution. Jack seconds the motion, and all vote “Aye.”

Re-Adopt 2016 Annual Report

Sharon had to make a change to the 2016 Annual Report after discovering that the Township should have adopted a specific construction fund for their parking lot renovations, and instead the bond money had been filed under an additional appropriation. It increased the township fund, so she has to move it to another fund in the same bank to avoid it comingling. She has now amended the annual report to reflect we had money in a construction fund, and the Annual Report Gateway will be opened for her so she can un-submit the report, resign the amended form, and submit the amended report. She has already emailed the amended charts showing where the money went in and out and had to change it in the NetResults system too.

Barb motions that they accept the amended annual report, Jack second the motion, and all vote “Aye.” The board then signs new paperwork accepting the report.

Other

Traffic to the Township food pantry is growing by leaps and bounds. Our office is currently working on a report that will detail some of this growth. Basically, it is believed that the change in SNAP (food stamp) qualifying requirements in 2015 is a large part of the growth. Once the report is complete it will be circulated to city and county councils.

Traffic at Kroger has resulted in barer shelves, and the office has had to make four trips to Kroger already this year to stock the shelves with purchased food.

Barb adjourns the meeting at 5:30pm.