I'm very interested in that, and I believe in it. I just think that we should do it more. You were talking about the class action lawsuit, the Kinship Care Policies. And according to your monthly budget update here, Wolff, Block, Schorr & Solis-Cohen is the law firm doing this lawsuit for the City?
And they were paid according to what I read here or budgeted $300,000 for '01; $135,000 for '02; projected for this year-end $100,000. Why are we dealing with Solis-Cohen? The City Solicitor could not handle the case? Give me the rationale for going outside. Is the City expecting to get any funds out of this case or just the regulations to be changed and a 1569 3/4/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET reform agenda to be placed?
Wolff, Block was the law firm that represented the Department of Human Services in the Baby Neil litigation for over a decade. Now, that lawsuit ended and we have a very, very close working relationship with our advocacy community --
No. This is a completely separate lawsuit. It was filed as Baby Neil was wrapping up and so therefore because Wolff, Block was already involved in this kind of litigation and had a knowledge base that we believed made it cost efficient to use them, the City Solicitor asked them to handle this. The City Solicitor handles a huge amount of work for us, tremendous amount of work for us, including sometimes complex litigation like this. At that point, the decision was made to contract it out under City Solicitor Trujillo. And as you see, the costs are significantly lower than when I first came to DHS because we are in settlement negotiations. It is not our intent to litigate this to the death. We are going to settle 1570 3/4/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET this case, do right around policy, and move forward. It is a State lawsuit, though, Councilman. So we don't really get to settle it outside of the whole team of people.
Are there legal agencies accompanying Wolff Block on this, or Wolff, Block sole legal representation of the case?
It is my understanding that they are representing us themselves in this litigation. I can confirm that for you.
Yes. They represent the City. I'm not sure if they represent any other defendants. I am hundred percent sure they represent us and that they're pretty much doing it themselves because it's in settlement negotiation right now.
You're welcome. I believe Councilman Nutter has his light on. Did you want to be recognized, 1571 3/4/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET Councilman?
Yes, Madam Chair. Thank you. Commissioner on -99 of the budget book -- if you went over this, you'll just let me know. Have you been on this page?
Again, in the professional services area, the after school item which as a part of the materials you're going to get to us or what was shared this afternoon we'll be able to figure out who the providers are. These after school programs -- and they are also mentioned in other parts of the testimony. Would you be able to get information to the Chair for us that lays out where these after school programs are? Is there an overlap here between what you're listing as after school programs and -- for instance, yesterday, we had the Recreation Department and they talked about a whole host of after school programs and that they're getting a booklet together or a guide. I don't know whether it was at your recommendation, but Mr. Keel's working on that project as well. He's a busy guy, he's a real busy guy. I clearly 1572 3/4/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET went into the wrong business. Where are these programs and how many children do you believe are being served?
We will share some of the information with you now verbally and we will give you that information by this afternoon or tomorrow. We have it broken down by councilmatic district. And there is very good coordination, I would say, generally among the after school and youth development programs that are administered directly through DHS, those that are administered through rec and those that are administered through Safe & Sound. And that is a product of a lot of the coordination that we have been doing as a system over the last three years. David will answer the specific questions about where they're located.
This is David Fair, DHS Prevention Services. I'm not sure how to answer that question. Ther's 140 of them.
140 different after school programs that are funded through DHS funding.
How about if you 1573 3/4/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET just get me a listing with locations?
And that includes beacon programs as well as other after school programs supported by DHS.
Yesterday we had discussion with Recreation about these State-licensed after school programs in six recreation centers for the next Fiscal Year. Are you familiar with those?
Yes, I am. I'm familiar with the concept. I don't know the specific rec centers.
Apparently so. It's a fund transfer to the Recreation Department; it's not a direct contract with us.
I understand. The centers are Dende, Maxmires, Hawthorne, Simons, Christy and Tarkin. And one of the questions yesterday was -- and Recreation is going to map these out and I don't know where all of these are. I know where all of them are not, which is anywhere in the 4th District that I represent. And we had some discussion with the Recreation Commissioner and 1574 3/4/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET his staff yesterday, and I wanted to ask, is this -- I mean, as you have the funding, I guess, that you transfer to Recreation to run these, I'm actually actively seeking funding for a site in the 4th District to serve children in the west and northwest section of the City. I would make the case that their needs are at least equal to or are as meaningful as other children across the City and that children in the west and northwest section, whether it's West Philadelphia Wynnefield, Overbrook, Roxborough, Manayunk, East Falls, North Philadelphia or West Mount Airy, I think are deserving by their citizenship and should not be denied the opportunity for services by their geography. Are you able to possibly provide any funding support to add a seventh location and make sure that there's full coverage throughout the City?
Councilman, we certainly would be more than willing to talk about what the needs are and work in conjunction with Vic Richards and Safe & Sound and DHS to see how we can support you in that important need you have. Let me say that the intent has never 1575 3/4/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET been to deny any child service in the City, but rather to target where the highest rate of abuse, neglect, delinquency, youth homicides come from. And we've always recognized that the best city is one that has these services in every neighborhood because just because a neighborhood is not devastated doesn't mean that there aren't children who are at risk. And we understand that and we've had these conversations with a number of Councilpeople. So in terms of the specific project that you have, we would be happy to sit down with you and strategize about how we can meet the un-met need that we have within the resources that are available.
Commissioner, can you please make your answers a little more concise. We're really running very behind schedule.
Thank you, Madam 1576 3/4/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET Chair. Commissioner, I would like to have that kind of discussion. And I, quite honestly, don't want to have to sit here and denigrate parts of my own district to somehow make a case that the children are deserving or needy. Again, I think wide dispersion graphically targeted but also, again, as you said, recognizing that different children have different needs. In some instances, I think we don't want to wait until things are so bad that you then have to throw tremendous resources at a particular problem, but there are problems out there. There are children who are in distress. There are issues of abuse and homicide and the like, and I don't know how many you have to have to qualify. I tend to think that one is too many. And I don't think there should be one on every other corner, but certainly if you look at a map and say, "Well, we're going to have one over here and one over there," and kind of spread them all out, then before you know it, there's reasonable access where you don't have to travel miles away or enter into an entirely different neighborhood to get the services because you know that often those issues become 1577 3/4/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET barriers to people accessing services even if they want them.
Yes, Councilman. We will follow-up with you on this. There are at least a million dollars in after school investments invested in your district, is the information I have, but certainly I recognize that given the scale of the need in our City, it's definitely not enough. We don't have enough anywhere. I accept that.
I would definitely like to have one of those centers. So I'll look to hear back from you as soon as possible. And then you're going to get us the kind of budget detail to replace what's in your budget book, you said --
And, Commissioner we would like copies please. 19
Are there any other questions from Members of the Committee? The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Tasco. 1578 3/4/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET
I'm just briefly looking at the major contracts you have here. It seems there is a James Randolph who is a project manager for many, many programs. How does that work?
Ann Marie Ambrose, Deputy Commissioner for Juvenile Justice Services. Mr. Randolph is the Director of our Court and Community Services Program for Juvenile Justice Services. So most of those contracts, he's responsible for.
Are there any other questions or comments from Members of the Committee? (No response.)
Next to testify is the Office of Emergency Shelter and 1579 3/4/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET Services.
Good morning, Councilmembers, President Verna and Councilmembers. My name is Robert Hess, I am the Deputy Managing Director for Special Needs Housing. I have to my left Joe Mitchell, the Director of OESS; to my right, Richard Shaeffer, our Administrative Services Director; and to his right, Emily Camp Landis, Assistant Managing Director for Special Needs Housing. I am pleased and honored to offer this testimony on the Office of Emergency and Shelter Services budget request for Fiscal Year 2004 as well as on the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in the area of homeless services. As presented to Council, the proposed Fiscal Year 2004 budget for OESS is $38,153,251, of which $15,544,372 is in the General Fund and $22,608,879 are grant revenues. This request is an increase of $1,760,803 over the projected Fiscal Year 2003 spending representing anticipated grant revenue increases. In Fiscal Year 2004, we will have approximately 2300 beds in our emergency shelter system and in related emergency housing resources, and we will provide case management, 1580 3/4/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET supportive services, and transitional housing. Our proposed budget will support 138 positions, a decrease of one general funded position and one grant funded position. There will be no impact on service delivery due to these reductions. Programs and responsibilities associated with them have already been restructured. In the area of demand for emergency shelter, we have experienced significant differences between 2002 and 2003. First, families having been requesting shelter at a higher rate than expected since July 2002. In past years, requests for families declined once the school year started. Parents whose housing conditions were substandard tend to stay in those conditions rather than disrupt their children with a shelter stay during the school year. This year we believe due to the consistently poor economy, families have continued to come into our system throughout the summer and into the fall and winter months. Last year at this time, I reported that we were observing a sustained decline in emergency shelter requests that started in Fiscal Year 2001. 1581 3/4/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET During the planning stages for Fiscal Years 2003, we had no reason to believe that this trend would change. But counter to those projections, requests for shelter during the first several months of Fiscal Year 2003 nearly returned to the level of two years ago. The shift in demand on the family side of the housing is only half of the story. The extreme cold weather has brought a greater number of singles into the emergency shelter system. Unlike last year's relatively warm weather, Philadelphia has experienced a particularly cold and snowy winter this year. As of today, we have had approximately 70 days when a Code Blue has been in effect, and that compares with 28 days all of last winter. The weather forecasters are not predicting a major change for the last few weeks of this winter. During Code Blue, OESS maintains a policy of placing everyone in need of emergency shelter with a special focus on people who are chronically homeless living on the streets or brought in by outreach workers or police. In response to this increased demand, OESS has been able to increase bed capacity and meet 1582 3/4/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET the growing need for shelter. In addition to our core beds, OESS currently has access to approximately 600 beds that can be used on an as-needed basis. Two hundred of these beds are reserved for families and will continue to be part of our system until the family requests return to Fiscal Year 2002 levels. Another 200 are considered winter beds and will be open throughout the coldest months of the year to accommodate the increased need among the single adult chronically homeless population.
An additional 200 beds are available on short notice on a day-to-day basis, meaning OESS can utilize these beds when it is expected that more people than usual will be coming into the emergency shelter system on a particular night, for example, when a Code Blue is called. Furthermore, OESS has expansion capacity through opening additional recreational centers, fire stations, police stations, and other public buildings, as has been the case in previous years in which actual emergency requests exceeded the expected demand. In addition to expanding the number of available beds to meet demand, we also recognize 1583 3/4/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET that increased mental health supports are needed for our families in shelter and that we needed to improve access to behavioral health services, particularly drug and alcohol treatment for adults in our shelter system. To do both, we relied on partnerships we have formed within the Division of Social Services. The behavioral health system has worked hand in hand with us to ensure that our planning efforts in these areas were sound and that implementation of these efforts were smooth and continued to be monitored for effectiveness. The well-being of children who pass through our shelters during a very difficult as well as formative time in their lives continues to be a focus for OESS. In Fiscal Year 2003, we partnered with the Bright Horizons Foundation, McNeil Pharmaceuticals, and numerous others to kick off our Bright Spaces Initiative. At the end of the first phase of this partnership, a total of 14 Bright Spaces will be open to infants, toddlers, and parents temporarily living with us in our family shelters. They offer age-appropriate interactive play spaces that encourage the development of critical motor 1584 3/4/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET cognitive and sensory skills of children.
Mr. Hess, excuse me. We notice you have a very detailed testimony here. Is there any way you could just kind of summarize it for us, because we have it. It's been a long day.
It certainly has, and I'll be happy to do that. Let me just hit a couple of the high points. Councilwoman Blackwell, actually, asked us to bring some pictures of the Bright Spaces. So if I could have those passed around, you can see some of the improvements made to our family facilities that we're really excited about.
Thank you. We have three other departments to testify.
Okay. I'll be very brief with the balance. I want to point out that we have upgraded a number of facilities, spending millions of dollars in facilities improvements, some of which you'll now see with the pictures that are being passed around. We're now in our second year with Ready, Willing and Able, and we will see 20 to 25 1585 3/4/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET men graduate from Ready, Willing and Able before the end of this Fiscal Year. Extraordinarily exciting. These are men that have long histories of substance abuse, long criminal histories that now will graduate. That means that they have been drug and alcohol free for to months. They have got a 8 full-time job and they've moved into unsubsidized 9 housing in the community. And we're just 10 extraordinarily proud of them and of their 11 accomplishments and look forward to another 25 or so 12 graduating next year. 13
That is run by the Dove Fund 16 under the name Ready, Willing and Able. 17
Yes. They do a great deal of work throughout the community. They work every day at Fairmount Park. They work at Woodstock and Stenton Family Shelters to help perform custodial functions. They recently cleaned up Poppa Playground and done a number of other things in the community. We're proud of them. 1586 3/4/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET We do have a number of new programs that are outlined in the testimony. I would say to you that our challenges remain very significant. This was a very, very difficult and cold winter for us. I'm extraordinarily proud of our staff, the providers in the community, and our management team that work so hard to make sure that folks got shelter throughout this difficult winter. We are still focused on prevention and diversion in the front end, reducing the average length of stay, as I told you last year, and moving people much quicker into permanent housing. And we're excited about those opportunities moving forward.
Thank you very much. We appreciate it. I'd just like to add, thank you so much for your help with the 13th and Lindley situation we had up there.
That was tragic for those families. We were happy to see it positively resolved.
And we'll talk to L&I about that building. But I want to thank you for your help.
A quick question. I did look at the budget regarding Ready, Willing and Able, and I'm actually a big fan of their work as well. I was just wondering, it read like next year's obligation is more than you expect them to spend this year. Do you actually view it as an increase or decrease in funding from this year to next year?
I think it's actually fewer dollars. It's actually gone down and that has to do with the agreement that we reached with them when they came to town to open a facility. We paid for a hundred percent of the operation the first year, 90 percent the second year, and 80 percent the third year; and they're backfilling that with private contributions.
So this is not a -- it's a decrease in public funding, but it's not any 1588 3/4/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET disinvestment in their program overall?
Thank you. Mr. Hess, you state on of your testimony that we fully intend to be the first major City in the United States to end chronic homelessness in years. You further state that 10 the New Keys Programs will assist 30 individuals in FY '04. Would you define what you mean by chronic homelessness? And what is the current number of the chronic homelessness population in the City?
Thank you for that question, Madam President. The definition of chronic homelessness is someone who has been continuously homeless for more than a year or has experienced four or more episodes of homelessness in the last three years. That is the HUD definition that was actually created, as I understand it, by Professor Dennis Culhane here at Penn. So that's the target population. What Dr. Culhane has also gleaned in his research is that about 20 percent of the shelter population occupies about 50 percent of the bed 1589 3/4/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET nights used in shelter, and that's the chronic group that rotates in and out. And so with that definition, the chronic group in our City would be not more than about 3,000. The actual chronic group on the street, much less than that.
How many individuals are you projecting to serve in the out years of the Five-Year Plan?
We will get up to 100 folks at New Keys Program -- served by New Keys Program over the first three years.
New Keys will support up to 100 chronically homeless individuals that are duly diagnosed in the first three years.
Please understand that the New Keys Program is targeted to duly diagnosed folks that meet the chronic homeless definition that are living on the streets. Now, in terms of folks on 1590 3/4/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET the streets, we have right now about a hundred individuals living on the streets. That will go up somewhat as we get into summer. We'll be probably around 250. Now, that's the target for the New Keys Program. And this was only one source of funding. This particular source of funding will get us the first 100 interventions or first 100 folks, provided service over the next three years.
Would you please explain why you are reducing your General Fund Class 200 budget by 1.2 million? What is the service impact of this reduction?
We have reduced it because we believe through aggressive seeking of federal grants that we will be able to increase the grants fund by approximately $3 million, hence the $1.7 million overall budget increase. And so we see an increase in services in this budget.
On -15 of your detail, it appears as if you are eliminating your employment and training programs. Would you explain?
Yes. Employment and training programs are funded through HUD and PWDC. The 1591 3/4/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET general fund obligation was $333,000 a year. PWDC puts an alike amount, as does HUD. Over the last several years, given the HUD formula, we've actually overmatched the requirement. And so for this coming year -- actually for the next two years, I believe -- we will be able to remove the General Fund dollars, the 333,000, and continue the programs at the $666,000 level and still meet the HUD match requirements. Our intent is also to work with PWDC to find other mainstream employment and training slots for our residents.
Thank you. Are there any other questions or comments by Members of the Committee? The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell.
Thank you, Madam President. As everyone knows, this is one of my primary areas of interest. And certainly, I realize that we always have growing pains. It's a pleasure to work with Mr. Hess. I've worked with Rich Shaeffer longer than both of us probably can 1592 3/4/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET remember. And certainly, Joe Mitchell is a welcome staff addition, and we are very, very pleased that he is part of the OESS family. Now I speak for Councilwoman Blondel Reynolds Brown who had to leave who wants to get you back to Poppa this year. I don't really know where that is, but she said they did a great job there.
Also she's asking about the Bright Spaces Program and maybe it be expanded. She said, could we possibly have it in all of our facilities, but she thinks it's a great program and would like to see expanded.
Councilwoman, thanks to the generosity of McNeil Pharmaceuticals and Bright Horizons Foundation, we're going to be able to do exactly that. We have opened the first Bright Spaces at Woodstock and Stenton. There will be two more Bright Spaces opened before the end of this fiscal year at Red Shield and Act Masters, and the balance of every one of our family facilities will have a Bright Space for children and parents by the end of Fiscal Year '04 as long as we are able to stay on the schedule that we worked out with McNeil 1593 3/4/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET and with the Bright Horizons Foundation.
Thank you. Let me finally say that -- and I've said before even this year especially that Lucien Blackwell started our homeless program in this City many, many years ago when Rizzo was mayor. And certainly, it's where our heart is, where our commitment is. This and education do it for me. And let me say that I know that we have problems and that I'm committed to you and I'm committed to everybody who works for OESS to do what we can, to be available whenever we need to be, as often as we need to be to try to iron out any issues that may exist.
Councilwoman, we certainly appreciate that. As you know, we go through long stretches of time when we have daily communication, and I think it's very helpful in many, many respects and we appreciate your support and your interest.
You're welcome. The Chair recognizes Councilman Ortiz.
Madam Chair, I had to 1594 3/4/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET step out so I don't know if these questions were asked. I read in the paper today in terms of projections for an increase in the area of homeless and families and a projection also for cutting back on the prevention aspects, those programs. I don't know if any questions were asked. Could you explain to me what is the projection in terms of the growth? What is going to be the impact of cutting back on the prevention programs on those numbers?
Councilman, first of all, let me say that there is no reduction in prevention programs in this budget. The cuts that are alluded to in this morning's article in the Inquirer were last year cuts, and they amounted to $300,000. The impact of those cuts on clients who receive those benefits --
It says here, I would imagine they quote you, "Those cuts will not be restored in 2004," and those cuts really impact on the prevention programs.
That is true. We were not able to restore that $300,000 in this coming budget. However, as we looked at the impact of those cuts 1595 3/4/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET over this past year, what we found out is the providers were able to serve the same number of families that they had in the previous year and they were able to serve them in an average funding of $1100 per family as opposed to $1200 a family prior to the cuts. So we think that the actual impact on the programs from the client's standpoint was relatively modest. And since then over the last two years, as you heard from Commissioner Martinez, DHS has tremendously expanded their prevention programs that many of our clients are eligible for. So we think the overall pool of prevention dollars through the Division of Social Services is actually much greater today than it was prior to the cuts.
Could you give us in writing something clarifying the issues brought out in the story? I would really appreciate that.
In terms of the monies, in terms of projection for the increase of people going into the homeless situation.
We had hearings here 1596 3/4/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET a few months back on the issue of domestic violence. We found out then that we really have only one safe house in the whole City and very few beds in your system for domestic violence women or men, but mainly women. What are we doing about that and what are the numbers of beds that are now available and what priority is given to somebody who comes into the system really fleeing from an abusive spouse, an abuser?
This is a tough issue for us, Councilman. And I'll tell you why. The vast majority --
But especially for us because women and families that come to us have generally experienced some level of trauma. And they are oftentimes fearful, they are oftentimes reluctant to tell us that they have been subjected to domestic violence or sexual abuse or things of that nature initially until they've been with us a while, they've got a relationship with their social worker, and then over time they may reveal that. But generally, women that come into our system do not 1597 3/4/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET tell us that they've entered our system because of domestic violence or sexual abuse. Now, that said, some of the very difficult cases we do get. You know, they've told somebody else and somebody else has called us. And in those cases, we handle them on a case-by-case basis. And very often those women and children do not end up in the shelter system. We have what we call an emergency relocation program that has 11 apartments that are kind of located around town that 12 we can use essentially as a safe haven, if you will, 13 although that's not the right technical term, for 14 those families to be safe. We have had families, I 15 will tell you, in the course of last year that 16 there's been so serious in nature that we feared for 17 their safety no matter where we put them, and in a 18 couple cases, the Manager Director has worked with 19 the Police Commissioner to authorize some police 20 protection for those families in individual 21 circumstances. And I can remember one family that 22 we actually made arrangements to be placed in an appropriate facility in a different City for their own safety. So that does happen on a case-by-case basis. But generally, when women and children come 1598 3/4/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET into our system, they don't tell us that they have this need.
But if they do, then your case workers and you have protocols and guidelines that they follow?
But I said, then you have the guidelines and protocols that you follow.
Joseph Mitchell, the Director of Office of Emergency Shelter and Services. As Mr. Hess said, it really kind of depends on the situation. If our social worker is able to ascertain that there is a legitimate abuse issue here, then we will work with the Emergency Relocation Program to get appropriate placement for that family.
Thank you, Madam President. Good afternoon. 1599 3/4/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET
I've seen your testimony. I believe you spoke somewhat already about Ready, Willing and Able Program.
And having had some history back in New York, can you talk to me about the New York model? Are you familiar with the New York version?
I am. Essentially we are operating with what the Doe Fund in New York would call the Brooklyn Model, which means that folks that -- single men who are ready, willing, and able to work, have criminal histories generally and long histories of substance abuse are the target population. Now, that group comes in, takes a drug test. They have to be clean when they come in. They begin working. And they're paid for their work. They're paid -- I think it's $5.25 an hour for their work. A portion of that they pay back to the program for board, essentially. A portion of that goes into savings. When they graduate from the program, the program actually matches their savings. So they can leave with a significant amount of 1600 3/4/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET money. But they work towards graduation. They learn skills. They learn employment skills. They get experience. At the end of the day, graduation means that they have remained drug and alcohol free. And they're randomly drug tested two or three times a week throughout the period of time they're in the program. If they relapse, they're not thrown out. We work closely with CODAAP to get them in appropriate drug treatment. And when they've completed that, they can return to the program. But while they're in the program, they're randomly tested routinely. They work every day. They are paid. A portion goes to savings, a portion goes to room and board. Between 12 and 18 months they're expected to graduate. Graduate means that they've remained drug and alcohol free. It means that they're employed full time. And it means that they're living in unsubsidized housing in the community. It's a tremendous accomplishment and a tremendous victory for them and I think for the program and for us as a City. That said, it doesn't stop there. For the first three months that men leave the program 1601 3/4/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET after graduation, they return to Ready, Willing, and Able once a month. They take another drug test to show that they're still clean. They present their pay stub so we know they're still working. They present some proof of rent so we know they're still living in unsubsidized housing. And if they accomplish that, they get $200 that Ready, Willing and Able pays out to them.
I believe it was the City of New York, but I could be wrong. I'd have to check.
It's my understanding that our great Senator Specter got a substantial federal grant or was instrumental in getting a federal grant.
Well, I'm kind of going there. At the time early on in the infancy stages of the concept of doing Ready, Willing and Able, there was an attempt to reach out to his office to get the necessary support from the federal government. At that time, I don't think we had the 1602 3/4/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET mechanisms in place to implement it, so that request was not responded to. My understanding also in the New York model there is a relationship with private business people, particularly on some of the commercial corridors where they have some sort of a special services district comparable to our special services district where they actually pay Ready, Willing and Able for services relating to business corridors throughout New York.
That's absolutely true. They essentially perform street cleaning and other services in Manhattan. What they do here, of course, is they work at Fairmount Park.
Are we looking at possibly to some degree duplicating that New York model, first, in terms of trying to get some additional support from our great Senator Specter.
And the other thing is going beyond government's resources in terms of getting opportunities to expand the program.
Yes. One of the things that 1603 3/4/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET Ready, Willing and Able does extraordinarily effectively in New York and they've begun the process of doing here in our city is reaching out to employers and developing those kind of relationships and partnerships with employers that you need to have because if you see a resume that says, you know, "criminal history - drug addict," it tends to cause a problem. If on the other hand, what you know is that these folks have been through the kind of program that they are clean, they have been extraordinarily productive, and they are good additions to the workforce that are going to continue to get support from a program, then you can have a higher degree of confidence. And that really has been the magic of Ready, Willing and Able, I think, in New York and will have to be part of the magic formula here.
Right now we're funding a number of providers throughout the City of Philadelphia for transitional housing services and homeless providers. In the future RFPs, what would be the probability or the likelihood of us being able to include in that RFP some conceptual minimum, hopefully, a requirement that would have the 1604 3/4/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET provider do something similar to what we do at Ready, Willing and Able beyond just simply providing a bed and some food or whatever minimal requirements that they give the existing clientele?
Councilman, we're moving in that direction. This current Fiscal Year for the first time, every one of our contracts has some performance-based language in it. We're beginning to get baseline data this year from providers on the kinds of services and the kinds of outcomes. One of the things that we are very clear about, and I think where you're going with this question, is that the Emergency Shelter System is a point of entry, it's not a point of destination. Where we want to be is we want people returning to communities in safe, stable housing with the ability to pay for that housing or with a subsidy that supports them. And we want to have the social services kind of move with them to the degree that they require and want those social services. So we're starting that this year. It's going to be multi-year effort. The first year is get language in and begin to collect baseline data as to what's going on now in a meaningful way and 1605 3/4/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET then we have a progression. This coming year for the Fiscal Year '04, we're actually going to release three RFPs for three of our larger facilities. And we're going to, hopefully, get out of that some more creative thinking from the provider community and look at some different ways that services can be provided more in line with what you're suggesting.
Can you provide through the Chair a draft of what your proposal would be as it relates to an RFP process or RFQ?
Because I think we really need to -- and hopefully this is not going to be a long, drawn out process that we ultimately segue into a Ready, Willing and Able model throughout our shelter system, a way that we can realistically get people to be productive citizens in our wonderful City.
Absolutely. I mean, part of the challenge that we face and we're really better positioned to deal with it now than we've ever been is the OESS resources alone are not going to do what we want to do. But the OESS resources coupled with support from DHS, with support from the Health 1606 3/4/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET Department, with support throughout the Division of Social Service, because after all these are all the same clients, really makes a tremendous difference.
I'd like to see, you know, you have the Philadelphia Workforce Development Corporation involved with that so it will be a myriad of components in terms of support of services. I'd like to see, if at all possible, a draft of a proposal so we can, hopefully, expedite this process.
We will certainly provide that for you and work with you on it. The other thing that I would mention is we mentioned in the testimony the Behavioral Health support. Behavioral Health System, at our request, very quickly, within 30 days, provided us with a mobile Behavorial Health assessment team that is now stationed at Kirkbride, two shifts a day, but eventually will move, be mobile and be able to go to any of our shelter facilities. It's an extraordinarily important resource to us that we didn't have before now. But it's the kind of thing we have to do, reaching out to other divisions of social service agencies to provide support to our 1607 3/4/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET clients.
Council President, is my time winding up? Can I get one last question?
With respect to the work that Ready, Willing and Able is providing at Fairmount Park, what's the issue as it relates to the municipal workforce versus Ready, Willing and Able's work? Was there an issue? I know in some instances there was some concerns about the municipal workforce and unions representing them having other entities provide services, work that traditionally that workforce performs. I know some years Sheriff Green had actually made a proposal to have minimum security prisoners provide services in the City cleaning streets, and that was met with serious opposition from the municipal unions. What kind of arrangement do we have with Fairmount Park that allows Ready, Willing and Able to do services in Fairmount Park?
I'm not aware of any 1608 3/4/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET labor-related issues with respect to the work being done by Ready, Willing and Able at Fairmount Park. I will certainly check with the Managing Director. I'm told there was an issue about Ready, Willing and Able staff using heavy equipment, so they're not doing that. Beyond that, I'm not aware of those issues, but I'll certainly get with the Managing Director and get you an answer.
Okay. I'd be interested to know how they were able to do that. Actually, I saw some guys out cleaning ice off of the walkways in Fairmount Park in East Park.
Thank you. Any there other questions or comments from Members of the Committee? (No response.)
Seeing none, Mr. Hess and gentlemen, thank you very much. 1609 3/4/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET
Public Property is next. Commissioner, we do have your testimony. We'd really appreciate it if you would summarize it, and we'll give a copy to the stenographer and she will transcribe it in whole. Thank you.
Certainly, Council President. Council President Verna and Members of Council, I'm Andres Perez, Commissioner, Department of Public Property. With me today are Mr. Joseph James, Deputy Commissioner for Communication; John Herzins, Deputy Commissioner for Administration; Joan Schlotterbeck, Facilities Management Director; and George Hee, Fiscal Officer. I'll just briefly summarize the proposed budget. The Department of Public Property's Fiscal Year 2004 budget request totals $200,336,457 in all funds, an increase of $269,000 or less than percent over our previous year's estimated obligations. In the General Fund for Class 100, we're requesting $10,146,919, an increase 798,521 or approximately 8.5 percent from the Fiscal Year 2003 budget. And that's all primarily due to pay raises 1610 3/4/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET and the establishment of a 311 call center. The Department is budgeted for 236 positions, up from 212. And again, that's primarily to accommodate the staffing required by a new call center. Class 200, we're requesting $156,680,361, a net decrease of $1,502,793, and again, less than 1 percent difference from the Fiscal Year 2003 budget resulting from increases of $2,010,500 for utilities, $406,773 for space rentals, and $2,690,000 for core operational costs that are offset by decreases of 3.6 million for SEPTA and 2.9 million in telecommunications expenses. In class 300, we're requesting $917,939, which is a decrease of just under 3 percent from Fiscal Year '03. We're requesting 14 million in Class 800, which is an increase of just under 8 percent. And that's due primarily to the Water Department rate hike. On that note, let me just broadly summarize by saying that our budget reflects virtually no growth from the previous year's budget. There are a couple of initiatives which were discussed in the Five-Year Plan that may require 1611 3/4/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET some staffing and it's been accommodated in this budget and some other related expenses which has also been accommodated in this budget. We've continued to provide the facilities maintenance support. Most notably during the current Fiscal Year, we took over the new building for the 24th/25th Police District, a 40,000 square foot building. That is in our care and custody and represents new spending from prior years. We are working with the neighborhood to dispose of the old 24th/25th district building which is about 20,000 square feet, plus a large parking area for which there is an interested local developer, and we hope to be able to move that facility into someone else's hands for some community reuse to be determined in concert with the community. One of the initiatives that we're looking at implementing is the contracting for custodial services, which is really an expansion from what we have been doing for several years now through the custodial contract in City Hall and the custodial activities involved in the Triplex contract. We will be releasing a request for proposals which will be timed to allow us to enter 1612 3/4/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET into agreements in the beginning of the fiscal year, provided all the planning goes forth and the appropriate support is there from the Members of Council through this budgeting process.
I'm sorry. Do you mind repeating that? Is that on -39, you're requesting $11.8 million for the Triplex maintenance, is that what you're referring to?
No the Triplex maintenance is the existing contract for the Courthouse Municipal Services Building. I was referring to City-wide.
I mentioned it as a reference that we have been contracting for it in the Triplex area. Now we'll get into smaller facilities more scattered through the City. In the communications area, we've substantially completed the 800 megahertz project implementation. There's a piece of it which is within the Aviation Division, the airport establishment, which remains under construction. However, all other departments and agencies at this 1613 3/4/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET time have received their equipment and have been using it for several months. The timetable for the airport is still a bit fluid but, nevertheless, it is progressing. The Communications Department also embarked on the upgrade of a number of telephone systems throughout various City facilities. Again, for many years we concentrated on bringing the technology to our core buildings in Center City through renovations and through leasing and through reconstruction of spaces. And last year through this year, we began bringing the upgraded equipment and technology out into the fire houses and police stations and health centers and we completed about a hundred of those upgrades. We're also working on a 311 constituent contact center, which has also been referred to as the Consolidated Call Center or initiative, whereby several call centers operated by other departments in addition to the switchboard which we've operated for so many years, we're looking at some longer term savings and benefits by pulling those resources together, organizing them into one space, giving them all the same technology, same training, and 1614 3/4/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET implement a one-stop, one-location call center for anyone trying to reach City services for other than 911 purposes. Really on that note, the only other significant project that I'd like to highlight is what's been referred to as the fiber optic network. We have for many years been using the innovative -- which at one time was the innovative CityNet fiber optic loop, which is really a combination of three loops. One of those loops supports the Center City infrastructure of our government, the main buildings. That loop is clocked, for lack of a more technical explanation, and it now makes sense for us to install our own loop and operate it with increased band width and thereby providing increased capacity to the departments and agencies that depend on that in lieu of expanding or upgrading through Verizon the CityNet loop and incurring additional monthly charges. So we look at that as a hard cash savings that will begin to be realized as soon as the loop is installed and activated. We've continued our support of departmental space needs. Five hundred individuals were relocated for one reason or another during the 1615 3/4/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET previous fiscal year into and throughout City spaces, both leased and owned. The bulk of that was the reorganization of space for the Department of Human Services to meet their rapid growth staffing requirements. I think I'll conclude on that note. You're all aware of the Department's support of special events. It's been a fairly routine year and we'll continue to do our best to provide that support in the forthcoming year with an eye toward managing our overtime closely, keep it down in order to meet our budget objectives. Thank you.
Thank you. Commissioner, on of your testimony you indicate your department has been developing initiative to establish a 311 call center. You further state that eight existing department call centers will be collapsed into one citywide intake and deliver constituent contact centers. Would you identify the eight existing centers, what services they perform, and how you will be able to consolidate them into one center?
I'd like to ask Deputy Commissioner James to respond. 1616 3/4/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET
Good afternoon, Council President. My name is Joseph James, Deputy Commissioner for the Department of Public Property. To answer your question, specifically, the eight call centers that have been identified and targeted for the consolidation consists of the Streets Department, Licenses and Inspections, Water, Water Revenue, Revenue, and there's actually two that really do not have the same kind of physical infrastructure as others, but they're the Health Department employment desk and the Mayor's Action Center, and then last one is -- there's our own City Hall switchboard which represents the eighth and final part of the consolidation.
How does Water and Water Revenue being consolidated here save us money?
Well, today, there is the Water Department help desk that answers just general information calls for the water customers who call in, versus the Water Revenue which is more of a billing and collection department. 1617 3/4/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET What we envision is that is part of the solution -- Just so I can clarify your question, Council President, if the question has to deal with Water Fund, Water Fund revenue versus general operating, we don't include the Water Fund revenues in the consolidation effort. We're talking about General Fund cost.
I just wanted to be sure about answering the question. The savings is in the Class 100 positions that would be reduced in the consolidation efforts since we are going to reduce the total number of operators and supervisors that currently maintain the various call centers down to a group of about 40 operators and 5 supervisors.
Has it been determined where the center will be located?
We anticipate the site may be here within City Hall, but we have not confirmed the actual location yet.
The Chair recognizes Councilman Rizzo for a point of order. 1618 3/4/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET
Commissioner James, I'd appreciate you providing to the Chair some information that I had asked previously. I have no 5 problem with consolidating call centers. But I could not be supportive and I won't be supportive until someone proves to me the need to engage in a contract, I would assume, with Verizon or somebody else to put a 311 number in. I just don't get it, what that brings to this deal other than us picking up installation charges of a system, monthly charges for people to dial fewer digits that most people that will be calling this government will be calling from their home phone in most cases. In most cases, it's a free call for that person. So I don't support -- I support the consolidation. I think somebody was listening two years ago when I made this suggestion, so maybe it should be named after me once it's built. But the proposal to spend all of this money to duplicate, almost replicate a 911 system -- not necessarily so with the technology. I just don't get it, why we need to spend all of this money for three numbers when a seven-digit phone number can provide the same end result. So I'd appreciate you telling us now, 1619 3/4/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET because it's not clear to me what exactly you're talking about -- because I know that Verizon, they do very little without a fee -- what it will cost to actually put in and working. Now, I know when the 911 system was installed. It was designed to send the calls to geographic consoles. Then the Police Department undid that. We spent millions of dollars. So if you dialed from the Northeast, it would go to northeast console; south, to south console. Then we centralized so all the calls come in everywhere. I just honestly don't get it. And I think I have a pretty good handle on communications and things that you do; not to the degree, obviously that you do. But I just don't see the bang for our buck on 311. 1776, you could consolidate and do all the things that you want to do without incurring 311 charges. If people want to dial 311, they put it on their speed dial at home and have it dial 1776 if they want to just dial three numbers or even less numbers. So honestly, I don't get it. I think it's a very expensive proposition that's unnecessary. Consolidate, do all the things you want to do and have people dial 686-1776. 1620 3/4/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET
Councilman, if I can try to answer to your point about the cost impact and what exactly does the City gain from establishing a 311 center. The number in itself, as you articulate, it's just a phone number. And the cost association with it is different than what we invested in building a 911 because in that scenario, we had to build all that infrastructure because there were certain performance levels that we had to maintain to make sure when citizens dial that number 911, they get to that center and the center can handle the calls. For 311, it's very similar to what we've done in other cases in working with cell phone providers and others when we established three-digit numbers to report potholes or when you have a three-digit number or four-digit number to call a radio station. It's just a phone number. And the cost for it is really not that significant. And I think I can demonstrate to you that the cost is not where the concern should be. What the benefits are, are enormous because today, as you mentioned, 686-1776 is a seven-digit number for people to call. But there is a litany of numbers out there that the 1621 3/4/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET public has to retain when they're calling about trash, recycling, heat, billing, any kind of City services. Today the public -- and what major cities have done from Chicago to New York to Miami Dade is that that becomes a burden in the quality of life issues for the citizens because the onus is now put on the citizen to try to figure out, how do I access City services. And the idea of having a consolidated simplified numbered is to say to citizens, "You don't have to worry about that. You just dial these three-digit numbers. Let us determine how to provide you that service. Let us be focussed on delivering you quality service in a simplified manner in one stop." And I think we can do that in an affordable manner.
Commissioner, I hear you. But believe me, you can disconnect all of those numbers, put a referral number to call 686-1776, put bill stuffers in the water bills and tell everybody "Forget all the numbers you ever knew" -- as a matter fact, you can even come up with a new number. You can put it ahead of 1776 and people that call 1776 can still get through. 1622 3/4/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET But my point is, I really need to know. You say it's not expensive. I want to know what kind of money we're going to have to spend to implement a 311 system, and I also would like to know what the monthly charge is, because I would assume, and correct me if I'm wrong, that when a person dials 311, that's not going to be a chargeable call to them, it's going to be a chargeable call to us. So I would like to know all these things. You might sway me; I doubt it. But I want to see some numbers. And the numbers that I see in the Five-Year Plan don't appear to be realistic to me because people listening to this and people sitting in this room have tried to do business with the phone company, and you know it's 10 bucks to put this in, $20 to put that in, and I can imagine this is going to be substantial to install a 911 system and then monthly charges associated with it. Then, once it's operating, if we're picking up the tab, like US Air does for their 800 line, it's expensive to accept that burden when people can call us with an unlimited telephone for free from their home. So you need some work on me on this one. 1623 3/4/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET
Are you prepared to respond to the Councilman's questions at this time?
At this time point in time, Council President, I don't have the specific numbers to answer the Councilman. But certainly, I think we can put together the case to demonstrate --
Will you do that in writing, please, and send me copies, 11 please? 12
You're 16 welcome. 17 Commissioner, according to -7 of 18 the detail, I think you won the lottery or you 19 certainly are one of the luckiest department heads. 20 According to what I read, you're receiving an increase of full-time positions. Would you 22 please explain what these positions are for? 23
That's the call center 24 staffing, which could be any combination of new employees or transfers from the other departments 1624 3/4/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET that operate call centers.
If I can answer your 16 question, Council President. In City Hall 17 switchboard under Public Property, we currently have 18 17 operators and 3 supervisors. And all of the call 19 centers that were talked about is approximately 107 20 operators and approximately 25 supervisors. So that 21 pool of people that exists today in the other 22 departments would be candidates for those 20-some 23 slots that we now have within our department to fill 24 to build the call center. So that we would end up with 23 positions in addition to the 17 we have to 1625 3/4/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET get 40. And that 23 could come from the 107 pool or if they're unavailable, that would be new hires that would be filling those positions.
So are 87 people or 87 employees being let go under this?
In the consolidation effort, those departments would be responsible for either finding positions for those people or, if necessary, there's no positions, I assume they would be laid off.
Council President, that's one of the factors that we'll have to address as we proceed with the plan. No doubt, some of those individuals are on DROP, may have already declared an intent to retire. Some of those positions may also fill vacancies within the department that they're leaving. So the actual permanent loss of jobs won't materialize until we implement the plan and we learn those details about the individuals involved. Also, just as a matter of course, when any kind of change like this comes upon people, they 1626 3/4/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET get uncomfortable enough to retire sooner than they planned to. And so the change itself will, no 4 doubt, push some people into leaving City employment early.
Commissioner, on -13 of the detail, you are requesting a total of $393,625 for two transit lobbyists. What services do they provide and how are they selected?
This is a departmental allocation for the consultant/lobbyist that represents the City's interest. In our budget, this is the piece of it that's funded through Department of Public Property. It's the same consultants who actually represent the City in total and not necessarily the Department of Public Property.
Do they lobby for us in Washington or Harrisburg or both?
Do you have any lobbyists in Harrisburg regarding the transit?
I don't understand why it's labeled transit. I'll have to explain that to you after the hearing. But the purpose is to fund the 1627 3/4/03 - FY '04 OPERATING BUDGET contracts that support the lobbying on behalf of the City.
On -39 of the detail, you are requesting $11.8 million for the Triplex maintenance to be determined. Will you be going out with a new bid? And do you enter into one-year leases?
When this detail was originally proposed, a vendor had not been selected. We have a vendor in place, a contractor in place. The US Facilities Group has replaced the Elliot Lewis Group Triplex --