Board of County Commissioners Business Meeting - workshop

All right, good afternoon, everybody. We're here for a wonderful study session, but first we're going to go around the room with introductions, starting with... Jeff Baker, Commissioner.

Jolita Gatton, I'm the Provider Services Administrator with Child and Adult Protective Services. Michelle Halstead, Commissioner's Office. Rhonda Fields, Commissioner.

Leslie Summey, Commissioner. Carrie Waring-Gully, Commissioner. Jessica Williamson, Human Services. Nicole Brown, Human Services.

Jessica Gamble, Commissioner, District 2.

Kathy Royal, Royal Consulting.

Thank you very, very much. I think Tiffany might be coming in. Is there somebody coming? Maybe she's just lurking. Okay, yeah, she'll be here for executive session. Okay, great. So, Ms. Williamson, you have something here talking about the child welfare core plan and budget. Yes, ma'am.

Thank you. So we are here this afternoon to talk about our core services plan for this fiscal year. This is a plan that we would like for the board's approval and signature on. And we actually need your signature in order to receive funding from the Colorado Department of Human Services. So the core plan is really a laid out plan specifically for children and their families who are at imminent risk for out-of-home placement so these are services that are designed to help keep children at home with their families maybe help stabilize the family unit if a child does have to be removed from the home we can provide services to if it's a foster parent for example we can put services into the home to help provide stability of that placement certainly it's we don't want kids jumping placement to placement so it's really to help to provide some stability some support It helps with reunification when kids are ready to reunify with their family. And it also helps to serve our former foster youth. So this is a program that I think it's important for you all to know our allocation for this fiscal year is set for $5.877 million, which is 100% state funded at $2.307 million and 80% state funded at $3.570 million. Our county share is a little over $714,000, which comes from property tax for human services. It's also important to know that a couple of things about the budget. This year's budget was a little over $800,000 less than our allocation for last fiscal year. As you know, we're working within... tight budgeting. And we also think it's important to note that as the program or as the plan is outlined in the report that was sent, we are, it's written as a little over our allocation. So it's written at $5.924 million, which is about $47,000 over our allocation. We are aware of that. This is an allocation we historically do not overspend. We underspend. This last year we did, I think, spend the entire allocation, but it's a really important program. We will watch and monitor it very closely to ensure that we don't go over that allocation, but want to make sure that we have the planned budget to serve this population this next year. Any questions? Any questions?

Commissioner Warren? Thank you. So this is separate than the Child Welfare Block? Correct. Okay. And it's $800,000 less this year? Correct. Than last year? Yes. And that's just strictly a budget cut that the state gave? Yes. Okay, because it's not a decline in caseload or anything like that? No. Do you have a feel for how you might make that up? It's just trying to monitor and make sure that we aren't overspending is what you're saying.

Correct. We're also hopeful that with some of the legislation changes this last year that our out-of-home costs will look a little different and put less pressure on our block allocation. And we also have the ability between our core and our block allocations to move staffing. So there's staffing that gets paid out of the block, and then there's staffing that gets paid out of core. And we have the ability to move staffing, which is sometimes what we do anyway. When we know that we're gonna be close to or over, we can shift staff between the two allocations to ensure that we don't go over in this allocation line. Yeah, and then some of it's really just monitoring, making sure that we don't pay for all of the services. Some services that are Medicaid funded, we make sure that those services get paid by Medicaid first. If a family might have private insurance, we're certainly, we have to exhaust other avenues for payment before then we come to and pay for services out of the core allocation. Thank you, Madam Chair. Marie?

Any other questions? Comments? Yeah. Commissioner Campbell?

So I just, I'm trying to just understand the math here. So our allocation from the state is $5,877,934, which came in two tranches, one with the $2.3 million and then one with the $3.5 million. But then we have, and then you pointed out the plan of $5.2 million. 5.92 million is a little bit more than that allocation. But then you talk about also the $714,000 that come from property tax for human services. So how does that factor in? Because that number is $6.5 million when you put it all together with the allocation. And so does that not, is the 700,000 not able to be used for the plan? To color the program?

It should be incorporated into that number, right?

I did 2.3, I did the 2.3 million plus the 3.5 plus the 7, and I got 6.59 million. That's all I was curious about is just where does that $700,000 factor?

I think that covers, so some of the funding is 100% covered by the state. The other funding is only 80% covered by the state. So the $700,000 covers the 20% that we're responsible for, I believe.

Okay, but then. And it's already incorporated in these numbers that you're giving us. Yeah, yeah. So the $2 million has the $700,000 in that $2 million as our 20%.

Got it. Okay.

If I understand that correctly.

So, okay, so when they say our allocation is $5.8 million, part of that, whichever one of these two numbers, $714,000 is assumed to be within that, that we are supplying to that. Interesting.

Okay. Cool. Thank you. I was very confused there. And the only other thing I would add is we work really closely with our finance department starting in the early part of the year. The fiscal year starts June 1st. It's always behind the ball. But we work really closely and even more so in this last year to make sure that our contracts are aligning with our spending as best we can and so we looked really closely at all of our providers most importantly from the child welfare perspective is making sure that we have the services to meet the needs of our families kids and families so that first but then also looking at are there some that we underutilize are there providers that maybe were think are really great providers and good partners and maybe some that We have some questions about. We did have a couple of contracts we chose not to renew this year. So we are constant. I just want the board to know that we're constantly evaluating that and working with our finance department to make sure we're on top of that as well.

There's a lot of challenges and pressures from outside factors. And so Delete and her team are really creative. and use diplomatic ways to push back when needed to. So I feel like that's why in the last four years we've always come under spit because of how they manage the budget and making sure at the same time families are served. Thank you.

Anything else? Jessica, what do you have for us?

So I just need and hopeful for your approval. And then the next step, the core plan is actually due to the state on August 3rd, which is right around the corner. And this is unfortunately how it works each year because it gets out to us, the plan, the allocation gets out to us late so we, you know, have the time to put it together, Jolita and her team, and then obviously present it to you all. And so our hope would be Jolita will need to route this through DocuSign. for signatures, including Dan McElkie's, and then get it routed to the state. Just as quickly as possible.

Commissioners? Five thumbs up.

And a quick question. Sorry about that. But you have a thumbs up. Just so that I have an understanding with this budget cut, what does that look like as it relates to providing services to kids that are kind of having to experience our welfare system with this budget cut. What does that really look like? Will the community feel it? Will the staff feel it? Or it'll be more like status quo?

I think it's a good question. I don't know if we necessarily know. What I would say is that most of the population that we serve is Medicaid eligible and therefore can still get services, whether that be on their own or from a specific provider. And then again, sort of as a last resort, we can come in and provide services to them. I think we feel it as staff just because we know it and are aware of it. It's not necessarily something we share with the public. And so we try to do a lot behind the scenes to ensure that, like Jolita said, that families, kids and families get what they need, that they get their needs met. And if that means that we're trying to access Medicaid first, trying to talk with providers on what we can do, how we can serve a child, a family. I think we're just trying to do the best that we can to watch the numbers and yet still provide high quality services to our families. I have all the confidence in the services that we chose. Like Jolita said, we watch very carefully outcomes for kids and families to make sure that we have within our plan here that we have highest quality of services, best outcome. And so the hope is that it's nothing that we are talking about with kids and families that really that's something that we as the department monitor, manage, and that they don't feel the impact, that we make sure that we do whatever we can within our means to get them the services they need.

That's reassuring to hear you say that. Thank you.

I mean, that's why we do what we do, right? It's the passion that we have for kids and families. They don't need to see the theater. Yeah. Yeah. So.

I get it.

Commissioner Mordo.

Thank you, Madam Chair. However, I will say that this is just one part of the entire budget of the Human Services Department. And if each budget is facing these little, you know, nips here and nips there and all of that stuff, mean eventually it will impact people's lives because our team does an amazing job of keeping track of the numbers more so than any other department in the state and so but I think that's the hard part is these decisions are made in silos with each fund as opposed to looking at a holistic view of You know, it's easy to say, well, we just cut $800,000. That's this fund. The child welfare block might be cut by $2 million. You know, whatever. And collectively, it's a lot for the team to be trying to stay on top of.

pushing money around and doing things that they can do, so.

Okay.

That's it. Well, you got your five thumbs up. All right. Thank you. Thank you so much.

Who best should I round it to in DocuSign?

The attorneys, right? If it goes to DocuSign, the DocuSign should go to the county attorney's office before it comes to me, or how are we doing that?

If it's DocuSign, it means it's already been approved through Contract Insight, usually.

So this doesn't go through Contract Insight.

We'll let you know. Otherwise, the attorney's office usually sees it. If it's just a DocuSign agreement, usually the attorney, I don't know how Human Services does it exactly over there, but usually Human Services, their attorneys will look at it at some point. So whether it goes through Contract Insight, which I think they usually do put that in the contract, let's say. Or they will look at them and approve it before it comes to you.

Okay. So we need to talk to Mike Ballantyne? Yeah, I'll circle back with Jessica. It may also have, I just want to make sure I understand signature authority and whether it has to go to consent or something before it gets signed. So we'll just double check it. Next time bring Mike with you. We don't see him often enough. I'm kidding.

If it has to be signed through DocuSign, typically you put it to the chair, but then you give Glenna Trost a heads up so she can flag it.

Okay. To make sure it gets signed.

She usually sends it to Jordan, I think. Okay.

All right. Thank you. That's a very good question. We're all learning. We're all learning.

Yep.

so well thank you very very much thank you we appreciate it see ya yeah so we're gonna go ahead and read our motion now I saw him out there okay but should we I have the mission okay can we get I can grab him while you do the motion okay

Please read the motion. Yes, Madam Chair, I move that the board go into executive session pursuant to section 246-40B-4B and D of the Colorado revised statutes to receive legal advice regarding the Regal Electric Administrative Site Plan and pursuant to section 246-402-4B and E of the Colorado revised statutes to develop strategy to instruct negotiators and receive legal advice regarding the Boob Supersonic Innovation Zone pilot program.

Second. It has been moved and properly seconded to go into executive session. All in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Wonderful. We are in executive session. Thank you very, very much.