HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 03191991 - 2.1 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS 5 L
Contra
Costa
FROM:
James A. Rydingsword, Social Service Director, ,,:-� ;s
and Victor J. Westman, County Counsel
County
DATE: March 19, 1991 q C•UU.
SUBJECT: General Assistance Program Study
SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
RECOMMENDATIONS:
1 . Direct the Social Service Department with assistance from the
County Counsel to conduct a study of standards for the administration of
the County General Assistance Program (housing, food, personal needs,
and transportation) and to report to the Board of Supervisors in
approximately 90 days on the status of such study.
2 . Authorize and direct the County Counsel to negotiate and
execute a written contract with Ms . Barbara McCullough to participate in
the above-mentioned study for the County Counsel with a contracted
payment limit of $10,000 . 00 for the period March 19 , 1991 through
September 1 , 1991 .
BACKGROUND:
On January 22, 1991, the Contra Costa Legal Services Foundation
presented testimony and documents to the Board of Supervisors concerning
grant levels in the County General Assistance Program. The Board
referred the documents to the County Counsel and the Social Service
Director for report to the Board.
The Social Service Director and the County Counsel believe that a
study of, certain standards for the administration of the County General
Assistance Program is necessary. The Social Service Director and the
County Counsel therefore recommend that the Board authorize and direct
the Social Service Department to conduct such a study, with the
assistance of the County Counsel . In light of the assertions made by
Contra Costa Legal Services Foundation, it appears that litigati
threatened against the County. Accordingly, it is important th t one
aspect of the study involve the County Co sel an b fidenti
dfll:memo\program 502
CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: YES SIGNATURE:
RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE
APPROVE OTHER
SIGNATURE(S):
ACTION OF BOARD ON March 19, 1991 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED X and OTHER X
REQUESTED Social Services Director and County Counsel to review and report to the
Board as soon as possible on concerns presented today by Contra Costa Legal Services
Foundation (attached) relative to various components of the General Assistance
Program.
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE
X UNANIMOUS(ABSENT ) AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN
AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD
ABSENT: ABSTAIN: OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN.
�,
CC: Social Services Director ATTESTED " ' �� 19. /99/
County Counsel PHIL BATCHELOR,CLERK OF THE BOARD OF
CC Legal SVCS Foundation SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
County Administrator
M382 (10/88) 61
BY Oae � � ,DEPUTY
Law Offices of
Contra Costa Legal Services Foundation
Main Office Telephone
1017 MacDonald Avenue West County (415)233-9954
P.O.Box 2289 Gast (415)439-9166
Richmond,California 94802 Central (415)372-8209
Fax (415)236-6846
March 18, 1991
To: Board of Supervisors of Contra Costa County
From: Contra Costa Legal Services Foundation
Re: GA Grant Levels
Contra Costa Legal Services has been retained to attempt to
raise the level of General Assistance in this County.
We intend to file a lawsuit against the County unless you take
the following action today :
1 . Because you already have sufficient information in the
record regarding the requests set forth in this paragraph, we
request that you adopt, effective April 1 , the following changes
in the GA standards on an interim basis:
a. Raise the food component to reflect the current
Thrifty Food Plan level.
b. Change the restaurant allowance so that every
recipient without cooking facilities receives the allowance for
as many months as needed.
C. Give homeless GA recipients a housing allowance.
d. Raise the transportation component of the grant so
that the amount allotted for transportation is consistent with
the number of trips used in the 1989 Social Services Department
study of General Assistance grants and with the cost per trip as
was set forth in the 1990-91 Social Service Department studies.
2 . Direct the Social Services Director and County Counsel
that the study proposed must be completed and recommendations
submitted to the Board and the general public by May 21 , 1991 ,
for review by the Board at its June 5, 1991 meeting.
3 . Direct the Social Services Director and County Counsel
that the proposed study must at a minimum include the following:
a. a survey of housing costs which complies with
applicable court decisions and which shall take into account the
following:
i. costs for available habitable housing
ii. the differences in costs between subsidized
housing, housing provided by friends and relatives at below
market rate and the costs to obtain market rate housing.
iii. needs of homeless GA applicants and
recipients for temporary shelter.
b. a survey of current costs of all special needs which
the Department of Social Services provides.
c. a -study to determine a factual basis for the number
of trips allocated for transportation and the items contained in
the personal needs allowance and also do an updated survey of
costs ,for each component
d. a study of whether the Thrifty Food Plan is an
appropriate measure of the needs of General Assistance
recipients and the costs in Contra Costa County of the elements
of the Thrifty food plan.
The following chronology sets forth the reason for our
deadlines. On August 23 , 1990 , this office informed you that we
would institute suit unless you took certain action to insure
that the County' s GA levels complied with W & I Section 17000.
In September and twice again in October of 1990 , we received
assurances from Mr. Kerr of the County Counsel ' s office that we
would receive a response to our very specific concerns.
Instead, Mr. Rydingsword, on November 6th, 1990 went before the
Board to request that he be authorized to respond to this letter
at the December 4th, 1990 board meeting. The response that Mr.
Rydingsword prepared ignored, in virtually all material aspects,
the August 23 , 1990 letter. Mr. Rydingsword did propose, using
an out of date set of figures, raising the food component of the
grant by $9. The matter appeared before the Board again on
January 22 , 1991 . At that time, we repeated the concerns we had
previously brought to your attention on at least five prior
occasions. Mr. Rydingsword was directed to report back to you-
within thirty days - another deadline he was unable to meet.
Instead of responding to the concerns we raised, he has now
proposed to do another study with an indefinite deadline as when
the results will be submitted to you for action. We believe the
conduct of Mr. Rydingsword and the County Counsel ' s office to be
a deliberate attempt to avoid the County' s legal
responsibilities to its indigent citizens and we are therefore
forced to respond accordingly.
cc: County Counsel