County Human Service Plan Submitted
County Commissioner Emergency Food and Shelter Chairman Rich Fink expressed his concern about agencies spending money before it has been formally approved, citing recent cuts during the impasse of the state budget, where services had to be cut.
by Jonathan Weaver
Thursday, County Commissioners acknowledged the Fiscal Year County Human Services Plan submission.
Human Service Development Fund Program Director Rick White and Emergency Housing Services Director Kim Pivetta are just two of the Community Action officials that put the grant together before County Commissioners submit the application.
“It only includes the Homeless Assistance and Human Service Development Fund plan due to other agencies that submit their plans on a rotational basis through other counties,” Pivetta said. “This year, mental health services, intellectual disabilities and drug and alcohol services will be submitted within Indiana County, and Child Welfare Services has already been submitted.”
According to the plan acknowledged, the Homeless Assistance portion will include case management, bridge housing, rental assistance and emergency shelter for more than 1,000 clients.
Armstrong County Community Action budgeted nearly $196,500 for those services.
In the Human Service Development Fund, nearly 2,400 residents will receive prison counseling, youth mentoring and counseling and outpatient drug and alcohol counseling, and even more will receive generic child empowerment, life skills education and information and referral funds.
Community Action personnel budgeted nearly $80,000 under Development Fund funding.
White added that dollar amounts equal the amount received the past two fiscal years. Benefactors will often receive more services, but once Plan funds are actually received, Community Action officials will divide up funds.
“Whatever they give us, that’s what we do,” White said. “If we had more money, obviously we could help more.”
Community Action officials usually receive notification on the disbursement within a few months, but with the State budget struggle, they are unsure when they will hear back this year. Overall, funding has decreased from a few years ago.
Commissioner Rich Fink is Emergency Food and Shelter Chairman, and has been the liaison for all Human Services since being elected into office. He also serves as liaison for the state County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania, and said that all budget figures will be adjusted accordingly.
“It’s leaving everyone a little uneasy – some of our agencies have a little bit of reserve where they can pull down funds from other accounts and then pay it back – last time we had an impasse on the budget, we had to cut services,” Fink said. “The one that I got the most calls about was childcare at Community Action.”
Childcare services are offered to those eligible and under-employed.
“They’re not asking for a free hand out- they go to work every day – (but) that’s one of the services we had to cut last time,” Fink said.
Community Action officials are going to try and not do the same in Fiscal Year 2015-16.
Fink added that, even though that’s where he got the most concerns years ago, all the programs being assisted are “very valuable” and have been offered for several years.
Commissioner Chair David Battaglia said the agreement was approved during Tuesday’s Public Work Session.
In other County business, five former County vehicles will officially be sold, upon the recommendation of Public Works Director Roy Carney. Bids for the vehicles were opened by Deputy Controller Tammie Gaff last month.
“These vehicles all served their purpose for the County – we are going to release them all to the highest bidder,” Carney told commissioners.
A 1998 Buick Century (used by the maintenance crew) was sold to Rupp’s Automotive in Kittanning for $300, and a 1999 Ford Expedition, 2000 Ford Expedition, 1997 bus and 2001 Ford Taurus were all sold to JC Auto in Shelocta for a minimum of $375 each.
The Expeditions were both utilized by the Armstrong County Jail, whereas the 1997 used to be used by the Armstrong County Sheriff’s office and the Ford Taurus by Public Works employees.
Local News | jweaver July 6, 2015
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