Staff Report.CHSSC ARPA Allocation Recommendation
PREPARED BY: Arn Andrews
Assistant Town Manager/CHSSC Liaison
Reviewed by: Town Manager, Town Attorney, and Finance Director
110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● (408) 354-6832
www.losgatosca.gov
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
MEETING DATE: 09/07/2021 ITEM NO: 7
DATE: August 27, 2021
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: Laurel Prevetti, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Consider Recommendations from the Community Health and Senior Service
Commission for the Allocation of $500,000 of American Recovery Plan Act
(ARPA) Funding to Restore and Enhance Senior Service Provision Due to the
Disproportionate Impacts on the Older Adult Community from COVID-19 and
Provide any Additional Direction to Staff and Authorize an Expenditure
Budget Adjustment in the Amount of $500,000 from Available ARPA Proceeds
to Cover those Services.
RECOMMENDATION:
Consider recommendations from the Community Health and Senior Service Commission for the
allocation of $500,000 of American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA) funding to restore and enhance
senior service provision due to the disproportionate impacts on the older adult community
from COVID-19 and provide any additional direction to staff and authorize an expenditure
budget adjustment in the amount of $500,000 from available ARPA proceeds to cover those
services.
BACKGROUND:
On June 15, 2021, the Town Council received the Community Health and Senior Service
Commissions (CHSSC) assessment report on senior service provision in Los Gatos (Attachment
1). At the conclusion of the Council discussion, the following direction was provided to staff
and the CHSSC.
• Council created a Committee to establish longer range goals for senior services in Town.
The Committee would include the CHSSC, Councilmembers, service club representation,
PAGE 2 OF 5 SUBJECT: CHSSC ARPA Allocation Recommendations DATE: August 31, 2021
BACKGROUND (continued):
Chamber representation, service providers, and senior community leaders. Staff was to
return to Council with a recommended list of composition of the Committee. Council
adopted the composition of the Committee at its August 3, 2021 meeting.
• The Council allocated $500,000 in ARPA funding to address identified short-term senior
service provision needs in next 12 months.
• The CHSSC was to develop recommendations for Council on how to allocate the
$500,000 to create a more restore and enhance provision of senior services over the
next 12 months.
Given Council’s direction, staff and the CHSSC solicited senior service provision proposals and
reviewed those proposals for alignment with the CHSSC assessment and Council considerations.
The Commission received proposals from Los Gatos Saratoga Recreation (LGS Rec), Saratoga
Area Senior Coordinating Council (SASCC), and KCAT. The Commission met on June 22, July 7,
and July 27 to review submissions, ask questions of respondents, and request additional
materials. On August 31, 2021, the CHSSC held their final meeting to discuss the service
provider final submissions and determine ARPA allocation recommendations for Council.
DISCUSSION:
Following are summaries of the service provider proposals. Attachment 2 contains the
complete submissions from LGS Rec, SASCC, and KCAT.
LGS Rec
The LGS Rec proposal is for the full $500,000 allocation divided between $383,700 toward pre-
pandemic service restoration and $116,300 toward service expansion. Elements of the LGS Rec
proposal include:
LGS Rec would return hours to furloughed staff to focus on senior services. In addition, the LGS
Rec financial model includes leveraging ARPA funding with a match from non-Town sources for
operational expenses up to 0.5 FTE for each classified staff compensation and benefits. The
proposal acknowledges that senior services is a front-facing enterprise which relies on staffing
to interface with the community to facilitate programming. The proposal also envisions the
formation of an ARPA Grant Oversight Committee to act as a governing body and provide
oversight of all elements covered by the grant award.
Programmatic commitments include the resumption of hardcopy publication and mail
distribution of The Print, enhanced volunteer recruitment and strategic partner collaboration,
expanded 55+ program accessibility at multiple facilities, resumption and increased event
production, and increased membership goals.
PAGE 3 OF 5 SUBJECT: CHSSC ARPA Allocation Recommendations DATE: August 31, 2021
DISCUSSION (continued):
SASCC
SASCC provided five proposals that could be engaged on an a la carte basis except for the
Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults (CASOA) and Coordination services. SASCC
stated that the Senior Services Coordination efforts are intended to be informed by the CASOA
results. The proposal budgets range from $21,500 to $63,500.
The Outlook ($30,000) - An age-friendly community newspaper reaching every home in Los
Gatos monthly. The Outlook can be used in a variety of ways to reach Los Gatos residents with
important information, public notices, and community news.
Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults ($21,500) – CASOA serves as a strategic
planning and evaluation tool. Data from the survey are used to develop informed service plans
and to determine how resources may be allocated to achieve desired short-term goals, as well
as to assist in forecasting long-term needs and solutions.
Senior Services Coordination (63,500) - Creating a new roadmap for the Town's Age Friendly
efforts, using the Community Assessment for Older Adults data as a guide.
Los Gatos Age-Friendly Health Fair ($30,000) - A free and fun community-wide event designed
to encourage healthy living and an active, engaged lifestyle across all ages. Free health
screenings, vaccinations, resources, and information for the whole community.
Los Gatos Senior Resource Drive-Through Events ($10,000) - Popup resource fairs designed to
provide support, information, community resources and a free meal to older adults while they
remain in the comfort of their vehicles.
KCAT
The KCAT proposal seeks $200,000 in funding to develop a community of 55+ volunteers who
would help create and run local public access TV and internet radio. The program entitled “The
Producers” would utilize KCAT staff to teach and train community members how to produce,
film, edit, and broadcast video, TV shows, and radio. The program is designed to help ease
senior isolation through increased senior engagement.
KCAT envisions a stream of individuals and groups of seniors coming in-studio to develop and
produce entire seasons of shows on an on-going, rolling basis, with one group following and
coordinating with the other as they navigate the production process together. In-studio
production would include everything from talent searching, scriptwriting, set design, curating
PAGE 4 OF 5 SUBJECT: CHSSC ARPA Allocation Recommendations DATE: August 31, 2021
DISCUSSION (continued):
shows, and ultimately developing programming which may include advertising and potential
revenue streams.
CONCLUSION:
The following table provides a summary of individual Commissioner allocation
recommendations which all total $500,000. Commissioner Bloom needed to recuse himself
due to a relationship with one of the providers and the Youth Commissioner has not yet been
appointed for this fiscal year.
SERVICE PROVIDER
PROPOSALS
Proposed
Budget
Konrad
Rossmann
Norcia
Rahmil
LGS Rec – Pre-pandemic
Service Restoration
$383,700 383,700 380,000 365,000 365,000
LGS Rec – Service Expansion $116,300 0 0 50,000 50,000
SASCC – Outlook Community
Newspaper
$30,000 30,000 0 10,000 10,000
SASCC – Community
Assessment Survey
$21,500 0 0 0 0
SASCC – Senior Services
Coordination
$63,500 16,300 0 0 0
SASCC – Age Friendly Health
Fair
$30,000 10,000 15,000 10,000 10,000
SASCC – Senior Resource Drive
Through Events
$10,000 10,000 5,000 5,000 5,000
KCAT – “The Producers” 55+
Volunteer Program
$200,000 50,000 100,000 60,000 60,000
TOTAL
$855,000
As the table illustrates, there were some areas of consensus; however, at differing dollar
allocations and other areas of no consensus. In general, there was broad agreement to fund
the majority of the LGS Rec service restoration proposal.
PAGE 5 OF 5 SUBJECT: CHSSC ARPA Allocation Recommendations DATE: August 31, 2021
CONCLUSION (continued):
There was also broad agreement to fund the SASCC Health Fair and Senior Drive Through
proposals and the KCAT “Producers” proposal, however, at differing dollar allocations. There
was a majority consensus to fund the SASCC Outlook proposal but again at differing dollar
allocations. Majority consensus was not achieved for the LGS Rec Service Expansion, SASCC
Community Survey, and SASCC Service Coordination proposals.
Staff generally concurs with the Commission’s assessment with the exception of the
Community Assessment Survey proposal. While the Commission has a good understanding of
older adult issues facing the community through their role on the Commission, the Council may
wish to consider bringing this item forward to the new Senior Service Committee. Given that
the Committee is tasked with developing a roadmap for long-term service provision in Town, a
statistically valid survey from a broader older adult sample size could yield valuable information
during the initial phase of the Committees work.
COORDINATION:
This staff report was coordinated with the Town Manager, Town Attorney, and Finance
Director.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is sufficient funding from the ARPA proceeds to cover the proposed services..
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT:
This is not a project defined under CEQA, and no further action is required.
Attachments:
1. CHSSC Senior Needs Assessment
2. Service Provider Proposals