Travis County Commissioners Court
October 28, 2008
Item 3
Number 3 is a public hearing to receive comments regarding proposed amendment to Travis County code chapter 72, emergency assistance policies and procedures. (action item #8)
>> good morning.
>> good morning, judge, economics, sherri flemming, executive manager for health and human services and veterans service. Today we are here for a public hearing on the proposed changes to chapter 72, our emergency assistance policies. And I'll just briefly go through the major changes. The first significant information that we want to share is that the -- the fiscal impact of this policy change for -- for fiscal year 2009, we anticipate to be about $397,876, which has been budgeted in this year's -- this year's budget. In addition to that, the remaining changes are as follows: first is to align residency with state elections statutes. We currently have a 60 day residency restriction, so it does add intent to remain language and allow folks to document that they are indeed residents and have intent to remain in Travis County. We ask, also, that the policy be changed for our rent, mortgage and temporary shelter assistance to allow us to screen residents whose mortgages or rents are due within the next 14 days. So 14 days from their request to receive services. Currently, our policy provides that -- that written mortgage requests must be three days past due. We believe that this -- that this causes residents to incur charges, late charges that we then don't pay. So that is the reason for that request. The same is true of utility bills. We are requesting that the policy change to reflect that they be -- that requests can be made within 14 days of the due date. No deposits are paid. But other charges up to the benefit amount may be paid depending on the circumstance of the individual. Currently, utility bills must be past due. We wish to align our resource and assets definitions with the Texas department of housing and community affairs. And they are very detailed information about that. But for the most part this information has been -- it is more procedural in nature and it has been included in the policy, so that the department, our request is twofold. That first we be able to remove that to a procedure manual, but then also that is aligned with the Texas department of housing and community affairs guidelines. Which is a program that we use to provide utility assistance and have done so for many years. We have also asked that our crisis documentation time period be changed from 30 days to 60 days, with the rationale there being that oftentimes the impact of a job loss or the loss of a wage earner in the household is not reflected in the first 30 days of that occurrence, so it allows our residents a little more time to -- to assess their situation and then come in to request assistance. We are also asking for the inclusion of language, which would allow the executive manager of health and human services to waive certain policies in the event of a disaster so that certain services may be provided. Now, that waiver or that permission for waiver would be in consultation with -- with the county judge and been ratified and written notice provided to the Commissioners court and ratified at the next available voting session of the Commissioners court. And then finally, we have included in the policy what I would like to call the bread crumbs of how we arrived at the recommendations that we have before you today and that is the national standards that we have tagged our -- our decisions to so that future Commissioners court and future health and human services staff will be able to evaluate the same sources that we used in order to make these recommendations to you today.
>> we indicated at one point that we would have this on the county website.
>> that is correct.
>> I was told yesterday that it took longer to get it up than we thought.
>> that is correct, judge.
>> and it might be appropriate not to take action today.
>> that would be the department's request.
>> okay.
>> that we postpone the action item for one week and allow us to in fact get that up on the website.
>> if we get significant comments we have light agendas for the next two weeks --
>> yes.
>> this is posted for public hearing. Would anyone like to give testimony during this public hearing, item no. 3.
>> move to close the public hearing.
>> okay.
>> let me the up on the website now?
>> it is up on the website now. There are hard copies available here. Hard copies can be made available to the public by calling 854-4100.
>> okay.
>> why don't we do this then, if we don't get reasons or objections to delay action, we will have it on next week. If it looks like we need a full discussion, we will post it for one of the full agenda's, after veterans day, after election day next Tuesday.
>> I think that's appropriate.
>> thank you.
>> all in favor? That passes by unanimous vote. Thank you very much.
The Closed Caption log for this Commissioners Court agenda item is provided by Travis County Internet Services. Since this file is derived from the Closed Captions created during live cablecasts, there are occasional spelling and grammatical errors. This Closed Caption log is not an official record the Commissioners Court Meeting and cannot be relied on for official purposes. For official records please contact the County Clerk at (512) 854-4722.
Last Modified:
Tuesday, October 28, 2008 1:38 PM