COMMUNITY BOARD SIX
YOUTH/HUMAN SERVICES/EDUCATION COMMITTEE
NOVEMBER 24, 2010
PRESENT:
J. BERNARD B. SOLOTAIRE S. TURET
EXCUSED:
L. CIRANDO L. HILL L. HOROWITZ
M. KOLMAN R. LOHIER A. PANINGBATAN
Y. ROMAN M. SCHMIDT D.C. VITO
ABSENT:
E. FELDER M. HEYER C. MURRAY
M. RUIZ
GUESTS:
P. LOPATTO – REP. FOR THE NYC INDEPENDENT BUDGET OFFICE
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*** MINUTES ***
The meeting was called to order at 6:35pm. James Bernard and Suzanne Turet co-chaired the meeting. There was not a quorum present.
Presentation by a representative for the City’s Independent Budget Office on their October 2010 Fiscal Brief entitled “City’s Subsidized Child Care System Faces Rising Costs, Shrinking Funds,” followed by a discussion on the implications of this information in light of the Administration for Children’s Services continued desire to discontinue leases at several local day care centers in the district.
Craig Hammerman said that we have a year-long reprieve to be able to save three of the four centers.
Paul Lopatto of the Independent Budget Office gave an overall picture of subsidized child care and problems we have now.
Zolo > beginning of a new causal factor in cuts. Cost per child still going up.
There are 2 sources of funding; 1. City funding – started spending more but last two years cuts.
2. Child care block grant – statewide amount each year – peaked in 2007 but trending down.
The Obama stimulus package provided some temporary relief but the city will again need to make more cuts. The options are either to shrink the system or reduce cost per child. To reduce the cost per child – co-pays will go up.
The issue that was raised by our ACS session last spring was whether they would re-negotiate leases. Council Member, Lew Fidler followed up – Landlords present were open to renegotiate their own leases with the city.
Non-public assistance slots are being eliminated – so the cuts are not demand driven.
Albany is cutting the city’s share of the block events. See page 7 of the IBO Fiscal Brief for agency cost cutting efforts.
Coming down to: 1. Increasing fed allocation.
2. Increasing city allocation 3. Reduce services
Of the 16 slated for closing last year, 4 were in our district. We got a year- long reprieve for next year. Including our 3, there are 8 total centers that could be saved next year.
We should check and see if enrollments are down in those 3 remaining centers and what percentage of those clients have low priority vouchers.
Craig said that their financials are based on district-wide numbers but not recognizing that we have pockets of great need even though our aggregate numbers don’t show it. They won’t share what their formulas are.
If goal is to save the three: 1. Adopted budget in city council – although Craig said that would only be a temporary fix.
2. Paul says that a federal solution is our best bet.
Were parents given the option of contributing more?
We need to get a sense of what the appetite would be now for parents to do so. If we could raise private pay clients that would reduce the overall city costs.
Next steps: 1. Get Brad and Steve to give us a sense of where the remaining 3 centers are at and how much of a fight we need to put up.
2. Invite ACS back around with this new information.
Would the Independent Budget Office like for us to formally ask for?
Craig’s example – how much would rent/lease renegotiation help here? Are they making these decisions case by case and if we could force them to take a harder look as these 3 specific centers? Have they tried to renegotiate with all their landlords? We need to know if they could cut 5% of their lease costs across all the centers, perhaps the total cuts
Their lease costs across all of the centers, perhaps the total cuts would be unnecessary. ACS needs to ask about looking at leases.
New issue – Suzanne Turet brought up the requested waiver for Cathie Black. She would like to propose a motion to go on record to oppose the waiver for Cathie Black and present several reasons.
Task Force on PS 133 – since this is not longer a District 15 school, did building the school affect any monies available to build a District 15 school?
John Jay High School - what’s going on there? Why haven’t they approached us for the new Millenium - like school – will current 8th graders have a shot at this new school? Suzanne asked Craig to think about what we want to do.
There being no new business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:03pm.