Commission Meeting Minutes. 9:00 AM 11:30 AM Conference Room A

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1 Commission Meeting Minutes Thursday, June 28, San Leandro Blvd. 9:00 AM 11:30 AM Conference Room A Commissioners: Chair: Chet Hewitt, Marge Deichman, Linda Olivenbaum, Pamela Simms-Mackey, M.D., Mildred Thompson, Albert Wang, M.D., Gail Ward Chair Hewitt called the meeting to order at 9:00 AM. 1. Public Comment There was no Public Comment. CONSENT 2. Approval of minutes from May 24, 2007 Commissioner Olivenbaum stated that on page 8 of Agenda Item 10: 3 rd Quarter Financial Report, it should state that revenue is under budget projections at 49.3% instead of at the 75% mark and not the 50% mark. Board Action: The Commission approved the minutes as amended upon motion by Commissioner Olivenbaum, seconded by Commissioner Ward and unanimously carried (6 in favor, 0 opposed). 3. Contract Authorizations First 5 Alameda County received approval for a two-year contract with Alameda County Social Services Agency for $200,000 ($100,000 per year) to support the Another Road to Safety program. Another contract of up to $5,000 will also be made with Alameda County Social Services Agency to support a pilot program that will provide stipends to foster parents who care for medically fragile babies that have been in neonatal intensive care nurseries. The Commission was asked to provide a contract authorization in the total amount of $105,000 for Alameda County Social Services Agency. Board Action: The Commission approved the contract authorizations upon motion by Commissioner Simms-Mackey, seconded by Commissioner Ward and carried with Chair Hewitt abstaining from the vote (5 in favor, 0 opposed, 1 abstention). Commission Meeting Minutes June 28,

2 PROGRAM Strategic Plan Revision Ms. Janis Burger, Deputy Director stated that the First 5 Alameda County Strategic Plan must have an annual review by the Commission prior to the release of funds for FY The first reading of the revisions was conducted at the Commission meeting on May 24, 2007 and the revisions currently presented are for the second and final reading. Board Action: The Commission approved the Strategic Plan revisions upon motion by Commissioner Olivenbaum, seconded by Commissioner Simms-Mackey and unanimously carried (6 in favor, 0 opposed). 5. One Time Only Grants Presentation Mr. Mark Friedman, CEO stated that two One Time Only Grant recipients were present to share with the Commission the impact of the grant funds on their agencies. Arleen Purcell, Associate Division Director and Jackie Dixon, Administrative Assistant of East Bay Community Recovery Program (EBCRP) presented and thanked the Commission for the grant funding. Ms. Purcell stated that EBCRP provides substance abuse treatment to women who have children ages 0-5 in West Oakland. The grant funds were used to replace carpeting and flooring with new tile, install lighting, landscape the backyard to be more child friendly and purchase materials to enhance parent-child interaction. Billie Okoh, Executive Director of East Oakland Licensed Day Care Operators Association, Karen Moore, IT Consultant, and the agency s accountant thanked the Commission for the grant funds which were used for information technology enhancements. The purchase of the computer system and related software has allowed clients better access to services, increased agency outreach, reduced redundancy in data collection, allowed the agency to do more evaluation, be more efficient with staff time, increased staff morale and staff ability to retrieve data and increase enrollments. The agency estimates that the grant funds have impacted the lives of more than 2,800 children. 6. Asthma Program Presentation Deputy Director, Janis Burger introduced Mindy Benson, Asthma Program Manager from Children s Hospital and Research Center at Oakland and Brenda Yamashita, Asthma Director from the Alameda County Public Health Department, Asthma Start Program. Asthma is the most common chronic disease in children with 200,000 children hospitalized annually Commission Meeting Minutes June 28,

3 Alameda County and Oakland have some of the highest asthma hospitalization and emergency room visit rates in the nation There are a number of programs including the Oakland Berkeley Asthma Coalition and the Asthma Start home based, clinic based and hospital based programs that are working towards addressing asthma morbidity Asthma Tools and Training Advancing Community Knowledge (ATTACK Asthma) is a system of care to provide comprehensive asthma services to children in Alameda County. This program is in the planning stages and has yet to receive funding. Commissioner Olivenbaum asked why Alameda County rates of childhood asthma are above average in the nation for hospitalizations and ER visits. Ms Benson stated that the Interstate 880 corridor, Port of Oakland, housing stock and poverty are all contributing factors. Ms. Milder added that the climate of the East Bay contributes to the growth of mold and other allergens. Commissioner Deichman asked if the asthma programs were claiming Targeted Case Management (TCM) funds. Ms. Yamashita responded that their program is claiming TCM and that the Alameda Alliance for Health provides reimbursement as well. Chair Hewitt asked for more information about the community infrastructure that exists to deal with asthma issues. Ms. Benson stated that the members of the Oakland Berkeley Asthma Coalition (OBAC) work on policy in schools and medical clinics, conduct case management and have addressed environmental issues. Ms. Benson also stated that she is scheduled to present to the Health Subcommittee of the Board of Supervisors next month to discuss current asthma activities and the ATTACK Asthma program. 7. Expulsion Study Follow up Ms. Elizabeth Ford, Director of Early Care & Education stated that in their materials, the Commissioners received preliminary information about Alameda County expulsion rates and an example of a program in Michigan that is addressing expulsion prevention in a comprehensive way. In September, First 5 staff and Angie Garling from the Alameda County Child Care Planning Council will present additional data. Mark Friedman shared that Commissioner Carson stated that he is interested in bringing together key stakeholders in the county to discuss how to address this issue. Ms. Teddy Milder, Director of Evaluation & Technology stated that it is challenging to find data on county rates. Commissioner Olivenbaum stated that it is important to identify programs that will address this through training for providers and caregivers. Ms. Milder added that the Commission has already begun to address this through the mental health consultation services and Training Coalition programs that have been recently funded. 8. State Commission and Association Updates Mr. Friedman announced that the First 5 state commission held its annual conference in Orange County with several workshops presented by First 5 Alameda County staff including Rebecca Gebhart, Teddy Milder, George Philipp, and Ann Chun. Mr. Friedman also announced that Ms. Gebhart was asked to Chair the Statewide Fiscal Commission Meeting Minutes June 28,

4 Workgroup to develop training curricula for the state. Mr. Friedman also presented a video honoring Rob Reiner at the State Conference to the Commission. INFRASTRUCTURE 9. ACERA 401h Account Chair Hewitt stated that a mass motion would be conducted for all infrastructure agenda items after Agenda Item 11, as all are action items. Ms. Gebhart stated that the Commission was being asked to approve the establishment and funding of a 401h account in order for the Alameda County Employees Retirement Association (ACERA) to provide tax-free health benefits to its retirees. The amount that ACERA estimates to be the cost of First 5 retiree benefits in FY is $5, Salary Guidelines Ms. Gebhart stated that Social Entrepreneurs Inc. (SEI) was contracted with to conduct an updated market-based analysis which included a review of each job description and salary of First 5 staff. This information was compared to comparable positions in Alameda County and the Bay Area. Chair Hewitt stated that the Executive Committee had reviewed and discussed the proposed revisions to the salary guidelines and recommended its adoption to the Commission. Commissioner Wang asked if the salary increases reflect changes from and whether the salary survey and analysis is done yearly. Ms. Gebhart responded that it is not the agency s formal practice to do an annual assessment but that this research is done every 3 or 4 years to make sure that the agency s salary levels are competitive with market salaries. 11. Investment Update and Policy Revision Ms. Gebhart stated that the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for investment advisors/money managers had been developed and distributed to 9 qualified firms at the annual Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) conference, posted on the website and sent to the existing money managers. In consultation with Kevin Harper, CPA, a review was conducted of the current Investment Policy and changes are based on best practices in Investment Policy set forth by the GFOA. The revisions include three changes to the policy located on pages 1, 3 and 4. Specifically, the revision includes the addition of a description of a plan to spend the investment portfolio over the next 6-10 years as outlined in the Long Range Financial Plan, the addition of language to the Ethics and Conflict of Interest Section and clarification to the First 5 portfolio management structure and roles. Commission Meeting Minutes June 28,

5 Board Action: The Commission approved the creation and funding of the ACERA 401h account in the amount of $5,800, the revisions to the salary guidelines as proposed and the investment update and policy revisions as proposed upon motion by Commissioner Ward, seconded by Commissioner Wang and unanimously carried (6 in favor, 0 opposed). 12. Commissioner Farewell Mr. Friedman stated that four founding Commissioners would be leaving their seats on the Commission due to expiring terms. He thanked Vice Chair Mendel, Commissioner Olivenbaum and Commissioner Ward for their dedication and acknowledged their work as a successful team and presented each with a plaque for their service. MISCELLANEOUS 13. Staff Announcements Commissioner Thompson arrived at the meeting. Ms. Elizabeth Ford stated that a symposium focusing on cultural responsiveness in early care settings was held on June 14, 2007 at Preservation Park in Oakland. All 40 participants stated that they wanted the group to continue and receive additional training on a series of related topics. Ms. Teddy Milder stated that the agency is in the process of selecting another evaluator for the Training Coalition grantees. She also stated that ECCOnline launched two new modules this week: an integrated stipend CARES database and a Training Coalition interface so that ECE providers can register through the online system. Mr. Friedman thanked Commissioner Thompson for her service on the Commission and presented her with a plaque for her service. Commissioner Thompson responded that First 5 has had a huge impact not only on the state level but nationally. 14. Communication from Commissioners Chair Hewitt stated he would be resigning from his position as Alameda County Social Services Agency Director and First 5 Commission Chair effective August 29, Chair Hewitt will be working as President and CEO of Sierra Health Foundation in Sacramento. 14. Adjourn Chair Hewitt adjourned the meeting at 10:58 AM. Commission Meeting Minutes June 28,