NCSILC Goal 4 Meeting Wednesday, June 28, 2014 Present: Sierra Royster, Sandra McMillan, Deirdre Dockery, Kay Miley, Kathleen Boate, Will Miller (left early) Absent: Barbara Davis, Ping Miller, Jennifer Overfield 4.1.1-Reimbursement on time: - Advertising and Promotion is used only for job openings, training, securing web address and website. The USB’s purchased last year were not used as a promotional item. They were used as a vehicle to transfer information regarding the SILC to individuals who required it in that format. The SILC office follows the OMB 122 & 123 guidelines. 4.1.2 -Will has reached out to other states as recorded during the last meeting (see “Responses to ARRA funding question” below). - Will mentioned the possibility of merging Goal Committees with standing committees to streamline and cover the overlapping sharing of information. - Sandy has created a template for gathering information when contacting each state. This is a guideline to initiate conversation. It is also important to include information wherever the conversation goes. (See “SILC Visits” below) -Sierra to have a formal meeting with Will, Oshana and Ping to finalize the format. -Once data is collected, perhaps Ping could compile it into a database. -Sierra would be interest in knowing their agendas for a whole year and their structure of the 3 year process of creating the SPIL. - Sierra was curious about checking into the structure of our quarterly meetings. Why was the quarterly meeting changed from the 1st of the month to later? What is the process behind the setting of the date? Would like to check the history and find out why we have our meetings at a particular time; why we decided on being 503(c) and what was the benefit does it offer. Forums should occur before writing of SPIL to find. Draft goals before so public could have an opportunity to comment. 4.1.3 -Sandy is continuing to get the report on a regular basis and sharing it with the centers. Will has requested an update and will share before next Quarterly meeting. It is a constant struggle to get this information. -NCSILC has approval to start obtaining current year funds. 4.2 Quarterly meeting is scheduled for July. Activity: The NC SILC disseminates information. -How is the SILC office tracking and how can they report the following: -Information that is sent to members and others. -INR numbers -Emails to members and others -Website hits Activity: IL Summit Having IL Summit in September funded by the SILC office. Location has net been chosen. Activity: Representation of youth -Sent two youth applications to the state office to be appointed. -Would like SILC to do outreach at the YLS and IL Summit -SILC to pay for mentors to go to IL Summit to get involved at a statewide level Activity: Recruitment and Membership -Flyer/brochure to send out to people to recruit new SILC members -Marketing for openings of member positions -5 positions will be opening up, still out of compliance but we are working to change the definition Activity: Orientation No new people in July Minutes by Kathleen Boate Responses to ARRA Funding Question Hello Goal 4 Committee members, During our last teleconference the committee requested research on strategies to deal with termination of ARRA funds in states where the funds were used to create a new CIL. I have contacted Deb Cotter (Rehabilitation Services Administration), Brad Williams (New York SILC), Bob Leonard (Tennessee SILC), and Valarie Barnum-Yarger (Michigan SILC). The following is a summary of the correspondence: RSA (Deb Cotter, Grants Management Specialist, IL Unit) From an email exchange on May 23: * Michigan, New York, and Tennessee established new Centers with ARRA funds, so the network of centers in each of these states will have decreased Part C funds in order to serve unserved geographic areas of the state. * Washington State has a new Center which opened after an existing CIL relinquished its grant. * In Oregon, the Designated State Unit supplements each Center's funds with Part B and State General Revenue so that each of the Part C CILs has adequate funds. The DSU, SILC, and Centers agreed to this in their 2014-2016 SPIL. * In Colorado, the DSU, SILC, and CILs, agreed to increase funds for the lowest funded Center, whenever there are increases in Part C and/or other funding sources. * I would recommend that the Centers continue to work with the DSU and SILC to consider all options that would enhances services to North Carolinians with disabilities. * CILs are required to conduct resource development activities with their Part C funds. Other recipients of Federal funds are prohibited from doing so. The Part C funds are considered "seed funds," which the CILs must leverage to garner other city, county, state, and nongovernmental funds. I think a few states are focused on training for the CILs (funded by the DSU or CILs) to provide CILs resource development training. * In Oregon, several CILs actively participate in the Chamber of Commerce and Knights of Columbus, in addition to United Way, to reach out to the business community (potential donors and/or Board members) and for training opportunities through these entities. Depending on the United Way or other community-based organizations, sometimes UW provides nonprofit management training and/or other opportunities to network with and learn from community partners. NYSILC (Brad Williams, Executive Director) From the ARRA email sent by Brad Williams to the Federal Part C network and SILC in NY on May 30: * this communication is meant to provide the NY Federal Part C network with advanced information about what to expect related to the end of the ARRA funds and the impact of the “funding cliff” as the three new CILs (Madison, Queens, and Schenectady) are incorporated into the network. * For 2015 (October 2014-September 2015), CILs in the NY Federal Part C network are set to receive a “COLA plus” per correspondence sent out earlier this year. This is calculated proportionately for the network. Each award is assigned a percentage of the 2014 base amount. This percentage is then multiplied by the total amount of the “COLA plus/$119,423” to estimate increases and new total amounts. * The ARRA funds are extended throughout the entire 2015 contract year for the three new CILs (Madison, Queens, and Schenectady). This means that there will not be any reduction to the NY Federal Part C CIL network to accommodate the three new ARRA funded CILs into the network in 2015. * However, the additional ARRA funding each CIL received in the NY Federal Part C CIL network over the past five years is coming to an end before or by April 1, 2015. Centers should make plans for the completion of their ARRA projects. For 2016 (October 2015-September 2016), CILs in the NY Federal Part C network will need to plan for a proportionate reduction to accommodate the three new CILs (Madison, Queens, and Schenectady) into the network post-ARRA. This is calculated proportionately for the network and includes the three new CILs. Each award is assigned a percentage of the 2015 base amount (adjusted up to include the three new CILs). This percentage is then multiplied by the total amount of the “reduction/$300,000” to estimate decreases and new total amounts. * Please realize that these amounts are truly projected estimates for 2016. What RSA ends up identifying for your CIL will be final. * The impact can be minimized if Congress authorizes another COLA for 2016. If and when the WIOA agreement is approved and signed by the President, it is believed to have a schedule of COLAs for the programs. This could provide relief in upcoming years. * I hope this communication helps centers with information for advanced planning. TNSILC (Bob Leonard, CIL Director and former SILC Chair) From a telephone conversation on June 18: * No quick easy answer. In the end, everyone including newly funded CILs lose a proportionate amount of funding. * In TN, each CIL will lose approximately $20,000 to $40,000. The new CIL will lose a proportionately equivalent amount. The CILs need to “do some belt-tightening.” * The feds stressed that a funding cliff should not be built over ARRA funds; this money would go away. However, many CILs did this anyway. * The positive side of this (adding a Part C CIL) is that we are serving more people in more places now. * TNSILC started trying to get I&E funds from the DSU to offset loss to CILs. This gives them a chance of getting more money from the state to offset loss from expiration of ARRA funds. They will receive some I&E funds, but uncertain how much or for how long. * Emphasized the importance of a good relationship with the DSUs. Stop the "us vs. them" mentality. Work together to develop a good strategy. MISILC (Valarie Barnum-Yarger, Executive Director) No response from Michigan as of June 18. I have an appointment this afternoon and will have to leave the teleconference early, but will ask Kathleen to attend from the SILC office. I look forward to speaking with you all at 2:00. Will Miller Executive Director NC Statewide Independent Living Council 505 Oberlin Rd., Suite 206 Raleigh, NC 27605 Ph: (919) 835-3636 Fax: (919) 835-4749 http://www.ncsilc.org SILC Visits It’s important that this be viewed as a skeleton or jumping off point and that whoever is interviewing the SILC members follow the conversation wherever it leads. The purpose is to glean whatever information we can as to the best practices being used at SILCs around the country so we can implement them at our SILC in NC. SILC OFFICE MANAGEMENT: * What is the organization? 501c3 or something else? (Get copy of bylaws) * How many employees? * What are their duties and responsibilities? (Get job descriptions if possible) * What is your annual budget? * Who is your fiscal agent? * What are the funding streams? Fed only, grants, etc. * What is your funding process? I.e. how do funds flow, budgets amended, contracts administered etc. * Where is your office located? * How long have you been in operation? * Is there a procedure manual? (get copy) SILC DUTIES: GENERAL: * How do you get work done? By committee? * Tell us more about your committee structure, i.e., how often they meeting, chair, co-chair, how many members on a committee, etc. SILC Meetings: * How often are they held? * Where are they held and why? * What’s the format? (Get copy of agenda) SILC Membership: * What is the composition of the SILC? * What is your process for obtaining new members? * What is your relationship with the governor’s office? * What is your new member orientation? SILC SPIL Duties: * How do you develop your SPIL? Is it a documented process? * Are your roles and responsibilities defined? * Is it done by a committee or the whole SILC? * How do you obtain public comment? * How do you evaluate your SPIL? * What is your time table for developing your SPIL? i.e., when do you start? SPECIFIC INTEREST QUESTIONS * Do you focus on involving YOUTH in your SILC? How? * What are some things that you think your SILC is particularly good at and areas that your SILC could improve?