Leadership Council Meeting Minutes
June 25, 2014
In attendance: Tim Brennan, Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, Dave Christopolis, Hilltown Community Development Corporation, Sylvia deHaas-Phillips, United Way of Pioneer Valley, Doreen Fadus, Mercy Medical Center Health Care for the Homeless, Joanne Glier, DTA, Steve Huntley, Valley Opportunity Council, Jennifer Hohn, North Adams Housing Authority, Nat Karns, Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, Peg Keller, City of Northampton, Charlie Knight, consumer, Ann Lentini, Domus, Inc., Jay Levy, Eliot CHS-Homeless Services, Bill Messner, Holyoke Community College, Andrew Morehouse, Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, Elton Ogden, Berkshire Housing Development Corporation, George Ryan, Hampden County Regional Employment Board, Jay Sacchetti, ServiceNet, Pamela Schwartz, Network, Robin Sherman, Franklin County Regional Housing and Redevelopment Authority, Linda Stacy, United Way of Franklin County, Lynne Wallace, HAPHousing, Pam Wells, Springfield Housing Authority
Recent Network Acknowledgments
Pamela confirmed that all LC members were aware of the Network’s recent award from the Mass. Nonprofit Network for “Excellent Nonprofit for Collaboration” and of the letter to the Legislative Conference Committee signed by 13 Western Mass. legislators (and led by Senator Rosenberg and Rep. Kocot) requesting their support of the Network budget earmark. Both are great testimony to the Network’s success, which everyone made possible.
Previous Meeting Minutes Approved
Both the 2/26/14 and 4/23/14 Leadership Council meeting minutes were distributed.
Motion to approve these minutes: Charlie Knight
Seconded: Tim Brennan
All in favor: unanimous (with Joanne Glier of DTA abstaining)
FY14 Year End Report
Pamela summarized the report and Network accomplishments. Please click here to see the relevant attachment for details.
FY 14 Budget Review and Wrap-Up
Sylvia deHaas-Phillips of United Way of Pioneer Valley reviewed the FY14 budget. Click here to obtain the FY14 budget. We are ending the year in good fiscal shape, with $5,361 remaining. Especially pleased with the results of the first year of LC Partners “Sustaining Contributions” – totaled $14,450 (initially budgeted $18K). Contributions are currently coming in for this year. Thanks to all LC members for their partnership on this. Sylvia noted that the coordinator line-item was budgeted at a higher amount than previous years (initial thinking of an increase in hours), so the gap (spent $16K less than allocated) is a function of Pamela NOT working additional hours.
FY15 Budget Review and Approval
Sylvia and Lynne distributed the FY15 budget for review. Please see here. Lynne noted that there are gaps in the revenue side of the budget right now due to the pending uncertainty of additional funding from Legislative Budget Earmark and the Fireman Foundation. Similarly, there is a gap on the expense side due to the uncertainty of the hire of a data consultant if the budget earmark were to pass. Lynne also noted that the coordinator line-item is lower (from $57,600 to $45,600) to account for Pamela’s 2 month leave of absence this summer.
Motion to approve FY15 budget: Charlie Knight
Seconded: Elton Ogden
All in favor: unanimous (with Joanne Glier of DTA abstaining)
Leadership Council Membership Discussion:
Andrew Morehouse brought to the LC the nomination of Lindsay Errichetto, executive director of the Family Life Support Center in Adams, to join the Leadership Council. Pamela explained that Lindsay reached out to her to ask to get more involved, that she is actively involved in the housing/homelessness issue in Berkshire County and the LC would be well served to have additional representation from Northern Berkshire County.
Motion to Approve Lindsay Errichetto’s nomination to the Leadership Council: Charlie Knight
Seconded: Steve Huntley
All in favor: unanimous (with Joanne Glier of DTA abstaining)
Andrew then raised the issue of Leadership Council expansion to include more business representatives, asking LC members to brainstorm their contacts in the business community and who would may be a good fit for the Network. Please send your ideas to Andrew and Lynne and they will follow-up.
Budget Earmark update and process:
Pamela presented the status of the earmark, that it currently is in Conference Committee and we will not know the outcome until at least on or after 7/1. However, we need to be prepared to act quickly if it passes. Pamela summarized the goals for this funding – click here for the earmark action plan – which include producing a localized version of the US interagency Council on Homelessness’ “Opening Doors” plan to end homelessness. This would require us to track our outcomes on a regional level (combining both federally, state and privately funded programs) and identify impact, all in the service of identifying opportunities for improving outcomes and creating innovations.
Andrea Miller produced an Action Plan for the Network . Phase 1 (from month 0-4), includes a “landscape analysis” to gather information about current activities and align those activities with the goals and objectives of Opening Doors and assess gaps; then integrating data and information from all relevant programs and CoCs to create baseline measures from which we can track our progress and assess impact; and finally drafting a plan.
Discussion:
Jay Sacchetti noted the critical importance of any data analyst we hire getting close to the work, e.g., entering a shelter, talking to the people who work there and who are served. In his experience data consultants typically never get close to the work and the product suffers as a result. All agreed that this is an important aspect and it will be explicitly required.
Jay Levy noted that right now we experience unfunded mandates to collect data (recent example of the Three County CoC not receiving HUD funding for project planning and admin). Can we look at ways this process can integrate some of these needs as the Opening Doors Plan is built. Pamela agreed that this should be considered as the process unfolds and opportunities to leverage this resource will be explored.
Discussed process if earmark approved:
Gerry McCafferty will draft an RFR (using our Action Plan as a template for the Scope of Services) seeking consultant services. The Scope will include Phase 1 only (accounting for uncertainty of funding amount at this point). It will be reviewed and approved in committee by:
Co-chairs Andrew Morehouse and Lynne Wallace, fiscal sponsor Sylvia deHaas-Phillips and Three County CoC coordinator Dave Christopolis.
Responses will be reviewed and hiring decisions made by the same committee in addition to Gerry McCafferty, Hampden County CoC coordinator.
Motion to Approve Earmark Process: Charlie Knight
Seconded: Steve Huntley
All in favor: unanimous(with Joanne Glier of DTA abstaining)
FY15 Network Workplan Review:
Pamela reviewed the Network’s Workplan for this coming year (assuming the earmark does not pass). Please click here to review the workplan. The work basically builds on the current successes in order to expand impact. We agreed that plans for our annual legislative event should begin in September and should aim for mid-late February.
Motion to accept workplan: Charlie Knight
Seconded: Nat Karns
All in favor: unanimous (with Joanne Glier of DTA abstaining)
Leadership Council FY15 meeting schedule
Next meeting: Thursday, October 23, TD Bank Conference Room, Springfield, with Bob Pulster of US Interagency Council on Homelessness as our special guest.
Wednesday, January 21, in Franklin County. Linda Stacy of United Way of Franklin County will follow-up around Greenfield meeting space.
February meeting date to decide Network’s legislative priorities. This date will be determined in conjunction with the Feb. legislative event date so please stay tuned.
Thursday, April 30, North Adams Housing Authority, Adams. Jenn Hohn of North Adams Housing Authority volunteered and encouraged use of their community room space in Adams. We agreed it was worthwhile to include Northern Berkshire County in the rotation and would try it!
June or July meeting to be determined.
Pamela noted that she will be on leave for July and August, 2014, and for any inquiries while she is away, please contact the following people as needed:
For Network administrative or fiscal matters, please contact:
Network co-chair Lynne Wallace, [email protected], 413-233-1665; or
Network co-chair Andrew Morehouse, [email protected], 413-247-9738
For service or media related inquiries, please contact:
For Hampden County: Gerry McCafferty, director, City of Springfield Housing Office, [email protected], 413-886-5014
For Hampshire, Franklin or Berkshire Counties: Dave Christopolis, director, Hilltown Community Development Corporation, [email protected], 413-296-4536 ext. 118
Happy summer to all!
