File #: Res 0200-2004    Version: * Name: Withdraw the Request for Proposal to restructure the Bronx home-delivered meals program.
Type: Resolution Status: Filed
Committee: Committee on Aging
On agenda: 3/10/2004
Enactment date: Law number:
Title: Resolution urging Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the Department for the Aging to immediately withdraw the Request for Proposal to restructure the Bronx home-delivered meals program.
Sponsors: G. Oliver Koppell, Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr., Tony Avella, Charles Barron, Tracy L. Boyland, Gale A. Brewer, Bill De Blasio, Simcha Felder, Lewis A. Fidler, Vincent J. Gentile, Alan J. Gerson, Sara M. Gonzalez, Robert Jackson, Letitia James, John C. Liu, Miguel Martinez, Michael E. McMahon, Michael C. Nelson, Diana Reyna, James Sanders, Jr., Helen Sears, Kendall Stewart, David I. Weprin, David Yassky, Yvette D. Clarke, James F. Gennaro, Allan W. Jennings, Jr., Domenic M. Recchia, Jr., Albert Vann, Peter F. Vallone, Jr., Philip Reed
Council Member Sponsors: 31
Date Ver.Prime SponsorAction ByActionResultAction DetailsMeeting DetailsMultimedia
12/31/2005*G. Oliver Koppell City Council Filed (End of Session)  Action details Meeting details Not available
3/10/2004*G. Oliver Koppell City Council Referred to Comm by Council  Action details Meeting details Not available
3/10/2004*G. Oliver Koppell City Council Introduced by Council  Action details Meeting details Not available

Res. No. 200

 

Resolution urging Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the Department for the Aging to immediately withdraw the Request for Proposal to restructure the Bronx home-delivered meals program.

 

By Council Members Koppell, Addabbo, Jr., Avella, Barron, Boyland, Brewer, DeBlasio, Felder, Fidler, Gentile, Gerson, Gonzalez, Jackson, James, Liu, Martinez, McMahon, Nelson, Reyna, Sanders, Sears, Stewart, Weprin, Yassky, Clarke, Gennaro, Jennings, Recchia, Vann, Boyland and Reed

 

                     

Whereas, The Department for the Aging (DFTA) has issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) which would fundamentally change the manner in which home-delivered meals are provided to frail homebound senior citizens in the Bronx; and

Whereas, The RFP contemplates a substantial reduction in the budget allocated for meals; and

Whereas, The RFP proposes that frozen meals substitute for freshly prepared hot meals for 30% of the recipients; and

                     Whereas, Such frozen meals will be delivered to recipients once or twice a week rather than on a daily basis, depriving frail seniors of daily human contact and restricting the opportunity to intervene in situations of illness or injury, as is currently the practice; and

                     Whereas, Many seniors are unable to properly store or heat frozen meals; and

Whereas, The quality of meals will seriously decline if the RFP is implemented; and

                      Whereas, Currently, non-profit agencies provide home-delivered meals to homebound seniors through 17 separate contracts in the Bronx; and

                     Whereas, The RFP contemplates reducing the number of contracts from 17 to 3; and

                     Whereas, The not-for-profit agencies that now provide home-delivered meals throughout the Bronx have all objected to the terms of the RFP, and virtually all are concerned that the RFP terms are severely detrimental to recipients and will injure the not-for-profit senior centers that provide the much-needed meals; and

                     Whereas, Eliminating local agencies from the home-delivered meals program in the Bronx will deprive them of needed revenue, force cutbacks in staff and threaten the viability of such agencies’ congregate meals programs; and

                     Whereas, Groups representing seniors on a citywide basis have objected to the RFP as unworkable and inhumane; and

                     Whereas, DFTA is contemplating extending their new approach to administering home-delivered meal programs citywide; and

Whereas, It is in the best interests of the entire City for DFTA to work with existing providers and senior citizen advocates to meet budget challenges without threatening the welfare of senior citizens and destroying a program that is working well to provide an essential service to the homebound elderly; now, therefore, be it

                     Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York urges Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the Department for the Aging to immediately withdraw the Request for Proposal to restructure the Bronx home-delivered meals program.

 

LS #498