5. SNOW GO ASSIST PILOT
PROGRAM PROGRAMME PILOTE
D’AIDE SNOW-GO |
That
Council approve that the Snow Go Assist Pilot Program be permanently integrated
into the Snow Go Program.
Que le Conseil approuve l’intégration
permanente du Programme pilote d’aide Snow-Go au Programme Snow-Go.
Documentation
1. Deputy City Manager, City Operations
report dated 28 April 2010 (ACS2010-COS-PWS-0002).
Transportation Committee
Comité des transports
and Council / et au Conseil
28 April 2010 / le 28 avril 2010
Submitted by/Soumis par:
Steve Kanellakos, Deputy City
Manager/Directeur municipal adjoint
City Operations/Opérations municipales
Contact/Personne resource:
John Manconi, General Manager/directeur générale, Public Works/ Travaux
publics
613-580-2424,
extension 2110, John.Manconi@ottawa.ca
Ref N°: ACS2010-COS-PWS-0002 |
SUBJECT: SNOW GO ASSIST PILOT PROGRAM
OBJET: PROGRAMME PILOTE D’AIDE SNOW-GO
REPORT RECOMMENDATION
That Transportation Committee
recommend that Council approve that the Snow Go Assist Pilot Program be
permanently integrated into the Snow Go Program.
RECOMMENDATION
DU RAPPORT
Que le Comité des transports recommande au
Conseil d’approuver l’intégration permanente du Programme pilote d’aide Snow-Go
au Programme Snow-Go.
BACKGROUND
The purpose of this
report is to provide an analysis of the results of the three year Snow Go Assist
Pilot Program that includes:
·
The
effectiveness of the pilot program;
·
The
accountability framework;
·
The
funding assistance level; and,
·
The
final recommendations.
On March 8, 2006, Council approved the
following motion:
“That staff prepare for Transportation
Committee and Council, for consideration for the 2007 Budget process, a report
with a proposal to assist seniors and people with disabilities with snow
clearing, based on Option 3:
(a) Whereby
the City provides a subsidy to seniors and people with disabilities based upon either a flat rate or an application for
subsidy based upon actual costs;
and,
(b) Whereby
the City provides funding to Agency(s) from the tax base for the coordination of the supply and delivery of
snow clearing services similar to the
Snow-Go Program subsidized by the former City of Ottawa.”
On September 27, 2006, Council approved the
guidelines and accountability framework for the Snow Go Program and Snow Go
Assist Pilot Program. During this Council
meeting a motion was carried which requested that volunteers be considered in
the implementation of both programs.
The Snow Go Program and the Snow Go Assist
Pilot Program were launched on October 1, 2007, and annual updates have been
provided to Council in 2008 and 2009.
The programs were developed in consultation with the Senior Citizens
Council of Ottawa-Carleton and with the co-operation of 11 home support
agencies, which are responsible for the program implementation.
Snow Go Program:
The Snow Go Program provides a matching service
for seniors and people with disabilities looking to hire an individual or
contractors to clear snow and ice from private driveways and walkways.
Annual funding in the amount of $60,000 is
provided to the Senior Citizens Council and home support agencies to administer
the program. Residents who participate
in this program are responsible for paying the individual or contractor
removing the snow and ice. During the
intake process, home support agency staff identify potential applicants who may
be eligible to receive financial assistance through the Snow Go Assist Program.
Snow Go Assist Pilot Program:
The Snow Go Assist Program is a three year
pilot program that provides a total of $60,000 per year in financial assistance
to eligible low-income seniors and people with disabilities looking to hire an
individual or contractors to clear snow and ice from private driveways and
walkways. Approved participants may be
reimbursed for 50 per cent of the cost of snow and ice clearing per event, up
to a seasonal maximum of $250. Document
1 presents the application form for Snow Go Assist financial assistance. Currently, this program is in its third and
final year.
Program Effectiveness:
Interest and participation in both the Snow Go
and Snow Go Assist programs continues to increase. During the 2008-2009 winter season, home
support agencies served 994 seniors and people with disabilities through the
Snow Go Program, and provided financial assistance to 180 participants through
the Snow Go Assist Program. Program results
for the past three winter seasons are provided in Tables 1, 2 and 3. The interim results for the current season
show that there is an increase in participation for the Snow Go Assist
Program. However, participation for the
Snow Go Program during this period is expected to be lower than anticipated due
to lighter than average snow precipitation.
Table 1:
Snow Go Program Statistics
Snow Go Program |
Program Period
Total |
||
2007/2008 |
2008/2009 |
2009 – 2010 (Sept – Feb 2010)* |
|
Telephone Calls |
3,893 |
3,977 |
2,227 |
Program Participants |
816 |
994 |
689 |
Estimated Income of Snow Removal Workers who
participate in the program |
$253,054 |
$273,634 |
$145,847 |
*2009-2010 interim values are estimates only
Table 2:
Snow Go Assist Pilot Program Statistics
Snow Go Assist Pilot Program |
Program Period Total |
||
2007/2008 |
2008/2009 |
2009 – 2010 (Sept – Feb 2010)* |
|
Telephone Calls |
1,301 |
1,789 |
1,210 |
Program Participants |
112 |
180 |
184 |
Ineligible Applicants |
203 |
190 |
263 |
Participation in both the Snow Go and Snow
Go Assist Programs |
39 |
77 |
45 |
*2009-2010 interim values are estimates only.
Table 3:
Snow Go and Snow Go Assist Pilot Program Financial Expenditures
|
Snow Go |
Snow Go Assist Pilot |
||||
2007/2008 |
2008/2009 |
Oct 2009 – Feb 2010* |
2007/2008 |
2008/2009 |
Oct 2009 – Feb 2010 * |
|
Total Annual Funding |
$60,000 |
$60,000 |
$60,000 |
$60,000 |
$60,000 |
$60,000 |
Program Coordination, Advertising, Communication and Recognition |
$54,668 |
$64,870 |
$60,000 |
$4,650 |
$4,450 |
$4,000 |
Grants provided to program participants |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
$16,775 |
$32,424 |
$40,000 |
Total Funds Spent |
$54,668 |
$60,000 |
$60,000 |
$21,425 |
$36,874 |
$44,000 |
Funds Returned to the City |
$5,332 |
N/A |
$0 |
$38,575 |
$23,126 |
To be confirmed |
In-kind support provided by the agencies |
|
$4,870 |
$5,000 |
$6,700 |
$10,800 |
$11,000 |
*2009-2010 interim values are estimates only.
Accountability Framework:
The following elements are included in the
design of the Snow Go Assist Program to ensure accountability.
Funding Assistance Level:
Funding levels for the Snow Go Assist Program
were designed in cooperation with the Senior Citizens Council and home support
agencies. Eligible participants may
receive up to 50 per cent of the snow and ice removal expense, not to exceed
$250 per participant per program period (October to April).
The eligibility criteria was designed to meet
the Council approved objectives of the Program.
However, there are many circumstances where potential applicants do not
meet established criteria but are in need of the services. To ensure the Program serves those in need of
the funding, two categories were developed to assist in the determination of
eligibility:
·
Special
Circumstances: When an applicant does
not meet the established criteria (details are provided in Document 1) they
must provide proof of their special circumstances. For example, a temporary physical disability
would require a medical note.
·
Extreme
Circumstances: Applied when the
applicant is not financially able to contribute 50 per cent of the cost of snow
and ice clearing for their private driveways and walkways. Under these circumstances, up to 75 per cent
of the cost per event, up to a maximum of $250 per term, may be approved by the
Senior Citizens Council. In addition to
providing proof of senior or persons with disability status, applicants must
provide proof that they are not able to contribute 50 per cent of the snow and
ice removal costs.
The home support agencies will consider
applicants under these categories if their circumstances suggest that they
would be eligible for the Program. The
Senior Citizens Council provides final approval for all extreme circumstances.
Program Criteria:
·
Eligibility
criteria, program objectives, applications and payment processes have been
defined in cooperation with City staff, the Senior Citizens Council, and home
support agencies;
·
Low
income is defined as an annual income of below $25,000 for a single individual
and below $32,000 for a household (two or more persons); and,
·
A
senior is considered any person over the age of 60 years.
·
Detailed
eligibility criteria are provided in Document 1.
Application Process:
·
Participants
must show proof of active enrolment in one or more select programs that prove
status as a low income senior and/or person with disabilities;
·
Applicants
must sign a disclaimer that states there is no person(s) physically able to
perform the work sharing the residence with the applicant;
·
Workers
are screened to ensure that they do not live at the same address as the
applicant;
·
Requests
for approval under the “Extreme Circumstances” category are submitted by the
agencies to the Senior Citizens Council for approval; and,
·
Applicants
who are denied funding have the option to appeal through the Public Works
Department.
Reporting:
·
An
annual Purchase of Service Agreement is signed between the Senior Citizens
Council and the City; and,
·
The
City requires an annual report to be submitted by the home support agencies and
the Senior Citizens Council.
DISCUSSION
It is recommended that based on the successful
implementation of the three year pilot program, the Snow Go Assist Program be
permanently integrated into the Snow Go Program. Funding currently exists in the operation
budget for both the Snow Go and Snow Go Assist programs.
Snow Go Assist funding has not been completely
allocated in any year during the pilot phase.
However, it is recommended that the funding levels remain at $60,000
annually as it is expected that participation will continue to increase as the
target audience becomes more familiar with the program, and as the cohort of
seniors continues to grow. The City, the
Senior Citizens Council and home support agencies will continue to promote the
program to the target audiences.
It is difficult to estimate the total annual
demand for the subsidy due to variability in winter severity. To assist with the varying needs of the home
support agencies, funding is distributed based on demand.
The Snow Go Assist Program has required more
administration services than originally anticipated. As a result, agencies are requesting support
to help minimize the administration requirements for the program. The agencies have advised that if no suitable
methods can be found, additional funds may be required. The City, in collaboration with home support
agencies and the Senior Citizens Council, continue to identify methods to
reduce administration requirements while maintaining accountability and
transparency. The goal is to continue
with current levels of funding for administration and, should this continue to
be an issue, the Public Works Department will identify it as a budget pressure in
future budgets.
During Council approval of the Snow Go and Snow
Go Assist Pilot programs, a motion was carried which requested that volunteers
be considered in the implementation of both programs. The use of volunteers was considered, however
it proved to be difficult to implement because there is a requirement that
every volunteer be Police and reference checked, which would add to the demand
for increased administration services.
In addition, the volunteer base is limited, and it may be difficult to
find volunteers who can commit to a regular schedule.
RURAL IMPLICATIONS
The Snow Go and Snow Go Assist programs are
available city-wide. The recruitment of
snow removal workers for the Snow Go Program continues to be a challenge for
many agencies as the availability of workers varies annually and
geographically. This is a particular
challenge in the rural areas, and as such, services cannot be guaranteed. To reduce the limited availability of snow
removal workers, participants in the Snow Go Assist Program have the option to
use workers who are not associated with the Snow Go Program. The City will continue to work with home
support agencies to recruit snow removal workers.
CONSULTATION
The Snow Go Assist Pilot Program was developed
in consultation with the Senior Citizens Council of Ottawa-Carleton, and with
the cooperation of 11 home support agencies that are responsible for the
implementation of the Program. The
Senior Citizens Council, home support agencies, the Seniors Advisory Committee,
the Accessibility Advisory Committee, the City’s Accessibility and the Senior’s
offices were consulted on the results of the three year pilot program. Consultation included meetings, email and telephone
discussions. Very positive feedback was
obtained through the consultation process.
In addition to the support received for the
report recommendation, the following comments were taken into consideration in
the development of this report:
·
Clients
are appreciative of the financial assistance from the City of Ottawa;
·
The
application form is concise, easy to complete, and respectful;
·
The
application process completed by home support agency staff helps to identify
other areas where the client may require support and services;
·
It
was recommended that contractors have liability insurance in the event that
someone slips and falls;
·
Home
support agencies recommend consideration of methods to minimize the
administration requirements. The
agencies have advised that if no suitable methods can be found, additional
funds may be required;
·
More
training of Call Centre staff would be beneficial to provide basic information
to callers prior to transferring the call to a home support agency;
·
More
effort is required to secure individuals/contractors to provide the snow
removal services;
·
More
promotion of the Program is required to increase participation;
·
Consideration
should be given to extend the eligibility to 55 years of age as a senior, and
to revise the definition of low income to reach a broader audience;
·
The
Program does not cover clearing of snow from car or house roofs; and,
·
Snow
removal costs in rural areas are higher than in urban areas.
The Seniors Advisory Committee received a presentation on the program on April 7, 2010. At the meeting, the Committee suggested that the program be transferred to another department/branch that is more directly involved in social services and community funding programs. The Committee also suggested that additional funds be allocated to support administration of the program by the home support agencies.
COMMENTS BY THE WARD COUNCILLOR(S)
This is a city-wide report.
LEGAL/RISK MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS
There are no legal/risk management impediments
to the implementation of this report’s recommendation.
CITY STRATEGIC PLAN
The principles of the Sustainable, Healthy and
Active Living City Priority are reflected.
The City of Ottawa is committed to initiatives that meet the needs of
all citizens through its social services, social housing, supported living and
public health services. It strives to
promote social inclusion and address inequalities that ensure equal access to
services for all.
TECHNICAL IMPLICATIONS
There are no technical implications associated
with this report.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
There are no financial implications resulting
from the recommendation contained in this report.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
Document 1 – Application Form for Snow Go
Assist Funding (on file with the City
Clerk)
DISPOSITION
Following Council’s approval, the Public Works
Department will continue to work in partnership with the Senior Citizens
Council and the home support agencies to deliver the Snow Go and Snow Go Assist
programs.