Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Social Services Funding topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commissioners approve added funding for Code Blue warming shelters and grant application for senior farmers market vouchers
Summary
Cumberland County commissioners approved added funding to Code Blue warming-shelter agreements with Vineland, Millville and Richton and authorized a grant application for the Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program.
The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners approved amendments adding money to shared-service agreements for Code Blue warming-shelter services with the cities of Vineland, Millville and Richton and authorized the county to apply for a senior farmers market nutrition program grant.
When a commissioner asked what the amendments to the Code Blue agreements changed, another commissioner briefly said the change was "additional money. It was $25,000 each." County department head Melissa Niles, who identified herself as director of human services and as a Vineland resident, told the board the funding package draws from two sources: direct county ARPA funds and a state pass-through administered by the New Jersey Division of Family Development. In a later remark she said, "So, it's each municipality gets $50,000 each and $25,000 per so that's what that is," language that was unclear on its face in the meeting record and was not expanded in the public transcript.
The board then approved the amendments. Commissioners recorded affirmative votes on the record: Commissioner Alstina (yes), Commissioner Albrecht (yes), Commissioner Romero (yes), Commissioner Lodes (yes), Commissioner Taylor (yes), Deputy Director Marshon (yes), and Director Sarra (yes).
Separately, the board authorized an application and agreement with the New Jersey Department of Health for the Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program. Barbara Netahum, director of the Office on Aging, told commissioners the county typically receives about 1,600 vouchers at $40 each for eligible seniors to use at participating farm stands and markets. "This is just a stipend for the administrative aspects of the program," Netahum said, noting the program provides vouchers to seniors to be spent at farm stands; she added the county is not reopening a county-run farmers market as part of the program.
The farmers market resolution then passed on a recorded roll-call of "yes" votes by the commissioners in attendance.
The transcript does not include the complete contract language or the final breakdown of how ARPA and the state pass-through funds will be distributed line-by-line; meeting remarks left ambiguity about an exact per-municipality total. The board's recorded votes show the measures were approved on the meeting date.
