Council approves $17.4 million Department of Aging allocations; Chinese Committee on Aging says award process lacked notice

The Los Angeles City Council on Aug. 3 adopted the Budget and Finance Committee report advancing Department of Aging funding actions that would authorize roughly $17,400,000 in grants to senior service providers, retroactive to July 1, to maintain senior services.

Rushmore Cervantes of the Department of Aging told the council the item would give the department authority to allocate approximately $17,400,000 to service providers and that the funds are a mix of grant monies that need to be applied retroactively to July 1 so providers can continue services. Lily Fung of the City Administrative Officer’s office told the council the CAO had requested three report-backs from the Department of Aging, that the department had since provided additional information, and that the CAO concurred with the department’s request.

Councilmember Weiss moved the Budget and Finance Committee recommendation, which the clerk later recorded as adopted. The clerk’s roll call recorded 14 ayes.

During public comment on the same agenda item, a representative of the Chinese Committee on Aging said his organization was affected by the Department of Aging’s contracting process. “We are extremely disappointed that the Department of Aging handled the whole adult day social care proposal process in a secretive and conspired manner,” the speaker said, stating the RFP had been reopened to four council districts without timely notification to agencies that applied in the first round and that his agency did not receive mailed notice until July — one day after a scheduled appeal. He said the organization was deprived of the opportunity to appeal before the committee and urged the department to improve notice and fairness in future procurement rounds.

The council adopted the recommendations and will send the adopted item forthwith to the mayor, as requested by councilmembers.