SPAN asks The Colony for Meals on Wheels and transit funding; council tables contract pending ridership data

SPAN Inc. representatives updated the council on their Meals on Wheels and transportation services, described program metrics and requested municipal funding support. Ricky (SPAN director of transportation and programs) told council SPAN served about 164,000 meals in Denton County last year and reported 9,682 Meals on Wheels meals delivered specifically to The Colony; SPAN requested $31,569 to fund Meals on Wheels service for the Colony plus $2,500 in discretionary funds for shortfalls.

Ricky and a SPAN volunteer described driver training, fleet size and audits. He said the agency operates about 35 ADA‑compliant vehicles and conducts triannual audits with TxDOT and others. Councilmembers pressed for more regular reporting; one councilmember requested the monthly ridership breakdown the city used to receive and verification that billed trips are for Colony residents.

After questions about discretionary funds, past use of Next Steps vouchers and how SPAN handles billing and address verification, councilmember motioned to table the contract to the next meeting until staff can provide the requested breakdown of riders/users. The motion carried and staff committed to include the item on the first September agenda after providing trip counts and supporting documentation.

Ricky said the discretionary funding typically covers meal shortfalls and that SPAN’s billing runs behind by roughly two years under current reimbursement cycles. Councilmembers asked staff to supply clear monthly trip reports so they can evaluate ongoing contract payments before final approval.