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Sedgwick County briefs commissioners on senior meal transition after contractor change; Trio and Senior Services to provide interim services
Summary
After Everfull's contract ended, CPAAA and county staff described a transition plan: Trio Community Meals will provide frozen meal distribution while Senior Services Inc. manages several Wichita sites; BOCC approved a contract with Trio on Dec. 17; ARPA funding expirations have reduced ongoing allocations and staff proposed OAA-funded site reimbursements and temporary positions.
Steven (Central Plains Area Agency on Aging staff) briefed the commission on operational changes to senior nutrition services after the county's historical contractor left in October and the BOCC approved a contract with Trio on Dec. 17.
What happened: Steven said Everfull's contract ended in October and that KDADS granted a two-year waiver that allowed staff to engage current contractors and potential new contractors without a full procurement cycle due to the transition's emergent nature. Notices to participants and sites were sent Nov. 20, and a joint press release was issued Nov. 21.
Service model and timing: Senior Services Inc. will provide hot meals and site management at eight Wichita and Oak Lawn congregate/home-delivered sites; Trio Community Meals will distribute frozen meals to 12 sites beginning Jan. 5 and will transition to hot meals for the remaining locations pending site consolidation. Steven said normal hot-meal service is targeted to start no earlier than Feb. 2, 2026.
Funding and allocations: Steven explained OAA funds flow from the Administration for Community Living through the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS). ARPA/COVID resources increased allocations in recent years but ARPA funding expires 09/30/2025, driving down congregate and home-delivered allocations for 2025'26. Michelle Stewart (grants compliance director) said the state provided an extra ~$500,000 of state funding for home-delivered meals in 2024 and that sites used multiple COVID-era funding sources to carry over federal allocations.
Costs and staffing: CPAAA proposed hiring one full-time nutrition coordinator and two part-time site managers (OAA-funded) to support site management for remaining sites; site-reimbursement allowances were proposed at a prorated $6,375 for the remainder of the federal fiscal year and $8,500 next year. CPAAA estimated approximately $111,000 in staffing/site-reimbursement costs for nine sites and said the Trio/Senior Services model fits within available allocations.
Procedures and next steps: Legal and procurement staff completed agreements; Steven asked the commission to approve permanently the three OAA-funded positions (temporarily approved now) and to authorize staff to distribute site agreements to providers and municipalities this week so sites can complete local approvals. CPAAA plans to use the Trio/Senior Services approach through 09/30/2027 and run an RFP for nutrition services for implementation in 2028.
Quote and context: "Normal meal services will start no earlier than 02/02/2026," Steven said, adding that initial feedback from sites is positive. Commissioners asked for numbers on how many participants receive home-delivered meals; Steven said he would follow up by email with those counts.
Where this goes next: Staff will send agreements to sites, seek permanent approval for the OAA-funded positions on a future BOCC agenda, and continue monthly coordination meetings and technical assistance to support the new service model.
