SEQUIM — The City Council in a 4-3 vote created a policy to be used beginning next year for the often-debated distribution of city funding for health and human services such as the Dungeness Valley Health Clinic, the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Olympic Peninsula and the Sequim Senior Activity Center.
The policy for funding decisions beginning in 2012 — approved with Sequim City Council members Ted Miller, Susan Lorenzen and Erik Erichsen voting against it Monday night — includes three-year contracts for designated amounts to each nonprofit social and health service organization the council chose to fund from what it budgets.
Those contracts are intended to designate how the city expects funding to be used.
Under the newly adopted health and human services funding policy, the council until 2014 will designate 30 percent of its budgeted funding for the Dungeness Valley Health & Wellness Clinic for indigent medical and dental care, 15 percent for Healthy Families of Clallam County, 25 percent to the Boys & Girls Clubs, 7 percent for the senior center, 7 percent for Parenting Matters, 7 percent for Volunteer Hospice of Clallam County and 7 percent for Serenity House of Clallam County.
Three-year contract
Mayor Ken Hays, who with Mayor Pro Tem Laura Dubois came up with a recommendation for the council with the help of City Manager Steve Burkett and City Attorney Craig Ritchie, said he believes the three-year contract “provides stability in the community” through guaranteed charitable funding.
The policy says that the city designates health and human services funding to benefit those needing medical care, dental care, mental health care, youth and senior activities, early learning for children, end-of-life support and prevention of domestic violence and abuse.
“A community that is unhealthy and has issues is a burden on the community,” Hays said.
Objections
Miller, who moved to increase the amount for the senior center, said he objected to 25 percent of the funding going to the Boys & Girls Clubs while the senior center received only 7 percent, calling it disproportionate for a community dominated by seniors.
Miller’s motion failed 4-3 with Hays, Dubois, Huizinga and Don Hall voting against it.
Miller also called for amending the contract to two years instead of three, but his motion died for lack of a second.
Erichsen also said he thought the amounts for seniors and youths were disproportionate, and Lorenzen agreed that youths were getting more funding than seniors.
The council approved in September for the coming year a total of $70,000 in health and human services charitable giving from the city.
That included $12,500 for the club’s teen program, a dramatic reduction in city health and human services funding for the club, which was $60,000 for each of the past two years.
Jerry Sinn, the Boys & Girls Clubs’ board president, said the council’s decision was unexpected in light of the fact that city allocated the club $60,000 in each of the past two years and $100,000 in 2008.
Other organizations and their city funding amounts approved were Dungeness Valley Health & Wellness Clinic, $15,000; Sequim Senior Activity Center, $10,000; Healthy Families of Clallam County, $9,000; Olympic Community Action Programs, $5,000; Parenting Matters Foundation, $5,000; Peninsula Community Mental Health Center, $7,500; and Volunteer Chore Services, $5,000.
Administrative fee
United Way of Clallam County, which recommended the funding amounts after the City Council asked for the agency’s advice, also charged a $1,000 administrative fee.
Dubois said she felt more dollars were needed for youths because there were fewer organized activities for youths in Sequim compared with mature members of the community, such as at the senior center and elsewhere.
Huizinga, who had some early reservations about choices made for funding, walked away happy Monday night.
“I think it’s a really good compromise . . . I think this will work,” Huizinga said.
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Sequim-Dungeness Valley Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-681-2391 or at jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.