Sponsor: Health and Wellness Administration
Title
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Amendment to Single Source Agreement with Senior Services Consortium of Ramsey County for Home Delivered Meals and Coordination Services
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Recommendation
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1. Approve an amendment to the single source agreement with Senior Services Consortium of Ramsey County, 1376 Hoyt Avenue West, Saint Paul, MN 55108 for home delivered meals and coordination services through December 31, 2025, in the not-to-exceed amount of $496,125.
2. Authorize the Chair and Chief Clerk to execute the amendment.
3. Authorize the County Manager to execute amendments to the agreement in accordance with the county’s procurement policies and procedures, provided the amounts are within the limits of available funding.
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Background and Rationale
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Meals on Wheels of Ramsey County is a service provided by the Senior Services Consortium of Ramsey County (Consortium). The Consortium is a nonprofit organization composed of eight member agencies that provide Meals on Wheels and other senior services in Ramsey County.
The Consortium is the only home-delivered meal provider that is Ramsey County-based and coordinated specifically to serve Ramsey County. In the city of St. Paul, four private social service agencies provide Meals on Wheels and other senior services within its own geographic area. In suburban Ramsey County, the four suburban school districts run Meals on Wheels and other senior services in their district service areas. Additionally, there is not a waitlist for services with the Consortium, unlike many nationwide partners have been facing.
The Consortium is also the only home-delivered meal provider in Ramsey County offering hot daily, cold daily, and frozen weekly meal choice throughout the entire geographic area of Ramsey County. All meals are heart healthy (lower fat and salt), diabetic friendly (carb balanced) and meet the federal Older Americans Act nutritional guidelines.
Ramsey County began funding the Consortium in 1975, to establish a centrally coordinated and accountable system for delivery of home-delivered meals and other services to older adults throughout Ramsey County. In 2023, 180,511 meals were served and estimates of 2024 demonstrate the increasing trajectory of need.
This amendment is to extend a previously approved single source through the year of 2025. This will include a slight increase in the budget for 2025, which is reflective of services, fee and food cost inflation and the need to meet a growing demand for meals.
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County Goals (Check those advanced by Action)
☒ Well-being ☒ Prosperity ☐ Opportunity ☐ Accountability
Racial Equity Impact
The Consortium provides a wide variety of meal options to meet the needs and preferences of Ramsey County’s diverse population. Meal options include Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Vegetarian, Kidney-Friendly (Renal), and Mechanically Soft/Pureed. The Consortium also offers a wide variety of frozen meal choices, which works well for clients who can’t be home every day for meal delivery. The cultural menu options we offer are halal, kosher, Asian-inspired, Latin-inspired, Mexican, and Hmong. Mexican and Hmong were newly added in the summer of 2024 through new partnerships with Asian Flame and Salsa a la Salsa. About one third of meals served are to racially and ethnically diverse community members.
Community Participation Level and Impact
By working together as a Consortium, members ensure inclusive, effective, and meaningful community engagement in a system that is Ramsey-County based and responsive to individual community needs. The long partnership between the Consortium and Ramsey County Meals on Wheels enables seniors to remain healthy and independent in their own homes, thus reducing nursing home costs borne by taxpayers. The collaboration ensures there are no gaps in Meals on Wheels services in Ramsey County while addressing specific needs of each member’s service area. All of this avoids far more costly healthcare alternatives, such as unnecessary trips to the emergency room, hospitalizations, and nursing home placements.
☒ Inform ☒ Consult ☒ Involve ☐ Collaborate ☐ Empower
Fiscal Impact
Total funding of $251,125 for these services is included in the Health and Wellness Service Team 2025 operating budget. This funding request is $6,125 more than the 2024 budget to adjust for inflationary costs, including administrative costs, food sourcing and subsidies for residents who cannot afford direct pay options.
Last Previous Action
On December 19, 2023, the Ramsey County Board entered into a Single Source agreement with Senior Services Consortium of Ramsey County for home delivered meals and coordination services (Resolution B2023-265).
Attachments
1. Client Services Agreement HWAD 23-011 SENIORS
2. Single Source Request Form
3. Attachment A1 - Financial