DATE: 01/13/2003	SUBJECT: FINAL READING ORDINANCE NO. 2003-O-012 Authorizing the City Manager to amend the City of Laredo’s Full-Time Equivalent Positions by creating three (3) part-time with no benefits (1.44 FTE) Community Service Aides positions at 19.21 hours each per week in the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) of the City of Laredo Health Department, funded by the Texas Department of Health.
INITIATED BY: STAFF SOURCE: Cynthia Collazo Hector F. Gonzalez, M.D., M.P.H. Asst. City Manager Health Director
PREVIOUS COUNCIL ACTION: On December 16, 2002, Council held public hearing introducing ordinance and instructed staff to proceed with final reading.
BACKGROUND: The Texas Department of Health has contracted with the City of Laredo to provide public health services to residents of Laredo and Webb County through the City of Laredo Health Department. The City of Laredo Health Department was awarded a grant for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) outreach and enrollment assistance activity. Under the supervision of the City of Laredo Health Department’s Health Education Division, this program provides outreach activities that will reach families for uninsured children in ways that are culturally competent and locally appropriate; provides application assistance to families of uninsured children applying for health insurance; publicizes within the communities/counties of Webb, Zapata, and Jim Hogg the availability of health insurance to uninsured children, regardless of their income or family situation; educates families about the value and proper use of health insurance; reduces the number of uninsured children in Texas; and assists in re-enrollment process of families currently participating in insurance program. Presently, the CHIP Program has submitted 24,675 applications for health insurance for children in Laredo and Webb County, 1,444 for Zapata County, and 661 for Jim Hogg have been received by the TexCare Partnership office in Austin. We are proposing to create three (3) part-time with no benefits (1.44 FTE) Community Service Aides positions at 20 hours each per week for the purpose of assisting the Program Coordinator in providing the above mentioned services. There will be no financial impact as the funds will be transferred from within the CHIP budget.
FINANCIAL: The salaries for the Community Service Aide positions, Gr. 23, will be provided by making an appropriate transfer in the amount of $24,000 within the CHIP grant (226-6062) from the contractual line item to personnel line item.
RECOMMENDATION:		STAFF: Recommends that Council approve ordinance.

ORDINANCE 2003-O-012

Authorizing the City Manager to amend the City of Laredo’s Full-Time Equivalent Positions by creating three (3) part-time with no benefits (1.44 FTE) Community Service Aides positions at 19.21 hours each per week in the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) of the City of Laredo Health Department, funded by the Texas Department of Health.

WHEREAS, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission has contracted with the City of Laredo to provide public health services to residents of Laredo and Webb County through the City of Laredo Health Department, and

WHEREAS, the City of Laredo Health Department was awarded a grant for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) outreach and enrollment assistance activity. Under the supervision of the City of Laredo Health Department’s Health Education Division, this program provides outreach activities that will reach families for uninsured children in ways that are culturally competent and locally appropriate; provides application assistance to families of uninsured children applying for health insurance; publicizes within the communities/counties of Webb, Zapata, and Jim Hogg the availability of health insurance to uninsured children, regardless of their income or family situation; educates families about the value and proper use of health insurance; reduces the number of uninsured children in Texas; and assists in re-enrollment process of families currently participating in insurance program, and

WHEREAS, presently, the CHIP Program has submitted 24,675 applications for health insurance for children in Laredo and Webb County, 1,444 for Zapata County, and 661 for Jim Hogg had been received by the TexCare Partnership office in Austin, and

WHEREAS, we are proposing to create three (3) part-time with no benefits (1.44 FTE) Community Service Aides positions at 19.21 hours each per week for the purpose of assisting the Program Coordinator in providing the above mentioned services. There will be no financial impact as the funds will be transferred from within the CHIP budget.

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LAREDO THAT:

Section 1: The City Manager is hereby authorized to execute the contract and accept the grants and their provisions as set forth by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.

Section 2: The City Manager is hereby authorized to amend the City of Laredo’s Full-Time Equivalent Positions by creating three (3) part-time with no benefits (1.44 FTE) Community Service Aides positions at 19.21 hours each per week in the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)

Section 3: The City Manager is hereby authorized to make transfers within the

budget as allowable under the General Provisions of the existing general

contract with the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to meet the necessary costs to accomplish the scope of work for the project.

PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL AND APPROVED BY THE MAYOR

ON THIS _________________ DAY OF ________________________, 2003.

_______________________

ELIZABETH G. FLORES

MAYOR

ATTEST:

_______________________

GUSTAVO GUEVARA, JR.

CITY SECRETARY

APPROVED AS TO FORM:

________________________

JAIME FLORES

CITY ATTORNEY