QUESTION
How does the debit card system work without DocGo providing food, and what are the plans for RFPs and fund allocation for asylum seeker services?
1:25:46
·
117 sec
Council Member Gale A. Brewer questions the workings of the debit card system without DocGo catering and seeks details on Request for Proposal (RFP) opportunities and the redistribution of saved funds towards services for asylum seekers. Molly Schaeffer, Interim Director of the Mayor's Office of Asylum Seeker Operations (OASO), clarifies the absence of a current RFP and discusses efforts to improve processes and explore funding opportunities for services like ESL and workforce training.
- Schaeffer confirms the DocGo contract is not indefinite, with specifics on the duration unavailable.
- The potential for RFPs across shelters and service improvement efforts is being explored.
- Discussion includes reallocating saved funds for legal services, OSHA training, English language courses, and more for asylum seekers.
- Brewer advocates for utilizing saved funds, particularly from the unavailable doco service, to enhance available day programs for asylum seekers.
- OASO aims to diversify funding sources, including city, state, federal, and philanthropic contributions, to expand programs.
Gale A. Brewer
1:25:46
I think that the notion of having the debit cards is a good one, but I don't quite understand how it works in terms of doco not serving food at that location.
1:25:57
So when is that contract And what is the RFP opportunity for whomever would take over?
Molly Schaeffer
1:26:02
So there's not currently an RFP on the streets, but we are we are looking at ways to improve our our processes, and that will include potential RFPs for all this is in our shelters, depending on which shelter is
Gale A. Brewer
1:26:19
So we don't it could be forever.co, basically.
1:26:22
I'm asking,
Molly Schaeffer
1:26:24
So the DACA contract is not forever.
1:26:29
I'd have to get back to you on the exact date, but there's a couple of different contracts.
Gale A. Brewer
1:26:32
Okay.
1:26:32
And then just finally, the issue of what goes on, we've got legal services, OSHA, hopefully English language, some of these dollars that we're saving, could they could they not go to so that during the day, people have more opportunities to take advantage of some of these programs.
1:26:50
Just so you know, I'm in the hotels all day long, and so is my staff.
1:26:54
So we know there's not a lot going on.
Molly Schaeffer
1:26:57
So we would love more opportunities to partner with you to get some of, you know, discretionary dollars for OSHA training.
1:27:04
We wanna it's not just the city dollars that can go to ESL workforce training.
1:27:11
We also need philanthropy dollars.
1:27:12
We also need federal dollars.
1:27:14
We also need state dollars.
1:27:15
I think we're working on all these levers.
Gale A. Brewer
1:27:18
Take some of that doc owe money and and use it for this.
1:27:21
Take take take some of that doc owe money and use them for some of these other opportunities.
1:27:25
Is that not possible?
Molly Schaeffer
1:27:26
There's a
Gale A. Brewer
1:27:27
good amount of difference.
Molly Schaeffer
1:27:28
We have to take into account our entire budget.
1:27:30
We're currently working on our 10% peg, and then We also are really looking forward to figuring out ways to expand those programs and make sure that we're giving people all the supports they need while they're in our care.