HomeMy WebLinkAbout21187 - RESOLUTIONS - 1/19/2005 ' RESOLUTION NO. 21187
OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS,
CALIFORNIA SUPPORTING THE PROGRAMS AND
SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE FOUNDATION FOR THE
RETARDED OF THE DESERT.
WHEREAS, there are more than 8,000,000 Americans who have mental retardation or
other developmental disabilities;
WHEREAS, individuals with developmental disabilities include those with mental
retardation, autism, cerebral palsy, Downs syndrome, epilepsy, and other related
conditions;
WHEREAS, individuals with mental retardation or other developmental disabilities have
substantial limitations on their functional capacities, including limitations in two or more
of the areas of self-care, receptive and expressive language, learning, mobility, self-
direction, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency, as well as the continuous
need for individually planned and coordinated services;
' WHEREAS, for the past two decades individuals with mental retardation or other
developmental disabilities and their families have increasingly expressed their desire to
live and work in their communities, joining the mainstream of American life;
WHEREAS, the Foundation for the Retarded of the Desert was founded in 1959 by a
small group of concerned parents who wished to expand the horizons of their children's
lives;
WHEREAS, the Foundation serves more than 900 developmentally disabled residents
in the Coachella Valley;
WHEREAS, the Foundation provides job and life-skills training for its clients and
eventually helps them line up jobs at outside businesses;
WHEREAS, it also offers in-home respite care services, so that family members can
take a few hours to go shopping, do the laundry or visit the dentist;
WHEREAS, years of state budget cuts have seriously reduced the amount of funding
the Foundation receives forcing it to layoff 50 employees and reduce services;
WHEREAS, the California State Fund, which operates like a mutual insurance carrier,
' recently advised the Foundation that its workers' compensation premiums will soon
increase from $380,000 to more than $500,000 a year;
Resolution No. 21187
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WHEREAS, to make matters worse, State Fund also performed an audit of the '
Foundation's programs and determined that certain job classifications were not being
correctly applied resulting in an underpayment of the workers' compensation premium;
WHEREAS, the Foundation has appealed both the rate increase and the underpaid
premium charge;
WHEREAS, if the Foundation loses its appeal on the underpaid premium it will cost an
additional $300,000 a year;
WHEREAS, if this occurs the Foundation will be forced to shift clients into training
programs that are classified by the state as being lower risk and carry lower premium
rates; and
WHEREAS, the loss of certain training programs willl threaten the ability of the
Foundation to achieve its core mission, which is the provision of safe and high-quality
support to individuals with mental retardation or other developmental disabilities.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Palm Springs City Council does hereby
find and determine that the programs and services provided by the Foundation for the
Retarded of the Desert are critical to the community in that they offer individuals with
mental retardation or other developmental disabilities the opportunity to lead self-
directed family, community, and social lives. '
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Palm Springs City Council does hereby support
the Foundation for the Retarded of the Desert in their efforts to appeal the decision of
State Fund regarding the underpayment of their Workers' Compensation premium.
ADOPTED this 1 gt' day of February, 2005.
AYES: Councilmembers Foat, Mills, Pougnet, McCulloch, Mayor Oden.
NOES: None.
ABSENT: None.
ATTEST: CITY OF PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA
City Clerk City Manager `