MO 2002-021 to 2002-025 (Missing 2002-022)

Home

OtherSignificant Cost Overruns In addition to staff over -time at all three shelter sites, the other, major cost overrun is in the Finance and Accounting department. Our programs have grown faster -than our - administrative infrastructure, and this is particularly true. in the finance area. After two. years.of -an understaffed finance department, with -only one staff -person handling all financial and contract management, we now, have a 10 hour .per week.CFO/Financial. Consultant, a full-time Staff Accountant and an 80% FTE Contracts Manager. Without staff to provide adequate financial -analysis, we -were unable to contain costs.or fully analyze our fiscal health. The prior year's understaffing. has also created lots of .unfinished work from prior fiscal years.-This,year we will pay for two audits, overtime for the staff accountant, and additional consulting time from the CFO to.tatch up. Until the overhaul of our fiscal management is,complete we will continue. to experience. cost overruns in this area.- But we. believe these expenditures will lead to better fiscal management and -stability in the long run: Cost C017tainmel7t Measures Attachment .D-contains our Agency Budget Cut Plan.. In thepast few months:we have already implemented several costcontainment measures; including 'reducirg staff overtime shifts .in..the shelters. by 50% . cutting employee benefits by 10%, and restructuring the administrative staffing.: We are now in ,the process of implementing further cuts, to reduce :costs by $43 000 in the next 6 months; including cutting a `senior - .program positionto half-time;:cutting pse_of.licensed.therapi.sts,by 50%, reducing phone costs, and having shelter managers work more :shelter shifts. In .the absence of emergency funding by the end of February we will be forced to . .implement further -cuts; including laying -;off our Crisis Line Coordinator and our Inter Site Office Assistant, reducing all. staff benefits by. another 40% cutting all staff salaries -by 5% eliminating our part-time Chief -..Financial position, cutting all use.of licensed therapists, and cutting our Children's Program '.at:all three shelters by 50%.. These: cuts will also have to carry forward into our.next.fscal year starting July ist, in addition to eliminating our Volunteer Coordinator. position. The implications of these cuts .for emergency services :in .San :Leandro: are _enormous.. By cutting alt use of licensed therapists, we .will be eliminating group therapy; one-on-one. client sessions, and clinical supervision of staff at the `Sister -.Me. Home .Safe House and the -San Leandro Shelter. Eliminating-our1riter-Site Office Assistant :means we will,not have -daily. deliveries of client mail,.client checks,. food., -and -donations from our administrative office to the. shelters... Eliminating our Crisis Line Coordinator position will create further. dema rids -on already over -worked shelter staff by having them_ answer. the crisis line. With the absence, of a Volunteer Coordinator, costs will increase further .by not having the ability to recruit and oversee volunteers to answer the. crisis line, and, not having volunteers to cook- and serve free dinners at the shelters. J491