More than $16 million flows into Cowley County annually for the care of the mentally retarded/developmentally disabled residents of the county, according to Bill Brooks, executive director of Cowley County Developmental Services, or CCDS.
The agency acts as the gate-keeper for anyone wanting mentally retarded/developmentally disabled services in Cowley County.
There are presently 290 consumers and 33 affiliates providing some sort of service to consumers living in Cowley County.
Affiliate is defined as anyone providing any type of service, Brooks said.There are four major providers, which are defined as those who provide both residential and other services. They include Mosaic, Twin Rivers, Creative Community Living, and Southwind.
Brooks and administrative assistant Penny Parker discussed finances with the commission when they presented their proposed 2008 budget during a regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday morning. Brooks did not ask for an increase. He listed total expenses at $605,680.95.
Brooks and his staff of four have been temporarily operating out of the National Guard Armory in Arkansas City since the Ark City office building closed in November. A 4,000-square-foot building is under construction on N. Summit Street and will provide offices for CCDS. Half the building will be a meeting room that will be available to non-profit groups at no charge.
“We hope to be in before school starts,” Brooks said. ” We really believe the location of it is going to be good.”
The approximately $300,000 building is being funded with “discretionary” money that flows through the targeted case management program funded by the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services, according to Brooks. The state is taking over the case management program next year and CCDS will no longer be involved.
CCDS will have to use some reserve funds to operate next year, Brooks told the commission. He listed $166,074.95 in reserves from 2007 as income to fund the 2008 budget.
“That’s not a big issue,” he told Newscow later.
CCDS also provided $6,000 to two non-profit groups that provide services for young people and tried unsuccessfully in the last general election to get mill levy monies approved. Brooks said the commission provided some extra money to CCDS and that money went to CASA and Big Brothers-Big Sisters.
Commissioners have not approved any 2008 budgets. They usually wait until all of the budgets have been submitted before making budget decisions but have been providing the proceeds from a mill levy to help fund services. Presently, the commission is providing $165,621 for mr/dd services for county residents.
