HomeMy WebLinkAbout25.09.19 - Minutes, Local Management Board{ • .:-: • • M A R Y L A N D
.1/J'
Washing~on County
-, 1776 --==
OFFICE OF GRANT MANAGE MENT
DIVISION OF BUDGET & FINANCE
Washington County Office of Grant Management
100 W. Washington Street, Room 1601
Hagerstown, MD 21740
Local Management Board Meeting
Virtual Meeting Minutes
September 19, 2025
Members present via zoom: Tiffany Rexrode-Vice Chair, Kelli Tencer, Sheriff Brian Albert, Gina
Cirincion, Deena Holder, Stacey Fen-are, Sarah Nadeau, Susan Buchanan, and Gerry McCamey
Alternates present via zoom: Jeremy Jakoby-Chair, Brooke Kerbs, Jared Blakeslee,
K wema Ledbetter, Linda Yale and Damien Myers
Staff present via zoom, Maria Kramer -Director, Carsten Ahrens -Sr. Grant Manager,
Richard Lesh -Grant Manager, and Julie Mackereth.
I. Opening-Welcome
• Prior to the meeting being called to order, Brooke Kerbs (WCMH) shared she had invited
the new HUB Program Manager, Tyrell Wilson, to sit in at the meeting.
• Jeremy Jakoby -Chair, called the meeting to order at 9:06 a.m. and welcomed everyone.
II. Approval of Minutes -June 20, 2025
A motion was made by Kelli Tencer, seconded by Gina Cirincion to approve the
June 20, 2025, Local Management Board minutes as written.
motion approved.
III. Staff Report -Richard Lesh, Grant Manager
• GOC Director's Meeting update
The focus of the September meeting was reviewing the FY2026 Capacity Building Grant
NOFA. They are currently working on FY26 applications, and the staff from the
Governor's Office are preparing the year-end documents. Due to staffing reductions,
there are now only three individuals we will be coordinating with regarding the
Children's Cabinet Interagency Funding.
100 West Washington Street, Suite 1601 j Hagerstown, MD21740•4885 IP: 240.313.2040 I Hearing Impaired: 7-1-1
WWW.WASHCO-MD .NET
Staff met with representatives from Department of Juvenile Services (DJS), Local Care
Team Coordinator (LCTC) and Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) to establish the
procedures for the FY2026 referral process. Since this was a new initiative, it was
helpful to get some clarification.
Staff requested clarification from the Governor's Office regarding the fiscal mapping
responsibilities now assigned to the LMB. The fiscal mapping involves tracking all
funding that comes into the county, identifying its sources, and detailing how it is being
dispersed. The goal is to create a comprehensive, statewide database accessible to all
stakeholders. Funding from the FY2026 budget has been allocated to support this
requirement. However, it is still undecided whether the LMB will hire a part-time staff
member to handle the task or if existing staff will absorb the responsibility. Some
clarification was provided regarding the job duties and specific expectations for this
role, though final decisions are still pending.
On September 18th, OGM staffpa1iicipated in United Way's Day of Care volunteer
event, where they met Western Maryland Delegate Matthew Schindler. He expressed
interest in the work of the LMB and is looking forward to attending upcoming meetings.
IV. Finance Report -Richard Lesh, Grant Manager
• FY25 Year End Fiscal Report -The current report was included in the meeting
invitation email packet. A total of $37,638.31 in unspent funds is being returned to the
Governor's Office for Children (GOC), which includes $63.68 in administrative costs.
The accompanying expenditures chart details the vendors and the specific unspent
amounts attributed to each, which are being returned to the state.
► WMC -Disconnected Youth
► PCS -Family Strong
► PCS -Juvenile Diversion
Total
$18,079.58
$8,483.09
$11 ,011.96
$37,574.63
Program Vendor Update-Potomac Community Services (PCS) has informed staff that
they will not be seeking GOC FY26 funding for the Family Strong or Juvenile Diversion
programs, as they will no longer serve as the vendor for these programs moving forward.
School Based Health Center -MDH (SBHC)
The School Based Health Center program operates under a reimbursement-based model.
Although the audit came in under the $3,200 that was budgeted, only actual expenses were
reimbursed, and no fun:ds were provided in advance. Therefore, there are no surplus funds
to return.
Healthy Families -MSDE (Home Visiting Pro gram)
The Healthy Families program is a reimbursement-based initiative operating under a
separate grant from the GOC. Due to underspending-primarily resulting from reduced
payroll expenses during the program director's medical leave-the program was unable to
utilize $13,762.93 of its awarded budget.
• FY26 Expenditure Report
The GOC sent the award letter and final documents this morning. Once the CPA has been
signed and approved, staff will be able to fully execute the vendor contracts and begin
processing invoice payments.
V. Local Care Team Report (LCT)-KTA Advising Group, Kwema Ledbetter, shared:
The LCT has welcomed a new intern from Salisbury University, who has already been with
us for about a week. In a sh01t time, her support is already proven valuable. Her eff01is are
helping us increase face-to-face contact with families in the Hagerstown area, which is a
significant boost to our outreach and engagement work in the community. We're looking
forward to the continued impact she'll have as part of our mission to connect with and
suppoit more families.
The Compile system officially went live on Monday, September 15th.
Staff are currently in the process of entering data retroactively for the seven families served
so far, this fiscal year. Moving forward, Compile will be used for ongoing data tracking
and program documentation. All relevant staff have completed the necessary training, and
the system is now actively being used in daily operations.
Notably, this is the first fiscal year where we've received a broader range of referrals -not
just from VPA (Voluntary Placement Agreement), but also from DJS (Department of
Juvenile Services) and PCS (Potomac Community Services).
This diversification is a positive development for program outreach and service
engagement. We are continuing to work on identifying VPA denials and families not
eligible for VP A to ensure they are properly refel1'ed to and supported. PCS is actively
working with the VP A office to ensure families who are denied VP A eligibility are referred
to the Local Care Team (LCT). A key challenge has been the recent retirement of Beth
Hawbaker, who served as the main VP A coordinator. Efforts are underway to establish a
connection with new VP A staff to maintain referral continuity.
A review ofFY25 family action plans was conducted to identify: Which services families
used, and which services were recommended. The findings are currently in draft form,
with comments being incorporated. Finalization is expected in the coming weeks.
This review is shaping how service data will be collected in Compile, emphasizing tracking
at the specific program level (not just by provider).
Compile officially went live on September 15th. Staff have begun entering the seven
families served this fiscal year into the system retroactively. Training has been completed,
and Compile is now being used as the primary case tracking tool.
This year marks the first time that family referrals have come from sources beyond VP A,
including, DJS (Department of Juvenile Services) and PCS (Potomac Community
Services).
Big Brothers Big Sisters has been added to LCT meeting procedures as a recommended
suppo1t option for youth when appropriate. Anecdotal evidence, including a recent case
where a youth's relationship with their Big Brother was a major positive influence,
supp01ts the value of this program.
VI. Sub-Committee Report
• Community Planning & Review (CP AR) -Damien Myers, Sub-Committee Chair, no
new updates or reports were shared at this time.
VII. Old Business -Richard Lesh, Grant Manager
• Attendance Policy and By-Laws review -copy of the cu11'ent documents was included
in the email invitation for today's meeting.
A reminder to all members that the attendance requirements are outlined in the LMB
bylaws, including the official attendance policy.
• By-laws Review -The Governor's Office for Children (GOC) has issued a revised
Policies and Procedures Manual for Local Management Boards (LMBs). As a result, we
are required to review and update our cun-ent bylaws to ensure alignment with the new
guidance. Please take time to review the LMB Bylaws (attached) and email any suggested
edits or additions to me at rlesh@washco-md.net by October 1st. The CPAR Committee
will review all submitted suggestions, along with any new GOC requirements, and will
present recommended revisions to the full board at the November 21 st meeting.
VIII. New Business-Carsten Ahrens, Senior Grant Manager
• FY25 Annual Report -PowerPoint presentation was included in email invitation for
today's meeting. It provides a financial overview, including funds received and expended,
as well as a summary of programs supp01ted by LMB, through directed funding. These
programs include:
• Family-Centered Suppmt Services
• Family Strong
• School-Based Mental Health
• Juvenile Diversion Program
• Disconnected Youth Services
• Youth Shelter Initiative
It was noted that some depru1ments are returning or not fully using allocated funds, which
Richard explained in greater detail earlier in the meeting.
A suggestion was made to enhance and consolidate this portion of the financial report in
next year's presentation for clarity and efficiency.
• ENOUGH Capacity Grant (FY25 and FY26)
FY25 Capacity Building Grant-There is a remaining balance of $78,394.88 on the
FY25 Capacity Building Grant. Staff plan to contact Tracy Webb to request additional time
to expend the remaining funds, due to reported restmcturing and personnel changes at
Horizon Goodwill.
FY26 NOFA-The LMB's allocation is $74,581, which is a notable decrease from the
previous year. This funding supports capacity building efforts, with the LMB retaining
authority to determine how funds are utilized through board approval.
A motion was made by Linda Yale seconded by Sheriff Albert to present to the Board of
County Commissioners a request to apply for FY26 Capacity Building Grant Funding:
motion approved unanimously.
IX. Community Roundtable -Members present shru·ed their updates.
X. Adjournment
A motion was made by Susan Buchanan; seconded by Deena Holder/or adjournment at
9:55 a.m.
Next Meeting -November 21, 2025, at 9:00 a.m.
Reviewed by:
--~/?----__________ Date: __ 11""""'/:a.'-'-'t'--tl=v'-'2..=S:~---
Maria Kramer, Director Grant Management