Des Plaines reconsiders two staff cuts

Des Plaines city officials are reconsidering plans to cut two Health and Human Services employees after an outpouring of support from community groups for the department's work.

With the jobs of health and human services director and secretary among 38 employee positions targeted for elimination from the city's proposed 2010 budget, it would leave HHS with one part-time employee serving the senior citizen and poor populations.

The department connects needy residents with community health and social service programs. It is responsible for public health screenings, provides resources and referrals for the homeless and coordinates the city's Meals on Wheels and Discount Taxi Cab programs for disabled and senior citizens.

City officials still plan on funding Meals on Wheels and other HHS programs, but community leaders fear one part-time employee won't be enough to do the job.

"These are hidden services that sometimes we don't see," Jim Ernst of the Des Plaines Ministerial Association told the city council this week. "We have to find a way to make this work."

The Ministerial Association is made up of about 15 area churches and nearly 12 social service agencies that share resources with Health and Human Services to serve the area's needy population.

Ernst, pastoral associate at Our Lady of Hope Catholic Church in Rosemont, said gutting the division would put a strain on other city departments ill-equipped to handle such cases - and force churches into the role of social workers.

"Churches can't handle this," Ernst said. "We can't send them to the police department. This is a place where we could send (poor and homeless clients) to people who cared and knew what to do ... so they can get the services that they need."

The division was instrumental in putting Maine West High School students to work building wheelchair ramps for people in dire need, and it matched students up with seniors who needed snow plowing, said teacher Paul Bartholomae.

"If you think of Des Plaines as a body, you'd have to think of Health and Human Services as the heart of Des Plaines," Bartholomae said. "Anybody knows that it would be a very, very bad idea to cut the heart out of anything."

City officials have said cutting the 38 positions will save about $3 million in salaries and benefits. Of that, cutting the two HHS jobs would save $195,000.

City Manager Jason Bajor defended the proposed cuts, saying they were not made in a vacuum and that the administration also recommended providing $45,000 in funding for social service agencies and the senior center in 2010 to offset the impact.

Several aldermen said they favor keeping at least one full-time and one part-time employee in health and human services to ensure the Meals on Wheels program continues operating.

"I think now is not the time to abandon our people in the city," 6th Ward Alderman Mark Walsten said.

City administration will revise the proposed staffing plan to be approved at a future council meeting.