HomeMy WebLinkAboutagenda.council.worksession.201908131
AGENDA
CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION
August 13, 2019
4:00 PM, City Council Chambers
130 S Galena Street, Aspen
I.COUNCIL ROUNDTABLE 4:00-4:10
II.WORK SESSION
II.A.Tobacco Tax Update
1
MEMORANDUM
TO:Mayor and City Council
FROM:CJ Oliver, Environmental Health and Sustainability Director
THROUGH:Sara Ott, Interim City Manager
MEETING DATE:August 13, 2019
RE:Use of Tobacco Tax Revenues and Ballot Question on
Additional Tobacco Tax Revenues
REQUEST OF COUNCIL: Staff is presenting a plan to allocate the sale tax revenues
from the City of Aspen’s tobacco tax for Council consideration. Additionally, staff is
requesting direction on whether to develop ballot language for a November vote on
whether the City of Aspen can keep the additional $111,622 the tax generated and use
them in accordance with the proposed spending plan.
SUMMARY: Beginning in 2018, the City of Aspen has collected a 40% sales tax on non-
cigarette tobacco and nicotine products and a $3 per pack tax on cigarettes. During it’s
first year, the City collected $436,622 from this tax. Ballot language to initiate the tax in
2017 set parameters that the money could only be spent on financing health and human
services, tobacco related health issues, and addiction and substance abuse education
and mitigation. Ballot language is attached as Exhibit C with results provided in Exhibit
D. Staff is recommending a plan wherein these funds would be spent in the coming years
on a partnership with the Aspen School District. This plan came about after numerous
local organizations, who are experts and interested in public health topics, stressed that
there is currently very little work being done directly with youth in the schools and other
settings to prevent the use of tobacco and particularly vaping products. This gap in
services is especially impactful because vaping products have become a significant
health and safety issue for students in the Aspen School District. according to recent
statewide survey data. Because of this information staff is working with the Aspen School
District to find ways to enhance programs that will address substance use and mental
health with a focus on prevention.
BACKGROUND: In order to assess the level of funding that would be available as a result
of the local tobacco tax, staff were directed to wait until a full year of collection was
complete before working on a spending plan. That first-year collection period was 1/1/2018-
12/31/2018. Prior to creating the spending plan, staff worked with interested parties
including the Aspen School District, Pitkin County, Aspen Youth Center, Buddy Program
and others to better understand the needs in the community around tobacco and substance
use as well as mental health. During these planning sessions it was clear that the two key
themes that should be a priority in the Aspen community were a
2
focus on youth programming in the schools and community as well as an emphasis on
prevention. It was the City of Aspen’s intent not to initiate any new programs within the
organization with the funds collected from the local tobacco tax but rather to use the new
money to enhance existing programs to be able to make a greater impact on the areas
specified in the ballot language. Due to their extensive opportunities for contact with youth
and their families, the City has begun conversations with the Aspen School District about
the funding and asked them to put together a plan for how to create maximum impact for
youth nicotine and substance use and mental health.
DISCUSSION: The Aspen School District, in conjunction with Aspen Family Connections
(AFC) has prepared a plan (Exhibit A) to address the key areas identified in the ballot
language throughout the Aspen community in a way that focuses on youth and prevention
in a wholistic manner. The scope ranges from teaching young people key life skills and
educating them on the dangers of substance use to teaching parents the skills that will
help them to effectively navigate parenting a child through a maze endless temptations
and risky situations they may face. In addition, there is a component that will create a
youth advisory group which was a key deficit identified for the community. This will
empower youth with a voice on these important topics and facilitate peer to peer
interactions and messaging which is shown to be an effective means of behavior change,
often much more so than that which comes from adult and parent sources alone. The
plan incorporates inclusion and equity to help ensure that these services and programs
are available to all who can use them in our area. The plan focuses on the Aspen School
District but is also available to those involved in home school settings as well as informal
childcare arrangements.
The flow chart which is attached as Exhibit B shows the continuum of services from
universal prevention down to crisis intervention and treatment in Pitkin County. The
additional funding that the tobacco tax can provide presents a much needed opportunity
to focus efforts on enhancing the top of the flow chart with better prevention services,
resources and activities. Work done in the top section of the continuum can go far in
alleviating pressures at the bottom of the continuum and begin to shift the need for service
away from reactive interventions. Making this type of shift can be challenging without an
opportunity like the one presented by the tobacco tax funds. There is a consistent need
for services at the bottom end of the continuum so moving time and resources away is
often not an option. However, these additional funds present an opportunity to enhance
the top of this chart without negatively impacting the services provided at the bottom.
In addition to this plan, the City is working with Mind Springs Health to explore funding
additional staff hours at the Aspen School District for a mental health clinician. This
position is currently a .6 FTE position, and the additional funding would be to bring it up
to a full-time role.
Information to assess the effectiveness of these programs will be available through the
recurring school-based survey system which provides data on attitudes and use patterns
for nicotine and other substances. This is a statewide survey that is conducted every two
3
years. The combination of additional staff time and funding for prevention services,
represents a path forward that adheres to the principals of the tobacco tax ballot language
and stands to make significant impact over the course of time
FINANCIAL/BUDGET IMPACTS: The City has a 2018 tobacco tax fund balance of
$436,662 which needs to be used for financing health and human services, tobacco
related health issues, and addiction and substance abuse education and mitigation per
voter approval. The estimates developed prior to the 2017 vote had calculated an
anticipated $325,000 in collections. The additional $111,662 is subject to TABOR
limitations and must be either returned to tax payers or can be used, if a ballot question
is posed to voters asking the community if the City can keep the additional funds to use
towards the purposes described in the original ballot language.
Staff intends for the spending plan presented to serve as the model for all the tobacco tax
revenues for the 2018 collection period. If City Council elects not to ask the community
to keep the additional taxes that were collected in 2018 or if the community does not
approve a ballot question for the City to keep those funds, the plan will be scaled back
accordingly.
These funds would be a General Fund expenditure.
NEXT STEPS: If Council approves the proposed plan, staff will develop an
Intergovernmental Agreement for working with the Aspen School District to administer the
tobacco tax dollars in accordance with the 2017 ballot language.
If directed, staff will also develop ballot language to ask to community if the City may keep
the additional $111, 662 generated through the City’s tobacco tax to be spent on the plan
that is presented in this memo and council presentation.
ALTERNATIVES: Aspen City Council could elect to not propose a ballot question
requesting the ability to keep the additional funds collected in 2018 and direct staff to
determine the best way to return the funds.
Council could also direct staff not to pursue an IGA with the Aspen School District and
select a different avenue to distribute these funds.
ATTACHMENTS:
Exhibit A- Aspen School District and Aspen Family Connections Tobacco Tax Plan
Exhibit B- Pitkin County Continuum of Support, Resource Sharing and Collaborative Work
for At-Risk Youth and Families.
Exhibit C- Resolution #122 of 2017, City of Aspen Tobacco Tax Ballot Question
Exhibit D- Election Results, City of Aspen Tobacco Tax
4
5
Aspen School District - Aspen Family Connections
The AFC Prevention Initiative
Summary
AFC Prevention Initiative is designed to create wide-ranging and measurable, long-term
impact from the City of Aspen’s tobacco tax revenues, through an intergovernmental
agreement with the Aspen School District. It will provide a systematic and coherent range of
prevention services and activities, build shared community values around parenting, and link
together existing prevention initiatives aimed at mental health, substance use and abuse and
family and youth risk factors and behaviors.
This is a community-wide, tiered initiative to prevent and reduce the use of tobacco, drugs and
alcohol by children and young people, through building skills, competencies and cohesion, that
in turn minimize risk factors and maximize protective factors.
Foundational principles
●Collaboration and partnership -in delivering prevention activities it is essential to
maximize potential and existing partnerships with youth-serving community partners,
including KidsFirst, City of Aspen Recreation Department, Aspen Police Department,
Aspen Youth Center, Buddy Program, Mind Springs Health, Youth Zone and many
others, taking advantage of the excellent work already being done and avoiding
duplication of effort;
●Inclusion and Equity - ensuring that all populations, including special populations (low-
income families, Latinx, LGBTQ, families with disabilities, families outside the school
system, including preschool, homeschool and the informal childcare sector) are
provided for in terms of programming
●Outcomes - all elements of the Project will be evaluated annually, in order to report to
City Council, the public and to partners, looking at changes in behaviors and attitudes,
The case for prevention to address substance use and abuse:
Research shows that the most effective actions that can be taken to prevent substance use
and abuse take place in both the school and family environments, and are both universal
(everyone in population) and also targeted to at-risk and under-served individuals and groups.
6
2
Risk and protective factors contribute to the initiation, maintenance, and escalation of alcohol,
tobacco, and illicit drug use. These factors - which include lack of parental supervision,
academic problems, undiagnosed mental health problems, peer substance use, drug
availability, poverty, peer rejection, and child abuse or neglect - are associated with increased
likelihood of youth substance use and abuse. Risk factors that occur during early childhood
further increase the risk of youth substance abuse.
On the other hand, multiple protective factors such as parental support and involvement,
parental resilience, social connections, concrete support for parents and knowledge of
parenting and of child and youth development can reduce, and even eliminate, the impact of
even the strongest risk factors.
Aspen Family Connections already provides access to children, youth and families
across multiple settings
The Aspen School District provides the largest point of access to the majority of children, youth
and families within the Aspen area, and, crucially, is home to Aspen Family Connections, the
school-based family resource center, established in 2016 by a significant partnership led by
Pitkin County Department of Human Services, Aspen School District and 15 other child and
youth-serving agencies and nonprofits.
Aspen Family Connections now works directly with dozens of local families, helping them to
find and navigate local resources, services and providers to that will, in turn, assist them in
managing challenges and change, with a goal of self-sufficiency. AFC operates on the basis
of constant collaboration, involving multiple partners to support families and share service
delivery and planning, and AFC is just one part of a significant continuum of intervention
support for families that includes Pitkin County DHS Adult and Family Services, Mind Springs
Health, The Buddy Program, YouthZone and other judicial and youth-serving partners.
However, from the outset, AFC was also tasked with delivering universal prevention services,
and their efforts to do so, created a range of events focused on informing and educating
families on a range of topics (from vaping and marijuana, to building resilience, coping with
social media, and co-parenting through divorce and Spanish-language parenting education -
among numerous others). For two years these events have received a very positive reception
and have been well-attended, demonstrating an appetite within the community for parenting
education, information and for families coming together to support each other.
7
3
Prevention in Schools
Our schools provide a key venue for social and
emotional learning, in order to help students
navigate the world more effectively. The Aspen
School District is in the process of adopting the
CASEL framework which has identified five core
competencies: self awareness, self-management,
social awareness, relationship skills and
responsible decision-making. This work will
directly complement and inform the work of the
AFC Prevention Initiative and the community’s
overall prevention objectives that the Initiative will
deliver. In addition, the School District currently
employs a prevention specialist who works
primarily within the Aspen Middle School, delivering the LifeSkills curriculum to students and
school counselors in all schools who provide some group prevention activities.
Prevention beyond the Schools
The activities of Aspen Family Connections are deliberately not restricted to the School
District, but works County-wide, and AFC has access to a wide range of other settings within
the community, including other schools, preschools and, through work with many partners and
families beyond the School District.
Of these, Early Childhood is one of the first and most important opportunities for substance
abuse prevention. Aspen Family Connections has a close and supportive relationship with
KidsFirst and is already working on plans for a program of prevention/intervention directed at
young families and providers of childcare and early childhood education. This will build upon
the important existing frameworks of Pyramid Plus and TS Gold, as well as the existing
services provided by the Family Visitor Program, Community Health, Aspen Valley Hospital,
Colorado Preschool Program and others. The AFC Prevention Initiative will ensure that young
families and the early childhood provider community are placed at the forefront of prevention
service delivery and activities,
AFC Prevention Initiative
Key elements and activities:
8
4
Early Childhood prevention: (families as target):
●Parenting Education - working mainly with groups, incorporating the work of KidsFirst,
Family Visitor Program, Community Health, faith-based organizations and other social
entities, using numerous venues and generating new opportunities for education and
contact with parents.
●A coherent , evidence-based curriculum/program (e.g., The Incredible Years) to be
used as much as possible across agencies and providers, which will require training of
trainers but include a range of venues and modalities such as home-based family
coaching.
●Spanish-language parenting and provider education (maybe using models already
adopted by other partners in the valley, e.g., Valley Settlement Project, including
training community members as trainers and facilitators, and home-based learning
opportunities.
Elementary and Middle School prevention (families as target):
●Parenting Education, expanding the existing AFC program and building into it a greater
coherence with the School District’s CASEL framework, at an age at which children
become more aware and autonomous - teaching parents how to set clear expectations
and rules against the use of drugs and alcohol, reinforce positive behavior, engage in
effective family management practices and nurture a close and caring relationship with
their children.
●Expansion of AFC program beyond school district families and in additional settings.
Middle and High School prevention: (teens as target)
●Creation of a Youth Advisory Group (meeting a significant community deficit in terms of
youth empowerment and Youth Voice), using an evidence-based model to engage,
recruit, train, and manage the activities of the Group.
●The Youth Advisory Group will feed into, and take a lead in the development of youth
prevention and engagement activities targeted at substance use prevention and
reduction.
●Youth Advisory Group will develop skills of civic engagement and can provide input in a
range of public forums (City Council, Pitkin Public Health).
●Convening of more group prevention activity (eg an Alateen-type Group, for children 9-
19, who are relatives or friends of people suffering from substance use disorder and deal with the
issues that are affecting them in some way.
9
5
●Identification and involvement of young people who may not be part of the school
district.
●Working with local partners to build up prosocial activities for teens.
●Build activities to support existing school initiatives around truancy prevention, youth
employment and alternative paths.
10
PITKIN COUNTY CONTINUUM OF SUPPORT, RESOURCE-SHARING AND COLLABORATIVE WORK FOR AT-RISK YOUTH AND FAMILIES
UNIVERSAL PREVENTION SERVICES, RESOURCES AND ACTIVITIES
•School-based supports, social/emotional curriculums, counseling, school-based health center and substance abuse prevention activity
•Community based programs provided by partner organizations such as The Buddy Program, Response, Aspen Youth Center, Aspen Recreation
Department, and many others
•Family/parenting prevention/support programs including AFC's program of parenting education and support, KidsFirst programs, Family Visitor support for
new families etc.
ASPEN FAMILY CONNECTIONS (AFC) AND
FAMILY RESOURCE CENTER OF RFSD
CMP Services for referred families
•Family meetings and Individualized
Service and Support teams
•Case management
•Colorado Community Response (CCR)
•Connection/referral to a wide range of
community resources and providers
focused on youth and needs and goals,
funding support
DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES
Services for referred families:
•Case management
•PA3 Prevention
•Core Services providing funding and
referral to providers
•CMP Family Engagement Meetings
(individualized service and support
teams for families.
•Economic Services
•Therapeutic, parenting support, life
skills and substance services
JUVENILE JUSTICE/YOUTHZONE
Services for referred families
•Diversion/deferred sentencing
•SB 94 Services and Assessment
Meetings (SAMS) for which
delinquent youth are screened in
as eligible. Standing team meets
monthly or as needed
•Case Management and SB94
funding support
COLLABORATIVE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM (CMP)
MULTI-AGENCY FAMILY MEETINGS AND PROGRAMS OVERSEEN BY THE PITKIN COUNTY INTER-AGENCY OVERSIGHT GROUP (IOG)
REFERRAL PATHWAY
Child Welfare referral: 1-844-264-5437
Prevention referral: (970)-429-6122
MORE INTENSIVE SCHOOL-BASED INTERVENTION AND SERVICES
•Wide range of Special Education support services
•Programs and groups to support at-risk children, prevent truancy, provide academic support, substance abuse counseling etc.
•Referrals for mental health concerns to school-based counselors and therapists and outside providers
REFERRAL PATHWAY
AFC: (970) 205 7025
and via schools/partners/community
REFERRAL PATHWAY
Via law enforcement/judicial process
11
PITKIN COUNTY IOG PARTNERS IN THE COLLABORATIVE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM (CMP)
•Pitkin County Department of Health and Human Services
•9th Judicial District
•9th Judicial District Department of Probation
•Colorado Department of Youth Services
•Aspen School District
•Roaring Fork School District
•Pitkin County Department of Public Health
•Mind Springs Health
•RESPONSE
•The Buddy Program
•Kids First
•YouthZone
•S.B.94
•Mountain Family Health Centers
•Aspen Police Department
GLOSSARY OF KEY TERMS
CMP: The Collaborative Management Program is a State-funded, collective community approach to serving children/youth with complex
needs through a tailored integrated approach and with child, youth and family engagement in planning, services and solutions.
SB 94: is a statewide grant initiative that provides alternatives to detention for youth, ages 10 to 17, involved in the juvenile ju stice system
PA3: Program Area 3 allows the Department of Human Services to provide preventative services to prevent abuse/neglect or alleviate the
need for involvement/further involvement in the Child Welfare system.
IOG: Interagency Oversight Group consists of all the agency partners (listed above) that oversee the CMP P rogram.
12
13
14
15
16
17
sF
mwm
O w
w o LL F m
O o z O Q O
Z ? FU U ajZaz E LL > Oufffillw = oz¢
r- ' m icnwui< f'-p F u O Z Y....•
F- z LL ¢
U m W Z F- Z W V) u J
Oa OQ -
F- Nz oin - w (D O r rj Q Q mF- )ipzmUOz ¢ ~ zzm ~' SOU ti W
Z O 0 V••
aa zoo (xiw C ao 0 a
LLJ
w Z O F a
1
zm u=
irw- gW mF- 3Oa0v=i = JO w LLO
o pLLU' w ¢ w < d (-) Z— ~ O ~ SO m Q
0_ w w O/••••
H W x O Z Q m F- m m m o W w W C O Z
V
Vl F- W ria •........... .
O y N a w M O
z p
0 LU O a p w }p} O w o Ot~i
Y C p n G 0 0 H co O>
D:''
Iffy*1{,
ZO > OO J j § 0 > UF- F- w moo U fl• O N 00 W
VL)
O m
G O O (n }
w3 (
n 0UmO > NNS. N 2 LL
0 z HW C) FHF- (n nU ¢ w = xz Q o 0 F
p W ZUU W JSZ ¢ x W W SUH_ O >i " N I
O K F-
Z O F- W
O U O W S W twyyi = ~ Q Q ~ ~ } - F-
M O O N N C m
m
3 0 J = U O
Z 2 F F-
30 ---'i _FLLU O
D O o
wn o O LL
O W W u
ti wWC LL LL Q O w Z
d W o _ F- Hn- J W ZF- W
oa UJpZ VAS 61 N
m CW W
JO
F- m U w U tL
C J O Z 3
2f 0 U
W W ~
O O o U ¢ = x Q o Z x 0 Y K >
w J N O H LL O
O U ¢ J - XOofwaoaw ~ Ow0 } a+ V) o O u Z Q Z O
O O W rLLJaWwwwmwwxzw W Uma ¢ a
ai
O
O o.
II a ALU
LU w o O O z W< CL Ow F-
Z _
N Z U 2 w CLO)L
Z 2 0
UN t- Oma = w ¢ x w U O ¢ w x X C x < m -
W
30LLU0E- 3FOf ( WM = WWCL 0 LL 0 F O LL O s Z
Q
IJ
r }
m a w 0 Q > O _w ti C
O U
Z
m Y o _ W J
LL
N r ¢ h N w w
x cc a F- 0 W J
sW
V
C
o V) 9 w R W U 3 ? 0 Z U z W W
V
Y LL F- - Z V) LL cr d
Z L.
rr LL O ¢ O - g Q O U W W m U ¢ J J Q > moi' O
w H Q
0 J Z W
W O 1.
Zm W _
LLFLL ELF- MF- ,D =)
F vl
m O z ¢ UO J27 LL O W zw w F- w w o w 2 z D ot1 C
U ro ¢ W = mw
LUwQLUw < zoL) mor 0 O ivi 2 p 0 0 QU' p W C
o Q W oaf tea-- wU F- nON CC X C U 2 LL Q a LU
F w
Ln
a Z Q u LL
0. A Z
O
LLo mOW < Ew° omm w OJ ' U 0 0 0 w Z m i Z =
n } LL
O woo 0OV) O M3: mowZROO a D V. K
0_ h F-
Z m ~ wwa Wco
0 ¢ F-
xwxZofw ~ w O w Z 0 0 0 T O Z C
0 mMooOww Q ¢ > w > > LL O Y p )= O p p F
0 - = oi
18