By Crystal Swann and Liz Kresse
June 19, 2006

Richmond (CA) Mayor Irma L. Anderson, chair of the committee, convened the June 2 meeting of the Children, Health and Human Services Standing Committee. The session focused on two main topics: the Medicare prescription drug benefit and active living best practices.

Lisa Wilson, Health Insurance Specialist with the Intergovernmental Affairs Office, Centers for Medicare and State Operations (CMS), provided an update on the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit, which became effective on January 1. She reported that despite some initial problems with enrollment, as of the May 15, 2006 enrollment deadline, over 36 million eligible seniors have applied for the benefit. Wilson added that the next enrollment deadline is November 15-December 31 and individuals who do not join when they are first eligible may pay a penalty. Further, Wilson noted that the plan contains provisions for low-income individuals who qualify for “extra help” (also called a “low-income subsidy”). These individuals will not pay more than $5 for each prescription and are subject to a special enrollment period. For more information, mayors and their staff can visit the following websites: www.cms.hhs.gov/center/intergovernmental.asp (information for state and local government officials) and www.cms.hhs.gov/States/06_InformationforStateOfficials.asp (state MMA webpage).

Sarah Strunk, Director of the Active Living By Design (ALbD) program at the University of North Carolina School of Public Health, provided an overview of the ALbD grants program, which is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to establish and evaluate innovative approaches that support active living. The program received 966 applications and 25 awards were made to community partnerships in 25 cities nationwide to establish local active living programs. Said Strunk, “Support from mayors can make all the difference” in the success of local programs such as the ones funded by ALbD.

After Strunk’s overview, Santa Ana (CA) Mayor Miguel Pulido and Columbia (MO) Mayor Darwin Hindman — whose cities were both ALbD sites — presented best practices on their respective cities’ ALbD grants. Pulido outlined some of the characteristics of his city that provide opportunities and challenges. Santa Ana — which has 350,000 residents — is the youngest city in the country and the densest city in Southern California. Three-quarters of the city’s youth are overweight or obese and diabetes is a serious problem. However, he noted, the city’s density is “an opportunity to reach out” to residents and make a difference in addressing their health. Some of the highlights of the Santa Ana partnership include the enhancement of the city’s recreational infrastructure through the creation of artificial turf soccer fields and the improvement of the Santa Ana River banks to increase recreational opportunities; creating walking clubs at senior centers and public housing facilities; and the creation of the Santa Ana Health and Fitness Task Force, which offers two awards: the City Council Award and the Mayor’s Award. The City Council Award is for residents who exercise regularly and the Mayor’s Award is intended for elite athletes.

Following Pulido’s presentation, Hindman presented information on Columbia’s active living initiatives. Hindman, who bikes to work every day, is involved in several efforts to promote alternative transportation, improve community walkability and bikeability, and increase physical fitness in Columbia, including the Mayor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Health; Mayor’s Challenge: Bike, Walk and Wheel Week; and the Bicycle Pedestrian Commission. In addition, the mayor, city council, and community partners have been successful in bringing about a number of policies and actions to improve the city’s walkability and bikeability. Some of these include: the adoption of new street construction standards that require narrower roadways and wider sidewalks, pedways, and bike lanes; a new policy that ties trail development to sewer extensions; and the raising of funds to improve the city’s physical and recreational infrastructure through a transportation sales tax, bond issue campaign, and a $25 million federal grant for non-motorized transportation. Hindman stated that promoting active living is a worthwhile pursuit for mayors because in addition to promoting health and a sense of well-being, “active living builds community.” Hindman spoke of having leveraged a grant ($200,000 over 4 years) from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation into a $25 million federal grant from the Department of Transportation and a successful local bond initiative, which generates $4.5 million in revenue for parks and sidewalks.

During the business portion of the meeting, the following resolutions were approved and sent to the full membership of the Conference of Mayors where they became official policy. All resolutions passed.

Reauthorization of Ryan White CARE Act

Supporting and encouraging local partnerships with the Jefferson Awards

Pandemic Preparedness

Health Disparities

Supporting Parkinson’s Awareness

Community Response System Initiative

Increased Funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)