Good morning, everyone.

I want to call the Health and Human Development Committee to order for December the 11th at 9 08 a.m.

Madam Clerk, will you please call the role?

Alder Woman Thais.

Vice Chair Odenberg.

Alder Woman Sonny.

Present.

Alder Woman Cox Anthony.

Present.

Chair Boyd.

Present.

Alder Woman Thays.

Vice Chair Odenberg.

We have three presents.

Thank you so much.

Could we have approval minutes for Thursday, November the 13th?

So moved.

Second.

Clerk, could you call the roll, please?

Alder Woman Times.

Vice Chair Odenberg.

Alder Woman Sonny.

Aye.

Alder Woman Cox Anthony.

Aye.

Chair Boyd.

Aye.

Thank you.

So we have no board bills to review or resolutions to review our committee discussion.

Is uh mayor appointments to the mental health board.

And the candidates that we have are uh Miss Kerr is it Miss Carl Jackson and the other one?

I'm trying to look at the resumes.

Is Carol Jackson and Miss Schmidt?

Schmidt.

Neither one is online at the moment.

Oh okay, because I was trying to look, and I got the curl Jackson, but I didn't have the other one.

Okay.

Donna Schmidt.

Yeah, and neither one is online at the moment.

Okay.

So that's who we're waiting on.

Now I do know the information was sent out.

So their emails were sent out to them for them to sign up.

So we can give them a few minutes.

Did we have any written testimony for any of the uh mayor appointments?

We have none.

Okay.

Now Iri did receive a uh letter of recommendation from Audow Woman Tyers from Ms.

Jackson.

And uh she did say she's in support of her to the mental health board.

So if she pops in, then we can do that.

I didn't hear anything about Donna Schmid.

Wait a minute, hold on.

She said they do not have the link.

So do you all have their emails?

Um they were supposed to get the link.

So SLTV, uh, they send the links, correct?

Right.

Okay.

Let me find the information of the clerk.

So you want to do a five-minute research recess till we can get them the links.

That's fine by me.

Okay.

All right.

So SLTV will do a five-minute recess till we can get the links to those uh appointees.

Okay.

All right, thank you.

I need to make a motion to go into recess.

I'd like to make a motion for the health and human development committee to go into recess for 10 minutes.

Second.

Previous role.

Thank you so much, ladies.

Thank you, everyone, for your patience.

And now we're back on track.

So I call to order health and human development committee meeting for December the 11th, uh 929.

We're backing up from recess.

Yeah, that's what I said.

We're back from recess.

Okay, we'll make a motion.

Will somebody make a motion to start re-activate the meeting?

I'm so moved.

Second.

Okay.

So uh now we have would you do roll call?

Alder Woman Times.

Present.

Vice Chair Odenberg.

Audible woman Sonier.

Automan Cox Anthony.

Present.

Auto Woman Mateur Boy.

Present.

And Madam Clerk, Auto Woman Sonnyes needs to be moved to the panelists.

I'm trying to I'm trying to I'm trying to move her over.

I don't know what's going on with the internet.

Okay.

Okay, she's over.

All right.

Thank you.

Thank you, everyone, for your patience.

And so now we will have Miss Donna Schmid.

She will is a candidate for uh recommendations for the mayor's mental health board.

And so uh Ms.

Schmidt, did you want to speak?

Um sure, yes.

Um thank you for having me, and I want to uh express my thanks and uh and honor that it has been for me to serve on the mental health board in the past.

I have prop, I have been on the board almost 10 years, I believe, and um I'm currently serving as the chair person.

Um my background is I am an attorney at Armstrong Teesdale.

Um my practice area is intellectual property if it is non-patent um related.

Um I have lived in uh St.

Louis since I came here to law school, and um, so that was in the 90s, so that shows how old I am, and uh I love my city.

So I uh looked for an opportunity where I could give back to the city of St.

Louis.

Um mental health and children are something that I've always been supportive of.

Um I I have a daughter with anxiety, um, and I have friends who have had various different types of mental health issues, and I know how important it is to get services, and not everyone has that access.

Um, of course, um children are uh important to everyone.

I have two myself, um, but I volunteer when I can to um assist with various children's charities, and this was an opportunity for me to give to the city and also what it has given back to me, what I have learned about my city um has been um extremely uh eye-opening.

Um it has uh really shown me the goodness that we have in our city, the needs that we have in our city, but we also have the wonderful people here who who work diligently every day uh to give back.

And so I would love to continue to serve on the mental health board, and I'm happy to answer any questions you may and so at this time I'll ask the committee if they have any questions.

Uh Autobahn Thais.

Good morning, Miss Schmidt.

How are you this morning?

I'm good, thank you.

Great.

Now I heard you say you are you still practicing at Armstrong Strong Teesdale?

I am.

Okay, and uh when did you graduate from law school?

91.

That's a young person.

I graduated from law school in 87, so we're a young person.

So that's the first thing I want to say.

Please don't say you're old, okay?

My neighbor lived to be 103, and he told me you do not get old until you're 90.

So we got plenty of time, okay?

That's right.

Okay.

So um you you I um so just want to get that out of the way.

You said that you uh are currently the chair of the mental health board.

How long have you been the chair?

Um, it is a uh two-year term, and so this is my second year.

Okay, so there's been some other and how long have you been on the board?

Uh 10 years.

Before I was chair, I was the vice chair, and then before that, I was the treasurer.

So we we kind of have a system where we bring people onto the the uh executive committee as an officer and then move up so that you learn about all of the committees and and all of the processes, and then um serve as chair for two years.

That's a good idea.

That's the way we used to have it at the board of all of them, that it makes much more sense than bringing all new people in who don't know what they're doing and trying to act like that they do.

So that's the lawyer in you.

Um we could use more at the board.

You ever thought about running for office?

No, no, no.

So um can you tell me a little bit about the uh mental health board and what you do, please?

And I know kind of, but for people who might be watching.

Sure.

So the mental health board was established to um manage property taxes that are assessed in the city that are allocated toward mental health services and children's services.

So there is a allocation, and I don't know the exact pennies, but there's certain amount that is allocated on we collect from property taxes.

And for those for this for the mental health portion, that's to serve all ages.

Um and it is governed by the Missouri statute, and we collect, I would say, between two and three million dollars a year in that fund.

And the children's services fund is a higher one.

That is also a statutory um entity animal, and it's governed by it tells us what we can and cannot grant monies for.

And that we collect, I think closer to 10 million dollars a year.

And so basically we also have the preschool tax that was passed in the last several years.

We minister that, and that is a smaller amount.

That's a about a million and a half a year.

What we do is we have uh RFP for grant applications that go out.

Um, we do those on a three-year rotating basis.

We have staff that will put those uh RFPs out, they will hold meetings to make sure that all of the um entities that would be uh eligible to apply, understand that they are eligible, understand the restrictions on what they can apply for.

Um, then they submit those grants.

We also have people who will sit down and help them write their grant.

We don't want anyone to be um excluded because they may not have the an the expertise that others have.

So we we give um then we then review those grants, uh, make sure that they fit within the focus of what we can give, and then we also do needs assessments periodically with those needs assessments.

We can then categorize where we want to try to focus for the next several years of grants to make sure that we're reaching a the diversity of people in um in need and um and make sure that we're focusing on the areas of the city that need help um for certain things over others.

Um those grants then are granted and we enter into contracts.

We then also have a system where they have reporting to report all of their results.

Uh we have our staff that will go out and meet with them annually.

They also will meet with them and help them fill out their reports to make sure that they understand what their reporting obligations are.

The board also has taken on some federal grants, like from SAMHSA, and uh in a few situations, we have been a pass-through for the city um for a grant as well, because we have uh a very good system in place for these issuing RFPs, helping people fill out grants, helping people report their results from those grants, et cetera.

Um we're also there to do other extra things as they come along.

Um we have people who serve on the violence prevention committee.

Um we try to make sure that our uh executive director and people participate in community activities so that we know what's going on in our community beyond just what um we get through grant requests and needs assessments.

Okay, and um also are you a resident of the city?

Oh, yes, all of the board members must be a city resident, and we try to have board members from different areas of the city.

I live in St.

Louis Hills.

Okay.

And you said something about trying to have inclusion from different parts.

How do you do that?

What what kind of activities do you do to make sure that you're uh reaching somebody, say I represent the Ville Greaterville who maybe has a program in that area and may need some of the grant money.

How how is it how is the contact made or how is the notice made to those people that might be doing that?

Well, um, we are our uh staff members actually go out into the community and go attend meetings.

And um I'm sorry that I'm not more well versed on specifically where they go, but I do know that they they have connections with the schools, uh, with the churches, with the other um uh entities that um we already work with.

Um they serve on um they go and attend like mental health commission meetings, and so where all of the entities will come together to make sure that we have a presence and that everyone knows about this opportunity.

Um yeah, I think I think the mental health board is is fairly well known um in the city among all of the entities that um would want uh to put in money, but we also are always doing that community outreach.

We have some activities that we plan.

Um there was uh like we did a sidewalk talk event uh on Delmar where we had people trained to listen to mental health issues and anyone who wanted to just stop by to talk.

Um, and that coordinated with that whole area up there um doing um various activities.

We've done some other things where we sponsored an event at the Magic House uh makerspace, and that whole street was having activities that day.

So we we're there, we'll set up booths, we'll make sure that we have information to hand out to people at different events.

Okay, and um so is it that I'm trying to think.

Is it you that put out do you do like a yearly report on what you guys have been doing?

Is that from you or is that from somebody else?

Do you know about that?

Any kind of report that you do?

Well, we do an annual um, we do it send out an annual report.

Right.

I think the board of alderman gets it.

That's okay.

Okay.

Um, and um I don't really have any other questions because you I like the way that you talk about going through the steps so that people get to learn.

You start, you train a few people at a time.

You and I like that you have different people being the chairs every so often so that there's not one person there.

I like that.

Um, so I appreciate your answers.

I don't have any further questions.

Absolutely.

And I'll say I learned a lot too from Carolyn Jackson because she was our chair in the past.

So our chairs really don't leave either.

They they keep their experience on the board, which is nice.

I agree.

I believe in experience.

I know for a fact it makes a big difference.

Uh, the difference of when I got elected to the board in 1991 and the board that I see now is amazing.

Okay.

And when you put people in charge that really don't have haven't had training, it's not their fault.

It's the leadership's fault that does something like that.

You really shouldn't do that.

You the whole point of having diversity and and different people is so you have different ideas when you try to close it down and make it so that other people with different ideas are not included or not in part of the leadership, you get a dictatorship.

So I appreciate what you're doing.

And I really like the part about reaching out to different parts of the city.

Thank you for your service.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Audible Tyus.

And so uh out of woman Son Yay.

Did you have any questions?

Yes, thank you for your service on the board and for your interest in continuing that service.

Uh, my first question is what from your time there on the mental health board, what gaps do you observe between the mental health needs of St.

Louis and what the board is doing and just areas of room for me.

Well, there are always going to be gaps because we always have requests for a lot more funds than we have.

Um so there are so many needs that need to be addressed, but we can only address so many based upon our needs, the uh the funds that we have.

Um I think that the board does a good job of reevaluating.

We just went through and did a new strategic plan.

Um we just recently, within the last two years had a needs assessment that we uh did in concert with the St.

Louis County Children's Fund as well, so that we could, you know, use our synergies and pay for one big search.

But um, I think always trying to make sure that we're addressing what people need today and thinking long term.

We try to make sure that we're addressing mental health needs, but we're also looking at after school care.

We're looking at supporting families.

Um, and I think staying on top of things as they change and making sure that we're flexible.

Um is it's not a gap, but it's a continual gap.

It's always something that you're learning to make sure that we're doing better.

Um during COVID, um, we made a point of releasing funds from reserves to make sure that the entities that we had funded had computers to set up things by Zoom and have virtual meetings and to provide continue to provide those services in a in a completely new environment.

Um of the biggest gaps I think we see, especially in um preschool care is lack of trained teachers.

Um it's hard to get teachers.

There are some places that may have seats available that they could take more children, but they don't have staff uh to take care of them.

And that's something that with the preschool funds, it's very limited on what we can give it to, but we try to look into how can we support and retain those teachers so that we have more spots available for children.

And along those lines, when you all are reviewing, you know, programs and things, how do you balance between funding kind of new innovative programming versus sustaining existing programming?

It's great.

It's a hard thing to do, but it's something that we actually talk about all the time.

And we just talked about it in our strategic plan.

In the environment right now with federal funds being very limited.

Yes.

We're like, what do we need to do?

And we want to make sure that we focus on basic needs, the basic health mental health care needs and child services needs that we need to continue, but we never want to not be able to look at something new.

And so we have an emerging needs fund and we have a um kind of a we're looking, we always have some small entities that we want to make sure we try to fund as well, because it's important to have people who are in the in the neighborhood, um, providing services in their neighborhood.

And that's why our staff is there to help them fill out those grant reports to help them know how to report their results.

And so even though we have um larger entities like Washington University may be funded, um we also have a lot of small entities because we do want to they have real experience that that we want to make sure reaches people too.

Thank you.

And my last question is just when you guys are reviewing, you know, all the applications for funding, especially giving the cuts that are actively happening and have happened at the state and federal level.

Do how do you make sure that you're having equitable investments across neighborhoods throughout the city, across populations, across age range?

What does that look like?

That balance.

Yeah, and that that's uh something that I think our system is as good because we've been around so long.

Um the staff working with the board, we set priorities and then we will set them in various categories that we want to address um, you know, homing housing insecurity when we address um child, you know, abuse and and violence.

We want to address um after school.

We want to so we have categories and they're all so then we divide up kind of the funds and say we want to make sure that we put buckets.

So we put something in all these different buckets.

Then when we do the grants themselves, we definitely look at where are they located.

We want to make sure that we're covering different areas of the city and that we focus on areas that that need more because needs assessments will show certain areas need more than others.

And so we will um make sure that we try to balance all of those things when we're looking at covering all of the different types of needs that we have to cover, but also making sure that we look and we have different areas of the city covered that needed them up.

Okay, um, that concludes my questions.

Just thank you again for your interest and service in serving, Ms.

Donna.

And I'm sure folks on the I've gotten to see some of the meetings sometimes and seeing some of you.

So I'm glad that you want to continue your service.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Okay, thank you.

Ottawa Massonier, Autoaman Cox Answe.

Uh, thank you again for being here this morning.

Um, I will echo my colleagues and thanking you for your service thus far and also your interest in continuing your service.

Uh, they asked you really great questions, which I found very informative to me.

Um, so I appreciate your thorough responses.

Um, and I have no further questions.

Thank you again.

Thank you.

Uh I I had a question.

You it's uh Ms.

Schmidt, you had talked about um teachers and the challenges uh in regards to the teachers to for the funding and stuff.

And so organization that I work with, they have the challenge of people wanting to be teachers to work with children with special needs.

And so do you all see that a lot, or do you see a way that we can how we can recruit more teachers?

Um one we we don't work a lot with with teachers in the in the public school system as far as their education.

We work in the public school system a lot.

So we we partner with the schools to provide programs.

Um what I was uh alluding to was with um preschool care.

Um, and so in that situation, and we have to look at what the federal what the guidelines are for our funding.

And so there's only certain things we can fund.

We can't, like in preschool, we can't fund tuition, but we can fund um training.

We can fund those sorts of things.

So, yes, we do look at training and lots of different opportunities, not just um meetings.

Sometimes I think I know we've looked at um like a system that provides some online access to different types of training too, um, to allow teachers to to access those.

Um, so I think is as far as we can within our focus, um, because we're always very careful about making sure we stay within our guidelines.

Um, we are looking to support teachers.

There are some programs too that some of the uh when we look at the grants, they incorporate best practice models that are there to help teachers.

So there are some I know we've been looking at that that um address training for teachers on how to um manage the classroom discipline.

Um there's there's new programs that are they're out all the time, and so we may fund a grantee who incorporates those programs into their services.

Okay, uh I thought I saw thought I saw Alderman Aldridge.

Is she still on?

Okay, uh Miss Jackson, you had your hand up.

Did you have a question?

Oh, you're talking, Carolyn.

I don't have probably no more than I.

No, that's not true.

I don't have a question.

I wanted to uh let you know I am on listening, and that I could also maybe answer any questions that are being asked.

Okay, we you're up next after we get her voted.

Then you're on, Swiss.

Okay.

And I let them know I let them know, Carolyn, that I have a meeting at 10 that I have to join for work.

Okay, yeah.

So that's how she got on first, Carol, because she said she had a meeting.

So we said, okay, let's get her done so we can get you situated.

Okay, I'm uh also uh in the classroom setting.

So I'll wait my turn.

All right, thank you so much.

Okay, on that note, uh I'll ask for a motion to accept Miss Donna Schmidt as on a mental health board.

I have a question.

So what board is what ward is she coming from?

I was just gonna ask.

I said, No, I'm not gonna ask that.

What ward are you in, Miss Schmidt?

Oh, um, I'm in St.

Louis Hills.

Is that 19?

No.

No, uh, they used to be 16, and I think that's Brett.

Is that Brett and Ryan?

Or Tom Oldenberg.

Tom Oldenburg.

Tom Oldenberg.

Okay.

So you're in time in the second ward.

Is he supporting her?

I don't want to be uh stepping on toes, okay.

Yeah, he is.

He supports her ties, yes, ma'am.

You know, I don't believe in that.

Right, yeah.

So yeah, we made sure he supporting her.

Okay.

All right.

So could I get a motion to move second roll call, please?

Previous role.

All right.

Wait a minute.

I don't think we can because I don't think all the woman Sonya was on the the previous role.

No, she was okay.

So roll call.

Auto woman ties.

Aye.

Vice Chair Odenberg.

Audible Masone.

Hi.

Audder woman cox answer.

Aye.

Chair Boy.

I we have four I votes.

Okay, you've been accepted and voted on.

So congratulations, Miss Donna.

You are back on again for the grind.

I think we have to point a order.

I think don't we have to send it to committee?

Doesn't it go to committee?

For we're the committee.

I mean, I'm sorry, so go to the board.

Right.

Okay.

Yeah, to accept it.

Yes, ma'am.

You probably keep her straight, Autoboman Ties.

You won't put it.

I'm a rules person.

Can I find so the process, she's right.

Auto woman ties is correct.

So once we accept you, then we'll report it out.

Then the board will vote on it.

Yeah.

And I think I didn't do the the oath too.

So I've done that a couple times.

I want to thank you.

I want to thank you for allowing me to continue.

Oh, you welcome.

I I just need people to understand people that you don't know everything.

You can't remember everything.

Today was one of those kooky days, and we were trying to get the thing lined up, but you're correct.

We were supposed to swear you in.

Yeah.

Okay.

Okay.

Thank you, Matthew, Rosalind.

Okay, let's do a here we go.

Let's do a uh uh after swearing in.

Right.

You can ask, do you do you swear that everything you testified is the truth and whole truth and nothing but the truth?

That's the swearing in.

Okay.

I do.

Thank you.

All right.

So Miss Carlin, you're next.

Bye-bye.

Thank you for you're welcome.

So let's swear you in first, Miss Carly.

Okay.

Do you swear to tell the truth the whole truth?

So I help you guys.

Yes, I do.

Could you state your name and what ward you're in?

I'm my name is Carolyn A.

Jackson, and I just happened to be in Sharon Tyus' ward.

The 12th ward.

I was like, do you know the number?

Oh, I'm sorry, okay.

Because she was there.

I wanted to give her support.

Um, and it's I have been living in that area since 1983, and she is the only all the person's ever called me to check on me to see what's going on and what my interest.

So I appreciate that.

Uh so I guess I'm showing a little favoritism there.

That's okay.

We love that.

We love when residents do that.

So don't take it away.

Keep it.

Yeah.

And she listened to me as I was talking because I always have something to say about my community.

And she was an excellent listener, and that's important.

Um I I'm sitting in uh a uh classroom now.

I work at Confluence, so it's going to be some interruptions.

I told them I would be off the phone by 10 o'clock.

However, uh, they can tell I'm still on the phone, and the students are actually listening to the conversation because you're not hearing any noise, and that's strange.

But I'm Carolyn Jackson.

I have served on the MHB board over 10 years.

I don't can't remember the exact number, but it's over 10 years because it's not a chore.

That's why I can't remember the years.

I am from Pruitt I go.

So in St.

Louis City, I'm from the Prue and I go, went to Blueett School, then moved in the area by LaCleed School, which is the greatest school in the St.

Louis area.

For those of us who are originally from St.

Louis, LaCleede School had the highest test scores of students.

When I was in school there, I was sent to private school when I left LaCleed School because of the test scores and that preparation they gave me, as well as my mother gave me in preparing for education.

I'm on that.

I want to be on that mental health board because of the impact you can make by being on the board.

Uh, as an advocate for mental health, we see problems going on all the time in our community.

We see the single women raising two and three kids, half of the kids are not theirs or somebody else's child, and they got to re raise and take care of.

I encountered children here that have uh medical concerns because of their household's lifestyle.

And so when I sit on this board, when I'm reviewing their proposals, they're being submitted, and one of the older persons asks questions how do you know you're awarding the grants to the right area?

Well, we come from all the areas in the area of the city of St.

Louis, and I can read and say, okay, now wait a minute.

I'm familiar with this part of North St.

Louis or this part of South St.

Louis.

They have a great need to help.

There's a large immigrant population coming in.

Uh, there are a lot of crime in the area.

So anytime you have a lot of crime and a lot of people who are foreign to the area, uh, there's some mental concerns going on.

And we have people who have health care concerns as well in our community because they don't want to take care of the health, especially women who have to raise children, the grandparents are raising children.

They don't want to take care of the health, they want to take care of their children.

And so we have all of these concerns in our communities that we have to help.

And we got to start helping them when they're very young.

And uh, you got to start helping them when they're in preschool, and you got to start helping them when their uh parents have to go to work and leave them in the house.

There gotta be programs out there to protect the children in our community.

So that's my I want to let you know I am from Pruitt I go, 2230 Cass Avenue.

Uh apartments on the second floor.

And when they tore the uh Pruitt I go down, right before they tore down, we moved in the area by LaCleed School, and the street was called Terry Avenue, 5800 block of Terry.

So I'm a product of the area, and so I see what's going on and see some improvement and see very little improvement.

When that tornado came through our area, that that caused even greater concerns for our community.

That tornado was a sign we need to get out there and do something to help our people because sometimes our people don't know how to help each other or help themselves, so it's our responsibility to get out there and help those individuals that are there.

When my neighbor, the shingles game off the side of her building where she lives, because they were her mother had put shingles up, and she moved in a mother's house when the tornado came, they tore down some of the shingles, not a lot.

And so when she called me and said, You see what happened?

I said, you know, it's not that bad.

Because there are people who lost their homes.

You can live in your house.

You just got two or three shingles that are falling off.

So we just need to call the services are out there to help people like you who have smaller um concerns regarding that tornado impact.

And my house is on the other side of hers, so she took the blow, and I didn't get the blow.

But we need to get involved in helping each other, and that's very important.

So thank you so much.

That was powerful.

We appreciate that.

We appreciate that.

Uh was were you complete?

Had you completed your statement?

Uh yes, I didn't mean to say that much, but yeah, that's okay.

You're fine.

We can see the compassion and in you and Miss Donna.

Both of you all have compassion to sit on that board.

So thank you.

So uh Miss Tyus, which I don't have to ask because I got a long email in regards to you, Miss Jackson.

I just want you to know.

And so she gave you an overwhelming support, and then she called me and said, Did you get my email?

I said, Yeah, I sent you a response.

I didn't get it.

Well, I'm gonna get out and make sure I was like, okay, fine.

So she you have an advocate here.

So I just want you to know.

Miss Thais, do you have any questions for I don't?

I just want to have a statement to say.

Uh, I really appreciate the statement she made about me calling.

I really do try to reach out to my constituents, but I listened to her because just what you're hearing now is the fire and the compassion and the concern that I heard on the telephone that I already knew of her because I have supported her a nomination before, but she was under another older person.

So I feel very lucky to be sponsoring Miss Carolyn Jackson as a uh a return member to the mental health board.

I think that the board is nothing but lucky to have her.

I have no question.

Uh Miss Alder Woman Sonye, do you have anything?

You uh thank you for your service and serving on the board.

Um, you kind of alluded to some of the questions that I asked before, but I am um just curious about what you would perceive as um gaps that exist within the mental health space and a board and just rooms for um rooms for improvement.

Okay, a very good question.

Um it's always the funding concern.

There's sometimes not enough funds to fund all the great uh proposals that have been submitted.

Uh, and that is always a concern because if we can't fund them or give them enough money to run their programs, they're not going to be impactful to that community or that program.

So that's always a concern.

Um the staff with the mental health board staff are great, well educated, uh, well uh group of educated women and men who go out to the community to help those who need help.

Not all agencies can hire grant writers.

And and when I can tell this is not written by a professional grant writer, I'm going to try to support that agency if I know that agency is doing good work.

Uh, and so in terms of gaps, one is lack not enough money to fund uh the fear even more funds would be cut uh from the agency or less tax dollars would come in.

Um at one time, uh, when we would evaluate grants, they receive a percentage, like this is 80% on this grant and 75% on the grant.

And I was always concerned why were they funding a grant that was at 75 percentile or 80 percentile, and I had to serve on the board to see why, and that's because the agency couldn't write the grant.

However, the agency can produce an outcome for that community.

So the major concern would be the funding, not enough funding to fund all those grants that are being submitted.

Okay, thank you.

Yes, ma'am.

Miss Alder Woman Antwee.

Thank you, Miss Jackson.

Uh again for being here today and for your interesting continued service.

Um, I really just want to say I appreciated what you said about the importance of having um people anchored in our community that that can continue to do this work to serve the community.

Um, like Audder Woman Boys said, that is very, very powerful, and we need people like you to remain committed to this service.

So I know you promised your students you would get back to them, so I won't ask any further questions.

But again, I want to say thank you so much for raising your hand and continuing to serve.

Thank you.

And then on that note, I just want to add first, I want to congratulate you because you have a good discipline in your class because you don't hear a peep.

And I think that is sending a fantastic message in our society today.

So good job.

And then uh I'm glad you talked about like the mental illness, but I think people in our communities always looked at that as uh a black thing or or not a black as race, but it was a bad thing, like it was a demon.

So you never would say, you know, something they have mental illness problems.

You would just always make excuses.

And back in the day, they would say, Oh, that's just how Miss So and so is, and she just talked to herself.

Well, no, she had issues, and we didn't want to address those issues.

So that's good.

You want to keep fighting to bring that awareness out.

And then the magic word that you brought that I thought was very good was community, because I keep saying until we go back to community, it's not gonna change as a city, and so it can't be us against them, it has to be communicity as a whole.

So I appreciate you, Miss Jackson.

You you're very exciting, you make people want to listen to you.

You know, all the woman ties.

You said she listened, but you you make people want to listen because they want to know what else you have to say or what else you want to bring to us.

So thank you so much.

And on that note, I'll ask for uh uh recommendation to accept Curlin Jackson as the member of sit on the mental health board.

I move to uh recommend Carolyn Jackson as a return member to the mental health board.

Second, can we have a roll call, please?

Previous roll.

Okay, we got it this time.

So we swore in, we got the voting right, and so now we have taken care of this.

So thank you all, and I appreciate you.

So, do we have any written testimony?

Uh Madam Clerk, okay.

Any announcements?

And then excuse members, uh Alderman Odenberg did notify me that he would be absent today, and on that note, I will ask for a motion to adjourn our meeting.

So moved second.

Okay, thank you all so much.

Great meeting.