A resolution appropriating a grant of $50,000 from the General Fund of the General Services District to Vanderbilt University, acting through The Women's Social Policy and Research Center, for the purpose of conducting a study regarding the impact of healthcare services, transportation services, social services outsourcing, and affordable housing on women in Nashville, Tennessee.

WHEREAS, on June 29, 2004, the Metropolitan County Council adopted Substitute Ordinance No. BL2004-256, the fiscal year 2004-2005 operating budget of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, which included a contribution of $50,000 for a Women's Study Impact Project; and;

WHEREAS, T.C.A. § 7-3-314 enables the Metropolitan Government to appropriate funds for the financial aid of a nonprofit organization which is exempt from taxation pursuant to subsection (c) of § 501 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as amended (sic), provided that such funds appropriated shall be used to promote the general welfare of the residents of Metropolitan Government; and

WHEREAS, Vanderbilt University is a tax exempt organization under the provisions of § 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended; and

WHEREAS, the funds appropriated herein shall be used to promote the general welfare of the residents of Metropolitan Government; and

WHEREAS, Vanderbilt University has filed with the Metropolitan Department of Finance (1) evidence of its tax exempt status under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, (2) a statement of the proposed use of the funds and the program that serves the residents of Metropolitan Government, and (3) a copy of an annual audit of its last fiscal year.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT OF NASHVILLE AND DAVIDSON COUNTY:

Section 1. There is hereby appropriated the sum of Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000) from the General Fund of the General Services District to fund a grant to Vanderbilt University, acting through The Women's Social Policy and Research Center, for the purpose of conducting a study regarding the impact of healthcare services, transportation services, social services outsourcing, and affordable housing on women in Nashville, Tennessee. Said study shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

Health Services Study - Impact of Potential Hospital Closures and TennCare Reform on Nashville Women:
1. Establish a baseline for comparison including (a) the users of Bordeaux and General Hospital; (b) persons eligible for charity services from area hospitals; and (c) what the eligible TennCare population was prior to any TennCare or hospital reforms taking place.
2. Examine the available data on the demographics of Nashville's entire population to determine which subgroups will be affected by (a) TennCare and (b) hospital closures based on assumptions about eligibility, geographic distribution and health services use.
3. Identify the new eligibility criteria for TennCare, as announced by Governor Bredesen, and attempt to determine which subsets of the population of Nashville women will face either loss of health insurance or reduction in health insurance. Further, if data is available, Contractor will analyze the impact on women by race.
4. Estimate the financial impact of TennCare reforms on Metro General and Bordeaux Hospitals based upon the assumption that the hospitals will stay open.
5. With guidance from the Women's Caucus of the Metropolitan Council, examine other options that are available to the population affected by TennCare reforms, and what the net effect on this population would be should Bordeaux and General Hospital close.
6. Dependent on time constraints in completing steps one through five, as a sixth step Contractor will outline the potential impact of TennCare reforms and the closure of Bordeaux and General Hospital on the area's five largest private hospitals, given the constraints and data availability from these hospitals. Contractor will attempt to determine which institutions, if any, will compensate for the loss of health care to the indigent population caused by such changes. Contractor will also attempt to determine the costs to these institutions for such compensation.

Transportation Study:
1. Identify and describe changes in Metro's public transportation services since 2003, including changes in fees and in services provided.
2. Determine the characteristics of the population affected by these changes in relation to the overall population in Nashville, given the constraints of available data.
3. Determine other options that are available to this population.
4. Describe the net effect of these changes on that population.

Housing Study:
1. Examine the distribution of women in Nashville by income, race, and family type, focusing on the distribution of women above and below 80% of the median income in Nashville. ( "Affordable housing" is commonly defined as housing that can be purchased by people earning 80% or less of the median income in Nashville).
2. Determine the amount of income that Nashville women have available to put toward housing based on a cost-of-living analysis for Nashville.
3. Examine the available housing stock in Nashville, including property for sale and for rent, and determine the ability of women to afford the available properties.
4. Examine differences between women and men, and differences between various subgroups of women, in their ability to access affordable housing.
5. Determine whether support services exist to aid women in affording housing, who is eligible for these support services, and who uses these support services.

Social Services Outsourcing Study:
1. Conduct a literature review on the effects of contracting out public programs.
2. Collaborate with the Women's Caucus to identify those programs within the Metro Public Health Department and Metro Social Services Department that are targeted for outsourcing and prioritize which of these programs to study.
3. Identify the services that exist by program, and determine what the total eligible population is for each program.
4. Examine the available data on the demographics of Nashville's entire population to determine which subgroups are eligible to use the programs, and how much of the eligible population is using the programs, given the constraints of available data.
5. If the services are being sufficiently utilized relative to the eligible population, Contractor will conduct highly targeted case studies of the effects of outsourcing in similar jurisdictions that have contracted out social services.
6. If these services are being underutilized, we will examine the underlying reasons for this underutilization.

Section 2. The Metropolitan Government is hereby authorized to enter into a contract with Vanderbilt University, acting through The Women's Social Policy and Research Center, for the amount provided herein for the purposes stated, and the Metropolitan Mayor is hereby authorized to execute said contract. Such contract shall specify the terms and conditions under which the grant funds are to be spent and shall contain a requirement that the grantee shall file with the Director of Finance and with the Metropolitan Clerk a copy of an annual report of its business affairs and transactions and documents relating to the actual expenditures of the funds provided herein.

Section 3. This Resolution shall take effect from and after its adoption, the welfare of The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County requiring it.

Sponsored by: Amanda Mcclendon, Vivian Wilhoite, Brenda Gilmore, Ginger Hausser, Pam Murray, Diane Neighbors, Lynn Williams

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
Referred:	Budget & Finance Committee
Introduced:	February 15, 2005
Adopted:	February 15, 2005
Approved:	February 18, 2005
By: