SCOPE plans to offer free services

The SCOPE director said she still disagrees SCOPE was overpaid $90,000.

STAFF REPORT

WARREN — Trumbull County commissioners approved $428,671 in senior services levy money for SCOPE Inc., the nonprofit organization that runs six senior citizen centers in Trumbull County, to run those centers in 2009.

Commissioners approved giving each SCOPE center the same amount in 2009 that it received in 2007 and 2008: $120,000 for the Warren center, $80,000 for both the Niles and Howland centers, $48,422 for the Cortland center, $49,369 for the Champion center, and $50,880 for the Lordstown center.

But Senior Citizens Opportunity for Personal Endeavor also has been told it must make good on $90,000 in overpayments it had received earlier — $5,000 per month starting this month. It will take 18 months to make up the $90,000.

Janet Schweitzer, director of SCOPE, said the organization will perform $5,000 in services per month for free for the next 18 months.

Schweitzer said SCOPE still doesn’t agree that it owes the money, “but there’s not much we can do about it.”

Schweitzer said SCOPE is billing for services under a new rate structure than when the allegations of overbilling were made.

After months of failed negotiations, commissioners sent SCOPE a letter in February ordering the organization to make good on $90,000 they said SCOPE was overpaid for services at senior centers.

Commissioners and the Area Agency on Aging 11, which oversees the levy spending for the commissioners, said SCOPE was billing $33 per hour for items such as line dancing and golf that should have been billed at about $9 per hour.

Last month, Commissioners Frank Fuda and Dan Polivka said they were delaying approval of money to the SCOPE centers until Fuda could meet personally with a few of the people who run specific centers to make sure they understand guidelines attached to using the levy money.

Fuda said this week he had spoken with the manager of the Champion center and feels comfortable that the guidelines will be followed.

He said he had not met with the manager of the Cortland site but still plans to do so.

Fuda said commissioners also had delayed funding for the Girard Multi-Generational Center because the recommendation from the Senior Services Advisory Council was for $28,703 more in 2009 than what the Girard center received in 2007 and 2008.

Commissioners modified the advisory council’s recommendation and gave the Girard facility $110,000.

The levy, approved by Trumbull County voters in November 2005, raises about $2.6 million annually to provide services to county residents age 60 and older.