Mejias Approves Funds for Senior Meals Program

Nassau County Legislator Dave Mejias (D-North Massapequa) joined fellow lawmakers in approving funds for meal delivery for the County’s senior citizens. The program is designed to provide full meals to nutritionally at-risk seniors, many of whom are low income, frail and/or minority.

“This home delivery system is another example of Nassau County’s commitment to the health and well-being of our senior citizens,” Mejias said. “It is up to all of us to ensure that seniors receive all of the support and help they need, and I am proud to approve this measure.”

The funds for the program, totaling $183,025, come in a supplemental appropriation from the New York State Office for the aging. Other supplemental appropriations approved by the legislature for senior citizens programming included:

• $256,224 to provide coordinated supportive services to those elderly who are in greatest social and economic need, to enable them to remain out of institutions for as long as possible.The County is required to provide a 25 percent in-kind match.
• $246,349 to provide case management, nonmedical in-home services and ancillary services for functionally impaired elderly in Nassau County who are above Medicaid eligibility and who are unable to function independently in their own home.The County is required to provide a 25 percent in-kind match.
• $28,483 to provide one or two home-delivered meals daily, up to five days a week, to qualified elderly who are homebound.The County is required to provide a 10 percent in-kind match.

In other business, the Legislature approved a measure regulating the connections to the County municipal separate storm sewer system, and the regulation of non-storm water discharges into the system. Enforcement will be handled by the Department of Public Works.

The next full Legislative session is scheduled for September 5, 2007.