Explanation
This legislation authorizes the Director of the Recreation and Parks Department, on behalf of the Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging, to enter into an agreement with the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) to explore the strategies outlined in COAAA’s Strategic Plan for Success (SPS) as it pertains to the development of a stand-alone Regional Council of Governments by 2026.
COAAA was founded in 1974 within the Department of Recreation and Parks with 10 employees. Today, more than 400 COAAA case managers, healthcare providers, and staff serve more than 14,000 older adults annually in Delaware, Fairfield, Fayette, Franklin, Licking, Madison, Pickaway, and Union counties. A strategic plan developed in 2024 found that the agency could best manage its migration to the MyCare Next Generation service model mandated by the Ohio Department of Medicaid by transitioning to a regional government entity governance model. By aligning agency operations with peer Area Agencies on Aging in Ohio, the agency would adopt best practices, meet new state and federal requirements, and ensure operational sustainability. In turn, COAAA would increase services, improve partnerships with regional stakeholders, and better prepare the region for the future needs of older adults and people with disabilities, all while maintaining public accountability and transparency.
In order to explore this transition, COAAA must enter into a partnership with MORPC to develop a new entity with the capacity to maintain COAAA operations without interruption, provide competitive benefits to staff, and position the organization for the future. MORPC’s experience and expertise in developing regional partnerships and executing strategies to improve access to services for residents across the Central Ohio Region make them uniquely qualified to assist the City of Columbus and the Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging with this project.
EMERGENCY DESIGNATION: The Department of Recreation and Park...
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