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The City Council approved Dec. 17, only part of a $50,000 request by Easy Does It, a nonprofit agency which provides emergency services to disabled residents. The balance of the request will be reviewed by the Commission on Disability. 

EDI asked for the funds primarily for improved office access for three new disabled employees and the addition of an in-house dispatching service. Currently, the agency contracts out for dispatching. 

The council unanimously approved $30,000 and sent the remaining $20,000, to the Commission on Disability for approval.  

EDI, which has had a limited contract with the city since 1995 – then expanded its services in 1999 after the passage of Measure E – provides the city’s disabled population with emergency services, such as transportation and personal attendant services.  

These can include everything from wheelchair repair to assistance with getting out of bed and grooming. It also has a case management division that assists the disabled with hiring and managing permanent attendants.  

Several members of the Commission on Disability attended the council meeting to argue that they should have had an opportunity to review the request for additional funds before the City Council voted on the recommendation.  

“This is awkward for us,” Commissioner Marissa Shaw told the council. “We’re asked to make planning decisions. We should see the budget before your approval.” 

Deputy City Manager Phil Kamlarz said the recommendation went directly to the City Council because EDI was considering a move and needed to know if the funds would be available.  

“It was probably my fault but there just wasn’t time,” Kamlarz said. “And then the day before the meeting it was determined the move wasn’t going to happen.” 

Although the move was canceled, EDI needed the additional funds for improving access to its current offices at 1732 University Ave. The agency recently hired three new employees who use wheelchairs and there is no independent access for them. In addition the nonprofit was anxious to begin its in-house dispatch program. 

There has been strain between EDI and the Commission on Disability since the passage of Measure E. The commission thought EDI was offering too few services and had inadequate fiscal accountability. In June, the council approved the two-year contract with EDI despite a unanimous vote by the commission to hire another company, Emergency Service Providers. 

“We were very frustrated when the council decided to ignore our recommendation,” said Miya Rodolfo-Sioson, commission chair. “But that’s not to say we can’t work with EDI.” 

Councilmember Dona Spring said the council decided to approve EDI’s bid at the time, because it had a track record and the other company did not. In addition she said a survey conducted by the City Manager’s Office showed a 75 percent approval rating among those who used EDI’s services. 

While the relationship between the commission and EDI has improved, there still is ongoing strain over the issue of EDI’s overuse policy, which limits service to clients. 

When people use the service 13 or more times in any month, they must pay a surcharge of $3 per call; after 19 calls, the surcharge jumps to $6 per call. In principal, service is suspended after 25 calls, although clients can appeal to an EDI subcommittee to show the need for the number of times the service has been requested. 

The subcommittee can grant extra usage or suspend service. 

“I’ve been told that three or four people have been suspended from service and I have to wonder what happens to those people,” Rodolfo-Sioson said. 

EDI Program Director Julie Yates said that it is very rare that anyone’s service is suspended and that the sub-committee, which is mostly comprised of disabled EDI directors, examines each case very carefully. 

According to Yates the overuse policy is in place to discourage people from relying on the service on a regular basis. She said the function of EDI is to provide emergency service not regular attendant service. 

“I hate the overuse policy,” Yates said. “But we need it as a disincentive for one person or handful of people to use the service all the time, which can affect others who are in emergency situations.” 

Kamlarz said one of the problems facing the disabled is the strong economy in the Bay Area. He said in the 60s and 70s there were plenty of students willing to work as attendants, but that is no longer the case. 

“There are too many jobs that pay more than being an attendant and it’s very hard work,” he said.  

Rodolfo-Sioson said that the commission will likely approve the remaining $20,000 EDI has requested. “We just want to take a look at the budget to see how much is coming from the capital budget and how much is coming from the fiscal year 2000 operating budget,” she said.