The original agreement between the County of El Paso and Selrico Services, Inc. sets a meal rate for purchase of congregate meals and home delivered meals. Since the COVID19 pandemic began and stay at home orders were put in place, the demand for home delivered meals for older adults increased significantly. To meet this demand with minimal interruption to services, the County Nutrition Program and Selrico developed a menu that incorporated a combination of pre-cooked frozen meals and purchased shelf-stable meals for distribution.
In the rush to respond quickly to the high demand, Community Services staff approved the combined menu and authorized the purchase of shelf-stable meals before realizing that the provision for shelf stable meals was not accounted for in the vendor’s original agreement. This amendment is necessary to adjust the pricing section of the agreement to include the provision and cost of shelf stable meals so that Selrico can get reimbursed for the shelf-stable meals that have already been purchased and distributed to our program participants.
While all senior centers are closed until further notice, the meal service has continued in a "curb-side" drive up distribution. The use of shelf stable meals has enabled Selrico and the County’s Nutrition Program to meet the demands of the program. The continued use of shelf stable meals may continue to be necessary as long as our program's demand continues to increase during this crisis. Because the cost of these meals may fluctuate due to the current high demand for shelf-stable meals across the country, a price range of $5.31/meal, not to exceed $6.25/meal, is incorporated in the amended agreement for reimbursement flexibility.