Town of East Hampton
Commission on Aging (COA)
Thursday, October 8, 2009
East Hampton Town Hall Meeting Room
Present: Chairperson Pauline Simko, Vice Chairman Lance Johnson, Nelson Maurice, Ann McLaughlin and Mary Jo Shafer. Also present: Senior Center Director Jo Ann Ewing and Recording Secretary Cathy Sirois.
Call to Order:
Chairperson Simko called the meeting to order at 3:00 p.m.
Approval of Minutes:
A motion was made by Mr. Johnson, seconded by Mr. Maurice, to approve the minutes of the September 10, 2009 meeting as written. Voted (5-0).
Public Remarks: None
Correspondence: None
The Senior Services Presentation was moved to later in the agenda.
New Business:
Building Alarm: Mr. Maurice voiced his concerns about the Senior Center not having an alarm system. With new equipment and fixtures and confidential documents he feels the Senior Center should have an alarm system. The subject will be brought to the attention of the Facilities Manager and the Town Manager.
Ms. Shafer provided information on two conferences:
Thursday, October 15, 2009 at 8:30am at Central CT State University – 8th Annual Triad Conference. It relates to fraud prevention for senior citizens.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009 from 12:00 noon to 2:00pm at Russell Library – Familycaregiving101.org
Mr. Maurice asked what role the Commission on Aging has on the Senior Center budget. Ms. Ewing noted the Commission has no active role but they can endorse the budget.
Unfinished Business:
Mission Statement: Ms. McLaughlin read the following Mission Statement for the Commission on Aging: “To promote the security, dignity and independence of all East Hampton Seniors and to act as an advocate for senior citizens using an outreach approach to make public all programs available. To inspire the citizens of East Hampton to make a difference in the lives of aging neighbors through volunteer commitment and financial generosity.”
A motion was made by Ms. Shafer, seconded by Mr. Nelson, to accept the Commission on Aging Mission Statement as written. Voted (5-0).
Goals: Ms. McLaughlin reviewed the process she used to formulate the goals and the Commission reviewed the proposed goals. Ms. McLaughlin will update the goals as discussed and present them at the next meeting.
Town Brochure Status: The Volunteer Commission Handbook is still in process.
Ms. Simko handed out some brochures from the Breakfast meeting related to the Gatekeepers Program and St Luke’s. The Commission discussed having Dwight Norwood do a presentation at a future meeting.
Housing Authority Report:
The Housing Authority is still working on congregate housing. Jim Carey still has all of the plans from the 90’s. He is going to put them in contact with financing.
A workshop was held with the electric company and residents of Bellwood and Chatham about saving money in the apartments.
The automatic doors are now in place.
Senior Services Presentation: JoAnn Ewing, Senior Center Director, provided a report on Senior Services. She provided an overview of their current brochure and staffing at the senior center. Ms. Ewing noted that for each presentation she does, she will discuss one topic. For this presentation she discussed transportation. The town contracts with Middletown Transit for the Dial a Ride and fixed route service. MAT Transit subcontracts out with American Red Cross. She provided an overview of the rides/programs available. The ITN Transportation was discussed. They are not yet available in East Hampton. The Central Connecticut area still needs volunteers. The Senior Van through the Senior Center is also used for shopping trips and social/recreational trips. Joe Gulino is
the driver for that van. Ms. Ewing arranges for the maintenance for their vehicles.
Public Remarks:
Cindy Baloga commented that there could be opportunities for High School students to volunteer to assist the elderly to fulfill service hour requirements for National Honor Society and other groups.
Adjournment:
A motion was made by Mr. Johnson, secoded by Ms. Shafer, to adjourn the meeting at 4:15 p.m. (Voted 5-0)
Respectfully submitted,
Cathy Sirois
Recording Secretary
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