Council on Aging
January 14, 2015 Minutes
The meeting was opened at 10:15 am. Minutes of December 10, 2014 meeting were accepted. Present were M. Brown and K. Purcell; joined by Ruth Champigny, Mary Makuc and Michael Johnson.
Mary Makuc - Mary is the Americans with Disabilities Act coordinator for Monterey. She was recruited by Mr. Torrico. Any new construction, if public, must be handicap accessible. ADA was passed in 1990 with full implementation by 2014. If necessary The Department of Justice can enforce the regulations. Mary prefers mediation over litigation.
So far she has focused on improving access to town meetings and voting. Building access has improved but visual and hearing issues need to be addressed. The town is missing the wisdom of these people; many stay away because they cannot hear the discussions.
In Virginia services for aging has merged with services for the disabled. Mary would like a collaborative effort on these issues in Monterey. Those present were supportive. Consultation and education from Boston are available. Many new computer assisted methods are coming, Skype for example. We’ll gather more information.
Sgt. Michael Johnson reviewed his experience on the council. He discussed attendance, finances and the process for showing movies and getting films with us. He reported that Sheerie Sorie and Emmett Scarborough from the MA Office of Elder Affairs have been available for assistance and he recommended them.
Budget – The council is requesting level funding of $2,500. for the 2015-2016 cycle. An account for gifts and donations has been set up to facilitate programs. The Council on Aging receives a state grant.
Ruth Champigny expressed interest in serving on the council.
Our next meeting is January 28th 10am – noon. It will be a “Meet and Greet” session with refreshments and ideas from everybody.
The meeting adjourned at noon.
K Purcell
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