Salem Council on Aging
Board of Directors
Minutes from meeting of Oct. 21, 2009
Meeting was called to order by Vice Chair Pat Donahue, at 6:35 p.m.
Roll call
Present: Donna Clifford (DC), Pat Donahue (vice chair, PD), Elaine Heredeen (treasurer; EH), Dolores Nangle (DN), Jane Sarnowski (JS), Joan Lovely (City Council liaison to the COA).
Absent: Domingo Alvarez, James Willis.
EH: Makes a motion to dispense with a reading of the minutes from the monthly meeting of Sept. 16, 2009, and to accept them; seconded by PD; unanimously approved.
PD: Recognizes COA Director Doug Bollen (DB):
DB: Reads a letter from Salem Mayor Kimberley Driscoll, appointing PD as chair of the COA board, replacing Kathleen Wilkerson.
PD:
· Asks if anyone else on the board had received a copy of the conflict of interest law. No one on the board. Noting that none had, PD commented that she had attended a Friends of the Salem COA meeting, and that Dennis Coleman was present as a member of that group. Coleman said there is a gray area in the law, and that as time goes on, the COA and Friends learn to work together. Coleman suggested that when Friends give a gift to the COA, the COA should write a press release to publically express appreciation, and to make mention of it in the monthly COA newsletter.
· Asks if JL has anything to report.
JL: Hasn’t heard about any specific progress about a new facility planned for construction at the corner of Boston and Bridge streets.
PD: A recent announcement of a public hearing to consider reuse of the existing Senior Center at 5 Broad St., makes the prospect of a new building seem real.
JL: That public hearing, on Nov. 4, will be part of the process.
PD: Would like to have volunteers to serve on a nominating committee for the board. Recognizes the willingness of EH and JS to serve, and subsequently volunteers herself.
DB: We’re waiting for the City Council to approve two new members for the COA board.
PD: Would like copies of the COA bylaws, the newly approved Standards of Behavior and Independence, the conflict of interest law and the Executive Summary for COA boards for distribution to all members of the COA board for the next month’s meeting.
PD: It would be good to have some males on the board.
DB: I sent thank-you letters, for the Friends, to the Salem Gazette and Salem News. The Friends have done a lot and made some valuable donations. We’re thankful for everything they’ve done.
PD: The Friends mentioned that it would be nice of DB or Bill Woolley (BW) could attend some of their meetings.
Asks for the Director’s report.
DB:
· The Mayor will be at the Nov. 18 COA board meeting to discuss progress on construction of a new building, at the intersection of Boston and Bridge streets, that would accommodate the COA.
· The floor in the dining room has been cleaned, and the floor in the lobby is scheduled for cleaning Saturday, Oct. 24.
· A bracelet program is getting off the ground. Donations have been received and the system will be administered by Salem Police Capt. John Jodoin. It is called the “Life Saver” program, which can electronically locate senior citizens. It has a 100 percent recovery rate and the Friends have been putting that program together.
· The COA is still waiting for $70,000 in federal funds to be used for the purchase of passenger vans. We also anticipate getting $30,000 in capital from the City. Also North Shore Elder Services is acquiring vans for which we would have to pay only 20 percent. We’ve requested two vans since we have two or three now that may have to be taken off the road.
· Ellen Kennedy is retiring. North Shore Elder Services cut Title III-C grant by $6,400. Danvers and Marblehead COAs were also cut. Ellen was happy to retire and we’re having a party for her Friday, Nov. 6, at 11 a.m., with seniors. We’re looking at having Sandy George (volunteer coordinator) and Amy Walsh (transportation coordinator) cover Ellen’s responsibilities. Sandy will do the food service and Amy will do the statistical reporting. Also, Gary Lavender is helping us through the Operation: ABLE job transition program, and we’ll be hiring someone for 15 hours a week at $10 an hour. Gary may apply for that job.
· A new employee, Rosanna Donahue, will be starting part-time, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., as a bilingual receptionist. That will allow Meghan Murtagh to spend part of her day as the COA activity coordinator, working with Recreation Supervisor Eileen Dunn. I think Rosanna will fit right in. Meghan will work at the front desk 8-10 a.m. and 2-4 p.m.
· The state Formula Grant was approved for the full amount, but we’re worried about the Governor’s possible 9C cuts We’re not sure what those cuts will mean for local aid, but cuts always seem to trickle down.
· The flu clinic at the Senior Center served 360 people. There was, more or less, a constant flow throughout the morning. We’ll announce if the H1N1 vaccine becomes available.
· Statistics for the recent month include:
Transportation
Sept. 2008 (1,292 rides) ... Sept. 2009 (1,280 rides)
Nutrition, home-delivered meals
Sept. 2008 (2,308) ... Sept. 2009 (2,062)
Nutrition, congregate meals
Sept. 2008 (331) ... Sept. 2009 (282)
Social services
Sept. 2008, served 177 clients, 60 years of age or older, a total of 280 times.
Sept. 2009, served 233 clients, 60 years of age or older, a total of 358 times.
· The Senior Volunteer Property Tax Work-Off Program has been completed by 15 people so far this year, and another seven are working on it, so we’re close to the 25-person limit. Senior property owners can work as many as 93 hours in a year to get as much as $750 off their tax bills. Senior volunteers are placed in City offices by Sandy George.
· The Senior Center is going to be the pilot site for One Communications. For six months, they’ll be pricing our telephone service to see if they can save us money on our phone rates.
· We have two Salem State College Spanish students helping us as interns as we continue to improve access to our programs and services.
· We’re hosting 30 North Shore Community College nursing students, over the next four weeks, as part of helping them fulfill their requirements for a “well elder” unit in their curriculum.
· Twenty-seven seniors attended a presentation by the Brookhouse Home. Ten seniors went with Meghan Murtagh on a shopping trip to Andover.
· On Oct. 22, we’re taking seniors for lunch at the Black Cat Café at Salem High School.
· The Ward 2 Social Club will be hosting as many as 100 seniors for a turkey dinner on Nov. 1.
· In recognition of Veterans Day, we’re accepting donations of items to send to troops overseas.
· Seniors will be taking a field trip to the Peabody-Essex Museum.
· Salem High School will serve it’s annual turkey dinner for seniors on Nov. 19.
· The Moose will host a turkey dinner at its Family Center on Thanksgiving Day.
· We’re going to begin hosting a Zumba Gold class.
· We’ve begun hosting a digital camera class.
· We’ll be hosting Linnea, a local medium.
· Our Triad group has been working with Fire Chief David Cote to get a grant to cover the cost of putting fire extinguishers into seniors’ homes.
PD: Calls for the Treasurer’s report.
DB: Submits a budget report and says there is “no crisis right now. We’re in a normal range of spending.”
PD: There are no committee reports, but now we have a nominating committee.
DB: We’d like to have a COA committee look at charging fees of requesting donations from presenters and instructors at the Senior Center. We don’t want to lose programs. We could raise $5,000 to $10,000 if we charge a fee.
JL: A fee could offset the costs of building use.
DB: The whole staff, at various times, has talked about instructors who charge senior citizens while the COA gets nothing. The masseuse does make a monthly donation to us.
DC: A class, like tap dancing, in the community would cost $25, though, so istructors are already making a donation. I’m ambivalent about charging fees.
EH: Do you charge your podiatrist? We just started charging him at the Beverly COA.
DC: a teacher, for instance, might want to raise what she charges students.
PD: Maybe just charging to rent rooms would be simpler. We can ask new members to look into this issue. If economic times were fantastic, we wouldn’t be thinking about this at all.
PD: At the next meeting, we’ll ask new members to consider that topic.
DC: Asks for clarification as to what committee she agreed to serve on during the September meeting.
BW: It was a committee to discuss the conflict of interest law, relative to how the COA and private agencies are allowed to relate.
DC: Maybe we (subcommittee members) can come early to the next meeting.
DB: John Boris, the COA liaison to North Shore Elder Services, would like to start attending meetings.
COA board members informally discuss meeting times for subcommittees. The subcommittee to discuss conflict of interest law agrees to meet just before the next monthly meeting, which is scheduled for Nov. 18, 6:30 p.m., at the Senior Center. The nominating committee agrees to meet Wednesday, Nov. 4, at 5 p.m., at the Senior Center.
EH: Makes a motion to adjourn.
DC: Seconded.
Passed unanimously.
PD: Adjourns meeting at 7:28 p.m.
Respectfully submitted by Bill Woolley, having taken minutes at the request of COA board.
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