Minutes of the Annual and Regular meetings on Wednesday, May 16, 2012, 6:05 p.m., at the office of the Council, 5 Broad Street, Salem, Massachusetts.
Board of Directors
Present: Pat Donahue (PD, Chair), Elaine Heredeen (EH, Vice Chair), Jerry Ryan (JR, City Council Liaison), Donna Clifford (DC, Secretary), Dolores Nangle (DN, Treasurer), Julie Carver (JC), Loretta Carroll (LC), Alice Williams (AW),
Absent: Pamela Greaves (PG)
Also Present: Doug Bollen (DB), Bill Woolley (BW), Sharon Kearney (Secretary of minutes), Teasie Goggon visitor from the Friends of COA.
1. Minutes of Previous Meeting –
Vote will be taken to waive the reading of (or read) and accept (or amend) the Minutes of the previous meeting held on Wednesday, April 18, 2012.
PD: Makes a motion to waive reading and accept the minutes of the previous meeting of Wednesday, April 18, 2012.
EH & DN: Seconds motion.
VOTE: Unanimously approved.
2. Comments/Recommendations of the Chairperson – The Chairman will discuss committee work being done by Board members in regards to calling other COA’s and how they handle fee structures, political candidates and guest speakers.
PD: Asked if anyone else would like to volunteer to be the liaison with the Friends to the COA which meet on the 4th Wednesday of the month.
PD: Had an article on Irene Willey to share with the Board.
PD: Requested a copy of the new contact list.
PD: Asked each board member to share their findings on their assignments from other COA’s on how they handle fee structures, political candidates and guest speakers.
Committee Reports – Report on information gathered from calling other COA’s on policies.
JC: Was successful with her list. All the people she spoke with were very nice and very cooperative.
- Methuen COA, Careen, - mailed a copy of their senior activity center political policy. They have an open door policy but they hold the line for the policy. They have a specific area that is available for public access where they allow candidates to collect signatures.
- Westfield COA, Tina, - They do not have a written policy. They invite all the candidates running at the same time for a meet and greet for coffee for one hour. They advertise within the COA. There are no speeches allowed, no gifts, no campaign material, no collecting signatures but they can speak one on one with individuals. Any public official can come into the building and visit at anytime but no campaigning is allowed unless it is organized by the COA as a meet and greet.
- Billerica COA, Donna – mailed a copy of their policy which refers to the Article 9 of the Massachusetts Constitution as well as some other articles. Woburn and Newton uses the same policy. They have a designated area where the candidates can collect signatures. There are no political promotional material and or political donations of any kind allowed.
JR: Mentioned it’s against the law to solicit for donations in a public building.
The one hour meets and greets with all candidates sounds good.
EH: Beverly COA – They do not allow candidates to campaign in the building at all.
AW: They all have the same policy meet and greet. There are no formal written policies.
- Holyoke COA – allows candidates to come in and circulate at parties. No particular times needed to speak.
- Pittsfield COA – The candidates have to call before they arrive to schedule a time and it is posted.
DB: Asked if the candidates should be allowed to speak for five minute or just keep it a meet and greet?
PD: Everyone will have different opinions I suggest we all think about it and then make a decision. Suggest there be a firm policy with a specific time that can be depended on to monitor the meet and greet. A firm policy can be referred to when something happens.
BW: Commented how the other COA’s only allow the candidates to circulate in the public areas allowing activities to continue without interruption of someone campaigning.
Also, suggested not to send out invitations to the candidates but to publicly announce there will be a meet and greet and all candidates are welcome to come during the day and time specified.
DB: It will help to have a policy.
PD: What is the general state law?
BW: The state law is specific to the referendum in a ballot question. Article 9 of the Massachusetts Constitution was referred to.
BW: All the council on aging selected to be called on were within five thousand populated areas. They are similar to Salem. All the information collected will be sorted and a draft policy formed followed by a review by the Board.
3. Report of the Executive Director/Assistant Director
DB:
* Meghan Murtagh passed her Massachusetts Certification for Activity Coordinator, (MCOA).
*COA Board training on Tuesday, May 22, 2012 at Belmont at 8:45am.
* Report on the Friends to the Council of Aging - Friends of COA is diligently fund raising – volunteers have stuffed the envelopes for the annual fund raising mailing.
* Three computers have been ordered and donated they should be arriving soon.
*New Van Update they emailed for the color of the strip and lettering and we are waiting for an invoice from Merrimack Valley Transportation. It’s coming.
*Transportation will be closed on May 29th; June 5th and June 19th Van Drivers will be attending mandatory Van Driver’s Trainings:
- May 29th – Safe driver - Driver sensitivity course hosted by Salisbury COA. Course is mandatory every 3 years
- June 5th – Coaching the van driver at Salem COA course is also mandatory every 3 years
- June 19th – Wheelchair lift and Sacrament at Salem COA – yearly training required.
Trainings are through Massachusetts Rural Transit Assistance Program, AKA Martap!
*Attendance Report – Transportation Social Services & Nutrition attendance report
April Statistics Council on Aging |
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Service |
April 2011 |
April 2012 |
Joined Council on Aging |
33 |
59 |
Social Services - Over 60 |
168 serviced 409 times |
185 services 441 times |
Social Services - Under 60 |
9 services 14 times |
18 serviced 58 times Assisted 77 seniors in obtaining Fuels for 2011-2012 |
Activities |
1387 |
1501 |
Transportation |
1611 |
1384 |
Meal - Congregate |
586 |
611 |
Meals on Wheels |
2075 |
2371 |
*Thank you letters from the troops for the care packages that were sent to Afghanistan received a letter from a Captain in US Army and another from the Red Cross.
*Activities – Update on Programs and Special events coming up for May and June.
- Book Sale May 1st to 3rd raised close to five hundred dollars.
- Mother’s Day luncheon 55 attended on May 9th.
- May is Older American month there will be a fitness day on the common May 30th, 9 to Noon, with three instructors doing activities along with the walking club, Tia Chi, yoga, etc.
- Father’s Day luncheon on June 12th from 10:00am to 12:00pm.
- Art Show June 7th 1 to 5 displays art from all Salem Park, Recreation and Community Services programs.
-Youth Chorus from Winter Church in Florida, June 13th at 10:00 at COA. They are on a field trip to tour the Northeast and selected Salem Council on Aging to perform at, which should be a lot of fun.
-Friends to Salem Council on Aging spaghetti dinner coming up on the 21st at the Moose lodge $7.00 Tickets being sold only at the COA.
4. Treasure’s Report Update on budget and accounts (Financial Report Sheet for May 10, 12 presented as well as Grants and Donation Accounts) This was not discussed at this meeting.
5. Committee Reports – Report on information gathered from calling other COA’s on policies. (See above comments after PD: Asked each board member to share their findings...)
JR: Reported on the new senior center. The bond needs to go to council for approval. The developer has lost a tenant that was going in there. The city is the only tenant at this time. They need to get a couple more tenants. The Mayor has given the builder until the end of the year to find more tenants. We are waiting on the developer and it has to pass the council which needs to get eight votes out of eleven to get the bonding.
6. New Business:
DB: Changing the layout of the building interior entrance to control traffic flow. Make a better reception area.
PD: Has anyone thought about being the liaison to the Friends? Meet 4th Wednesday of the month.
DC: Suggested to rotate and everyone take a turn.
PD: Suggestion will be brought up at the next meeting.
7. Visitor Comments:
TG: I thought the meeting was 6:30. The new time was not changed on the bulletin. She would like to see the questions that were asked the other COA’s. Expressed concern and challenged the development of a policy preventing campaigning candidates to solicit at the COA building. She has never seen in writing that you can not collect signatures for candidates in COA building.
8. Next Board Meeting
DC: Are we meeting in June?
PD: We will meet in June but not in July and August.
PD: Next board meeting will be on Wednesday, June 20, 2012 at NEW TIME 6:00pm
9. Vote to Adjournment
PD: Makes a motion to adjourn the meeting.
EH & AW: Seconds motion
VOTE: Unanimously approved.
Regular meeting adjourns at 7:09 p.m.
Minutes respectfully submitted by Sharon Kearney.
2012
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