DRAFT
Salem Council on Aging
Minutes of the Annual and Regular meetings on Wednesday, February 15, 2012, 6:50 p.m., at the Senior Center, 5 Broad St., Salem, Massachusetts.
Board of Directors
Present: Elaine Heredeen (EH, Vice Chair), Donna Clifford (DC, Secretary), Dolores Nangle (DN, Treasurer), Julie Carver (JC), Loretta Carroll (LC), Jerry Ryan (JR, New, City Council Liaison)
Absent: Pat Donahue (PD, Chair), Alice Williams (AW), Pamela Greaves (PG)
Also Present: Doug Bollen (DB), Bill Woolley (BW), Sharon Kearney (Secretary) Pat Liberti, visitor.
1. Minutes of Previous Meeting – Vote to taken to waive the reading of and accept the Minutes of the previous meeting held on Wednesday, January 18, 2012
EH: Makes a motion to waive reading and accept the minutes of the previous meeting of Wednesday, January 18, 2012.
DN & JC: Seconds motion.
VOTE: Unanimously approved.
2. Comments/Recommendations of the Chairperson
EH: Welcomes new member to the board, Loretta Carroll. Thank you to Jerry Ryan for attending.
EH: Suggestion to change the hour of the meeting from 6:30pm to 5:30pm or 6:00pm.
BW: Checked bylaws and did not see anything stating it had to be at a specific time.
DB: We’ll check with the city solicitor to see if there is anything binding about changing the time.
3. Report of the Executive Director/ Assistant Director
New Community Life Center – update on status
DB: Any update on the status.
JR: There is something with the funding the Mayor, I thought, was going to bring a bonding in because of the community development plot grant money they are using. They are using federal money and they will have to do prevailing wages on the entire building. This will increase the cost of the building. Cost was five million dollars. The developer was not willing to pay. The Mayor was trying to bond the five million dollars and has to bring it in front of the council.
DB: If it passes council then they will still have a spring ground breaking.
DB: Presented the design plans of the New Community Life Center from interior designer Elaine Bello, she designed eight other senior community centers. We had an interior design committee which met for eight months it consisted of Elaine Heredeen, Pat Donahue, the Interior Designer, and Dennis Coleman former Director of the Peabody Council of Aging, Joan Lovely, Jason Silva, Douglas Bollen, Bill Woolley and Paul Lanzikos. We visited a few of the newer council on aging buildings Belmont, Westford, and Malden.
DB: The COA will own the first floor twenty thousand square feet of the new building which can fit all four floors of 5 Broad Street on the first level of the new building.
EH: If the council doesn’t vote or votes No at that meeting does that mean we’ll have to find another location?
DB: I am not sure what will happen if there is a no vote.
DB: The new Bridge Street location parking lot has 250 spaces, has a nice van drop off area. There is a main room three times the gathering room of Broad Street’s COA., there is a platform, a cater drop off kitchen. There’s a computer room, dance room, fitness room, multiuse rooms, nurse’s suite, Veterans Group area, an area for the Friends, an AARP office, art room. There are rooms with sliding walls, a lot of storage room, and more offices.
DN: Were there plans to rent this out? Wouldn’t it be better with a full kitchen?
BW: You need a permit.
DB: Definitely a plan to rent out for revenue.
JR: A lot of caterers make food at there place and bring it.
DB: We need six hundred and fifty thousand dollars to furnish the new place. Irene Willey donated one hundred and sixty thousand dollars and the city has four hundred thousand dollars in capital.
Name the New letter contest
DB: Here are some new ideas for naming the newsletter
Name of some other council on aging newsletters:
Reading is “Pleasantries”
Winthrop is “The Winthrop Senior Citizen News”
Lynnfield is “The Golden Outlook”
Salem is “Senior Power”
North Reading is “Meeting House Echoes”
Stoneham is “The Stoneham Sentinel”
Melrose is “Looking Ahead”
Everett is “Golden Times”
Lynn is “The Lynn Council on Aging Senior Center Newsletter”
Gloucester is “Coast Line News”
Marblehead recently changed to “The Old Marblehead Cod”
Topsfield is “Senior Scoop”
Wakefield “Senior Spotlight”
Saugus is “Saugus Golden Spirit”
Middleton is the “Age of Estuary”
Ipswich is “Ipswich Senior Life”
Malden is “The Malden Monitor”
Just some thoughts - to help rename our “Senior Power” newsletter.
Friend’s donations – update donations from Friends of COA
DB: Pat Liberti is here from the Friends of Council on Aging. Recently went to a Friends meeting with Pat Donahue, our liaison, and Meagan Murtagh, our activities director. The Friends have previously committed to paying for our twenty percent for the new van. They have committed to buying us three new computers. Also, they committed to paying up to a two thousand dollars cap for entertainment for our activities.
DB: Thank you to Pat Liberti and the entire board for their donations.
DN: We are very appreciative to the Friends for their donations.
National Senior Network – update on employment program
BW: Formerly known as Operation Able. The National Senior Network program is a training transition program for folks fifty-five years or older that want to re-enter the work place. Bad timing for that, Bad enough that National Senior Network had to cut back the hours someone could work. They would pay somebody to work in our department. It is a subsidize program by the federal government. Several people had their hours cut back from twenty to twelve hours at minimum wage. Recently the hours have been coming back up to fifteen then to eighteen hours per week in a course of last few months and may start to take on more people on into the program.
Mobility Links – new program for transportation
BW: A new program hosted by GLSS. It is a grant funded program and it enables somebody who is interested in getting transportation from point A to point B and can not figure out how to do it. They can call a toll tree number and a travel counselor will give them whatever options are available including costs and time.
EH: It is not working out very well. I have been referring people to this program because there is no other way for them to get around. But, I heard a lot of complaints – They don’t answer the phone, they don’t call people back. When they do connect they tell you to get on the train or the bus - most of these people can not do that. It’s a brand new program that is frustrating.
Service Incentive Grant – Update
BW: Doug received a call Emmett Schmarsow, from the State Elderly Affairs who asked if we got $2500 form our grant instead of the requested $5000 if that would be enough. Doug said that would work for us to be applied to purchase a simultaneous interpretation system. It enables an interpreter to simultaneously listen to a presentation given in English and talk into a microphone which transmits the translated presentation to headphones for none English listeners.
Building Issues - with Boiler – Update on problems with Heating System
DB: We have had major issues. We had the plumber here for the boiler. There was flooding in the basement from the boiler leaking. The ceiling fell in over the kitchen. Almost every storm a window has blown out of the third floor. We are expecting huge bills for repairs. Money will be moved around from different line items in the budget to cover the costs.
Tax Abatement Program – Update on New Financial Requirements
DB: Sandy George directs the program for the city. The council passed it a couple of years ago then they up it a little more. Twenty five people can enter the program. They need to work ninety four hours to get tax abatement. It is up to seven hundred fifty dollars from five hundred dollars. The participants have to work for the city somewhere, i.e. Witch House, Winter Island, answering the phone at city hall. Some of the numbers have changed for the income to be eligible - single has gone up over a thousand dollars from forty-three thousand dollars to forty-four thousand six hundred eighty thousand dollars. Married is forty thousand five hundred eighteen dollars up to fifty thousand three hundred eighty three dollars. More of a cost of living increase. If under that you can qualify and you can
get a city tax abatement program which had to be passed by city council. She has 25 people at this time and is full. There is a waiting list. It is a very successful program.
Budget – update on FY 13 Preparation
DB: They are asking for a level funded budget. This is good news. We have had layoffs over the years and reorganized three to four different times.
Attendance Report – Transportation, Social Services & Nutrition Attendance
Service |
January 2011 |
January 2012 |
Joined Council on Aging |
47 |
49 (We have scan cards for COA members) |
Social Services - Over 60 |
262 serviced 374 times |
175 serviced 400 times |
Social Services - Under 60 |
16 serviced 20 times |
17 serviced 42 times |
Activities |
882 |
1246 |
Transportation |
1200 |
1161 |
Meals - Congregate |
388 |
535 (Parties brings up attendance & Caterer is good!) |
Meals on Wheels |
1665 |
2388 (Delivering 100+ meals a day) |
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Policy on COA Services Provided by Private Groups
DB: We would like to have a committee to meet on making policies and find out what other COA groups do with their programs for example, how the instructors are paid or what they are charged to hold classes, (dance classes, yoga class, etc.). Maybe some members of the board can call and find out from other COA’s how they handle it compare their finding to how we do it. Currently, we have no policies. We don’t want to run the risk of loosing programs either.
EH: I can find out from Beverly.
DB: The committee may give some direction as to who to have for speakers, whether to have private businesses or nonprofit groups present lectures and seminars to seniors. Also, address how long advertisements for these lecturers and business can stay up on the bulletin boards. Who should we be promoting? It would be helpful with some policies from the committee and board.
Activities – Updates on Programs and Special events coming up for February and March
DB: Had Valentine’s Day Luncheon with comedian Chris Zitos.
Fiesta, February 16, 2012 with DJ and food
Alternating Pizza Parties
Witch Museum February 15, 2012
Coming Events:
March has St. Patrick’s Day luncheon with Step Dancers from Brennan School
Mass. Department of Revenue the Senior Circuit Workshop – March 12th
Mass. Department of Transportation Safe Driving Decision Workshop
A Drivers Workshop in late March for COA van drivers
Walking Kickoff Club
Trip to Flower Show
Trip to JFK Library
Volunteer -Tax people –Peter Porcello, Al Leveque, Janet Doucette every Tuesday and Thursday until tax season ends. This is for anybody not just seniors. Need an appointment.
4. Treasure’s Report Update on budget and accounts
DB: Doug reviewed the budget.
The vehicle parts/repairs is one line item I worry about. Although there is donation account we can use in a pinch. In the Building line item we are waiting on a large bill from the plumber. We are on par for FY 2012. July 1, there will be new budget
5. & 6. Committee and New Business
No new business
7. Visitor Comments
Pat Liberti of Friends to Council of Aging - The two thousand dollar cap donation for entertainment does not mean that is it. It will come back to the Friends and we will look at what the needs are and a lot. We do our fund raiser in June. No other comments. Thank you.
8. Next Board Meeting
EH: Next board meeting will be on Wednesday, March 21, 2012.
9. Vote to Adjournment
EH: Makes a motion to adjourn the meeting.
JC & DN: Seconds motion
VOTE: Unanimously approved.
Regular meeting adjourns at 7:45 p.m.
Minutes respectfully submitted by Sharon Kearney.
DB:
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