Salem Council on Aging
Minutes
Regular Meeting
Salem Council on Aging
Wednesday, September 17, 2014 6:00 p.m.
The Regular Meeting of the Salem Council on Aging held Wednesday, September 17th, 2014, 6:00 p.m., at the Senior Center, 5 Broad Street, Salem, Massachusetts.
I. CALL TO ORDER
PD: Open the regular meeting Wednesday, September 17th, 2014, 6:00p.m.
II. ROLL CALL
Board of Directors Present: Pat Dunahue (PD, Chair), Elaine Heredeen (EH, Vice Chair), Lynda Coffill (LCf), Julie Carver (JC, Secretary), Donna Clifford (DC), Abigail Butt, (AB), Alice Williams (AW, Treasurer), John Russell, (JR), Eileen Milo, (EM).
Absent: None. Full attendance.
Also Present: Rosalia Velazquez (RV), Director of Council on Aging, and Sharon Kearney, (Secretary of Minutes), Kay Walsh(NSES)
III. Minutes of Previous Meeting
A motion was made (PD) and seconded (LC) to accept the minutes of the June 18, 2014 meeting. Motion approved (unanimously)
IV. INTRODUCTION OF BOARD MEMBERS –Board member to provide a brief description of their background and interest in elderly issues.
Abigail Butt is in a PhD program studying gerontology at UMass of Boston.
Alice Williams is retired and the seamstress at the Council on Aging. I was encouraged by several people to come here. I have been with COA for six years.
John Russell is retired from full time employment about six years ago and stayed on with the Sheriff’s Department with TRIAD program. I worked with seniors for the past six years in most of the cities in Essex County.
Elaine Hereden works for the Council on Aging in Beverly, outreach programs, Meals on Wheels. Came on board when Kim Driscoll was first elected.
Lynda Coffill this is her second year on the board very interested in getting the new senior center up.
Pat Donahue was appointed by the Mayor Kim Driscoll when she was first in elected. I had just retired. It was a new role to be on a board and I learned different thing about what goes on in the city for the elderly.
Donna Clifford is a registered nurse, extensive holistic background, began writing programs for the senior center about fifteen years ago and has been with the board about ten years.
Julie Carver this is her second term going into fourth year with Council on Aging, a Salem city resident, a primary caregiver in the past and was asked to volunteer on the board to give back to the community.
Rosalia Velazquez came to Salem in November and the COA in March. Never worked with seniors but has an extensive nonprofit background working in New York City, San Francisco, and Charlestown area. It’s been fun and challenging and we are on a path of continual improvement.
Annual Meeting in October
The annual meeting in October is to pick the officers: Secretary, Vice Chair, and Treasurer. There needs to be three people for the nominating committee. The three people and the Board Chair meet about half hour before the meeting of that month and nominate the positions.
A Treasurer is necessary because of the tight budget and the need to tighten up the methods of how money is coming into the organization. A number of improvements have been made over the last months but the COA needs to be adamant about financial management
Pat Donahue has resigned from the board.
The Mayor has appointed Lynda Coffill as the new Chair to the Council on Aging.
Rosalia Velazquez - Thank you for what you (Pat Donohue) have done for our senior center, our community, and your commitment. It has been a pleasure working with you.
Two new people are need for the board. A recommendation was made to add more diversity and have more males involved on the board.
Welcome to John Russell. He has worked with seniors in the communities and will be an asset to the board.
VI. Report of THE DIRECTOR:
Rosalia Velazquez (RV), Director of Council on Aging
Mission/Vision/Goals – distribution of staff goals for FY15
The conversation regarding Vision, Mission, and Goals will continue at a later date. The Mayor’s response for the vision of the center was “A place where generations meet.” Karen Partanen, Director of Park and Recreation will join us in a future meeting to clarify the vision between Parks and Recreation Department and Council on Aging. There is a whole re-branding based on the mission of the organization which needs to happen. Goal is:
Grow the number of programs
Better advertise what it is the COA does. (Salem Patch. 50% of Salem’s seniors are using the internet. SCTV, Salem, letters will be sent to businesses for sponsorship).
Suggestions were made to draw in people during off times:
- A pizza and movie night once a month sponsored by a business.
- Have yoga pilates and Zumba which draws the younger seniors
- Line dancing draws the older seniors.
- Have a liquor license
- Have programs specific for baby boomers
- Tai chi
- Offer classes for earlier groups and later groups
Salem Nosy Book which lists everyone that votes in Salem and requested a list of everyone that is fifty five and older. We need to draw in more men and younger seniors, baby boomers, into the senior center.
A suggestion was made to have a community needs assessment done. To find where the seniors are in the city, how can the COA serve them better, etc. And, need to start trying different things to regain interest in the new senior center. Someone suggested getting the word out about event at the senior center do a reverse 411 informing the caller of the activities for the day are
The Mission will either expand what were doing or contract to more clearly define who the Council on Aging is. The COA is state mandated and has a limited mandate on what we can do. But the senior center is the building and the COA is the board. They are two different things.
DATA UPDATE – a review of FY14 year data
Pages 7 to19 of packets that were passed out had all the data that the COA can get out of the My Senior Center database. The data was grouped by:
1) Demographics on page 7 – 8,
2) Events and Activities,
3) Meals Program,
4) Transportation Program
5) Social Services Program.
The COA provides about 40,000 units of services throughout the course of the year and serve about 2071 seniors. The largest age group served is 65 to 69 and they serve groups up to 98 years of age. By the October meeting all the information will be condensed because there has to be an annual report submitted to the Mayor.
Social Service serve about 1,100 people with 6,200 units of service. Seniors are dealing with issues of: fraud, scams, housing(not enough), mental health, and isolated lives. There is an increase in the need for the services and it will continue for the COA.
Transportation provides about 13,000 per year to approx.. 230 individuals with an increased need for rides. There are 5 vans one is in the shop. The drivers work about four hours a day. The COA is looking into find a new transportation coordinator. Currently, there are four drives and five vans. One van is temporarily out of commission and when it is back on the road there will be a fifth driver.
We take people grocery shopping, to the barber, hair dressers, and library and to medical appointments which are priority. The COA is looking at what would be the impact full time drivers. That will not happen until after the new fiscal budget. But this is the direction the COA will need to go
All the drivers are paid positions. Is there a possibility of volunteer drivers? There may be 5 or 6 people who may want to volunteer driving for a few hours a week.
Drivers need special and required training. Everyone needs to be CORI’d . One main question would be insurance and liability issues with volunteer drivers as opposed to paid drivers.
Meals program – The COA serves a hot lunch every day at the senior center. Sometimes there are 15 people sometimes 40 people. The COA serves congregate meals,(home delivered meals), five days a week. 31,000 congregate meals per year served.
TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM – a description of the COA/SC Transportation Program
230 to 240 individuals served. The policy is they have to call in two days in advance.
1) Some of the seniors forget to call for an appointment..
2) There are rules for the vans - The seniors have to be sitting down with seat belt on.
3) Pick people up curb to curb. The vans have handicap wheel chair ability in which the drivers have to be trained on.
4) There is a two bag policy on the vans. This policy maybe up for discussion as well.
Destination/Schedules: COA is looking at expanding the schedules and maybe have transportation services from 9 to 5. Some questions are:1) Can we take seniors places on weekends? 2) Can we take them to places in the evening? The COA is looking at different opportunities while managing controlled growth.
Program Funding for the Transportation program comes from the North Shore Elder Services approximately $15,000. Title IIIB. Remaining funds from City of Salem, the state budget and the CDBG provided $16,000. At the moment, the actual total for the program is unknown.
Drivers not being able to assist an injured senior. Last year the COA had issues about helping seniors in the senior center. The COA contacted the city lawyer and under no conditions is a member of the COA to assist not even a band aid, call 911. Would a driver be an extension of that?
Yes, Rosalia will follow up on that.
Seniors behavior etc. – The COA does have pamphlets and it is something the Director to the COA would like to bring back to the board body and take a look at. The COA organization is experiencing bullying. John Russell was brought in earlier in the year and did a presentation on bullying. It is a serious issue. There are standards of behavior and the COA has to keep reminding seniors to follow them.
Bullying is not just at the Salem Senior Center. There are several centers with the problem. And, there are two types of bullying: Passive and aggressive bullying. If a senior is not being bullied than they are being snubbed. Suggestion: Senior Ambassador
The Salem COA has started setting up a number of committees for the seniors to become more involved and engaged in the process.– A transportation committee, a trips committee, an activities committee.
MEALS PRGRAM - The board will begin discussion the future of the congregate and home delivered meal program.
People call two days in advance to “order” meal, lunch is usually served around 11:00 and by 11:30 people are gone. It is not a huge plate of food but it is good. The COA contracts with North Shore Elders Services who deliver the food to us and it is served hot. Food is also packed for the home deliveries, 6-7 drivers deliver meals to the seniors homes.
The Meal on Wheels drivers are a watchdog for some of the seniors. If a senior is not answering their door and there was no notification to cancel their meal, senior center makes phone calls to the North Shore Elder Services to get a case work to the address in question.
The meals program is funded by the City of Salem, state budget, and North Shore Elder Services provides us with about $49,000.
For both the meals program and the transportation program seniors can make a donation. The money is put into the envelope and is turned back to the North Shore Elder Services. Lock boxes used in vans and they are being tightly monitored. The COA is also looking for boxes that the public transportation buses have to put on the vans.
Nobody should say to a senior a donation has to be made. Never ever.
Can you raise funds to give back to the program? What I’m hearing is the food is good enough and people are coming here to get a free meal because they need it.
That is a conversation the COA will be very actively having in the future. A number of the COA members visited Peabody Senior Center and they have a different set up. It has to be part of the discussion about the new facility. One of the main concern about the food is the sodium content is very high. For some seniors it is the only meal for the day and the COA wants to be sure they are providing a really healthy good meal.
PROGRAM FUNDING
The COA received $4,000 from the Massachusetts COA, MCOA, for Aging Mastery program. There needs to be 40 people signed up currently there are 21.
Elaine Milo: On October 9th the Mayor is coming into the council and Dave Sweetser, the developer - principal for High Rock development, developer for the property, has been invited in. Our expectation is at that time we will be receiving a construction schedule. Not just we will be in there 2016 but what happens between October 9th and the projected date of June 1st, 2016. The pile of dirt that is sitting there is what is called a soil surcharge process. We had first learned about it back in February. They put soil on top of the foundation soil and some if it filters through and creates a foundation for the building. At the end, of the 4-6 month, or whatever the period of time for all the settling to take place, they take whatever off the
top to level the area and begin the preparations and the footings they need to put in there. The answer is we still don’t know.
Is the city obligated to that condo?
The city hasn’t spent any money. There hasn’t been a deposit made. What we have in place is a purchase and sale agreement which expires in December. So, it will have to be renewed. Hopefully, that is the motivation to get some answers. What is difficult is a year ago this past March when a decision was made there was a one year grace period before anything had to be done. So you go a year with nothing and everybody’s expectations start to drop.
All the board members of the Council on Aging were strongly encouraged to attend the meeting on October 9th. It is a regular council meeting and at every meeting there is opportunity for public testimony at the beginning of the meeting.
The current building is becoming dangerous. For example:
- A soffit falling out front so the front door can not be used.
- The handicap ramp has holes in parts of it. It is covered over but the ramp needs to be knocked down and rebuilt.
- The third floor has a peeling ceiling.
- The heat cannot be regulated.
- The windows are falling apart.
- The rise on the stairs on the side is totally wrong.
- The cement ledges on the benches out front are a major tripping hazard.
Have these problems been brought up to the building inspector? Yes, People have been called people.
E.Milo urged COA board members to attend the Oct. Council meeting and speak up and to write a letter that will be read into the record addressing:
- The lack of progress and communication on the site.
- The safety issues with the current building which is degrading.
- Like to see a construction schedule
The COA can not afford another long drawn out nasty fight for seniors. Rosalia’s advice is to see what can be find out, get the facts and make an intelligent response. The seniors and the city can not afford another long dragged out fight.
What was the process to find this developer? It was a bid process. It is termed as the lowest qualified bidder.
A letter will be drafted by the COA Secretary to go on record from the COA with the following specific points:
- The lack of progress and communication on the site.
- The safety issues with the current building which is degrading.
- Like to see a construction schedule
The initial letter should have an expected response date with a time line on it. The COA asks the city council to address our concerns by the end of October. Need a response by 23rd of October.
If the COA receive the construction schedule they can begin to get the committees together and start looking at the space and what is needed. It would be something real.
What is the name of the developing company? High Rock.
NEW BUSINESS
Future meetings to be kept at 6:00 if the meeting goes over and people can not stay than people can excuse themselves as they need to.
Two suggestions were made:
1) Keep the agenda tighter.
2) Keep meeting over the summer.
Visitors Comments
No comments.
IX. Next board meeting:
Next board meeting scheduled for Wednesday, October 15th, 2014 at time 6:00pm.
X. Vote to Adjournment:
A motion was made (LCF) and seconded (DC/EH) to adjourn the meeting. Motion approved unanimously. Meeting adjourned at 7:30
Minutes respectfully submitted by Sharon Kearney
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