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Home My WebLink About2015-11-04-COA-min MinutesoftheLexingtonCouncilonAgingBoardNovember4,2015 Present:NancyAdler,HarryMacKay,CamilleGoodwin,MarionKilson,BarbaraRediker,SophiaHo,Rich McDonough,GerryHowell,EllenCameron,JulieShapiro Staff:CharlotteRogers,KellyAxtell,HemaliPatel,SheilaButts Themeetingwascalledtoorderat3:05 comments:Itwasnotedthatseniorsareveryhappywithalloftheprogrammingoptions 1.Public atthecommunitycenter. JayKaufmanwillbehavinganOpenHouseattheDepot,withguestMichaelFesta,MassAARP director. Boardphotowastakenafterpubliccomments. 2.Octoberminuteswereacceptedaspresented. 3.Ribboncuttingevent:Theeventwasverysuccessful.Nancythankedboardmemberswho helped.Theeventcreatedasenseofcommunity.Theopeningremarkswereexcellent,and somewouldlikethemtobepublished.LexMediamayhavevideoedit,assomepeoplewere notabletoattend.Sheilawillfindoutifitisavailable. 4.Staffreportandprogramupdates:HemaliΑfirstvolunteermeetingwasyesterday,togetideas fortripprogramming.Eightpeopleattended.Thereweremanyideasandsomesuggested smallertripsi.e.tomuseums.Hemalimightholdvolunteermeetingseveryothermonth,and someonline.Thefocusofthismeetingwastriprelated,butHemaliwouldliketobroadenthe scopeoffuturemeetingsittoincludeallprogramming.CamilleheardthetriptoNew Hampshirewasoutstanding. Bothholidaylunchesarefull.Volunteersareneededforlunches.Nancynotedthatpeoplelike theCOAboardmembersbemorevisibleΑitletspeopleknowwecareaboutwhatwearedoing. Weshouldconsidervolunteeringforthelunches. Weneedtoletpeopleknowthefitnessopportunitiesherearefree.Weneedcontinuous outreach.Sheilasaidwehavewaystogetthewordoutandwilldomoreofthat.{ƚƦŷźğ͸ƭ husbandmaywritealettertothenewspaper.Charlottementionedthatwecanputinformation intheSeniorMattersnewsarticleaboutwheretofindwhatatthecommunitycenter. Aquestionwasraisedregardinghowmanypeoplegetthenewsletter.Charlottementioned thatineverynewsletterweputdetailedinformationaboutseniorservicesbutpeoplearestill cominginallofthetimeaskingaboutservices,soenoughpeoplearenotgettingthemorare notreadingthem.Kellyisworkingonthenewsletter,tomakeitmoreaboutservicesandthe mission,prioritizingservicesoverprograming,emphasizingtheimportanceofallofthedifferent services,information,referrals,andmeals.Sheisrevampingthefirstpagetogiveitafreshlook andwantsallinformationtobepresentedtocatchtheeye.Shehopestobedoneforthe JanuarynewsletterbutitmightnotbeuntilMarch/April.Charlottewouldlikeastatementfrom Nancyonthefirstpageregardingourmission. Whethertokeepthecalendarinthenewsletterwasalsodiscussed.Manyfindithelpful,some findithardtoread.Kellywillconsideralloptionsrelatedtothecalendarandlookforwaysto takesomeoftheredundancyoutofthenewsletter. KellyΑfuelassistanceprogramisnowopen,November1ΑApril30.Seniorscanapplyanytime duringthattimeframe.Thereisafirsttimeinpersoninterview.SeniorscancallKellytohelp signup,andshecanhelpwithrenewals.Thereare100slotsofsandforseniors. 5.SeniorDiningUpdate:CharlotteexplainedthatFederalmoneygoestoMinutemanandthenit comestous.Weareservingthreetimesperweek,itusedtobefiveatMuzzy.TheMinuteman mealcoordinatorisnegotiatingacontactwithBrookhavenforMWFmealsandtheyaregetting close.Wehavenothingtodowiththat.Brookhavenisswitchingtotheirdinnermenuandthen wewillbeginservingitinDecember.Thecostisadonation,soseniorscanhaveamealforfree ifnecessary.Whentheycalltomakeareservationorregister,thefinancialinformationis confidential.Mealsareatnoon.SheilaandherstaffarelookingforaTuesday/Thursdayoption. 6.JointmeetingwithCOAandFCOA:ThemeetingwillbeonDecember2.Thethoughtistohave aholidaypartyatthebeginningandthentheprimaryfocusofthemeetingwillbeideasweall haveforprogrammingandrelatedfundraisingneeds. 7.DiscussionofhowCOAadvocatesandsupportsthemission:QuestionsconsideredwereHow doweadvocateasaboard?HowdowereachtheLexingtoncommunityinabetterway?How dopeoplefindoutaboutthecommunitycenterandalloftheofferings?Hemaliwillstartto workonsocialmediapresence.CharlottenotedthattheTownofLexingtonhasnotdeveloped apolicyforsocialmedia.Becauseitiselectroniccommunication,thereareregulationsand publicrecordslawsΑifanyonerespondsitisaproblemforrecordkeepinganditisarchived forever. Theissueofamassmailingwasdiscussed.Itisexpensive.Therewasamassmailingoutreach lettertwoyearsagoandtherewasameasurableresponseΑa38%increaseincallsforservices. Itmightbepossibletocombineitwith,forexample,thetaxbills.Theconcernisthatthereare peopleinthetownthatķƚƓ͸Ʒknowanythingatallaboutthecommunitycenter,orevenwhere itis. NextmeetandgreetwillbeinJanuary.Therewasdiscussionregardingwhethertocombinea meetandgreetwithaspeakeroranothereventsuchasanexercisedemonstration. 8.NewBusiness/Announcements:Nancybroughtuptheissueofthedesignofthesidewalkson MassAve.Oneplanisdisturbing,becausetherearesmallareasforpeoplewithwheelchairs, whichareisolatedtotheside,andthenalargebrickareainthecenterforwalking.Thebrick wassupposedtobeanaccent,butitappearsthatisnotthecase.Nancysentalettertothe BoardofSelectmanandtotheDisabilityCommission.Visually,itlookslikeanexpanseofbrick andonlyanarrowareaforwheelchairs,whichwillbedifficultforthoseinawheelchairandit hastheappearanceofseparatingthoseinwheelchairsfromothers. Thenominatingcommitteewillmeetandbegintheprocessforfindingnewboardmembersand offices.Weshouldconsiderestablishingaformalexecutivecommittee.Itisinthepoliciesand procedures.Thereisnorequirementtohaveone,butitwouldgivethechairairanopportunity todiscussissuesinbetweenmeetingswiththoseinofficialstatus. Briefdiscussionregardingthefactthatsometownsthathaveataxabatementforseniorswho volunteerfortownservices.Itischeaperforthetown,becausetheyareemployingfewer people.Lexingtondoeshaveataxabatementbutitismeanstested,anditisapproximately $1,000.00offtaxesΑmorelimitedthansometowns.Veteransandcouplescangetalittlemore offtaxes.Wehaveabout2232peopleperyear,butthisisdecreasing.Financialqualifying figuresareverylow.Itisinthenewsletter. AsofNovember2,LexingtonHousingAuthorityhasanewexecutivedirector,CaileenFoley. 4:05adjourned.ThenextmeetingwillbeDecember2,2015at2:30pm.attheCommunityCenter. Respectfullysubmitted, JulieShapiro