HomeMy WebLinkAbout1982-11-22-HSC-min.pdf HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE
Minutes of the Meeting of November 22, 1982
Present Steve Baran, Howard Reynolds Ilene White, Judy Zabin, Nancy Zarle,
Roberta Black; Bea Phear Human Services Coordinator George Harris,
Council on Aging Chairman, Joan Danziger, Student Intern
CMARC
Joan presented the Committee with her report on CMARC She has been very impressed
with the program in comparison to the sheltered workshops she knew in California
She felt the individual plans for clients were well conceived, the amount of contract
work was impressive, and their services well run The major issue now is to help
the client out into the competetive work world There are two impediments to this
Bob Renna at the LABB school has a very high percentage of his students going on to
regular employment so it is only the hardest-to-place that then need CMARC and
there is no staff person at CMARC who is primarily responsible for this area Joan
suggests targetting the town funding to create this position, and then that staff
person could go out to employers to locate jobs One incentive is the tax laws,
that need to be explained to prospective empoyers
Muzzey Update
George Harris came as a guest to the meeting, with interest in closer relations
between the CoA and the Human Services Committee He gave a brief history of the
conversion of the Muzzey school, read the Charge to the Muzzey Conversion Committee
from the Selectmen, and reviewed the proposals that they were now considering He
said the CoA is considering having a public meeting on the need for a senior center,
and is interested in distributing a document that delineates current programs and
projections for use and budget into a new site with 8,000 square feet, whether that
be in Muzzey or not George then had to leave to attend another meeting
CoA
Nancy reported that the subcommittee had attended the most recent CoA Board meeting,
which was very interesting She felt that George brought enthusiam to the group and
that their focus was moving in the right direction. Most of the problems appear to
be management problems At the meeting they had discussed the Muzzey conversion and
legislation One guest had mentioned an upcoming geriatric conference in Boston, and
Joan Melcher said she would file the invitation This is an example of the kind of
limited vision Nancy is concerned about The subcommittee does feel they are making
steps, and the 5% budget increase is reasonable
Nancy felt it is unfortunate that the CoA is run by two part-time people and should
have better hours
Steve pointed out that we had been hearing this kind of comment for a long time, and
the question is how the management can be improved Ilene felt that you can take a
program only as far as you can take the staff, and they are not comfortable with new
ideas such as more intellectual programming She was concerned that much of the
meeting had been discussing the logo rather than substantive issues Steve thought
that with new blood on the Board and George talking about identifying grants for a
senior center, it might be useful to discuss our concerns with George directly He
asked the subcommittee to take him aside some time in the future
1
Other Requests
Bea distributed copies of requests that had come in as a result of the newspaper
notice The town has received new requests from
Woburn Council for Social Concern - for their neighbor network of foster
homes and for their elderly home sharing program Bea reported that
she had discussed the home sharing program with Joan Melcher, who
thought it a good idea conceptually, but had seen no successful matches
in the referrals from the C0A
Choate Symmes Hospitals - for $900 to put two Lifeline units in Lexington
homes for elderly ,ono could not afford them Bea had discussed this
program with Joan, who thought it an excellent service
Cooperati =e Elder Services - for scholarship money for Lexington resident who
need adult day care but are not covered by insurance and cannot
afford the program Bea had also discussed this program with Joan,
who thinks it Ls an excellent and needed service
The committee will read the requests and discuss them further at the next meeting
Public Trusts
Bea reported that she had talked with Leo Grace, the accountant for the Trustees,
and he was planning to send her information on recent distributions (Note He
telephoned ince then, and that information is enclosed )
Respectfully submitted,
Beatrice Phear
November 30, 1982
To Human Services Committee
-rom Bea Phear
Re Public Trusts
I had an informal conversation with Leo Grace, who told me that there had been np
activity on ony of the charitable trusts we had inquired about since 1979 He said
the Trustees want to distribute the money, and have asked the Selectmen to make
requests of them, but there had been no requests that he knew of for these particular
trusts He outlined some of the distribution in previous years and reported on
the current available balances
Y
Bridge Trusts Balance - $5,290
Spent in FY 1979 $3 300 rent for Council on Aging
260 for meals on wheels
75 to send a child to special needs camp
FY 77-78 $3,720 for meals on wheels
246 for food for a family at Christmas
Beals Fund Balance - $4,563
spent in FY 77 $580 for park benches at Greeley Village
FY 74 690 for a piano at Greeley
498 for a TV at Vinebrooke
FY 73 499 for a piano at Vinebrooke
400 to the City of Boston for a legal bill (he didn't fully know this)
Gemmel Balance - $795
from January 1960 through January 1973 spent about $30-35 per year on Christmas plants
Harriet Gilmore Balance - $562
spent FY 1974 $1,200 for the Lexington Visiting Nurses for elderly clinics
George Gilmore Balance - $25,976
spent in FY 1979 $880 for a sprinkler system for Buckman Tavern
He also mentioned the Charles Lyman Weld trust, which was established in 1960 and
has never been used, now having a balance of $5,500 This is for educational purposes
or the chapel at Westview cemetary Mr Grace thought it might be applied to a
community educational effort such as use of Cable TV
He suggested the Bridge might be a vehicle for the special needs chorus, and the
Beals or Harriet Gilmore for Lifeline and Elderly Day Care He was careful to point
out that he is not a trustee, and the committee should consider their recommendations
only after talking with Mr Rutherford and the Board of Selectmen He also said he
did not have copies of the actual wills and the Town Report summary was not always
t complete