Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout1987-03-02-HSC-min.pdf Minutes , Human Services Committee, 3/2/87 CPresent Harvey Lowell, Bob Cushman, Marion Shepp, Leonora Feeney, Sheila Martin, Jan Eustis , Sylvia Perlman, Seymour Mandel, Renee Cochin, and Steve Baran Minutes of Meeting of 2/23/87 Corrections included announcement of meeting time of Committee which was incorrectly fixed at 8 p m This should be changed to read 7 45 p m In the notes on "Housing Affordability" Bob Cushman was not merely "interested" in proposing a Lexington Housing Partnership He actually did propose the Partnership Jan Eustis ' name was omitted from the list of those members wishing to participate on the subcommittee concerned with emergency services She had been participating on this subcommittee and wished to continue on the subcommittee Emergency Services Dimensions to be addressed in responding to the question of drawing up emergency services procedures include 1 Psychiatric Emergency Services procedures; 2 Plans for client emergencies; 3 procedures for agencies and entitites within the community to cooperate with each other in emergency situations Seymour Mandel will participate at a providers ' monthly meeting at the Council on Aging to which a P E S representative has been invited on Tuesday, March 10 while Jan Eustis , Seymour Mandel, and Leonora Feeney will join meeting with Bob Deluilio and Bill Blout in E House, Career Center at the High School on March 17 at 11 It was suggested that a P E S representative be invited to attend this meeting as well Following these meetings the Committee will have a better idea of how to further involve the Police Department such as in the drawing up of procedures to be part of the Police Manual The subcommittee on emergency services will meet before the next regularly schedtledmeeting of the Human Services Committee on 3/23 at 7 30 p m Harvey Lowell also wished to participate in theemergency services meeting at the high school Youth and drug issues The context was reviewed for further attention to youth and drug issues 1 June 19th forum in which needs of youth had been prioritized 2 December 9th meeting on youth and drug issues involving police department, youth agencies , and Florence Koplow with Guidance Department and Everyone ' s Youth Group missing At this meeting there was recognition that drug use had not ✓ increased, alcoholism continued to be a real problem, while a number of continuing problems such as stress, lack of self Lesteem, and eating disorders still required attention 3 United Way of Mass Bay expression of interest in funding initiatives which showedservice integration on behalf of youth 4 Human Services Committee historic interest in fostering coopera- tion among youth agencies and possibility of designing RFP Minutes, Human Services Committee, 3/2/87, p 2 C Harvey Lowell asked Steve Baran to send letter to area agencies holding forum on foster care applauding their cooperation See attached A number of topics were mentioned for futher meetings on youth concerns including health, recreation, day care, drugs and mental health, and how community agencies might interface with the school system Steve noted that plans by the School Department for a Life Skills curriculum did not involve community agencies serving youth It wasunoted that no parents ' groups were present at the last meeting on youth The Youth Subcommittee will meet with Judy Zabin to discuss plans and report back at the next meeting of the Human Services Committee Housing Partnership and Conflict of Interest Seymour Mandel expressed concerns around possible conflict of interest and inappropriateness of Human Services Committee discussing housing plans that could lead to business participation when such plans were implemented Seymour reported that he had met with Norm Cohen along with Steve Baran The Town Counsel had expressed the opinion that there was no conflict of interest, and Steve reported that Bob Hutchinson had drawn attention to that portion of the Conflict of Interest law which precluded anyone participating in planning from later participating in a busines venture Committee members noted that such a partnership would be controlled by the Town, would be in accord with previously adopted fair housing policies , would be proactive and, threfore, could result in exceeding fair housing requirements as opposed to having no fair housing were the matter strictly left up to business initiative, and, finally, that it was the responsibility of government to interest private investors in carrying out the policies of the people While Seymour felt that it would be better for the Town to be fully responsible for affordable and fair housing, other members pointed to government' s poor track record over the years in initiating housing without drawing in private enterprise The Committee agreed to proceed in planning for affordable and fair housing Housing Partnership Planning There was agreement to proceed with drawing up a concept paper on how to increase the stock of rental housing and assure that present rental housing remain available with due reference to fair housing and affordable housing policies The following dimensions of such a paper were identified 1 responsibilities of groups in Town structure concerned with housing; 2 options for implementation; 3 why such a plan would be feasible; LI 4 response to various groups with special needs and minorities ; 5 possible role of Town in financing the plan Minutes , Human Services Committee , 3/2/87, p 3 The Committee will meet in the home of Leonora Feeney on March 16th at 8 p m to further discuss the idea Harvey Lowell' s Role as Chairman Harvey requested the Coordinator and members of the Committee to keep him appraised of developments concerning the Committeeas fully and as promptly as possible so that he might carry out his responsibilities as effectively as possible Next Meeting The next meeting of the Human Services Committee will take place on Monday, March 23 at 8 p m Respectfully Submitted, Stephen Baran, Human Services Coordinator