HomeMy WebLinkAbout1989-09-23-HSC-min.pdf Human Services Committee Minutes, 9/23/89
l Present Renee Cochin and Bob Cushman, Co-Chairmen; Ann Irving,
Seymour Mandel , Dick Dougherty, Leonora Feeney; Dennis
Murakami, Candidate for Human Services Committee; and
Steve Baran, Human Services Coordinator
1 Substance Abuse Forum
The Forum will be entitled "Youth and Drugs"
Tentative speakers are Ron Morin, Jack Sarmanian, and
Jan Kessler Renee will make introductory remarks and
Dick will be the moderator The target group is
concerned citizens The sponsors are the School
Committee, the Selectmen and the PTA Council Anne and
Lee will work on publicity; Seymour will prepare a
letter to the School Committee
2 Discussion of Committee Charge
It was agreed that the following changes in wording be
recommended to the Selectmen:
Page 1 , par 1 in re membership "Nine members serving
staggered three-year terms" to be substituted for eight
members serving staggered two-year terms "
( ) Page 2, par 5 re information and referral Delete
"design an information and referral process "
3 Summary of Discussion
It was agreed that there was no need to recommend
changes in the Charge except for above
As permitted by the Charge, the current emphasis in
direction for the Committee should be in emphasizing
planning and looking across service areas (as these
affect different Town agencies) to determine need, and
delineating goals and objectives for meeting need
As the Committee focuses more on need, it will be less
concerned with how service providers are chosen, how
contracts are awarded and specifications for contract
compliance
It was recognized that moving away from advising the
Selectmen on how monies should be allocated to specific
service providers to determining needs and estimating
costs to meet those needs might have to be a two-step
process The Selectmen may look to the Committee for
designating specific agencies in the coming year
U
Human Services Committee Minutes, 9/23/89 Page 2
t
During this year, the Committee is expecting more
information from agencies as to how programs being
funded by the Town are also funded by other funding
sources and, in general , a breaking out of separate
budgets for programs funded through the Town' s human
services allocation
It was agreed that the Committee needed to place a
greater emphasis on public education around need for
human services and what was the scope and
appropriateness of municipal responsibility
Respectfully Submitted,
1/4_24 tleir--
Stephen Baran,
Human Services Coordinator
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