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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1992-01-22-HSC-min.pdf Minutes Human Services Committee ( 1 /22/92 Present Renee Cochin and Ann Irving, Co-Chairmen; Eva Glick Donna Hooper and Rick Safford ; Steve Baran, Human Services Cuordinator (recorder ) Absent Mimi Aarens, Bob Cushman and Dennis Murakami The Minutes of 1 /8/92 were approved Steve reported on a complaint about alleged lack of courtesy by various representatives of the Police Department toward a resident of Woburn with Turette' s syndrome visiting in the Town At the suggestion of the Enablement Committee, he is getting a statement from this person and will discuss the matter with the Chief of Police Further, Steve reported on new relief cases in January to date, review of a list of applicants fur fuel assistance obtained from Community Teamwork and an expected donation from the Lexington Interfaith Outreach to the Human Services Fund The RePlace budget was reviewed taking into consideration implications of cutting LexCAPP appropriation (would result in cutting out educational program for elementary school children) increased utilization of emergency services and current inability of RePlace to do justice to peer leadership training with insufficient funding It was decided to recommend level funding of RePlace in FY ' 93 as follows C Crisis intervention and counseling $25, 000 Community Education including LexCAPP 19 000 Peer Leadership 23, 900 Total $67, 900 C As to the Human Services Fund, it was decided to once again ask the Selectmen to provide a commitment that $5, 000 would be found should there be a shortfall in human services funding requiring recourse to such funds in FY ' 93 It was decided to recommend an increase in funding to CMARC to $ 12, 000 based on their increasing utilization by Lexington residents The Committee felt it would not be able to make further recommendations were the Selectmen to ask how to effect cuts in view of the already relatively small size of the human services budget r t Human Services Committee 1 /22/92 Page 2 Rick Safford reported that he and Bob Cushman had met with Chuck Howard of the Cooperative for Human Services with respect to private housing being offered by a seller who wished to benefit disabled Lexington citizens Eva reported that the Children' s Center of Lexington had to reject 12 families seeking day care scholarships this year while two mothers had to leave their jobs to take care of their children Scholarships are currently being provided to 6 to 8 families and, in the process, the Center has incurred a deficit It was felt that the Human Services Fund was not big enough to respond to this kind of need, but the Committee might want to investigate this need further in the future Donna reported that the Council on Aging had not heard about elderly residents having problems in paying their taxes although Steve had been informed about this by a clerk in the Tax Collector' s office Some elderly have been complaining about the size of their water and sewer bills Donna is trying to get more information about the Friends of the Council on Aging and whether it responds to human services' emergencies Steve had also inquired of the Acting Executive Director at the COA about this