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
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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