HomeMy WebLinkAbout1992-03-04-HSC-min.pdf Minutes
Human Services Committee
3/4/92
Present Renee Cochin and Ann Irving Co-Chairmen Mimi Aarens ;
Bob Cushman Eva Glick ; Donna Hooper and Rick Safford Steve
Baran, Human Services Coordinator ( recorder )
Absent Dennis Murakami
The Minutes of 1 /22/82 were approved with one exception
Dennis Murakami was absent
Steve reported A news article on the Human Services Fund
would soon be appearing in the Minuteman; the Town' s Employee
Assistance Program Committee was considering how diversity
training might be expanded from the Management Team to the rest
of the work force he had visited the Food Pantry and found it to
be both receptive to users and efficient
Renee discussed early morning update meetings with the Board
of Selectmen on the budget There was less State Aid and local
receipts , minimum free cash ( down from S million to $58O 000) and
commercial real estate income There were increased costs in
health insurance, unemployment insurance, refuse collection and
funds set aside for abatement requests leaving a 4 million dollar
gap Options trash enterprise fund 2 1 /2 override or cuts in
services including LEXPRESS, Senior Health Monitor Program CMARC
and RePlace allocations
Nancy Schack appeared on behalf of the Enablement Committee
to talk about a meeting being planned to provide information
concerning the Americans with Disabilities Act She felt the
Board of Selectmen should provide leadership in informing the
Town about the Act Steve mentioned that Leo McSweeny would be
at the next planning meeting Renee spoke about the importance
of consciousness raising She recommended that at a first
informational meeting the emphasis should be on the basic
requirement of the act It was important to have a plan and not
try to do too much in the beginning
Steve reported that the Human Services Fund had seen a
dramatic increase in expenditures during the months of January
and February and that some of these were tor services that in the
past would have been paid for by the State Bob Cushman reminded
Steve that the Fund brochure needed revision and that all
recipients should sign a loan statement expressing their desire
to repay within three to five years with no interest
The Committee discussed the position they might take
regarding the Human Services budget in Town Meeting It was felt
that suggesting alternative cuts would only create enemies It
( was important to explain in a low-key manner that the economy was
creating greater need, also paint a picture of what the Town
Human Services Committee 3/4//82 Page 2
would be like without RePlace and CMARC
Subcommittee reports
Special needs Bob and Rick met with a real estate agent
who provided information on three properties It is not possible
to work out a special needs housing arrangement without market
rate units being part of the mix A meeting of the special needs
parents will be called to discuss the situation
Rick has been investigating hearing accessibility through
the National Technical Institute for the Deaf and through Mrs
Abrams in Lexington He will report further developments
Yuuth services Ann will get in touch with RePlace as more
nformation is obtained about the human services budget
Special needs recreation Renee will meet with Pam Varrin
and Chris Connor (Eva Glick to be included if possible )
Council on Aging Donna will attend next Board meeting