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Council on Aging Minutes of the Council on Aging
Box 636 Meeting on Tuesday January 13,1981
Lexington, Mass. 02173
Present: Ch. J. Rooney, V. Ch. R. Weinstein, 3 Clark, J. Clark,
S. Goodwin, W. Sen, B. Rubin
Staff: J. Melcher, E. Morehouse
Observers : Nancy Banks, Assist. To Town Manager
Gail Colwell, CoA volunteer
Stephen Doran, State Representative
Gladys Scanlon, Silver-hair Legislator
Marcia Williamson, INDEPENDENT, reporter
Absent W. Benway, vol. treasurer
B. Luokmann, L. Tropeano, M. McDonald
The Meeting was called to order by Rooney at 5:07 pm.
MOTION: Moved, seconded, and passed unanimously to accept the
minutes as read.
Treasurer's Report: Melcher went over the report for the Council in
the absence of treasurer Benway. It was noted that the rent
for the CoA office had not been included in the statement. It
was also noted that the costs of the Nutrition Site should :be
included in the line item called Program Development .
MOTION: Moved, seconded, and passed unanimously to accept the
treasurer's report as read.
Chairman's report: Rooney reported on a crisis situation which be
handled over the weekend involving physical abuse of a
senior citizen by her daughter and son-in-law.
Coordinator's report: Melcher reported on the success of the congregate
meals. Sixty citizens have signed up for the lunch on Thursday
the 15th. We have bad to turn away another forty. Elizabeth
Pitman is planning on showing her slides of China following the
lunch. In the future we plan on setting fifty as an upper
limit for the lunches .
Melcher spoke at the Winchester Senior Center on the organi-
zation ofitrips and the theater group as done in the
Lexington CoA.
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( 2) Minutes of the Cquncil on Aging
January 13th ( cont)
Joyce McAteer of the DEA dropped by unexpectedly. The
office was extremely busy. McAteer was able to see a variety of
activities and interests.
Howard Davis of the Somerville Cambridge Economic Opportunity
Committee will be instigating a weatherization program in Lexington.
He will run workshops one day per week for applicants who qualify
for this help.
Council members have been asked to read the Elderly Needs
Assessment report as presented by Bea Phear in the Town Manager's
office. Nancy Banks responded to comments and questions in the
absence of Ms. Phear. A lengthy discussion ensued re the merits
of Munroe and Muzzey schools as possible senior centers . The report
pointed out that Munroe was a poor choice due to poor accessibility,
bad lay out, and not possible as an income producing building. Muzzey
was pointed out to have physical advantage over Munroe including the
possibility of part of it being used to produce income either with
office space or housing. Goodwin pointed out that the report did not
address directly this mixture of services or an architect's study to
support it. The question arose as to whether the present facilities
at the church are adequate. Banks spoke of the possibility of rene-
gotiating with the Church for lower rent. Matcher pointed out that
the rent is a bargain on a square foot basis. Weinstein stated that
the CoA is in a Catch 22 situation wherein programs need space, space
creates programs, and that the CoA cannot continue to expand unless we
have a center which includes larger and more flexible apace.
Rooney reviewed the history of the Site Exploration Committee.
They surveyed 16 communities and 84 sites in Lexington alone. es yet
the Senior Sites Committee report has not been accepted by the Select-
men. The Site Committee report listed the following suggestions in
preferential order
1 . The Barnes building (not available at this time)
2. Hayden (not feasible)
3. Munroe (the actual first choice because it was the only feasible one
at this time)
Banks warned the Council that with Prop. 21 in effect there is no way
that the Town will raise a quarter million dollars without cutting
basil& line services.
The report which Phear presented supports the conversion of
Muzzey as a multi-use building for a senior center and as an income
producing building. One condition by the Town is to allow developers
to renovate and then give back to the town for use a portion of the
building, thus offsetting coats. The CoA emphasized that seniors were
not interested or in favor of sharing space with teenagers and their
range of activities.
A special committee to be beaded by Al Buse will be formed after
Town Meeting 181 to further investigate the potential use of Muzzey.
(3) Minutes of the Council on Aging
January 13th ( cont)
Banks told the CoA that Town Meeting is in no position to vote
a large sum of money for a Center. More time will be needed as the
CoA continues to work to set the ground work and, in reality, should
be working for '82 Town Meeting. It is mandatory that a dollar cost
plus in depth plans be prepared in order to make a presentation to the
Town Meeting. Banks stated that this is not the year to sell anything
at the Town Meeting. Weinstein stated that he had a sense of Deja Vu.
The Council is again in the position in which it found itself a year
ago : the need to make a financial and architectural study of the pro-
posed Muzzey building as a possible site with little time to make an
in-depth study to present to the Town.
Goodwin reviewed again the time constraints on MMHCC in their
search for their future location.
Nominations were requested from the floor for a Board Member to
replace Weinstein as an Alternate Director to the MMHCC.
MOTION. Moved, seconded, and passed unanimously to designate
William Sen as an Alternate Director to MMHCC.
Stephen Doran, the State Representative, made a brief proposal
for permission to be available at the CoA offices one day a month in the
morning to answer inquiries_, and provide information for the elderly.
He emphasized that he would be willing to stop the practice close to
any election time. The CoA will consider the proposal.
MOTION: Moved, seconded, and passed to adjourn the meeting at 6 15 pm.
si ed :
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Elise V. Morehouse
Assist. Coord., CoA