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Home My WebLink About1994-09-14-COA-min.pdf 9. i LEXINGTON COUNCIL ON AGING MINUTES OF BOARD MEETING September 14 , 1994 Attending; Clark Cowen, Chair Monica Chang Frank Chen John Curry Jackie Davison Eugene Isotti Donna Hooper - Human Services Committee Jack Fisher - Guest Linda Crew Vine - Executive Director Chairman Clark Cowen convened the meeting at 4 : 35 p m, and made the following remarks : 1) The annual senior picnic on August 22 was an outstanding success. 2) Clark presided at the Candidates Forum September 12 . Thirty people attended. Clark suggested to the candidates to limit their frequent visits to the senior center 3 ) He had a meeting this morning with other town committee chairs to hear the story on budget increases for fiscal 1996 Lexington is experiencing a population increase of people with children This will put demands to town-wide services and will exert budget pressures. 4) Marie Galloway had a fall and sustained knee injuries A temporary replacement is needed for the Meals-on-Wheels program 5) Corrected dates of COA board meetings for the new fiscal year were handed out, Board Vacancies. Clark Cowen nominated Jackie Davision as vice president of the Board. A unanimous vote was cast for Jackie in this position. Attorney Jack Fisher and Phyllis Rand are candidates to join the COA board , The Board expressed our appreciation if Jack would come on board soon. Minutes, The June meeting minutes needed two corrections Ed Grant declined to be vice president, therefore no nomination to that effect was made. The spelling for Lotting School needed correction The June minutes were approved Financial Report. Workload at the end of a fiscal year caused a delay in giving the financial report •until the October meeting The fiscal 1996 budget may see a rise in costs such as an estimated COA Board - page 2 $14 , 000 for transportation of seniors to and from the Center When a staff member works more than 20 hours a week, the cost of benefits goes up. Linda Vine, John Curry, and Clark Cowen will work on solutions in these matters. Muzzey Tenant Relations, A special meeting of the Muzzey Trustees was called for this evening to consider a proposal to lock the gate to the bike path and to elect two fourth-floor members to be Muzzey trustees. As a voting member of the Trustees, the COA board decided that we did not have enough information to vote on the election or the bike-path gate proposal. We decided to abstain from the vote We discussed the advisability of building a bike ramp from the Muzzey parking lot to the bike path It can be a controversial issue with the fourth-floor tenants Director' s Update, Linda reported on the August 3 staff retreat when issues on Senior Center staffing, service delivery, and building facilities were discussed We have an acute need for a part-time intake worker. Lexington' s human services coordinator Steve Baran is prepared to take up this assignment for us if he can become a full-time employee for the town Richard White has given approval for such an arrangement. Steve will have an office at the Center in the future. * Space is at a premium for our Center programs Consideration is given to the conversion of the gift shop into an office In that event the sale of cards and gift wraps. can be accomplished with a gift cart. Plans are also being made to move the Meals-on-Wheels coordinator out of Chris Gelling' s office and give Chris a measure of office privacy. * Property Tax Work-off, Linda reported twenty seniors are on work-off jobs and five participants have received their rebates The Boston Globe ran an article on our program. An article in the Minuteman is scheduled for September 15. Interest in the program is such that some seniors whose incomes •exceed the guidelines are volunteering their service to do the "Work-off" jobs * The Center bought a new computer during the summer with Frank Chen' s assistance to shop for an appropriate configuration * Linda handed out the room utilization schedule for the month * The Friends of COA will fund the re-carpeting of downstairs space. l r 9 1, COA Meeting - page 3 * Russ Corkum of the Lions Club will be a speaker at the Center in October. The club intends to contribute $1, 000 to $1, 500 to the COA. Board members are asked to think up a good wish-list for this money. * The annual Miles-for-Meals Walk/Bike-a-Thon has been scheduled to take place October 16 Board members ate asked to solicit sponsors and pledges. The three-hour event will involve participants of all age groups, including students. * The Board voted to decline all ads in the COA newsletter * Linda handed out the library report for June, July, and August. * Linda handed out a copy of the annual report to the Massachusetts Office of Elder Affairs, * Jackie Davision commented on the plans to develop housing using the land and buildings on the former Metropolitan State Hospital grounds Work to survey the needs for affordable housing and assisted living quarters must begin immediately in order to meet the deadline for providing planning information to the State legislature. Clark Cowen adjourned the meeting at 6:45 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Frank Chen, Secretary