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Home My WebLink About2026-06-08 Council on Aging Packet This Agenda has been prepared in advance and represents a listing of topics that the chair reasonably anticipates will be dis cussed at the meeting. However the agenda does not necessarily include all matters which may be taken up at this meeting. Page | 1 2018-07-16 LAG Board - Committee - Commission - Council: Council on Aging Date: 2026-06-08 Time: 5:30 PM Building: Pleasant Street Senior Center Location: Great Room Address: 49 Pleasant Street Agenda: Purpose: COA Monthly Meeting Meeting Called By: Kerry Valle on behalf of Karen Janowski Notices and agendas are to be posted 48 hours in advance of the meetings excluding Saturdays, Sundays and Legal Holidays. Please keep in mind the Town Clerk’s hours of operation and make necessary arrangements to be sure your posting is made in an adequate amount of time. A listing of topics that the chair reasonably an ticipates will be discussed at the meeting must be on the agenda. All Meeting Postings must be submitted in typed format; handwritten notices will not be accepted. Topics of Discussion: This Agenda has been prepared in advance and represents a listing of topics that the chair reasonably anticipates will be discussed at the meeting. However, the agenda does not necessarily include all matters which may be taken up at this meeting.  5:30  5:40  5:50  Call to Order, Attendance, Overview of Agenda  Approval of Meeting Minutes(April 2026/May 2026)  Public Comment Karen Janowski Karen Janowski Public  6:00  6:05  6:10  6:25  6:40  6:50  Select Board Update  Friends of 60+Update  Elder & Human Services (EHS) Report and Trust Fund Reports and Upcoming events at center COA can fund via Trust Funds and vote.  Survey update and discussion  COA working Group Update and possible vote  Small space ReCal Discussion and vote. Member of Select Board Nora Bucko Kerry Valle/ Karen Janowski Karen Janowski Karen Janowski Karen Janowski  6:55  7:00  7:05  Voting on a Chair and Vice Chair, appointment starting in August  Future Agenda (No July meeting)  Adjourn Karen Janowski/Kerry Valle Karen Janowski Karen Janowski Community Services Department is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. This Agenda has been prepared in advance and represents a listing of topics that the chair reasonably anticipates will be dis cussed at the meeting. However the agenda does not necessarily include all matters which may be taken up at this meeting. Page | 2 Topic: COA Monthly Meeting Time: Jun 8, 2026 05:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89207011802?pwd=EjzOQvx6483W2KRGQnmnddZHjFIr1f.1 Meeting chat link https://us06web.zoom.us/launch/jc/89207011802 View meeting insights with Zoom AI Companion https://us06web.zoom.us/launch/edl?muid=63665cd8-7c95-4610-a937-fb770a10ee3f Meeting ID: 892 0701 1802 Passcode: 533457 --- One tap mobile +16465189805,,89207011802#,,,,*533457# US (New York) +16465588656,,89207011802#,,,,*533457# US (New York) --- Join by SIP ∙ 89207011802@zoomcrc.com Join instructions https://us06web.zoom.us/meetings/89207011802/invitations?signature=lxZJr7oeMVfa7ua6jBcCKeqdGK3YKm OCU8rMXbioHWA Town of Reading Meeting Minutes Page | 1 2016-09-22 LAG Board - Committee - Commission - Council: Council on Aging Date: 2026-05-11 Time: 6:00 Building: Pleasant Street Senior Center Location: Community Room Address: 49 Pleasant Street Session: Purpose: monthly meeting Version: Attendees: Members - Present: Karen Pinette, Marilyn Shapleigh, Rosemary DeBenedetto, John Parsons, John Saczynski, Kate Harrington, Jean Prato, Ron Powell, Thomas O'Connor Members - Not Present: Sally Hoyt, Joan Coco Others Present: Jenna Wood (Community Services Director), Kerry Valle (Elder & Human Services Administrator), Jayne Wellman (Town Manager), Katie Gabriello (Director of Operations), Select Board Member Karen Gately-Herrick, and additional attendees. Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Ron Powell Topics of Discussion: 1. Call to Order Vice Chair John Parsons chaired the meeting in the absence of Chair Karen Janowski. The meeting was called to order at 6:00 PM. Voting Members Present: John Parsons, Marilyn Shapleigh, Jean Prato, Rosemary DeBenedetto, John Saczynski, Kate Harrington, Karen Pinette, Ron Powell Voting Members Absent: Karen Janowski, Joan Coco Associate Members Present (Non-Voting): Sally Hoyt, Thomas O’Connor A quorum was present. 2. Approval of Prior Minutes The Council reviewed the draft April 13, 2026 meeting minutes. Motion: To defer approval of the April 13, 2026 meeting minutes pending revision and resubmission. Moved by: Marilyn Shapleigh Seconded by: Jean Prato Roll Call Vote: John Parsons — Yes Marilyn Shapleigh — Yes Jean Prato — Yes Rosemary DeBenedetto — Yes Page | 2 John Saczynski — Yes Kate Harrington — Yes Karen Pinette — Yes Ron Powell — Yes Motion passed, 8–0. 3. Election of Secretary The Council held an election to fill the Secretary position. Ron Powell indicated his interest in serving as Secretary. The chair asked whether there were any additional nominations. Hearing none, the Council voted to elect Ron Powell as Secretary. Vote: Approved unanimously. 4. Public Comment Public comment was received. Nancy Ziemlak offered comments expressing appreciation for the work of the Council. 5. Permanent Building Committee Update The Council received an update regarding the Reading Center for Active Living project, including construction progress, budget status, and discussion of future programming space needs. Project working budget is currently $2.59 million under budget, with a scheduled opening for September 2027. 6. Trust Fund Update A brief trust fund update was provided. No significant new information was available at this time. 7. Select Board Update Karen Gately Herrick provided a Select Board update and shared support for the Council. 8. Elder and Human Services Update Staff provided updates regarding programming, operations, budget matters, instructor staffing, facility rentals, program funding, and FY27 planning. 9. Property Tax Work-Off Program The Council received an update on the Property Tax Work-Off Program, including program participation, compensation changes, eligibility updates, and department feedback. 10. RCTV Recording Authorization The Council discussed authorization for Reading Community Television to edit the recording of a prior meeting to remove offensive and inappropriate content resulting from a Zoom disruption. Motion: To authorize RCTV to black out video and remove audio from the portions of the meeting recording containing offensive content. Moved by: Ron Powell Seconded by: John Parsons Roll Call Vote: John Parsons — Yes Page | 3 Marilyn Shapleigh — Yes Jean Prato — Yes Rosemary DeBenedetto — Yes John Saczynski — Yes Kate Harrington — Yes Karen Pinette — Yes Ron Powell — Yes Motion passed, 8–0. 11. Organizational Matters / Future Agenda Items The Council discussed organizational matters and identified future agenda items, including survey planning and working group follow-up on prior Council feedback. Action item: Karen Janowski to reach out to Town staff to design the survey questions. 12. July Meeting Schedule The Council discussed whether to hold a July meeting. No formal action was taken. 13. Adjournment Motion: To adjourn. Roll Call Vote: John Parsons — Yes Marilyn Shapleigh — Yes Jean Prato — Yes Rosemary DeBenedetto — Yes John Saczynski — Yes Kate Harrington — Yes Karen Pinette — Yes Ron Powell — Yes Motion passed, 8–0. The meeting adjourned at approximately 7:18 PM. Next Meeting: June 8, 2026, at 6:00 PM Respectfully submitted, Ron Powell Town of Reading Meeting Minutes Page | 1 2016-09-22 LAG Board - Committee - Commission - Council: Council on Aging Date: 2026-04-13 Time: 6:00 Building: Pleasant Street Senior Center Location: Community Room Address: 49 Pleasant Street Session: Purpose: monthly meeting Version: Attendees: Members - Present: Karen Janowski, Marilyn Shapleigh, Rosemary DeBenedetto, John Parsons, John Saczynski, Kate Harrington, Ron Powell Members - Not Present: Sally Hoyt, Joan Coco, Jean Prato, Karen Pinette, Thomas O'Connor Others Present: Jenna Wood (Community Services Director), Kerry Valle (Elder & Human Services Administrator), Jayne Wellman (Town Manager), Katie Gabriello (Director of Operations), Select Board Member Karen Rose-Gillis, and additional attendees. Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Ron Powell Topics of Discussion: 1. Call to Order Chair Karen Janowski called the meeting to order at 6:00 PM. Attendance was recorded (see above). Voting Members Present: Karen Janowski, Marilyn Shapleigh, Rosemary DeBenedetto, John Parsons, John Saczynski, Kate Harrington, Ron Powell , Karen Pinette Voting Members Absent: Sally Hoyt, Joan Coco, Jean Prato Associate Members Present (Non-Voting): Thomas O'Connor A quorum was present. 2. Approval of Prior Minutes The Council reviewed the February and December 2025 meeting minutes. A correction was made regarding a previously referenced Burbank Trust Fund interest amount. The minutes were approved as amended. 3. Community Announcements and Staff Updates Community announcements were shared, including upcoming events and volunteer opportunities. Updates were also provided regarding recent Town leadership changes and other matters of interest to the Council. 4. Council Member Resource Packet Page | 2 The Council reviewed the draft Council member resource packet. Discussion included citations, fundraising language, and formatting issues. Staff clarified that hyperlinks not functioning within the PDF version would be active when posted online. The packet will return for final review and approval. 5. Elder and Human Services Update Kerry Valle provided updates regarding programming, operations, and community engagement activities. 6. Community Events and Planning The Council discussed upcoming community events and agreed not to participate in the June Friends and Family Day event. The Council also discussed a potential future survey of residents age 60 and older to help inform programming and facility planning for the future Center for Active Living. 7. Draft Policies The Council reviewed draft fitness room and membership policies for the future Center for Active Living. Following discussion, the documents were referred back to the working group for additional revision. 8. Center for Active Living Update Staff provided an update regarding the Reading Center for Active Living project, including contract award, budget status, approved alternatives, and groundbreaking preparations. 9. Flex Program Room Divider Discussion The Council discussed the proposed divider wall for the flex program room, associated cost estimates, alternative space options, and future programming flexibility. Motion: “That the Council on Aging request that the Permanent Building Committee reconsider putting in a divider in the flex program room.” Moved by: Kate Harrington Seconded by: Karen Janowski Roll Call Vote: Karen Janowski — Yes Marilyn Shapleigh — Yes Rosemary DeBenedetto — Yes John Parsons — Yes John Saczynski — Yes Kate Harrington — Yes Ron Powell — Yes Motion passed, 7–0. Motion: “That the Operations Committee maintain the status of the Senior Hub as a Senior Hub.” Moved by: Marilyn Shapleigh Second: None. Motion failed for lack of a second. Motion: “That the intent for the use of the lounge and the Game Room as places for socialization and informal, impromptu gatherings be maintained.” Moved by: Kate Harrington Seconded by: Marilyn Shapleigh Monthly Report May 2026 PSC Monthly Report COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT ELDER/HUMAN SERVICES DIVISION Volunteers: 2025/2026 STATISTICS Dec Jan 26 Feb 26 Mar 26 April 26 May 26 Jun 26 July 26 August 26 Cultural & Social Events 152/112 180/103 156/96 86/76 106/84 48/37 MSC Educational Programming 87/77 39/32 27/26 105/82 96/75 Rec tech Groups and Clubs 439/131 346/134 299/113 450/116 378/114 300/103 MSC Health, Wellness and Fit. 676/162 663/195 631/164 851/162 517/131 MSC Rec tech 546 Non-Clinical Support Serv. 50/49 38/37 64/57 71/71 63/61 17/17 SHINE MSC Support Groups 13/13 14/14 16/16 10/10 9/9 13/13 MSC Inter-Generational 38/38 0 2/2 0 0 0 Social Services 120/60 137/58 88/49 99/56 108/61 74/43 MSC Transportation 301/38 265/38 290/42 373/46 356/46 350/44 MSC Trips 26 0 0 0 0 39 MSC Walk-ins 65/48 70/51 82/59 74/58 65/56 56/41 MSC Phone log 590/250 614/290 500/296 483/268 322/207 297/191MSC Lunch 240/67 148/60 140/70 210/90 92/39 MSC 97rec tech.and MSC 30 Total People Served 2771 added: 1783/421 2506 added 1495/377 1471/404 1522/362 2112 1068/313MSC 835 sign ups in rec tech 574 unduplicated December January February March April May June July August 75 hrs Volunteer Hours: 64.5 Volunteer Days: 41 Hours: 117.5 Days: 66 Volunteer Hours: 147.5 Volunteer Days: 91 Volunteer Days: 82 Volunteer Hours: 139 Volunteer Hours: 126 Volunteer Days: 76 Duplicated/Unduplicated Page | 3 Following discussion, no vote was taken. 10. Trust Fund and Future Agenda Items The Council discussed trust fund oversight and agreed to restore trust fund discussions as a standing agenda item. Additional future agenda items were identified. 11. Adjournment Motion: To adjourn. Moved by: John Parsons Seconded: Multiple members Roll Call Vote: Karen Janowski — Yes Marilyn Shapleigh — Yes Rosemary DeBenedetto — Yes John Parsons — Yes John Saczynski — Yes Kate Harrington — Yes Ron Powell — Yes Motion passed, 7–0. Meeting adjourned following completion of business. Respectfully submitted, Ron Powell Adjournment: 8:35 PM Next Meeting: May 11, 2026, at 6:00 PM Monthly Report Pleasant Street Center Highlights: Highlights: • Jayne Wellman started office hours well attended • Lamp repairs are back • Life transitions binder had our first session 30 ppl enrolled. • Sound of Healing cultural council grant • Phillips Academy presented a Philosophy Program. • Tech Talk to help folks enroll in rec tech, low enrollment, despite patrons having issues. • Kerry no longer Interim Averaging about 30 for community lunch with a few cancellations the day of. Request for funds: The Community Lunch Program costs approximately $10,000 annually. We are requesting that the COA sponsor six months of the program at a cost of $5,000. This sponsorship would support approximately 30 patrons at each monthly lunch, helping provide social connection and nutrition for older adults in our community. We as a staff believe the lunch should be free of charge for residents of the community. Or we eliminate Birthday lunch and just offer cake and coffee. Night programs aren’t taking off. Cost of Rec Tech: The $15,000 per year for the first 3 years for the software. There was a one-time implementation of $4,000 fee which was covered through the Rec Revolving Fund. We also purchased one credit card machine that the PSC is already using. Monthly Report