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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2007-09-10 Council on Aging Minutes_C"- IVED TV on Aging Board Meeting C C E Ei Monday, September 10, 2007 ' G, Reading Senior Center-Game Room 1009 JUN - 2 P E2. 41 Present: Carol Patterson, Carol Scrima, Stacey Bertocchi, Barbara Powers, Margaret Havey, Ruth Goldberg, Edwina Kasper, Marguerite Bosnian, Steve Oston, Dawn Folopoulos (staff), Charlie McDonald (associate member), and Betty Cronin (observer). Absent: Sally Hoyt 6:30 Meeting called to order. Introduction of new member - Steve Oston. June 11, 2007 minutes accepted. Administrator's Report approved and accepted for June, July, and August. Financial Report accepted. Question on financial report - Elder Service budget line 5186, why is it negative and what is it? Dawn explained it is the combination of grants l.The Formula Grants 2. MVES Grant that are used to offset salaries and it is negative because grant funds have not yet been received and/or transferred. Question on Schroeder Trust Fund What is it for? Dawn explained that it is used to purchase small tokens to make people feel happy and cared for (muffin, flowers, etc) and the spending limit is $1,000 per year. Dawn shared a thank you note from someone that was sick over two weeks and received flowers due to this fund. It also pays for free birthday lunches and cakes. Dawn also explained the Burbank Trust is because we have a new member. We went over Memos of summer spending such as a coffee urn plug, candy, and a new VCR/DVD player. All expenditures were approved. Steve asked if the town or the division does the investing of the Burbank Trust Fund. Dawn said the Town's Trust Fund Commissioners do the investing not Elder Services. Steve would like to know what we are investing in and what the return amount has been. Dawn will bring that information to the next meeting. Dawn requested funding from the Burbank Trust Fund in the amount of $112.45 to purchase wheelchair seatbelts for the new van. Steve made a motion to grant the requested amount and Margaret 2nd. The vote was unanimous. Old Business Ideas for next year's Friends and Family Day: We would like to attract more people of all ages. A raffle item was suggested. To be discussed more in detail at a later meeting. - Charlie mentioned RCTV as a venue to advertise support services for caregivers. Nurse Advocacy Update - An offer has been made to one candidate and the decision is pending. New Business Dawn wants us all to check out the new website! Steve offered to help Dawn with set up of the "new-to-us" computers. Steve suggested that Hallmark Health may be willing to schedule appointment in clusters to accommodate our medical transportation needs. Discussion followed. Stacey asked what department would someone call regarding help for a homeless person in Reading and Dawn said Elder/Human Services would offer assistance. A two-page questionnaire will be mailed to the community in the October edition of the Pleasantries. This survey will gather information about Emergency preparedness as well as daily safety and needs. There is a new Birthday Greetings program. Residents 90 and over will receive a card every year from the White House and Reading Elder/Human Services. Community Service Director, Carol Kowalski, sent us a beautiful picture of the senior center with 2 rainbows over it and next month Dawn will ask for funds from the Burbank account to enlarge the photo to an 8x 10, matt and frame it. The cost postage for mailing the Pleasantries will increase considerably. The current mailing method (folded and taped closed) puts our newsletter in the category of "unmachineable." This is not a new situation but had been mistakenly overlooked in the past. We have the option of putting our newsletters in envelopes (cost $350 + extra labor) for approximately $488 or mailing as usual at a rate of $746. Ruth made a motion to keep Pleasantries without the envelope at the nonmachineable rate and continue to mail it three times a year. Barbara 2°a. Vote 9-1. Motion to Adjourn 8:10 Next month's meeting will be held on Monday, October 15, 2007. Respectfully submitted, Stacey Bertocchi Nurse Advocacy Update - An offer has been made to one candidate and the decision is pending. New Business Dawn wants us all to check out the new website! Steve offered to help Dawn with set up of the "new-to-us" computers. Steve suggested that Hallmark Health may be willing to schedule appointment in clusters to accommodate our medical transportation needs. Discussion followed. Stacey asked what department would someone call regarding help for a homeless person in Reading and Dawn said Elder/Human Services would offer assistance. A two-page questionnaire will be mailed to the community in the October edition of the Pleasantries. This survey will gather information about Emergency preparedness as well as daily safety and needs. There is a new Birthday Greetings program. Residents 90 and over will receive a card every year from the White House and Reading Elder/Human Services. Community Service Director, Carol Kowalski, sent us a beautiful picture of the senior center with 2 rainbows over it and next month Dawn will ask for funds from the Burbank account to enlarge the photo to an 8x10, matt and frame it. The cost postage for mailing the Pleasantries will increase considerably. The current mailing method (folded and taped closed) puts our newsletter in the category of "unmachineable." This is not a new situation but had been mistakenly overlooked in the past. We have the option of putting our newsletters in envelopes (cost $350 + extra labor) for approximately $488 or mailing as usual at a rate of $746. Ruth made a motion to keep Pleasantries without the envelope at the nonmachineable rate and continue to mail it three times a year. Barbara 2°d. Vote 9-1. Motion to Adjourn 8:10 Next month's meeting will be held on Monday, October 15, 2007. Respectfully submitted, Stacey Bertocchi