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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2005 - Senior Advisory Board - Annual ReportFort Collins Senior Advisory Board Annual Report 2006 I. Outreach A. The Board held three quarterly off -site meetings to network with seniors. The sites for the meetings were the VOA Sanctuary Apartments, Oakbrook I, and the Mobile Home Park at 1601 N. College Avenue. A meeting was also held at the Fort Collins Senior Center with the Fort Collins Senior Center Council and members of the Fort Collins Senior Center. Board members heard concerns including: crosswalk safety, transportation, North College renewal plans, FCSC name change, health care and prescription drug coverage, affordable housing and financial difficulties due to rising gasoline, grocery and utility bills. B. A board member developed a new format for conducting the outreach meetings. The board approved the format and utilized this format at the November outreach meeting. The first fifteen minutes was devoted to explaining who we are, what we do and what we have accomplished. Each board member concisely described erne of the major activities of the board. Following the question and answer segment, the attendees were given an opportunity to stay for the regular meeting. Many participants stayed and had another opportunity to ask questions at the end of the meeting. This format was well received and the board will use the matrix at the next outreach meeting. C. Board members participated in senior center activities to promote the senior center such as: 1. Sundance Bluegrass Festival and Chili Cook -off 2. FCSC Tenth Anniversary festivities 3. Tenth Annual Cemetexy Crawl if. Advocacy A. One of the Senior Advisory Board members was an active participant in the "No -On -One" committee to defeat the repeal of the''/. percent grocery sales tax that supports many worthwhile community and city programs. The amendment to repeal was defeated by a large majority. B. Members of the Senior Advisory Board met numerous times with the mayor and city council members in an effort to place the expansion of the Fort Collins Senior Center on the Building on Basics ballot that is an extension of a '/4 percent sales tax. Building On Basics passed resoundingly and within the next ten years the Fort Collins Senior Center will receive four million dollars toward the expansion. One Senior Advisory Board member worked diligently toward the passage of this measure. C. A member of the Senior Advisory Board represented the City of Fort Collins at the Governor's Conference on Aging and wrote a report for the board and a follow-up letter to the Governor expressing our opinions about issues that needed to be carried forward to the White House Conference on Aging by the Colorado delegation. There are national and state policies on aging but the City of Fort Collins does not have a policy on aging. A summary of the conference is attached to this report. D. Individual Senior Advisory Board members are liaisons to other city boards, commissions, community Agencies and organizations including Affordable Housing Board, AARP Aspen Club, City Cable 14, Foundation on Aging, Commission on Disabilities, Human Relations Board, Latimer Cunty Office on Aging, Fort Collins Senior Center Council, Transportation Board, TRIAD, Volunteers of America and Women's Commission. III. Communication A. Individual members of the Senior Advisory Board wrote letters to the media to support senior issues approved by the Board. Letters and calls for support and sponsorship of "Life Goes On" TV show and liaisons with others groups kept communications open. B. All Board members were encouraged to (and did) keep in touch with individual City Council members, to attend City Council meetings to alert Council to senior concerns and to participate during the public input section of the council meeting to advocate for senior needs. C. All City Councilmen were invited to a special social event at the Fort Collins Senior Center in May. Mayor and Mrs. Doug Hutchinson attended the event and the Mayor advised he would attend Senior Advisory Board meetings quarterly. IV. Coordination/Education/Facilitation A. Three Senior Advisory Board members were on the planning committee for the annual "Bridging The Gap", a networking seminar for senior service providers, sponsored by the Fort Collins Senior Advisory Board, the Loveland Senior Advisory Board and the Office on Aging. All members of the board attended and served as hosts and hostesses at the luncheon. Members of the board utilized the opportunity to network with local agencies and to view the displays. B. Throughout out the year, members of the Board presented book reviews, reported research on current aging developments, financial concerns re: end of life state and federal regulations, and recent developments on senior issues enabling the Board members to aware of current status of issues pertaining to seniors and to share acquired information with the liaison groups. C. In January, the seated Senior Advisory Board members met with the incoming members for an orientation session. D. The Senior Advisory Board continued with the education program for Board members by inviting outside agencies to brief the Board on issues regarding aging. Speakers and topics included Karen Schneiders (Transfort), Kevin Unger (Poudre Valley Hospital), Margo Karsten (Poudre Valley Hospital), Kathy Collier (Smart Trips), Eric Bracke (City of Fort Collins Traffic Engineering Department), Toni Lueck (Passenger on Dial —A —Ride and Care -A -Van), Lynette McCown (Family Caregiver Support Coordinator), Kay Rios (Catholic Charities), and Cecil Ralph (Mended Hearts). V. Transportation A. The Senior Advisory Board met at the City's Traffic Department and learned about traffic issues that may affect seniors. During the year the board has also worked with the Traffic Department concerning safety issues at crosswalks in the city. B. The Senior Advisory Board met several times with representatives of Poudre Valley Hospital and the City of Fort Collins Transfort to develop transportation access to the Medical Center at the Harmony Campus of Poudre Valley Hospital. Currently there is no public transportation access to that area of the community. The initiated dialogue has resulted in an arrangement whereby the Poudre Valley Hospital will pay the transportation fee for Dial -A -Ride for seniors to a medical appointment during the Dial -A -Ride application process.