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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSenior Advisory Board - Minutes - 10/12/1994• • SENIOR ADVISORY BOARD Minutes of the October 12, 1994 Meeting The October meeting of the Senior Advisory Board was called to order by Yvonne Myers, vice chair, at 2:05 P. M. on Wednesday, October 12, in the Canyon/Plains Room of the Senior Center, 145 East Mountain Avenue. Attendance was as follows: Members Unexcused Members Guests Jane Goodhart Ed Johnson Marjorie McTaggart Wayne Moellenberg Kay Rios, chair Jill Taylor Stan Ulrich Margaret Watts Council Liaison: None A quorum was present. CITIZEN PARTICIPATION None Staff Barbara Schoenberger Steve Budner Jean Helberg Joe Curby Judy Curby Arlene Simon Phillip Simon Tracy Thomas, DVM Fran Thompson Several guests attended the meeting for citizen participation. Arlene Simon, a former member of the SAB, voiced her objection to the name of the new senior center and questioned the procedures used in arriving at the name. Steve Budner, Program Administrator of the senior center, answered her objections by reviewing the procedures of the Naming Committee. When the building was first approved for construction, Steve said he had approached the Building Team and the SAB to conduct a contest for the naming of the new facility. A committee was formed and its members represented City Council, the Senior Center Council, the SAB, the Building Team and the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. Approximately 679 names had been sub- mitted, and each member selected his top five picks. The committee exercised the option to "massage" the names if one didn't particularly stand out, and that is what happened, Steve stated. Foothills appeared in one name and Oasis appeared in another, and the committee decided to combine the two words. when the name Foothills Oasis was submitted to the SAB for a vote, the Board amended the name to read Foothills Oasis/Fort Collins Senior Center and approved the name as amended. After further comments by Phillip Simon, Steve informed the spectators that the name of the new senior center is up for review later on the agenda. Fran Thompson suggested that the new: center should be named the Foothills Senior Center and that Oasis should be dropped com- pletely from the name. At this point of the discussion, Kay Rios appeared and assumed the chair. MINUTES The minutes of the September 14 meeting were approved as written. SENIOR PET CARE PRESENTATION Page 2, SAB Minut 0 October 12, 1994 0 For the convenience of the guest, Kay asked permission to move the Senior Pet Care presentation from New Business to the first order of business and introduced Tracy Thomas, DVM, a vet in Larimer County for the past ten years. Tracy stated that she and her husband had started a non-profit vet care program for seniors because they realized that many seniors would like to have pets but they can't afford to take care of them. Her organization is called Elder Pet Care, which is supported by grants and donations. Fees are based on a sliding scale, and all seniors get a 10 percent discount regardless of need. Seniors with financial difficulties pay no fee at all. She concluded by saying that Elder Pet Care is a full -service, in -home program and also includes pick-up and delivery service if the pet has to be taken to the hospital. A question -and -answer period followed Dr. Thomas' presentation. CORRESPONDENCE Under Correspondence, Kay passed around the Colorado Senior Lobby newsletter and a letter from Marge Walsh, director of Care -A -Van. OLD BUSINESS The first item under Old Business was reviewing the name of the new senior center. Kay called upon Jean Helberg to give some background information on the naming process. Jean stated that the committee tried to work in everybody's best interest and that the process used had been tested several times before and proved to be successful. The process, she continued, is not the problem, but that everybody had an idea for a name and everybody can't be pleased. One big confusion in naming the center, Steve Budner added, was that many people thought it was a popularity contest and that the name receiving the most votes of the public would be chosen. He emphasized that that was not the case. It was a committee process, and he wanted to make that clear. Jean concluded her report by saying that she was attend- ing the SAB meeting to get ideas and recommendations that she needed to write a report. During the question and answer period that followed, all agreed that they respected the process through which the name was selected, but several still strongly objected to the inclusion of oasis in the name, but they would feel comfortable with calling it the Fort Collins Senior Center. Ed Johnson moved" that the SAB should recom- mend that the name of the new senior center should be re -named the Fort Collins Senior Center. Wayne Moellenberg and Jane Goodhart seconded it. The motion carried by a 9 to 1 vote with one abstension. Senior Center Reoort Ed Johnson gave an update on the construction of the new senior center. The good news, he said, is that the senior center will be finished. The bad news is that it won't be finished on time. As of yesterday, the contractor was looking at a late November completion date, and he felt that shouldn't be an unreasonable goal. The contractor, Ed continued, is trying to seek an extension because changes and delays had caused 87 days of delay, but the city refused the extension. Steve added that the contract will be mediated at this point and the architect, the contractor and the Page 3, SAB Minut 10 October 12, 1994 • city will meet to determine whether or not the extension will be granted. Ed added that the spa and the pool are being tiled, the cabinets are installed in the kitchen and some of the crafts rooms are being worked on. Most of the ceiling grid is in place, the locker roans are being tiled, most of the windows are installed and the doors will be hung next week. Outside, the curb and gutter work have been started and the roads should be paved within the next two weeks. The landscapers are working on a plan to seed or sod the open areas. Most of the stone work has also been completed. Power and temporary heat should be in the building by the end of the week. That means that the tradesmen will be able to work inside. Chili Cook -Off Report Kay reported that the Chili Cook -Off was a lot of fun this year and very seccessful. Her team had won third prize for green chili, tenth for red chili and first for People's Choice. Forty teams had entered the cook -off and Barbara reported that it should net between $1,700 and $1,800. The plaques are hanging on her office wall, she added. Kay completed the report by thanking the members who had helped in the project. Dial -A -Ride Kay stated that a Dial -A -Ride committee had been formed and that she will represent the SAB on the committee. Other members will probably be the chairperson of the Transportation Board and some- one from Disabled Resources. Gina Janett and Will Smith and a person from the city staff will also serve on it. The purpose of the committee will be to find solutions to the transportation problem and to form policies on the use of Dial -A -Ride. She added that she had met with Shelley McGraw, director, Office on Aging, and said that Shelley wants to work closely with the city to form some city -county linkup. Shelley will recommend to the Commissioners that her office should donate $20,000 that the OOA has in its reserve transportation fund to help relieve the Dial -A -Ride debt. Ed Johnson added that a bus system should operate after 6:00 P. M. at night because many users are discouraged from taking the bus because they are not sure that they will be off the job in time to catch a bus before 6:00 P. M. Yvonne Myers added that most of the senior living centers can't rely on public transpor- tation and had to buy their own buses or vans. Public transpor- tation is really fragmented, she added. Ed also mentioned that transportation is not provided to the part of town where he lives, and he needs to drive if he wants to go anywhere. More discussion followed on a seemingly duplication of services because Care -A -Van still has its own dispatch service, and this causes a lot of confusion. Kay suggested that one possible solution would be to have a single county dispatch service that would include city and county transportation needs. Page 4, SAB Minu , October 12, 1994 • Treatslvvania Mary Alice Spelts stated that she had been having difficulty finding 35 seniors to work at Treatsylvania on Halloween night, and other groups may have to assist in supplying "bodies" to operate the booths. She added that if she can't get the number of seniors needed by a certain date, she will ask Steve to find another organization that would help out. Volunteer Exchange Wayne reported that he and Yvonne have been having problems with the Volunteer Exchange Program for several reasons: (1) the IRS and the volunteer organizations are concerned that if volunteers are compensated for their services, the organizations may lose their tax-exempt, non-profit status; (2) many organizations that keep track of volunteer hours have their own recognition program and the Volunteer Program may want to piggy -back on those; and (3) the inequality of hours worked. As an example, he mentioned that hours spent with a hospice patient may be much more important than hours spent at a desk. Yvonne added that she might have a fourth issue: since city organ- izations, such as the Lincoln Center, are already offering dis- counts to seniors, they can't offer more incentives to volunteers because they need to fill every seat with paying customers for every event. Some organizations, she added, require a "big sell" to offer discounts to seniors because the general conception of the public is that seniors have "big bucks." Wayne ended the report by stating that he and Yvonne have reached an impasse, and they need direction from the SAB. Marjorie offered the data that she had collected when she was heading the program, and Barbara suggested that the committee should probably visit the Boulder Volunteer Exchange Program because it seems to be successful. Mary Alice also suggested that they contact builders, contractors and handy repairmen because competition is becoming stiff and those groups might be interested in volunteer work. Wayne and Yvonne agreed to look into the proposals and report back at a later time. Liaison Network Barbara asked each member to write down the organization with which he/she is working as a liaison to the SAB. At the next meeting, the SAB will then be able to determine where the gaps are. At the present time, the liaison network has broken down because new members had been added to the Board. NEW BUSINESS Meeting Time Discussion Kay reminded the SAB members that meetings are usually two hours long, but some may last longer because of necessary discussion. A member had suggested that the open discussion of members should be moved from the oattdm of the agenda to the top. Kay voiced Page 5, SAB Minut October 12, 1994 0 her objection to moving the item to the top of the agenda because she felt that open discussion at the beginning of a meeting would make the agenda unwieldly and discussions could drag on and on. Although no vote was taken, the consensus of the Board was to keep the open discussion item at the end of the agenda. Neighbor to Neighbor Since Rusty Collins was unable to attend the meeting, he sent his apologies to Kay and asked if he would be able to address the SAB at the November meeting. Concerned Senior Citizens Judy Curby reported that she was attending the SAB as the liaison for Concerned Senior Citizens of Colorado and mentioned that her organization still meets on the third Friday of the month and it would welcome participation from the SAB. She also mentioned that Concerned Senior Citizens operates the SHARE Program in Fort Collins and that she would be happy to answer any questions any members of the SAB would have about the program. She added that she had not heard about the Paint-A-Thon, but had found out about it by accident. She saw a brochure in the Northside Community Center. Kay apologized for the lack of advance notice and mentioned that the SAB had not gotten the information it needed until July and had no time to publicize the event adequately. Kay also encour- aged Judy to write a letter explaining the situation and she would make sure that it reached the proper authorities. Judy also stated that her organization is often confused with the Senior Center and AARP. She often gets calls to find out when the next classes will start at the Senior Center. The new name Foothills Oasis will be much more confusing to seniors because they will not be able to tie the name in with the senior center, and she feels that the CSC will be getting even more calls. Judy also mentioned that Transfort told her group that it will add the new senior center to Route 10, but it will run only one bus a day. Judy concluded her report by saying that Concerned Seniors began a membership drive on October 1, and all members will receive a calendar. Dues are $5.00 at the present time, but that amount will increase to $7.00 on January 1, 1995. Senior Wellness Fair Kay stated that this item was placed on the agenda strictly as an informational item. The fair will be held at The Square on Octo- ber 29, and it will be sponsored by KIIX Radio. Work Plans Kay announced that Work Plans are due on November 30, 1994. She added that the SAB is currently working on some programs and asked the members if they felt others should be added to the list. She Page 6, SAB Minute, October 12, 1994 • concluded by saying that she will compile a list of our planned activities for the following year and submit it to the SAB members at the next Board meeting. Service Reports RSVP. Yvonne reported that she had talked with Jennifer Kling about Christmas telephone calls for seniors. According to Jennifer, seniors will be able to make a free twenty minute telephone call to anywhere in the continental United States at the Take Care Office. The service will begin on December 12. Office on Aging. Stan reported that seven of the Office on Aging Advisory Council members had attended the Governor's Conference on Aging. Lyn Thor is working on setting up classes at Front Range Community College, and Thor, Laurel Kubin and Linda Ellis are conducting Healthwise for Life classes for seniors. The first one was held at the Senior Center on October 2. Others are scheduled in Red Feather Lakes, Loveland and several other places. A schedule of the classes is posted in Barbara's office. OOA;nhad sponsored a Violence Pre- vention Conference in Loveland on September 22. Stan added that it was a good conference, but attendance was light. The newspaper articles about OOA and Care -A -Van were incorrect, Stan continued. The OOA has already contributed about $8,000 to Care -A -Van, but they are withholding the other money allo- cated to transportation until Dial -A -Ride's problems can be solved. Two new members, Ellen Long and Gene Peterson, joined the OOA Advisory Council. The Health Committee had performed site visits and was favorably impressed with the facilities. The Nutrition Committee is just beginning to do its site visits. Barbara added that site visitations are part of the Department of Human Services evaluation of their role in the county structure and to see how well they are meeting the needs of the community. Seniors Airborne. Kay reported that she and Wayne had co - hosted the last broadcast and that they had interviewed Al Bacilli. She thought the program went well and it was fun for her and Wayne. She added that if anyone knew of someone who would be an interesting guest for the show, he/she should let Bill Weddel or her know. Aspen Club. Jill reported that the Aspen Club is in the middle of flu shots and that they will "shoot" about 1,000 seniors before it is over. The Aspen Club is also working with RSVP on the Medicare Counseling Training Program. In November, the club will start its five pound de-icing dis- tribution and she predicted that the Aspen Club will give out more than 1,400 bags. Diabetic education and screening will be coming up, as well as colorectal cancer screening in December. Senior Center Council. Mary Alice Spelts and Barbara said they had nothing to report because everything they had planned at their last meeting had been cancelled because of the non- Page 7, SAB Minute, October 12, 1994 opening of the new senior center. Friends of the Senior Center. Kay again mentioned that the Friends of the Senior Center had just completed a successful Chili Cook -Off and Barbara added that the Friends will be going on a field trip to the Arvada Senior Center to look at the Recognition Wall there on October 19. The only charge will be each individual's lunch. The next meeting of the Friends is scheduled for Thursday, October 27. The Friends will also be hosting a social on December 15. Art/Sculpture Committee. The contest for the sculpture competition was completed the week before, Marjorie reported. Fourteen artists had submitted proposals for the competition that ended on Friday, October 7. The committee will meet again next Wednesday to narrow down the selections. Library Committee. Marjorie reported that the Library Com- mittee had spent its book allotment of $1,000 for reference books in 1994, even though the senior center is not open. She also said that the committee had discussed a survey for users to determine what they would like to have included in the library in the future. Barbara added that the committee also discussed allocating funds to purchase the book drop at the Discovery Center. The money would come from project funds rather than the $1,000 library fund. City Council. Ed stated that the next meeting of the City Council will be next Tuesday. Issues at the last Council meetings were Dial -A -Ride and naming the new senior center. Other Business Kay Rios. Exercising her option as the chair, Kay decided to report first. She mentioned again that BBC will be visiting Fort Collins on Monday, October 31, and that the British Broadcasting Company had become interested in visiting Fort Collins after one of the executives had read about Fort Collins in a news article that appeared in the Denver Post. The story had contained a quote by Kay about the new senior center and Dial -A -Ride. Obviously, the article hit the wire services and the BBC official had read the story and contacted Kay about doing a story in Fort Collins. BBC was particularly interested in interviewing seniors about their impressions about Fort Collins and Clinton's health care program. BBC also wanted to visit coffee shops where seniors congregate to get views of seniors in general. Mary Alice Spelts. Mary Alice had nothing to report. Jane Goodhart. Jane stated that she and Jill are currently working on intergenerational projects with Poudre High School. At present, she doesn't have much information because they are still working on the initial stages. Jill Taylor. Jill said that she didn't have any more to add to Jane's report, but she added that she was sponsoring Up Page S, SAB Minute Ocotober 12, 1994 • With People members and she was having a lot of fun. Barbara added that Up With People members were going to be working at the Senior Center and with the Senior Chuckwagon Program in particular. Jill also mentioned that RSVP had requests from Up With People members to rake leaves for seniors who needed help. Barbara Schoenberger. Barbara reported that the Senior Center Council had discussed a plan to organize a Pen Pal Program with a senior center in the British Isles. Stan Ulrich. Stan stated that he had been active in AARP affairs and that he had attended the Governor's Conference on Aging. Wayne Moellenberg. Wayne stated that the Front Range Forum is becoming more and more active and he hopes that it will be melded into the activities of the new senior center. Yvonne added that because of popular demand Wayne had resurrected a program called Memory in Lifelong Learning and that he had done a terrific job. Marjorie McTaggart. Marjorie announced that she will be edit- ing the newsletter for the SAB starting next year. She added that she had attended the C3 Coalition for the first time the week before and that she was impressed by the networking in the group. The topic of discussion on the day she attended was the Governor's Conference on Aging and she was so much impressed that she used that as a topic for her next senior column in the Coloradoan. The last item under Other Business was a reminder that the next meeting of the SAB will be held in the Activities Room of The Worth- ington, 900 Worthington Circle at 2:00 P. M. on Wednesday, November 9, 1994. ADJOURNMENT Since there was no further business to conduct, the meeting was adjourned at 4:16 P. M. Stan Ulrich, Secretary Approved Kay Rios, Chair Yvonne Myers, Vice Chair OENIOR ADVISORY BOARD A(ODA Wednesday, October 12, 1994 2:00 - 4:00 PM Fort Collins Senior Center, 145 E. Mountain Ave. - Canyon/Plains Room I. Call to Order II. Attendance III. Public Participation (limited to 20 minutes) IV. Approval of Minutes V. Correspondence VI. Old Business A. Senior center name B. Senior center update C. Chili Cook -Off D. Dial -A -Ride E. Treatsylvania F. Volunteer Exchange G. Liaison Network VII. New Business A. Meeting time and length B. Senior Pet Care presentation ... Tracy Thomas C. Neighbor to Neighbor ... Rusty Collins D. Senior Wellness Fair E. Work plan VIII. Service Liaison Reports A. RSVP B. OOA C. Seniors Airborne D. Concerned Seniors of Colorado E. Aspen Club F. Senior Center Council G. Friends of the Senior Center H. Sculpture Committee I. Library Committee J. City Council Report IX. Other Business X. Board Member Reports XI. Adjourn S. A. G. E. NET (SENIORS AND THEIR GROWING ENDEAVORS) A NETWORKING UPDATE FOR SENIOR ORGANIZATIONS AND AGENCIES SEPTEMBER 1994 Once again, we'd like to thank everyone who took part in our last Network luncheon. The food was great (thanks to the efforts of the Senior Center staff and volunteers) the music was superb (kudos to Vicki Loran), and the company was stimulating. It gave all of us a chance to get to know each other and find out what was going on in everybody's area. Our next luncheon will be in May of 1995. Shelly McGraw, director of the Office on Aging, has expressed interest in helping put the next one together. We welcome additional offers of help or any other suggestions or comments you may have. Plese forward these to Kay Rios at 482-0753 or drop a line to the Fort Collins Senior Advisory Board, c/o Barbara Schoenberger, 145 East Mountain, Fort Collins, Co 80524. And while you're at it, send along contact names and phone numbers for other agencies or organizations who might want to join us for our next event. The idea is to set up a working network for any and all entities comprised of seniors, or who serve seniors or are simply interested in the seniors in our community. DIAL - A - RIDE City Council will again be discussing who should be served and at what price. The Senior Advisory Board plans to be active in helping to define goals and objectives for this service. We'd also like to see a sliding fee scale policy or some form of contingency plan in place before any rates are established. We'd also like to see a coalition of agencies who can provide funding and policy suggestions. So, if you have ideas, we'd really like to hear them. We need input from the agencies and from the users as well. SENIOR EVENTS AIRED The Seniors Airborne show is still going strong. Co -hosts Bill and Evie Weddel present the Senior's Commentary on the first Friday of each month on KIIX, 600 am. Then on the third Friday, they feature an interesting senior or an event or they investigate a pressing issue of concern to seniors. The co -hosts are always looking for topics, for names of interesting seniors or for upcoming events. Phone messages or written information may be left at the senior center in their name. COLUMBINE CARE Joan Deines 421 Parker Street CENTER EAST Activity Director Fort Collins, CO 80525 482-1584 Long-term health care facility, Larimer County Resident Council involvement. COLUMBINE CARE Marilyn Striffler 940 Worthington Circle CENTER WEST John Hanna Fort Collins, CO 80526 Jenifer D'Arcey 221-2273 Long-term health care for elderly, activities to enhance quality of life both in and out of the facility. COOPERATIVE Laurel L. Kubin EXTENSION/CSU County Director 200 West Mountain Fort Collins, CO 80521 Mailing: P.O. Box 543 Fort Collins, CO 80522 498-7400 Agency staff and trained volunteers provide programs on food safety, nutrition, parenting, caregiving, consumer information, money management, gardening and more. Also provides programs and resources related to the aging process. CONCERNED SENIOR Judy Curby 216 East Oak #B CITIZENS OF Fort Collins, CO 80524 COLORADO 482-4287 Advocacy and information agency for senior citizens. Sponsors of the SHARE program. DISABLED RESOURCE Karen Hutchinson 424 Pine, #101 SERVICES Fort Collins, CO 80524 482-2700 Senior/Blind Outreach Services. Coordinates community resources and assesses other needs for those 55 and older who experience significant vision problems. 9 • HIGH HOPES Elnora Martinelli 2921 Terry Lake Road (Senior Games) Fort Collins, CO 80524 482-6487 Involved in all types of games and exercise including: basketball, badminton, bicycling, bowling, track and field, horse shoes, tennis, race -walking, swimming, table tennis, cross-country and downhill skiing, skating. Members compete in the Summer Games, usually in August, and the Winter Games in February. Underlying philosophy is that regular exercise is beneficial for health and improves the quality of life. L.C.D.H.E. P. Morris 1525 Blue Spruce Dr. ADULT HEALTH S. Osbourne Fort Collins, CO 80524 C. Bradrick 498-6731 Involved in conducting Adult Health Prevention Clinics, Gynecology Clincis which include pap and mammogram, and flu clinics. We also provide numerous referrals for seniors. NEW MERCER COMMONS Yvonne Myers OFFICE ON AGING Shelley McGraw Director 900 Centre Avenue Fort Collins, CO 80526 495-1000 1525 Blue Spruce Dr. Fort Collins, CO 80524 498-6801 Responsible for local planning, program development and coordination, advocacy, monitoring and resource development for persons over the age of 60. LTC OMBUDSMAN Elizabeth Kelly 1525 Blue Spruce Dr. Fort Collins, CO 80524 498-6803 Advocate on behalf of long-term care residents in Larimer County. Provides education to staff, residents, others. Acts as resource for community as a whole on LTC issues. RETIRED SENIOR John Henry Peck 145 East Mountain VOLUNTEER PROGRAM Jennifer Klink Fort Collins, Co 80524 (RSVP) 482-8943 Provides meaningful volunteer opportunities for seniors. Homecare/Job Corps, tax and Medicare assistance, plus others. Volunteer at libraries, schools, hospital, plus other places as needed. Coordinate with other organizations on starting new projects such as "read -a -loud." Also administrators for the Senior Advisory Board's "Vet -Pet" program which offer financial aid to seniors for well -pet care. SENIOR CARE CONNECTIONS SENIOR CENTER COUNCIL Rosalie Angus Marian Blauer President Poudre Valley Hospital 1024 S. Lemay Fort Collins, CO 80524 495-8550 2207 Charolais Fort Collins, Co 80526 224-3758 Serves as an advisory group to the staff at the Fort Collins Senior Center SENIOR CHUCKWAGON Lynn Thor 1525 Blue Spruce Linda Ellis Fort Collins, CO 80524 498-6800 SENIOR SINGLES Margaret Watts 1211 Lynwood Drive Fort Collins, CO 80521 484-0181 This "young at heart" group meets the second Wednesday of each month for support, socialization, dinner and programs at 5:15 p.m. at the Senior Center. WE DON'T SMOKE Jean Keller 1041 Cragmore Drive SENIOR BOWLERS Fort Collins, CO 80521 224-5736 Bowling. We are unique in being the only non-smoking league in Fort Collins.