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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1995-06-01; Senior Commission; MinutesM/NU TES MEETING OF: SENIOR COMMISSION DATE OF MEETING: TIME OF MEETING: 1:15 p.m. PLACE OF MEETING: June 1, 1995 (Regular Meeting) CARLSBAD SENIOR CENTER CALL TO ORDER: Chairman Whittaker called the Meeting to order at 1 : 15 p.m. ROLL CALL: Present: Commissioners Whittaker, Chmiel, Van, West and Zink. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE was led by Chairman Whittaker. MATTERS FROM THE PUBLIC: There were no requests to address the Commission on a non-agenda item. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: On motion by Commissioner Van, the Minutes of the Regular Meeting held April 6, 1995, were approved as presented. AYES: Chmiel, Van, West and Whittaker ABSTAIN: Zink CONSENT CALENDAR: Senior Coordinator’s ReDort Chairman Whittaker requested that the Senior Coordinator’s Report be given orally by Ms. Spickard. Sue Spickard stated that the Senior Coordinator’s Report was for April and May, since no meeting was held in May. The tax year ended with a total of 626 individuals receiving tax assistance through the AARP Tax Aide Program-at the Center. Dedicated volunteers provided 1,118 hours of service. The total number of taxpayers served is down by approximately 80; however, the number of hours of service provided has increased by 77 hours. June 1, 1995 SENIOR COMMISSION Page 2 Senior Coordinator's ReDort (Continued) Ms. Spickard stated that staff submitted an application to the LaCosta Charitable Foundation requesting they fund our annual volunteer recognition dinner at the LaCosta Resort and Spa. Unfortunately, LaCosta turned us down. However, they have not heard the last from us. We believe that our volunteers are the very best and that they deserve the very best. So, our next approach will be to see what kind of a price they offer to provide the dinner. The Discussion Group which is ever, ever growing and meets the 1st and 3rd Friday of each month, has become so popular that we have had to extend their time by one half hour so that everyone has a chance to express their view on whatever the topic is that day. The Free Foot Screening offered by Dr. Lieberman filled up quickly--26 people were examined. Ms. Spickard said that the April Presentation attendance varied a great deal, as it always does. However, whether it was the presentation on "One Block Quilts", The Art of Making Friends", "Is Reverse Mortgage Right for You?" or "San Diego - Past, Present and Future" the comments received were very, very positive. The presenters expressed that the participants were very interested and the participants expressed how knowledgeable each of the presenters were. Although the numbers in attendance were at times disappointing, we are seeing new faces in attendance and hoping by bringing people into the Center for one event, they'll get excited and come for other activities at the Center. 174 Seniors were served a special Easter Lunch on April 13. The Annual Easter Hat Parade was held with three prizes being given for the "Best Bonnets." Councilmembers Ann Kulchin and Ramona Finnila were the judges for the contest. Ramona Finnila brought her father who really enjoyed the event and the Center; and everyone enjoyed him! May started with the Annual Cinco de Mayo Celebration. The diningroom was very festive and 194 traditional meals were served complete with chips and salsa, The presentation "Schemes, Scams, Flim Ffam and other Assorted Crooks" was well attended. Darlynne Reyes Menkin, KFMB Channel 8 News Producer, was informative and interesting. Participants received valuable information regarding how NOT to be a victim, as well as hearing many interesting stories regarding Darlynne's "undercover" work for the News Station. June 1, 1995 SENIOR COMMISSION Page 3 Senior Coordinator's ReDort (Continued) The 2nd Annual Showcase for Seniors was attended by over 600 people. Twenty four vendors ranging from Long Term Health Care Providers to bank and retailers displayed their wares. The "Showcase" was quite successful and plans are underway for next year. This year we took the proceeds from last year's booth sales and put it into advertising. Last year we couldn't afford to buy advertising for the Fair. Teri House is presently analyzing whether that was a good investment. Ms. Spickard said that recent "Safari" trips to Lawrence Welk Village, Quail Botanical and Weidner's Gardens, along with the Norton Simon Museum have been sold out. All our trips are very popular lately, probably due to the low cost. Mothers' Day at the Center was celebrated on May 12. Each lady received a flower and 160 lunches were served. A special Mothers' Day lunch was delivered to 20 of our Home Meals recipients on Sunday May 14. Along with their lunch, the ladies received a coupon for a free Mammogram provided by the Area Agency on Aging. - One of the latest issues we are hearing about is the cancellation of homeowner's insurance policies due to the number of insurance companies going out of business. With this in mind, a presentation was offered by the Utility Consumers Action Network entitled "Is Your Homeowners Insurance in Jeopardy?" As the number of people affected by the changing ivsurance industry increases, we will offer this presentation again. Ms. Spickard continued with Coming Events: Renters/Homeowners Tax Assistance Program are available on the afternoons of June 13 and June 20. Appointments are necessary. Conversational Italian Classes will begin June 15. Luce Mangini is volunteering her time to teach Italian, her native language, to those who are interested learning this "romance" language. The class at this time is being offered free of charge. June 5, "All About Trusts." June 15, "New Advances in Alzheimers." June 25, "Broadway Medleys" - free concert by the "Carlsbad Warblers." June 27, "Garden Party" - this event will bring friends and staff together to work on the landscaping around the Center. The day will be spent weeding, planting, fertilizing and whatever else needs to be done. Parks crews will bring needed supplies. Pizza will be served for lunch. The Annual Fourth of July Barbecue will be held July 3rd, we'll be barbecuing hamburgers on the patio; and the Annual Ice Cream Social on July 16. Appointments for the June 1, 1995 SENIOR COMMISSION Paqe 4 AcceDtance of Donations ACTION: On motion by Commissioner Chmiel the Senior Commission accepted the three donations as listed: $ 616.10 Hughes Employees Give Once Club $ 1,000.00 Mary Stanberry $1 9,276.44 Walter Eri ksen Trust AYES: Whittaker, Chmiel, Van West, Zink Trust Fund Report Ms. Spickard gave an overview report of the Senior Trust Account. She explained that as donations are received for activities such as blood pressure, taxes, Project Council dances, etc., the funds are deposited into the Senior Trust Fund. Each category is monitored with separate journal entries. Ms. Spickard explained that if a new blood pressure cuff is needed, it would come out of the Trust Fund money received from blood pressure donations. She continued that as of May 31, 1995, the Trust Fund had a balance of $73,200 with $1 5,000 earmarked for the reception area enclosure: $600 for patio chair recovering; approximately $5000 belongs to Project Council and other miscellaneous groups. Approximately $50,000 remains to be utilized for projects, programs, equipment, etc., as recommended and approved. Ms. Spickard added that the $73,200 balance in the Senior Trust does include the three donations that Commission accepted today. She explained that these donation checks are deposited as soon as received. If for some reason the Commission did not wish to accept that donation, a City check would be issued to that donor. Facilitv Use Reaulations Ms. Spickard stated that w&qah@W the Senior Center remain primarily for Seniors, she explained that senior volunteers go to areat lengths to decorate the diningroom and make it festive for holidays. When the facility is rented for a function, some renters may want the decorations taken down. The volunteers would then have to put them back up. Ms. Spickard clarified that staff would be instructed to remove some decorations if appropriate. Ms. Spickard said that the current Facility Use Regulations do not address "decorations" and recommended the following verbiage be added: June 1, 1995 SENIOR COMMISSION Page 5 Facilitv Use Requlations (Continued) Commissioner Whittaker requested that each Commissioner get a copy of the suggested verbiage to review at this meeting. Ms. Spickard distributed copies to each Commissioner. ACTION: On motion by Commissioner Zink, the following verbiage will be added to the existing Facility Use Regulations: "Decorations in the diningroom are to remain. The removal of any decorations without prior approval by staff will result in forfeiture of all or part of your damage deposit . It AYES: Van, Chmiel, West, Whittaker, Zink Facilitv UDdate Ms. Spickard said that at the last Commission meeting, i, was reques,ad tha the City change the lighting switches in the Billiards room. The request was to have separate control switches installed so that ceiling lights and lights over the table would not come on at the same time. Ms. Spickard stated that the City is pursuing this request and should be completed at the end of the month. Ms. Spickard said that on the long standing issue of the Public Address System in the dining room also go out onto the patio, she suggested that they take it one step further to also have the PA System extend to the auditorium. Ms. Spickard stated that the Nutrition Project Council is very interested in having the speaker change done. The City has pursued it and has only received one bid on the work; three bids are needed to formalize it. She said that the estimated cost for the work is $5,000 and suggested to utilize money from the Senior Citizen Trust Fund for the project. Commissioner Whittaker suggested to make it separately switchable so that speakers can be switched to dining room to patio only and to auditorium only, or both as needed. Commissioner Van suggested that a speaker also be placed in the kitchen and above the auditorium rise. Ms. Spickard said that she would pursue getting an additional estimate on both speakers. June 1, 1995 SENIOR COMMISSION Page 6 Facilitv Uodate (Continued) ACTION: Commissioner Chmiel made a motion to allocate Senior Trust monies to upgrade the present speaker system as proposed for the patio, auditorium and kitchen and obtain bids for installation of same. Zink, Chmiel, Van, West and Whittaker The Commission further discussed the public address system and advised Ms. Spickard to spend the funds necessary to "do it right" and get the system needed. Ms. Spickard gave an update on the reception area. She said that according to the Facilities staff, other projects are taking priority over this one. Ms. Spickard will continue to pursue getting the reception area project moved up in priority. Commissioner Whittaker requested that it be noted in the Scribe report that the Senior Commission requests that the enclosing of the reception area begin as soon as possible and would appreciate efforts to move this project to a higher priority. Ms. Spickard reported on the odor that permeates the building on occasion. She explained that the drainage pipes underneath the building were not laid at an appropriate angle to force the sewage out into the street; at times it just lays there. There's a vent on the roof and when the wind blows just right, the odor gets into the air conditioning system and then vents throughout the building; particularly into the school district offices. To alleviate the problem, the City will roto rooter more often, as well as treat the sewer system with enzymes and increase the length of roof vents. Ms. Spickard continued that the only way to solve the problem is to tear up the hallway all the way up to the street and that would necessitate closing down the building for quite a while. Ms. Spickard said that she received a request to appear before the Project Council nutrition advisory group to discuss various items. One item was regarding the speakers which has previously been addressed. Another issue is to consider purchasing heaters or wind screens for the patio for when special lunches are planned and additional seating is required. People do not want to sit outside when the weather is inclement. Ms. Spickard stated that she will exercise her authority to turn down the request for the reasons that heaters are very costly for the amount of times they will be used; they are inefficient--you need to be sitting very close to them to feel the heat; and, propane is too dangerous to store on premises on an ongoing basis. June 1, 1995 SENIOR COMMISSION Page 7 Facilitv UPdate (Continued) ACTION: On motion by Commissioner Van, the Senior Commission rejected the proposal to have heaters purchased for the patio. AYES: Chmiel, Van, West, Whittaker, Zink COMMITTEE REPORTS: Suqqestion Committee Commissioner Van gave the following report: Suggestion: More trips to the theater, especially Beauty and the Beast in L.A. - Francis Grant. Answer: The Recreation Division Daytrippers program previously offered trips to L.A. to see shows as Phantom of the Opera, CATS, etc. However, with the cost of transportation included, trips were running about $90 per person and the trips were becoming more and more difficult to fill in order to cover the costs. Here at the Senior Center, we try to offer low cost day trips. We suggest that you contact the Culture Caravan in Vista at 724-2962. Suggestion: I like the volunteers at the table to keep my $2.00 and give me only back my change- why not? - Afton Jandro. Answer: We understand that sometimes the money system at the reservation desk appears more complicated than necessary. However, the manner in which money is handled and change is given is specifically spelled out in the Federal Regulations for the Nutrition Program and is monitored by the Area Agency on Aging. We are not at liberty to alter those guidelines. Nutrition Proiect Liaison Commissioner Chmiel reported on the Congregate meals served in March and April, with 2,967 in March and 2,628 in April; with an average donation of $1.63 in March and $1.58 in April. Home Meals in March totaled 1,047, and April 862, with an average donation of $2.57 in March and $2.28 in April. The current balance of funds raised through Project Council activities was $2,835.04. These funds are raised from dances, craft and bake sales, etc. June 1, 1995 SENIOR COMMISSION Page 8 Nutrition Proiect Liaison (Continued) Commissioner Chmiel stated that Project Council members wish to meet with Sue Spickard to discuss a greater flexibility among different activities to allow for unforeseen problems such as bad weather on a special lunch day. Also suggested was that Project Council minutes be supplied to each member a few days before the meeting. The Crafty Crafters were thanked for helping in providing Easter Baskets to Home Meal Participants. Project Council elections will be held on June 15 in the diningroom. Commissioner Chmiel listed the special events held in March and April, including the Bake Sale on Friday, May 12. CHAIRMAN'S REPORT Chairman Whittaker stated he had no report. ITEMS FOR NEXT AGENDA: The next Commission meeting will be held on July 6. ADJOURNMENT By proper motion, the Regular Meeting of June 1, 1995, was adjourned at 2:15 p.m. Respectfully submitted, ~~ywM~LLTLL, MARYANN THEIS Senior Center Secretary May 30, 1995 TO: SENIOR COHMISSION FROM: Senior Center Coordinator APRIL/MAY COORDINATORS REPORT The Tax year ended with a total of 626 individuals receiving Tax assistance through the AARP Tax Aide Program at the Center. Dedicated volunteers provided 1,118 hours of service. The total number of taxpayers served is down by approximately 80, however, the number of hours of service provided has increased by 77 hours. Staff submitted an application to the LaCosta Charitable Foundation requesting they fund our annual volunteer recognition dinner at the LaCosta Resort and Spa. Unfortunately, LaCosta turned us down. However, they have not heard the last from us. We believe that our volunteers are the very best and that they deserve the very best - SO---our next approach will be to see what kind of a price they could offer to provide the dinner. The Discussion Group which meets the 1st. and 3rd. Fridays of each month has become so popular that we have had to extend their time by 1/2 hour so that everyone has a chance to express their views on the topic being discussed that day. The Free Foot Screening offered by Dr. Lieberman filled up quickly. 26 people were examined. April Presentation attendance varied a great deal. However, whether it was the IIOne Block Quilts" presentation, IIThe Art of Making Friends", IIIs a Reverse Mortgage Right for YOU?^^, or "Sari Diego - Past, Present and Future" the comments received were extremely positive. The presenters expressed that the participants were very interested and the participants expressed how knowledgeable each of the presenters were. Althoughthe numbers in attendance were at times disappointing, we are seeing new faces in attendance. 174 Seniors were served a special Easter lunch on April 13. The annual Easter Hat parade was held with three prizes being given for the *'Best Bonnets". May started with the annual Cinco de Mayo celebration. The diningroom was very festive and 194 traditional meals were served complete with chips and salsa. The presentation "Schemes, Scams, Flim Flam and Other Assorted Crookstw was well attended. Darlynne Reyes Menkin, KFMB Channel 8 News Producer, was informative and very interesting. Participants received valuable information regarding how NOT to be a victim, as well as hearing many interesting stories regarding Darlynnes *fundercoverlf work for the News Station. The 2nd Annual Showcase for Seniors was attended by over 600 people. 24 vendors ranging from Long Term Health Care Providers to bank and retailers displayed their wares. The ttShowcasett was quite successful and plans are underway for next year. Recent ltSafaritt Trips to Lawrence Welk Village, Quail Botanical and Weidner's Gardens, along with the Norton Simon Museum were sold out. We celebrated Mothers Day at the Center on May 12. Each lady received a flower and 160 lunches were served. A special Mothers Day lunch was delivered to 20 of our Home meals recipients on Sunday May 14. Along with their lunch, the ladies received a coupon for a free Mammogram provided by the Area Agency on Aging. One of the latest issues we are hearing about is the cancellation of homeowner's insurance policies due to the number of insurance companies going out of business. With this is mind a presentation was offered by the Utility Consumers Action Network entitled ItIs Your Homeowners Insurance in Jeopardy?" As the number of people effected by the changing insurance industry increases we will offer this presentation again. COMING EVENTS: Appointments for the Renters/Homeowners Tax Assistance Program are available on the afternoons of June 13 and June 20. Appointments are necessary. Conversational Italian Classes will begin Thursday, June 15. Luce Mangini is volunteering her time to teach Italian, her native language, to those who are interested in this lwromancett language. This is a free class. June 5 - "ALL ABOUT TRUSTS" June 15 - "NEW ADVANCES IN ALZHEIMERSII June 25 - IIBROADWAY MEDLEYS" Free Concert by the CARLSBAD WARBLERS June 27 - "GARDEN PARTYtt (it's not what you think) Come join friends and staff and enjoy working (weeding/planting etc.) on the landscaping surrounding the Senior Center. Mark your calendars for the annual Fourth of July Barbecue July 3 (make your reservation early) , and the annual Ice Cream Social July 16. SUE SCHULTZ SPICKARD Senior Center Coordinator