COUNCIL ON AGING

BOARD MEETING MINUTES March 11, 2004

 

Present:  Brunetta Wolfman (Chair), Greg Howe, Gerry Brennan, Gladys Johnstone, Florence        

Alexander (Alt.) Others: Val Carrano (Dir. COA), Vern Wilson    (Friends), Mark LaTour

Absent:   Anita Berman, excused

 

Meeting called to order by Chair at 3:05p.m.

 

Minutes from the February 12, 2004 Board Meeting were approved as corrected – to be e-mailed by secretary to Town Clerk.

 

Director’s Report:

·        In response to the COA Board’s Annual Goal Report submitted to the BOS, the Board responded with a letter inviting the Board to meet with them.  Dates suggested have already been committed.  Chair will respond with dates of April 26 or May 10.

·        Town Meeting Forum with lunch will be held on March 26.  Maureen Hurst will handle ordering of the food, Dennis will pick it up and the Friends will foot the bill.  $2.00 will be charged each person.

·        CIPOA meeting cancelled until fall.

·        Regarding our stove, Napi has volunteered to find us a stove; Michelle Jarusiewicz told the Director that their might be money available if the Friends provided matching funds.

·         Regarding the tax-rebate program for seniors, the Director’s research shows that the State cap for payment is $750.  However, a bill now going through Congress may increase the cap to $1,000.

·        May 29th and Sept. 4th are the dates for this year’s bake sales.  G. Johnstone suggested that, since everyone’s on a diet, why not sell chances for a quilt or something.  She will check with a woman who makes quilts.

 

Friends:  

·        Annual Appeal has taken in a total of $3,445, about $500 less than last year’s total.

No unusual expenses this month, just the regular bills.

·        The Board would like to rent seat cushions at Town Meeting (April 7th) again but we have no volunteers.  Vern was asked by the chair to contact Marge Perry to see if she is still interested.

 

SALT Council:

·        G. Howe thanked the Director for supporting the DECIDE Program which will have it’s first seminar from May 3 to May 6 (Mon. thru Thurs.) at the Senior Center from 3:00p.m. to 6:00p.m.  Officer Peters will run the seminar, assisted by Carey Benjamin. The seminar will include the latest updates on frauds and help to make the home and the senior safer.  Hope to have a manual for the attendees to take home.

 

 

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The Friends will pay for some light snacks and beverages for the seminar.  Need people to help set up.    

·        After enlisting the help of the Director, G. Howe announced that there would be a free distribution of cell phones to Seniors in May.  These phones can only dial 911 and the senior must be able to tell the Police where they are when they call.  The PPD has 50 of these phones available.

 

Old Business:

·        F. Alexander was applauded for all her work for the presentation of the Boston Post Cane to Frances Raymond at the Senior Center.  A small picture appeared in the BANNER.  She asked if the Recording Secretary could send a thank you to the Provincetown Florist for donating 2 corsages.

·        2 Month Calendar:

April - COA Goal setting for the Annual Report

May   - nothing           

·        Year Rounders Celebration opens at 10:30 for workers and noon for the public.  The Chair and G. Howe will handle the table.  Promotional items are on hand.  G. Johnstone’s suggestion of getting a clipboard and having people sign up for the Senior NEWSLETTER will be taken.  The table will also include items to be sold: Cookbooks, Cards, B. Wolfman’s book, and crafts.

 

New Business:

·        The Director, Chair, and V. Wilson discussed the low attendance at the Wednesday congregate lunches.  It does compete with the soup kitchen and people tend to clique.  Perhaps a note in the NEWSLETTER encouraging people to bring their friends might help.  (Maybe a call to play Whist might help too.)

·        Continuing along the above line, donations from the GU are for other activities at the Senior Center, bingo, seminars, etc. rather than Meals on Wheels, since the donation is made to the COA.  Food needs to be labeled or placed in a separate refrigerator.

·        March 26 Annual Town Meeting Forum will include: Mark La Tour, Betty Steele-Jeffers, Dennis Anderson, and Terese Nelson.  A short Board meeting afterward will try for a consensus on the issues the COA Board will support.

·        G. Brennan asked the Board to support her efforts to have the senior tax-rebate program increased from $500 to $750 for the 2005 Warrant.  All agreed and she was asked by the Chair to write a position paper for the April Board Meeting.  It was suggested that it would help to have the support of the Board of Assessors.

·        At 4:10p.m. Mark LaTour gave a report on the Housing Task Force and some of the Zoning Articles coming up in the 2004 Special and Annual Town Meeting.

 

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned.  The next meetings will be April 8, 2004 at 3:00p.m. in room #10 of the Grace Gouveia Bldg.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Gerry Brennan, Secretary