Air Council on Agent 18 Pawn Street Ver AMS. This meeting will be held in person at the location provided on this notice. Members of the public are welcome to attend this in-person meeting. Please
note that while an option for remote attendance and or participation via Zoom is being provided as a courtesy to the public. The meeting slasher will not be suspended or terminated if technological
problems interrupt the virtual broadcast unless otherwise required by law. Members of the public with particular interest in a specific item on this on this agenda should make plans
for inperson versus virtual attendance accordingly. This meeting will be live on Zoom. The public may access the proceedings by joining Zoom meeting ID number
3754146055 or by calling 9292056099. For additional information about remote participation, please contact Carly Antinelis, assistant town manager
atmirair.mmass us or 9787728220 extension 100 prior to the meeting. I will call us to order at 2005 p.m. Um, do I have an approval or an
amendment to the agenda? I make a motion that we approve the agenda as it stands. Second. Um, Cheryl, how do you vote? Yes. I vote I. Yes.
Mary, I. Dennis, hi. And I vote I um public input for the agenda. Do you have Do I have anything? Yeah. No, I'm just here to familiarize myself. Wonderful.
Wonderful. Welcome. Um Okay. I didn't realize you were going to put in all the minutes, so I only put in April. Well, you would have gotten September before you um Right. which is fine. Um Oh, so I
should have made a motion to adjust and Well, uh I think you could let that slide. Yeah. So, but on on the u on the April, which were the minutes of I think it was I think it was March. March was
the issue. you had the um that you lost connect assistance on the right. He says, "So does anybody Cheryl on the on the March minutes. Um there was a a
uh a brief discussion about the the feedback that we had gotten from the social work, right? The letter to the select board or the um town manager's office regarding our urging them to um you know proceed with hiring a social
worker. Do you do you remember what the gist of that conversation was or any conclusion? Which meeting did um it would have been two meetings ago in March. We had sent the letter, right?
Someone came from city from the town hall that um we were we addressed the the letter to and was very supportive of the um the council's letter and assured us that they were going to be you know
pursuing hiring and talked about that was that was that Mr. Prian that came. Yeah, that was so that was and there was some conversation about using coin or that corn would Yes, that program they were looking further into whether or not
being an acceptable Okay. All right. All right. So, I will uh I will amend the March minutes to include Do we have a recording of that meeting? Because that might help. No, there was some technical issues with that meeting and Okay. Dr. corrupted was that that was
the one that was ended up being in like three parts I think and um when Carly starts the meeting I think is the issue. So um now that we have fixed the time that the friends are meeting I will be reliably able to start
this meeting. So we won't shouldn't have any more technological issues. Plus my labyrinth of cords here should hopefully make sure we don't have any disruptions. Um, my only edits would be that there's so much information here under the
director's report. Um, if we're posting the director's report, we probably don't need it in the minutes aside from like C director see director's report or something like that. Um, that's up to you, Dennis. I don't know
if that creates more work to take it out when it's already there. Does the director's report have to be included as part of the packet that's submitted as part of the agenda in order to do that? Right. So, um, so what would need to what would need to happen is like
today's um I sent the director's report for today. I sent that out yesterday. Y and so then at your earliest convenience, you need to email um Right. Max to get it posted. I got it yesterday. Right. I
I will I I probably won't have it to cuz you're posting the agendas more than 48 hours in advance. Um No, I posted Yes. because I was out of 10. Right. Right. So, I'm saying is they don't necessarily have to go together, but for the sake of the
minutes, they either should be enclosed in the minutes or um separately. As long as so as long as Matt is posting the director's report as part
of the agenda men as part of the agenda packet, right? As long as that occurs in the minutes, you can make reference to that document as Yeah. Okay. Would it be part of the agenda or would it be part of the minutes?
You see, they changed it on me because when I was the clerk, I submitted everything with the menace. That's why we're discussing it. So, there were there are two pieces to that. Yeah. And I agree. We have not been
consistent with it over time. So, um I if we're going to refer to it in the meeting, if it's a document we're all referring to, then it needs to get posted in order to meet the rules of the open meeting law, the requirements of the open meeting law. But I hear what
you're saying as far as if it's going to be referenced, it should probably be enclosed in the minutes. So maybe it's both. Um, and when you say enclosed attached as a separate document or written in copied and paste it into the volume, you could just copied and paste
it in there or if AI is doing it and it's getting the main gist that was essentially a copy past. Okay. All right. So then that's fine. So can I attach these to maps or do I send them them to agenda?
the so max posts things on the website. So if it's going up with the packet, it goes to Max and then if we're including it as part of the minutes that will be posted, then you take the paper copy or
email over to, you know, over to the town clerk, which I used the button when I'm did the agenda. This I attached the evaluation. Mhm. Right. And I did post early because I went out of 10. Right.
Wednesday. Yeah. So, they're just two different They're just two different rules, two different sets of requirements trying to meet. One is so that anybody joining like Cheryl from um online that they can see the materials and follow them along like we do. And
then the other one is how completely separately how we process minutes. So, if I'll post the agenda next time until Christie before the meeting. I'll do my best to have it ready, but as
we try to get everything in. Absolutely. But just to set expectations like busy. No, agreed. But to set expectations, I can't always do that. And so most most chairs are submitting the agenda
and then following up later with Max for attachment. So I would set expectations that it would be a multi-step process. Should the minutes be because what if we are amending how do we justify that afterwards?
What's the question? How do we if we're submitting minutes and then amend them? That's why before when we were doing it, they were always titled as draft with the watermark on them like this. And so then
they're in the packet as a draft and then they get posted on the minutes column when they're final within the meeting itself. If there are some minor changes, uh, spelling errors, the name mistakes,
um, the body can decide that they will approve the minutes as amended. Okay. They will then rely on whoever is making the amendments to make the proper amendment and then resubmit it without having to go to another vote. So then do
I have to resubmit them or when you submit say like June? Yeah. When you submit the minutes, they will either have been approved as written or they will have been approved as amended, in which
case what was included in the packet would not be identical to what was ultimately voted on. Um, which is going to be fine. Or they could not be approved because they were insufficient, unavailable that the amendments were
considered. I just want to ensure I'm not having to do it twice. Mhm. For June, do the minutes. Submit twice. Submit to. So, so you would be submitting draft
minutes before the meeting as part of the packet. Then it's Dennis's responsibility to sign and take the minutes over. Yep. To the clerk's office. Y that's all. Yep. Okay. I don't want any more trouble. All
right. So, then you're going to do some sub more substantial edits to the March minutes. So, we're we're tableabling those until later. So, what about April and September? Those should be fine if people have had a chance. People should
have had a chance to look at April's. I sent out September after. I think April was it was the first one that came on. I don't know. again. I didn't I didn't have any issues. I didn't have any issues with
Oh, you caught them. I did. I did have them. I had read them. Did you really? I did read them. Fascinating. I think I barely done. I'm sorry. Fascinating. Yeah. I didn't think I had any
But I guess it's going to do some edits on you. We want to make a motion to pass more. I'm just I did this just to make sure. Yeah. get better with the
conversation motion that we approve April April and September April and September. I do that folks. Okay. I second the motion. And Sherah, I say yes.
And Mary, yes. I And Dennis, hi. And I say yes. They are approved. Okay. So, April and September are waiting on March to fill in some gaps in Y. Okay.
Okay. Um, okay. The next one, the a the Pleasant Street Park grant project. Um, this is interesting. Katie and I
saw, and we think we should open this up again. I'm sorry. taking a new saw the DPW um working on filling the holes up
here in the puck down here. Okay. And we think we think that we should approach the TCW about The curve got the curve.
We have nothing to lose by asking the DPW to do what? To look at the ramp possibility and fixing making it a little handicapped accessessible. Well, I I mean, I think that we would
need to clarify. It's my understanding again that the housing authority controls the park in the parking lot and they have jurisdiction over that.
I think we would it would be problematic for us to ask DPW to intervene on housing authority property to tell us what they are. Why is DPW?
I have no idea. Well, that was what we were we were observing because we we've gone around and around a couple of times about whose responsibility, whose funds, whose initiative, right? and we kind of hit a stalemate between um what housing felt like they had the
funds to do as a whole big external project versus what the DPW could just do, right? But the DPW, it was inferred that the DPW maybe couldn't do it. But it I don't know that
they were ever directly asked. No, I don't I I don't think they were. I think at at some point in the past evidently they had Yeah. I don't No, I don't think that they were ever formally approached or
officially asked in any way, could you just kind of do this so that it's a little better, right? I I don't think that that has ever occurred. I don't think DPW was ever approached. Not to my knowledge. I don't think they were. So I guess the question would
be, you know, it was sort of presented as though never the two shall meet, but they were here plugging potholes. So um and bless them for doing it because the parking the parking lot's bad down here,
but it was even worse after this winter. So, um, you know, I wonder if there is any utility to reaching out informally rather than formally. Probably it's coming to the end of the
budget cycle. I don't know if they have funds left over, if they don't, if they're if they're able to do it without a study. You know what I'm saying? I and to witness. It's a letter request like we did to
Helley. Now that would be more formal. Yeah, it would be a letter request to DPW to do what? Like we wrote to put the curb cut into the to put in the handicap access for
that. Mhm. And when you say like we did to the disability commission. We somewhere there's a copy of that letter that we sent to Ken that the disabilities commission sent to Ken Martin asking him
about the process for trying to make that happen that letter. Yeah. Right. But that that is I don't think we have the ability. Well, how did it happen that the DPW came? Let me ask this. How did
it happen that the BPW came down here and started filling us? We don't know that. We don't know, right? We do not know. Would it be appropriate to request a meeting with DPW just to see what the protocol is so that we
don't step on anybody's toes? That's what I was going to suggest is is something more informal like a hey if we were trying to make this happen. Well, if it's Yes. Okay. So, but if we if if we want to make a informal
overure to the DPW, I think we can do that, but it would need to be occur outside this formal Yes. process. Yes. Um, so we can't formally request that somebody make an informal I mean I think that
that would be a little clumsy. So the question is who wants who would call Dan I guess and or the head of the highway is the head of the highway department or the road fixing I don't know. So, who would
call Dan and say, "Hey, Dan, what would it take to do X without them sending a build to the housing authority?" Yes. Right. Because that's true. Okay. That's an outcome that could happen. They could say, "Well, we'll fix it, but
it's got to come out of somebody's budget, so authority owns that land. We'll build them." Well, without somebody getting halfway through the project and the housing authority saying, "Well, wait a minute." Yeah. So, I'll tell you what. Yeah. Would it be
okay if I were to just have a conversation with Dan and flesh out from his perspective? If it's possible, if it's feasible. Yeah. And what he would need or Yeah. would he could he do it?
Could Yeah. Could he could he do it? and and and what would it take for him to feel comfortable doing it? That is, I think, as a matter of engineering and asphalt, I'm pretty confident that he could say, "Yeah, we could do it." As a
matter of whose ground, whose budget, whose timeline, um, you know, he may not, but anyway, I'll I'll make an over I'll reach out to Dan, see how open he is to discussing the possibility.
And then we would take that information presumably to Ken Martin and just kind of make sure that that doesn't interfere with um Yeah. So,
thank you. Yeah. I mean, we'll we'll see what comes through because Yeah. All right. Thank you. We need a motion. No matter just that's fine. Great.
Yep. That's awesome. Um just the reminder we all got yesterday too from Carie about the um open meeting law tomorrow night 6:00
p.m. Um if you wanted to go to town hall you had to RSVP. Yeah. But you can do Zoom. You got all the information on your email. Yeah. Um, Dennis, how was it your Luton
from the regional transit? Um, it was interesting. They had probably 20 people showed up or so. Um, well, 20 people in person, maybe three or four remotely. Um, they had a fine selection
of pastries. Oh, yeah. Yeah. So the um it's a I mean it was instructive I think it was the initial meeting Chelsea who is the regional coordinating council
and person um she kind of saw that as the initial meeting and that into the future she would be handing off the running of the meeting with um her subordinate Lois um who would then carry it on from there.
There have been no additional meetings scheduled. I reached out to Lois and Chelsea um inquiring about that and uh they anticipate a second meeting occurring sometime in mid June.
Um and there is no set agenda or well-defined tasks or clearly delineated path forward. Um so uh we'll see where that goes. Is
it more factf finding or is it it is I think it's an effort to um there are an alphabet suit of the Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission the Mont run by Bruno who was in fact there.
There was Hwood Hospital. Um uh there was a concerned citizen from Gardener. [Music] Um most of the people there were um part of were employees of nonprofit
organizations andor government agencies um who have some stake in improving transportation in the region. Um the and it's not clear to me that the
interests always line up. Um there seems to be some funding floating around between the various or with the various agencies. Um and some sort and some sort of
diff my sense of it is that there's a remarkable amount of diffusion of responsibility because everybody is involved. No one is responsible and the regional coordinating council
is because Mark can't do it all or doesn't feeling able to or capable of doing it and the Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission sees it as marginally part of their brief but not really something that they should be concentrating on.
So in an effort to get all the parties in the same room at the same time, you create the regional coordinating council which then gets those parties in the same room at the same time and hopefully Yeah. generating some were there other mun municipalities there in the area or
interestingly no. Um, I was really the only representative of some kind of municipal entity. Like they were a little surprised that Gardener didn't show up because evidently transportation in Gardner specifically is like a a big
deal. There was a representative from Awood Hospital um who has a lot of you know I guess stake in um there were also some folks from a uh like a youth services organization
whose interest in transportation was you know if we have a foster home or if we have kids you know who have recently left high school and have got a job how are we going to get them to work because I can find them a job but how do they get to the interview and if they get the
job, how do they get them from where they're living to the job at the time? Um I sus I suspect that for for our purposes that is for the for
air to the extent that uh we can make Katie's vision of a single fixed food transport around town combined with the other van which is doing you know trips out of town etc etc. we will have a solid a very solid
base of transportation options. Above and beyond that, how you fill in the individual gaps of getting person aid from here to there because they're on an odd schedule
or their physical infirmity prevented or um their financial circumstances are limited. Um that I think has to be a really localized fine that is I don't think we're going to get the solution to that
out of this effort we may get some funding out of it that is we may be able to say oh you got a x amount of dollar grant for doing x would you be willing to give us some portion of that and we will do this with it in order to get and
and and that I mean that will be that will be worthwhile Uh um but I don't think that again assuming Katie's vision comes to fruition and and and there's some good reason to think that it may well the
gaps that are still left after that point yeah are going to be so part of part of this um part of that grant that's floating around um Mart has part of it and China nine has part of it is funding
our secondary driver for the first year. Um, until it rolls over into the town financing, which again to your point, there was money for there. There could have been money for us to do
it anyway, but to ease it in with the grant funds makes a lot of sense. And then it bridges like when you're not at the start or the end of a fiscal year. Um, and then being able to you know, to say that you're getting
outside money to help with the burden of it is always helpful, too. But I I agree with you. There's It seems like the needs of some of our surrounding towns are very different than our needs here in town. So, they're not as rural as like like Winon. Yeah, it is. Yeah. I
don't think Winston does one of the towns up there just lost their grocery store. Okay. Um it's a W. Westminster. Westminster. Okay. So they
are trying to get buses to get people to get groceries. Yeah. um that I know I mean there would be I mean I think that one thing that might be helpful again this would be a longer term project
is for the how do we get well-defined transportation needs from the community that is John Doe needs a ride from here to here every
Thursday for PT or whatever Mhm. And Mark's not going to solve it for us. You know, Monus Regional Planning Commission. I mean, we have to know John Doe and highly with a highly specific kind of needs and this is how we're going to
help him fill that. And and it may be again funding Ubers or or that taxes, but that's what the COA ban does. Like we take people to their regularly scheduled No, I know. Yeah. So, I mean, to the extent that that can meet it, that's going to be
great. It's again, anything that's falling outside of that, I don't think that MAR or the Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission or the Regional Coordinating Council are going to be able to fill those holes. No, I don't disagree with
that either. But I think right now is is getting some of those basic transportation services taken care of. If you can get that taken care of, then you can move into some of those other
pieces or the filling pieces. But until you have this basic need taken care of, then everything's critical. All right. Once this is taken care of, that criticality moves. So now you've got really identified the true pieces I
think that will need more assistance or more work. I mean one thing I've become aware of the the ride sharing app Lyft has a silver what's it called a silver app which is specially attuned to
all it's specially attuned to seniors it's been the app has been simplified there is a phone number that can be called if whoever's operating the app it's it's designed to make it more senior friendly and for people who are
unfamiliar with Uber or just feel overwhelmed with it. Nice. Um I don't know whether we want to I mean I use lift sometimes. I don't know whether we want to try to train people on how to use silver. It's a separate like it's a
simplified version of the lift path. Yeah. Have a phone number of that. So you'd also have to find out how many therapists are in this area. that is that are silver probably certified if that's there is there's no
sense in going out and publishing it if we don't know yeah I mean I've never I mean and again for us I think it it's relatively simple for the folks out in Westminster further the field they do seem to have a shortage of drivers but
I've never experienced a shortage either Uber or Lyft in this area in this area okay have you Yeah, I have I don't use them in this area, but I had a neighbor that did and very often noas, you know, after somebody accepts the
callous. So that would be alleviated by our new grant, the well, not my new grant, but you know, the mark grant for the microtransit. Yeah. Y. Okay. Very good.
Um, thank you for that report, Dennis. That's interesting. Thank you, Dennis. Good. All right. I think Chelsea's working hard to get. Well, sometimes it's a matter of getting everybody on the same page as far as what's available, you know, and she
doesn't have time, I don't think, to come to every town to see what the needs are. Yeah. And the town's again I don't think what our needs are. Yeah. Every town's different. Did you
feel like most of what they were working on were more rural concerns than what air is dealing with or did you just feel like it was just very specific town to town? It's um it's very specific town to town,
but my sense because we are the furthest east and because we have the train station. Yeah. Right. Um I think their perception of us is those guys are pretty flush. And part of that and part of that is we
are we are just such a small town geographically that it don't take a whole lot, right? you know, you're not in in five to seven minutes you can go from one end of town to the other. You know, if you're out in Westminster or Gardener and then you're
driving quite a ways and um there I think the train station, the fact that there is the train station, it's located pretty much in the town center gives them that perception that they don't have transportation. Yeah. So we
um yeah so our I mean I think their perception of us and it's not inaccurate is that their transportation or they're we are better connected to the outside world for lack of than than they are and it's a matter of geography and
the fact that we have the train station here and that we're a condensed town. Yeah. Okay. So, all right. In terms of the director's report, April was a pretty typical um
month. 139 seniors here, a total of 573 times. Um, average daily attendance was 27 people, but it ranged anywhere from 14 to 38 people in a day. Uh, that doesn't include the Meals on Wheels clients or the 60 van riders. It also
doesn't include the um the uh outreach clients, the 27 outreach clients. So these are program statistics, not total usage statistics. Uh a lot of great programs in April. Um
the evening Medicareformational session went very well. Uh we did fall prevention, um Medicare fraud with the Medicare senior patrol. Uh we did a spring and Eastern luncheon, attended Senator
Eldridge's senior day conference. Uh there was a lot of confusion about that. I'm, you know, mentally, uh reworking how I would describe that in a newsletter next year about what it was and wasn't and where it was. Um we had
our annual volunteer appreciation lunchon and the AARP safe driver force. I'm always amazed that there aren't more people um attending the safe driver course, but um there's a handful of people and then
a webinar on artificial intelligence. I'm sorry, let me just poke my head in to see in I'm not really surprised on the AA. I think I think a lot of news think that that might be the first time.
But I know sorry we don't do anything with we just don't senior it's the first step of those yeah yeah I don't you're not going to get many seniors
saying yeah please I think there was a husband and wife that did it yeah I think that sort of that would be my thought yeah you're going to pry these keys out of my cold pretty much. Yeah. Yeah. We had a one
year and said, "Yeah, this I think No, I think it was there, Katie." Oh, okay. All right. Um Okay. So, like I said, we didn't hear that. I said a lot of seniors aren't going to volunteer to take a safe driving class. I think that's the first
step in losing their license. Oh, well, you know, it's interesting, Ben. I try to advertise it is that a lot of um insurance companies will give you a discount on your insurance if you have taken the safe driver course. So um
anyways if you sign up let them mon you that is true. Um so then we also did a needlefelted hummingbird and flower arts and crafts class which was very popular. Um, let's see. We did outreach services
to 27 seniors a total of 42 times. Uh, it's always kind of a it's not it doesn't vary wildly, but transportation just happened to be the most frequently sought assistance this month. Um, all the rest of the things in the list, wellness checks, food security, housing,
financial management, health insurance. Um all of those things were um also important and and needed. Uh we had they actually call wellness check the police huh they
call for a wellness so there's a lot of different places a lot of different opportunities for a wellness check. So for example we have a friendly visitor program. So there are some people that um Mary Ellen calls each and every week as a check-in. Um, then there might be
wellness checks done. If we notice that someone has no showed or cancelled frequently in the last couple of days for lunches or events, we do a wellness check on them. Um, then if someone does not pick up, if someone's not there for
their meals on wheels, then we do a wellness check on that as well. And what constitutes a wellness check could go anywhere from a phone call all the way up to engaging public safety. So, it just depends. It's it can go from an are you okay to and and they do each and
every month. We have that full range of them. Yep. Yep. Um so then we participated on April 16th in the Air Shirley Regional School District Career Exploration Fair. They had it in the gym. Um a lot of town department
representation and then a handful of private local businesses. Um, I got the sense that this was maybe only the first or second time that they had done a career exploration fair. Uh, I provided some feedback. They did it after school on a day that there was a home game of
something. So, a lot of kids walked through the gym in their uniforms on their way out to the fields. um versus having it during like the you know, however many lunch periods they rotate through or a flex period or something
like that might have had higher student participation. Um so there was that and then we're doing the Devon's food truck festival on May 31st. Anyone who wants to come and hang in the with me is welcome to. Um, I
believe it's 10 to 4, but let me double check that. So, I will have out um all the drawings for the new building, uh, the proposed new building, and the friends are hopefully going to have like a flea market type table, um, to sell
goods and bods. Um, and then, yeah, so that should be good. Um, and that will be a very different audience. um than you know who would come to the senior center or who would come to even necessarily like the Newton
Street Festival. So I think it's going to be a really great opportunity to do some outreach about the senior center, the building project and the friends. Um meals were pretty typical this month. 58 seniors attended a total of 312 meals. Um our meals are very
popular. um that I think is a mainstay of what we're doing here. Uh I keep spreading the word to other councils on aging about how successful our model has been. A lot of them are struggling with
declining meal participation, social and exercise participation is flourishing, but their meals participation is declining because no one wants to eat the meals on wheels food. Um, it's just a different generation of seniors than it was five or 10 years ago. So, um,
I've been putting in the good word that restaurant food atly discounted prices sells as opposed to um, right? My app was complaining about meals on wheels 25 years ago. Yeah. Yeah, I know.
Um, the volunteer numbers, as I said in the report, are a little they they are they are off what they normally are. So, we had 19 volunteers working a total of 432 hours, which is valued at
5,163. That's actually not true because when I I suspect it's around 15 who worked around 150 to 200 hours. The reason it appears to be inflated is that some of you don't check in so you can check in
for your event when you come here. Yes, I am at the COA board meeting, but unless you hit the volunteer button next to your name and you're putting logging your volunteer hours, because here you're actually not really attending the event.
Um, you know, Penny's attending the event, but you guys are volunteering. So, um, the correct way to log your I mean, I don't care if you logging that you were in attendance, but to put your volunteer hours in. Same thing for the
building committee. Um, but I don't really count the building committee's activities as a program of the senior center. I mean, it is by extension, but um, so what I did is I went back through and like Dennis, you hadn't checked in,
I don't think, at all, for volunteer hours. So, I added 24 hours the last year, 12 hours, 12 months, 2 hours per meeting. Right? So, it's making this number look really inflated for this month, but it caught me up to um April
Volunteer Appreciation Month. After the meeting, you can show me where I would definitely do that. Yep. Yep. Um um Katie, because I'm only virtual, do my volunteer hours count? They are not. And so, I added yours in manually. So, uh,
in in all my spare time, I should go back and add in 12 entries of two hours for you guys to fix it on the correct dates. Um, but like I said, the day before the volunteer lunchon where I was wanting to say that the volunteer the
collective 2500 volunteer hours had a value of 39,000 almost $40,000. Um, I just put you guys in fast. Um, all right. So, thank you. For like in Cheryl's case, is there a remote login she could use to log in and log
her network? That's a very good question. Um, because also too, is anybody attending something else like from that renot through even through the owl and the hybrid sort of collecting that type of so for participation statistics I will
go back and enter manually. Um, but like for Cheryl, it would be ideal if she could. So, you can go in for my active center. There's a couple ways I think we could make it work. So, let me look into that um and get back to you guys on
that. Thank you. I also um I don't know if this is an appropriate point, but I got a I had gotten asked a question. I had to plead my ignorance. Does the senior center allow gift certificates for the bar mark
bus allow gift certificate? Like if let's say somebody has a senior neighbor and they want to give them something little, could they give them like a $25 gift certificate so they could ride the RF bus or something? Um well right now the buses are all free to June 30th all
forgotten about that. Um, after that, um, some senior centers do, um, so we're we're paying we're paying just buy the ride. Um, and we were paying a dollar each way for the rides. Some senior
centers charge a little bit more than that and then they do like a each ride is this much or five rides for that much and then it's either managed on an honor system or a punch card. Um, I haven't operationalized any of
that because I've never really had anyone interested, but if you thought there was interest in that once the fairs come back as I can't imagine that they will continue to be free after the end of the fiscal year. Yeah. Um, but yeah, I I'd be happy to look into
that. Like I said, that was just something that was brought up to me and as she said, she says it was great. We had a couple of elder neighbors, so for like Christmas or for something else like that, we could give them something like $25 as the so they could get
around. Yeah. Bum the bus type of deal. Um we also have the meal certificates that you guys give to everybody um for Christmas, you know, at the holiday lunchon. Um, so it would not be hard
to sort of morph that into a model it into something like Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Okay. and and the and the Emerson shuttle that leaves from the library that that funding runs out at the end of
June or not or that one might have just started an 18month grant because I think that the I think that the microtransit one is also an 18-month grant which means they started in like January and they've used these first few months as
planning and organization and then it will run through to the following June June 30th. Yeah. I mean, I would encourage and the other thing, not to go too far, field, is that
when these transportation options are available, it's important to kind of fill them that is um and one thing that they were saying at the meeting is that if it's not well attended or if you know there's a
budgetary, you know, the ones that aren't being used, you know, rational world, it'll be the ones that are going to be um so for the for public consumption if you need to go to conquered
take the shuttle even if you own a car, right? It's a lot less expensive. It's a lot it can be quite convenient and you're Yeah, they go five times a day so not have to fiddle with traffic. I've heard people use it. Yeah. Um, I've seen it pull out with one or two people on it
multiple times. I I'm not obviously not surveilling it, but um, but then they got to stop and have. Yep. Yep. So I think there's there's and and the wrership takes time because just like when the hospital closed the emergency departments felt
the impact immediately but it took us two or three months to really start to see the impact because it wasn't like everybody had a doctor's appointment scheduled or a procedure or something scheduled for the day after the hospital closed. So, if things are happening on a
quarterly or an annual basis, it takes, you know, some time for that. Y um let's see. So, while we're on transportation, I'm excited to welcome our new van coordinator, Donna. Her first day will be um the 19th. I think she's going to
be in training all day on the 19th of March, but she will be starting and she's going to work roughly noon to 8:00 p.m. And the idea is that she will be um doing dispatch bride scheduling in the
afternoon when she's here. And uh I was just working on um draft changes to the newsletter for pushing some of our shopping trips back a little bit further in the day to open up more afternoon
because right now on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday in the afternoon, the van is kind of out of commission for errands and doctor's appointments because we're going to Walmart, Target. Um Okay. Market Basket. Mark uh and then Mark
Basket on Wednesdays and then Fridays is loaves and fishes. So by pushing um some of those trips back later into the afternoon, then that gives Sam probably another 2 hours worth of appointment and errand time.
Um, and then that though it may be a little bit more a little bit busier in the grocery at 3 or 4:00, it will it should still be a good Yeah, it should still work out. Do you folks do a run to the to the movie
theater for the mat like senior discount like Tuesday afternoon? I have done it in the past. Um, I typically do it in July, August. July or August. Hey, Ken. Um, July or
August and then I will do it again in January or February. Uh, I usually only have two or three people that want to go each time. And as an activity, it's a little bit logistically like it's a two-step logistically one because the movie theater only puts out the movie
schedule 7 days in advance. So, I have to publish it in the newsletter as it will be Tuesday the 24th. Movie to be determined. And then seven days before I have to go look up what the movies are that fall within a 1-hour time frame.
And then I call everybody who signed up and say, "These are your two movie choices. Which one do you want to go to?" And then I buy those tickets. But then I buy those in advance. But then when we have cancellations, which we always have cancellations.
That's just the nature of senior programming, then the senior center eats the cost of those. So it's for something so small, it has a little extra logistical thing in it, which is not a big deal, but I I will do that on um in
the hottest and the coldest months. Um let's see. So then in in June's schedule and everyone will have to hopefully be patient. It will take a little bit of time to really get into a
groove of how many events is enough events to meet the demand. Um and also understanding that almost everything that I do here is subsidized. So if instead of going to the theater
once every 3 months, we're going every month, I just can't subsidize it at the same rate, right? Because we're doing it more frequently. So there there will be more events, they will be less subsidized or they may be
unevenly subsidized. Maybe this one will only be this much and that one will be that much. It will it will become a little bit more complex. equation. Um, but I think overall it's going to be great because but you won't run both buses for like beach trips or so there's
one bus we have. We don't have a second bus. So So when Sam is doing his scheduling, so Sam will be driving between 8:00 a.m. and 400 p.m. like he normally is. And then the idea is that between 12 and 4,
Donna is in the office doing the scheduling. So, um, that will really take a load off of Mary Ellen and I. Sam doesn't do very much scheduling. He's in the van all day. So, that will really take a load off of Mary Ellen and I for the dispatching that we've been doing.
And then, um, and, you know, free us up for other tasks. And then from roughly 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. she on some but not all days she will be doing the later afternoon shopping trips. She'll be
doing social events, things like that. So um Oh, that's good. Yeah. So it will take a little it'll take on boarding always takes a couple of months to really get into the groove. Um but I'm looking forward to that. Um, oh, so to answer your question,
so most of the time 12 people is a manageable number of people. Um, even 12 is hard for some supper clubs because not all restaurants can really accommodate us. So, there's the possibility to rent a second van. So,
um, from Mart, it's about $50 every time we rent it. So for certain things we may choose to increase the capacity to 24 but again I want to set reasonable expectations. We won't be suddenly showing up at tinies with 24 people um
because it overwhelms a lot of restaurants. Um theater tickets maybe possibly it would depend upon the event because again my budget only stretches so far. So sometimes we have done $50 or $60 tickets for 25 or $30. Well, I can't
subsidize at that rate for 24 people, right? So, um, it'll be a balance. It's going to be something I'm going to need a little time to work out so that our events remain accessible to the people who really need them to be low cost, but that we are offering more events to kind
of meet the demand so that people can spread out between them. Yep. Um Yeah. All right. Uh let's see. Um, as we discussed, the new Emerson shuttle um has been in place for about a
month now. Uh, I think it's picking up in popularity and starting uh just last week a subsidized taxi they call it like micro transit um but it's operates originating in air. It's an individual
taxi service um that can go up to 20 miles away and there that one is not free. There is a sliding scale depending upon how many miles you're going to. So between between our second driver coming on the Emerson shuttle and the
microtransit grant right now those China nine folks people are right like we've got a lot of really good transportation options coming together. Um I haven't heard anybody use
that the $47. I have not. No, I haven't either. Um I'm curious about it. So yeah, cuz that can take them up to the National Mall down to the home, anything within 20 miles.
Yeah. So it's a really flexible flexible option. Yeah. So I'm curious. And that had pretty good times, too. Our thought was like 5:30 a.m. to 12. Right. 12. 10 p.m. Yeah. 10 p.m. Yeah. Yeah. So, I'm curious about that.
Um, all right. Then I think the only thing I didn't mention so far is the senior center building committee update. Uh, we're just continuing to move forward with schematic design. A lot of that is now on the architect getting into kind of the nitty-gritty of this is
how far apart the beams need to be, things like that. Um and the utilities planning. A lot of work going into um you know getting the utilities all set teed up and ready to go so that we know what the logistics would be, what the pricing would be so
that we can have as accurate as possible cost estimate for the project to take to town meeting um in October. Anything you wanted to add to that? Okay. Um, we have another member of the
building committee in the audience. Anything he wants to add to that? Okay. All right. All right. So then, yeah, that's everything I have for my my report. And I see new volunteer determinations
coming up. When you're to be determined my what do you have down here? Oh yes. Yes. Um I didn't have anything specific, so I just nothing specific for the rest of of May. Um I did get a call
actually um from actually let me put that in there. So um so I'm working with the high school about being a site to be um they have an intern placement for high schoolers. That was sort of the
natural evolution of this career fair and I guess it's in its third year maybe now and so they have a ton of kids that are being placed many of them with public safety um with other town departments and local businesses. It's something they do every day during their
one they have like an independent study period. So there's a lot of details to work out because they run a rotating schedule. So one day you start with a day and it's class A is first then the next day is B day. So you never have
math, right? You know, designed to make it so if you're better learning in the morning or better learning in the afternoon, you're rotating through which classes are in those time periods. So um I'm working on a plan um to get one maybe two interns that
would start in the fall. Um it will take that would be kind of complex because every seven days I mean they'll be here at a different time every single day. So trying to forecast that through for a whole month
to make them useful for senior facing programs is going to be a little it's going to involve a little bit of calculus but I feel like I did get there. Yeah. Um and then um I got a call yesterday
from the wrestling coach and they are they are looking for opportunities to volunteer. Um so I have them signed up. I was really excited that it occurred to me the moment they can use their muscles
and scoop all of the Kimbell's ice cream for the ice cream social. Um, and then I'm going to keep thinking about um I think wrestling or talking Oh, a demonstration. They could do a wrestling demonstration maybe. So, yeah. Yeah. So,
um, so we'll see where that goes. It's It's kind of funny because for a period of time while I had the grant funding, it's like nobody I had nobody and then in the last month or so and that grant was done at the end of March. So, in the last
month, I've had a couple of people reach out interested in volunteering. So, you know, you never know. So, I'll I will do my best to incorporate them in and um you know, maybe we can still
because I did offer cyber seniors again and no one showed up again even on April vacation week. So, um, you know, I'm I'll keep, you know, it's all the co all the, uh, coaches
move for, but there I know the baseball teams, they do, um, a baseball game with the dis with disabled. Yeah. All the kids have dance and they
go and play with them. And that's the thing. So, it's it's never been Yeah. whether or not people needed their volunteer hours. It's about capturing the right kids at the right right time to assist with the right projects. So, so that's an ongoing priority. And you
know, Dennis was helpful enough to hook me up with UMass Lowel and I didn't meet the I guess I didn't meet their criteria for placing a student and then they had a leftover straggler student that they
offered to me and then it was very difficult to coordinate a schedule with that person. They So that did not work out. I'll still go back to them again. Um because at least as a as a college
kid um yep you know there might be additional things the operational months I think there was some clear and legitimate interest from that professor that we were speaking with that he would welcome an opportunity to get his folks some hands-on opportunity especially
with the building coming on and I think he seemed legitimately hopeful that they could get some bodies here but it wasn't issue of money like they wanted to be paid and we have I was willing to I was willing to pay them out
of the formula grant. So um which I mean is probably not the best use of I mean that's not how I would have preferred to do it. Um but I'm was willing to offer a stipen at the time. I was trying to say can we get them in because I can fold
them in under doing tech help under the hybrid programming brand because I had that money. Um but yeah, so when when would when would you reach out to him for the fall semester? How of the logistics of that?
What would that probably in early August I could remind him that I'm looking for when the classes start in August that then I'm looking because they'll start late mid to late August that I would be looking for somebody. Okay.
And of course it's you know it with UMass Lowel there's the money part there's the geography part you know it's a long drive if they live in that area if they live down here and they're commuting up to school then maybe it's not so do they have a car and do they
Yes. Yes. So yeah so lots of Yeah. Again, some a lot of senior centers have an actual person part-time called the volunteer coordinator, and that is their job. Um, because it is, it takes a lot
of logistics to get an internship program set up. Once it's rolling, it's much easier. Um, but getting them set up is often a long, so I'm going to keep trying. Yep. All right. That's all I have. of
good things coming. Katie, I just I just wanted to say what a great job you do with that report in the activities. I am impressed every month. Oh, thank you, Cheryl. That's sweet. Okay. Continuation of the fiscal and
assets management. Okay. Did anybody have any questions on the first section that we had done the last time? Nope. Okay. Nope. So, wherever I think we So, now we start at 88, which is on page 41. Yep. And Cheryl, do you have
that in front of you or would you like Well, I was wondering if you could if you could please screen share. I have it downloaded, but I'm afraid I'm going to lose you if I navigate away from Zoom. No problem. Yeah, that was attached to the agenda. Yeah, I think that
um for some reason the Zoom feed is very slow. I don't know if it's on my end, but you folks are all frozen. Um I was watching I was actually watching the owl and it doesn't seem to move as it used to. No. Yeah. Okay. So, I don't know if
it's the like all the background noise. Like, I wonder if like the phone is ringing, but the thing I don't I'm not sure. I I'm wondering if there's a software update. Um, do you want me to pull up the original one or do you want
me to pull up your document? It doesn't matter. The one that I attached was the one you sent me. That was the one. Okay. We've only finished the first. We haven't made any other notes. So either one would work since we're just talking about them. Okay. So
then go back to the Zoom here. Share that. Okay. Cheryl, can you see that? It's It's rendered. Yes, I can see it. Thank you. Okay. So, we were on number eight. Is that correct?
Okay. All right. Yeah, I have a couple of checks. but not all. So, we were talking about the internal control systems and they're looking for written procedures. So, in some respects, Katie, this is
so because we're in the municipality and the way the municipality works, how much of this is actually directly impacting the center? So, I have to follow all the town procedures and I have to manage all
of that. No, I don't have an administrative assistant. There's no one acting in that capacity for me at town hall. But like recording cash receipts, depositing cash. I do all that. I mean cash. Okay. So you So we do do all this and there's all sorts of but the
procedures that you follow as you do all of that are are the town's procedures that you you don't know a separate set of procedures. I can I can tell you what I do for each step along the way if that's helpful. So I'm I'm just
wondering does that is the internal control system that is in place here at the senior center is in fact the town's internal control system that you have adopted for the senior center. Yes. And sometimes I
have an additional layer but broadly speaking yes. So recording of cash receipts. So for example, um in its most literal sense, I do not have a carbon copy receipt thing. Like
I'm not giving seniors receipts for their payments that they are making. And yet I do document each and every for my own purposes each and every payment that comes in and what it's for. And then
when I do a turnover, the form that I use for a turnover is a town form. And so there's a line for each thing. So um it gets labeled and I think that was in the original packet that I had sent out. So like senior fees for the theater. Um
and then it will show the account number that that those those fees are supposed to be deposited into and the dollar value. And then I do that for meals um for like for our catered meals, for the
mock meals, for our programs when the mart van was collecting um fairs. Um trying to think of other I don't have that sheet right in front, but there's for all of my almost all of my accounts that convert my
revenue accounts. Um there's a line for each one of those and I detail like a memo for them and I add that up and then I take that over to town hall over to the um treasurer's office and submit it. They count the money and verify that it
is the dollar value. Then I have to sign it. They have to sign it. I have to make two copies. One goes to the town accountant's office. One goes back to the treasurer's office. And one signed copy stays with me. And then each of us is required to save those for seven
years. So seven years is that process written down. Is it because this is looking specifically for written procedures? So if somebody was going to audit it, they'd be able to take that procedure and do So let me just see if
Well, wouldn't the town wouldn't the town or treasure have that? I'm just I'm just going to look how Yeah. What level? So the question is what level of detail? So if I look on the account's website, this part is not sharing. Cheryl, hang
on just one second. Under financial policies. Now let me go back and stop sharing and then let me start sharing again. Okay. So now I'm sharing the town
financial policies and pardon me while I scroll. [Music] Um so I'm not sure that level of detail but I guess is is the center itself does not control these items. So, do we put the same thing that says it's
it's a town procedure and all departments in the town follow the same procedure? Seems logical. Yeah. I mean, that's sort of where you go into it, right? I mean, I think that the internal control system is the town's internal control
system that that the senior center has adopted. And I'm assuming that each of these items A through I um there are it looks like all of those things are controlled by the
town and are in fact. So um my thought is to just make a statement that says the senior centers the senior center follows the town's internal patrol yeah follows the
town's procedures on these items. And that would then lead into seems reasonable. Yeah. Yes. Okay. Let me just see. Yeah. So this that would be true for A and B.
Pretty much all of them. Um, I don't know that there's any separation of cash handling and recordkeeping at my level. We're basically saying it's going to roll right up into the town. Right. Well, I'm just I'm just looking to see if there's anything in any of these that
I do that is worthy of noting that is above and beyond what um Yeah. No, all of those roll up into the town policy. Yeah. Okay. Insurance covers at the town level as well. You don't have your own. Uh
correct. All of the town level. The town with the question. And Carly had written uh I had asked her about that and she basically had said, you know, I can you send me an email that says the town has
all the coverages that meet these n items 9A through sorry. Yeah. Through the next one through G A through 9 A through G. So yes, that's all covered. Yep.
Um, so you know, one C under, so the MART owns the the van. Yeah. Uh, and then the town ensures it. Okay. Yep. So that question um town insured and then in terms of
volunteers, volunteers are covered for medical but not property. So if you crash your car while delivering meals on wheels, the town is not you're not covered under the town. You're covered under your own auto insurance. But if
you crash the car and you get injured, then the town will pay your medical bills. So if you're going to do it, do it. Well, no, I didn't say that. I didn't say that. Um, slip and fall kind of. No. So if you're in an event and you
get stung by a bee and that you're allergic, then you're you'd be covered. That kind of thing. Right. Right. So it covers so that so volunteers are covered under under their the medical portion
and they are li covered in terms of liability right under the liability insurance but they are town property like town vehicles are covered under the town policy under the town policy but volunteers vehicles being used in the
for town purposes are not covered. Okay. So, we're going to say that yes, it meets that cartilary. Have you made has the center made plans to continue critical functions after disruption? So, I think that's something
that I'd say no. And I think that that's something that deserves some merit. So, I don't disagree. We have, you know, I've explained to you sort of the the large snow emergency plan that came from
um you know, participating in the search um the C team, but I would I do think that something some sort of emergency planning or contingency planning is something that would be done. So you
have a So we have a quasi weather related as long as it's correct. So weather related is yes. It's the other ones that sort of extended power outages, technology breakdowns or sudden loss of a significant staff. I
would say yeah sudden loss of a significant staff. So weather related damage to a physical plant. No. um extended power outages would simply be a closure. Um technology breakdowns that's you know
no. So really I I think I mean I think that there's a part of the intent of this question is god forbid if the building burns down would you still be able to provide meals for folks
who or if you know if this place were to get flooded out how would you continue your most critical operation? So some of it also goes to co what did you do during co how did you make when shutdowns happen right for outreach purposes or for me on wheels so some of
it goes to that as well too so I I think that the one of the most critical functions that you engage in and how would you preserve those if the worst were to happen and it may be yeah you know the meal portion or the
social outreach portion or whatever And again, I don't have a clear sense of exactly how you define that, but whatever those things are, what do you how do you keep them going if the worst happens, right? And and I think that's what needs to be developed into a plan, right? Because I think depending on
these four scenarios, the plan will be different, right? I think we've talked about that, but there is no written one. Are you looking at agenda the new sentence? Yes. And there's no there's no kind of easy answer to no
what would you set up as a temporary site or six months in order to carry on the but that's what that is what having an emergency plan is important for is because that means that you've thought it out you've worked out the tenative agreements for and all of that. So what I was hoping would come from each one of
these is that there you guys would make recommendations. Is there something that needs to be done ASAP because it's really critically behind or is there something that should be a goal for FY26, let's call it. Um,
hey, do you or anybody know if there are NEMA standards um for senior centers in the event of a natural disaster at the mass the state level? Are there any regulations or guidance that
not that I'm aware of I could look into it. Um I suspect that there are not only because every town's senior center situation is so different. Um but I think speaking it might help us reinvent
the wheel if they were you know there were plans in place at the local. Yeah. So the mass councils on aging, we have a networking site and includes a fileshare and there are some emergency plans that are up there. So if you guys vote to
make creation of emergency contingency plans a priority, a strategic priority for me to create to do either immediately or to do in FY26, then I will, you know, look into doing that. I think that's hopefully the action item
that comes from each one of these is evaluating which things need worked on now, which things need work on later, and which things are just not priorities. Yeah. My thought was we got through the whole assessment and then pulled out all of those assessment
types of things. Okay. So, we have that list, then go from there and prioritize them. Yeah. Figure out what's important. And then some of this stuff may have to wait for a new center. A new center, right? And if that doesn't happen, then to figure
out Okay. Yeah. But if it has an emergency um to keep it open, I don't think you could rightly. Well, it I mean for this particular line item brainstorming where did you move to
if you had to move for whatever reason and what might and with the new center that would be highly highly highly unlikely just because of the nature of the building and the redundant safety systems in place and it isn't going to burn down
and there's not going to flood um and you and we have control over it but You have a generator. What's that? You have a generator. Yeah. But for here, so I mean the one action item in this is
identifying an alternative location should but I'm not sure that that work is necessary until we know what a tobo is, right? Sure. So, and so I think that's where I would encourage you guys to be the advocates and the strategic
thinkers rather than you guys trying to figure out where I would open up tomorrow if I need to is that you guys should set a priority for me to develop a contingency plan and then my job is to develop the contingency plan.
Right. Yeah. So, you know, maybe maybe the assistant, you know, for different things working with a member of the board or something like that. So, you're not totally doing it on your right. So, because you know, I could speculate on a couple of things that I think could be
options, right? And then I could bring them back to you guys and say, "These are options. What do what do you guys think strategically?" Right. Because there could very well be a fire in this building. Yep. Right. So the next sections Laura
Yeah. fire otherwise they talk about what we talked about the rationale. Yeah. What was the next section we were going to do? Um, it's the same the fiscal planning back in the back because there are still some
questions back there items on site if we were going to answer that or not. No, I think those sort of went to with the with the questions that we went
through. So again, this is what we were talking about. Um, in this section here for those types of things was so so like if we were actually going for accreditation, you know, you would
have gone through this process and you would have said, okay, do do you meet these five standards? So preparation and publishing of an annual budget document, yes. Budget reports on a regular basis to the appropriate governing board. Yes.
Budget conform to the appropriate standard. Yes. Insurance coverage for the appropriate things. Yes. Provisions been made for critical functions after disruption. No. So my accreditation could not happen based on
this. So then it would be a critical priority during the accreditation year like when you're applying is that that gets created. So it gets created as part of the process and then you're granted the accreditation at the end. So if we had
identified way to go for the first was it what was the next one? I want to say 74. Was it 72 and 8? Two is or one is maybe it was one. One is the purpose and planning. I think that was one.
I was just I was trying to find I thought I had written a sticky note with no somewhere minutes of one of the meet. I know I just didn't I thought I pulled it out separate so that we had so I didn't have to go to minutes at the time.
Oh yeah it was it was 91 and seven. So facility and operations purpose and planning and physical and asset. So which one do we want to do now? Do we want to do nine facilities or one purpose in planning? Facilities feels more concrete to me to
speak. Okay. So that's not Yeah. Okay. So which of the following are true for the location of the center? acceptable based on demographic information. Hello. Yeah. Now, is this is this the
new center that's being proposed? The existing center. So, think of the existing center. Um, is acceptable based on demographic information? No.
It I mean, you can go either way. I sort of I think it is only because it's sort of in that middle of town. Yeah. It's it's within a walking distance of the downtown. It's within a walking distance of the library within of senior housing.
Yeah. Of senior housing. So it gives you that sort of right but it doesn't but the number of attendees and the fact that there are 2,000 seniors and I think a small fraction are in fact coming. Is that because of its location
substantially? I think yes. I don't believe so. Inadequate parking is not visible from the street. But that's not what it's asking, Dan. This is acceptable based on demographic information. The other answers may be buried in other questions. But that
first but depends on there's no So I guess the question is what you're what I think you're saying which demographics. Yeah. Right. is which demographics are you saying is the location
acceptable based on how many seniors there are in town or is it are you saying is the side you know what I'm saying I think this is true for just for location this is just location because the first one's location access
the sort of the number three is about visibility um number four is about the actual built piece number five signage you know difficult terrain and number one
right just went on the I mentioned that all right must be a offer man there are adequately located in good proximity to other services and facilities people here walk to the train
who who walks the train can They walk to the libraries, right? So to be is yes, I say yes. It is convenient transportation and
state walking conditions. Um once you get out of the parking lot. Yes. Yeah. And it does but it does have sidewalks going up to the parking lot. There is a parking. No. No. Structural barriers are difficult terrain. Yes.
Yes. No. There are no structural barriers. There are not and this is an ADA compliant and so it there so there are no so it's a false statement. So no there aren't there aren't it doesn't it yeah well wheelchairs around it has
difficulty there's structural barriers and it is difficult to all right I think we just looked at this so you're saying yes I think we just read the question we looked at no no I'm saying no there are no it's a double negative it's a
yeah safety and security of participants has been considered yes expand the footprint in the building or any other way to know. Does the building provide barrierfree access to the facility?
Yeah. All right. Which are following true for the senior center? It is visible and easily recognized. Can I say no? No. Um it's okay. It's the external appearance is
attractive and wellmaintained. Its location is easily found. No. And again, I don't know how many people have talked to who have lived in town for hundreds of years and don't know where it is. Don't know where it is. Couldn't find it. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. My
first time here, I found it. No issues. Identification. clearly indicate the purpose of the facility. There is a sign up. There is a sign. It's a small sign and I think because it's in the housing it gets sort of buried with everything. So I would say no. So do you agree or
dis it's through no fault of the centers. It's just you know but remember I'm not taking any of this personal. This is not personal. So, um I would say that there are signs. There are signs out by the courthouse. There are signs at the bottom of the
driveway there. And there's a sign in front of the door. Are they visible and clearly indicate the purpose of the facility? No. So, I would answer that no. That's what I But if you wanted to answer it technically, yes, you could say yes. There I mean
there I'll make a note. There are signs So they are not could be the they are not large. Yeah. I mean they don't like having on this building versus one that's perpendicular to this building for example where you could see it as you approach. Yeah. As I say to people
take the middle driveway. There are three drive. Three options. Stat, do we do we know other than English, what is the second um language in the town? And do we need signage in
two languages? Is that something that's indicated? Is there a Spanish? You know, I don't know. And that's a really good question, Cheryl. Um, let me see if I can find that out. I that we match the demog just because I know the
hospital has to demographically match the patient population with signage. It's a big federal um regulation and we want to make sure that if there are people in town that's a great question. I will I'll
find that out. Thank you. That's probably published. It might be outdated now, but Allan used to Yeah, Allan used to publish that on the town's website. Um, obviously everything we do here is in English and seems to work for
everybody, but that's a self-confirming bias that, you know, people who can't read our newsletter are not attending our programs. So, all right. All right. So, indicate true or false for the senior center or planned for adequate
controls for a back system. in the new wage vet. I would say no. Um didn't you? No. So the um so this one is on its last
leg. The other window unit is on its last leg. The um portable one is in there in works and I moved it to the other side of the fireplace last year to kind of spread out the sound a little bit. Yeah.
Um, but it is still very hot and stuffy and there is no ventilation back in the staff part of the building. So, I would say no. It is not adequate. So, false um illumination levels are adequate.
I mean, by today's standards, no. But I don't really hear anybody complaining about the lights. Yeah. The fluorescent. Yeah. Yeah. So, I mean, I'll I'll defer to you guys on how you want to. Is that
Where are we saying? It's pretty bright. They're bad. Oh, so all right. So, you were hearing seniors saying that it's bad. Okay. So, no on that one. All right. Natural light is used when possible.
Uh, well, I mean, I said no. I I say no. Okay. Only because just where you are, you just don't have a lot of windows. Yeah. Acoustical services are used where possible. Yeah. So, I mean that's a that's a no. Not in any kind of
conservative way. Yeah. Amplification systems are available. No. Nope. Technology is used in different areas. I mean, we're I mean it now. Yeah. We're using it now. So, I get that was a Yes.
We're a green building. No. And the use of energy is efficient or possible. I mean, I would say yes to that because anything I'm purchasing has to meet certain state requirements. So, not any of the nos at this stage of the game,
there's really nothing new planned. Okay. So, I mean, you could say at the new building it be planned for, but because that's not a guarantee. I would say at this stage of the evaluation to just say no. Yeah. Okay. Um, the following is true for the
signage of the senior center. There is identification of different areas. Nope. It's really not applicable, right? There's only one room. Um, no. But I mean, there's no signage that says go this way for fitness programs. Go this
way for meals. Okay. This is the staff area. The only signs we really have are the signs that say don't enter the kitchen. Only for kitchen volunteers. Okay. There were the cord. Yeah. Um, so yeah, I mean that's just a
um that's a personal preference issue. I dislike a lot of signs and rules and like but feel a lot of different areas. I mean there's also too is like this
room is not just the fitness area. It's used for a multitude of things, right? So unless you had a sign that you could change Yeah. Yeah, it would be. But there is no, for example, like when you attend a conference where there's a little placard outside that says 9:00 a.m. this, 10 a.m. this, you know, that
sort of thing. It will be in the news center. Different. Yeah. It'll Well, not outside, but there will be signs. probably the plaque for the naming rights will have a drop in plexiglass
underneath it where you can put the schedule of events. Okay. And I have found over time it's very easy to have five of them and they just rotate what's through to the front on each day because a lot of our programming is regular on Tuesdays room
looks like this. on Wednesdays it looks like that you know um right your exits are identified with signs yes um there is a place for announcements of current activities on the board so yeah uh on the bulletin board and on the table
tense um there is information about future activities no problem I I thought I said that yes yes between the the newsletter yeah there is general eneral information about the senior
center. Um, let's see. What are we on? Nine. Yeah. Five. Five. But wouldn't you call that the newsletter? And not
Yeah. If if they're missing a word there, there is general information about the senior center. Then I think the newsletter covers that. This is standard nine. And if I go back to standard nine, if you look on page four, like we have there's more
questions that are there that are involved into those sections. Yeah, but I'm but the I'm sorry. I was expecting number five on this page 49 to correspond to number five on this
criteria and it doesn't. So um no it that that it does not do. You have to sort of general and specific information about the senior center. Okay. So yeah I mean I would say yes through the newsletter. Okay. A great newsletter. Thank you. Right.
Um this is true for the senior center facility. The toilet facilities are easily accessible, clean, sufficient, and in good condition. No, they're not accessible. They
are they are cleaned once a day, but they are rarely clean and that's simply because of the age. They're not sufficient. I mean, they're disease, right? I mean, I think we could probably use one more stall per gender. Um, and
they are in as now that the flooring has been redone, they actually are in pretty good condition. Housing does a good job keeping them repaired. It's just they are being used at a they're not accessible and they're being used at a very high rate and I don't have time to
go in and them in the meantime. Right. Also, space is adequate. No, no. environment provides for groups of all sizes to come together. Universal design solutions have been incorporated into the building.
All right. So number seven, when examining the interior design and furnishings, which are true for the senior center, the furnishings appear to be comfortable, safe, and easy to maintain. [Music] I'd say so. Yes. Yeah. I think you've
done a pretty good job. You've done a very good job with with what you what you have inside. Yeah, I would say yes. Um, the placements of furnishings compensate with visuality and mobility limitations. There again to I'd say yes with the
best. So yes to a point. Yeah. So, I'm constantly moving things around so that they suit the different events that we're doing or to keep things cognitively stimulating.
Um, but we are limited in the number of ways when someone has like an electric wheelchair or a regular wheelchair or even a walker. Um, there are limited places for each one of those individuals to be. So,
yeah. So, we'll say yes with a star or no with a yes with a yes with a comment. Is you're doing comments throughout this, right? Yeah. Y on different items that we really need some more clarification. Yes. And then low
the placement of furnishings. There's Yeah. I'd almost say C goes with B in some respective. Yeah. Um, floor coverings are appropriate for the activity. What does the exercise
instructor think of this floor in here? Are they better than it was? It's far better. I mean, the floor is far more even than it was. Um, yeah. A minute. He use mats for yoga and they have chair
the I mean carpet in the oh the dining area is not ideal but because the noise was so bad in there when I came in I was like we need to put carpet squares down in here. So yeah. And it's still loud
when it's full. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Do you want to? Yes. Yeah, I'm gonna go for yes. They're as right as they're going to be for right now. Regular reviews for risks and hazards are completed considering the following. Loading and unloading areas.
No. Exterior lighting after sunset. No. Um, street or parking lot crossings. Not a I don't think that's a paved exterior walkways. it's not applicable. So, I would say it's not applicable as it relates to it's not my
responsibility, but I would say yes in that housing does a as good a job as they can given the limits of the property. They do do a good job keeping it free of snow and ice in the winter and stuff like that. So, however you want to
answer that because they do have the sidewalks coming back. Well, the the uh the relative slope coming down here from the houses up is too steep for and
the parking lot was not well maintained for multiple years until Yeah. So, but so wrists in hand regularly used for wrists in hand. Yes. But if it's gotten better in the
past, we can't go back 100 years times. As much as we'd like to sometimes keep it more recent, that's not um senior center. Yeah. So, I did I sort of said not applicable, but I made the note, Katie, that says is that
the housing does keep pathways clear. I said I'll pass once I get it done, I'll pass it along to everybody so that everybody can sort of speak up anytime, Cheryl, if you uh have anything to say. Um areas where spills or water
accumulate. Um, I mean, I don't know what you can even So, a regular review, I mean, if a regular review involves me muttering under my breath that every time I go out the door, the R because there's no
gutters and there's no things. What are those called? The little triangle thing that goes over the door. Like when I go out the staff door, the rain is just pouring down on my head. But that's not a I mean, that's not so view. So, I'm going to go No. One is needed there. No.
Um, and there's a puddle right outside the staff door that that freezes in the winter as well. So, but no, there's not a regular. Okay. No, it was obviously out there. The safety of participants and staff is
evident due to the following. Procedures procedures. Do you have anything, Cheryl? Uh, no. Okay. Procedures for procedures for egress of buildings have posted in each room? No. No.
No. Um staff are familiar with safety procedures such as CPR and use of an AED. Yes. Maintenance records of safety equipment including the fire extinguishers. Yes. Um so I don't keep those
things. Um do you have somebody like Keen come in and look at them? So housing does. So it's either a yes or a non-applicable. So it's yes with the caveat of housing does it. Do you have any fire extinguishers down here? We do. There's one in the edge of the kitchen
and one by the door. So does anybody come in and service them or look at them? It's supposed to be a lot of times department comes in and does inspections. They inspect my the back room. They have tested the fire alarm. So I assume they're looking they look at
the fire extinguisher. Well, there really fire extinguisher. Yeah, because usually they're good for like what five years. Well, the housing authority should be paying for a third party to tell you initial fire. Yeah. Does the fire department inspect?
Yeah, they come down to inspect. I have no liberty comes in and does your fire extinguisher. All right, there we go. Yes. Yes. Either way, it's not an it's not it's not something that I as the tenant am coordinating. It's something that
housing as the landlord is coordinating now. So, but just in case, you'll have to do that. Regular maintenance and cleaning logs are kept. Uh, no. Um there are ongoing efforts of pest
control. Yes. Uh when on an as needed basis I put in a work order with housing and they come spray or bait. So here's the overall does the senior center have
safety and maintenance procedures in place? I would answer that as a no because there is no safety protocol and because I am a
tenant I am getting I'm I'm getting my maintenance needs met on a as basis versus ret. Okay. Agreements for rental or outside group
usage are in place with the following part of the agreement, but it really is not applicable. I think it's not applicable because right now we're not renting or allowing any. So, all right. So, we've done section nine and I know we have a hard stop at 4
o'clock for Cheryl. So, it I think it's Oh, who has a motion? I make I make motion. We can make a motion. A second. Um Sherah second. I second. I
would say yes. Mary I me I I call us adjourn at 354.