Hi Karen, can you can you hear us? Yeah, I can. And we did she hear us? Yes. Okay. Thank you. Yeah. Please. Go. Right. I call the July 14 Council on
Aging meeting to order. Welcome everyone. We um I have to take attendance first and then so we have to do roll call. So John Parsons, Joan Koko, Rosemary Debenadetto here,
Kathleen Harrington, Sally Hoy, Tony Leonetta, Karen Panette here, Ron Powell here, Jean Praau here, John Suzinski here, Marilyn Chappley here, Debbie Small, Tom O' Conor
here, Nancy Zimlac, and Karen Janowski. So, first of all, I want to welcome after we've done roll call, Tom, welcome as an associate member. Ron, welcome as an associate member. Kathleen will kind of
welcome you as an associate member. We're sorry to hear that you didn't get the official information, so you haven't been sworn in yet, but we welcome you here. And John, congratulations on being moved up to um full member. You've certainly paid your Here he is.
You've paid your dues. And we Well, oh, John Parson. Me. Yeah. Welcome. You made a bath. We have a full house. I can always see the town.
Is this yours? Do you have any papers for me? Sure. Come around the corner. So, I just took attendance and John, you let us know you're here. We will um we have some minutes to approve.
There were some there should be some minutes. Did they not get attached? I thought they were Yeah, they were. Yeah, I finally got the original. Did you conf
anyone any any comments? Yes, I knew that Karen Har participated by Zoom, but she wasn't on the list. You know, I that's one of the reasons why I wanted to go back. Was she in for the whole meeting? She came in a little late. I don't know if that matters. Well, you usually like to record what
time they come in. I did not. Yeah. And I that's one of the reasons why I was looking back into the Oh, okay. because I know you were here for the whole meeting, but I thought she came kind of late.
Yeah. So, the final usually Yeah. But um but we can make that correction that Karen where is um Eric also joined. Yeah. Remotely. Okay. With a minute for
not yet. Okay. must have taken a good note. Respectfully submitted. John, do I sign in anywhere? It's welcome. Yeah, welcome. And what is your name? John Costigan.
John. Hi. I'm C O S T I G- A. Well, we don't have We haven't found out who's taking the minutes yet, but now have to write that down. Welcome. I'm Karen Chanowski. I would like the chair of the Council on Aging. to vote. So, um, so we'll have that correction.
Does anyone want to make a motion to approve the minutes with that update? Second it. Okay. All in favor? Oh, roll call. Um, I'm not. Okay. Let me just Okay. John Parsons
here. No. Yes or no? Oh, yes. Um, Rosemary De Benadetto, yes or no? Yes. Karen Pette, yes. Um, Jean Prao, yes.
John Suzinski, here. Yes or no for the minutes? Yes or no? Oh, no. Oh, you don't approve them? I know. Yes. Yeah. Sorry. Marilyn Shappley. Yes. Um, Nancy Zimlac. Yes.
Okay. And the reason I'm not calling the associate members is you do not vote. Okay. And Karen Janowski. Yes. Okay. Now, we do not officially have um somebody assigned to be the secretary. No one volunteered to be that. So, we've talked about having um somebody be a
volunteer at every meeting. Um John Parsons was kind enough to take our minutes last month. And I'm looking for a volunteer for tonight's meeting. Oh, seeing none. So, I get to assign. Is that really what you want?
My goodness. I don't like that power move. Karen, can you take minutes? Sure. That's what you get for being on Zoom. You don't What? What?
You don't want me that. I'm not al so that's why I'm on this side of the camera. I hope you feel better. Thank you. So, and I also need to run through the agenda now. We um will welcome new members and orientation. Marilyn will speak a little bit about that. We'll get
a select board update from Karen Rose Gillis, the elder and human services report with Chris and the trust fund expenditures and possible vote. Um trust fund update, trends of reading seniors 60 plus with Nora. We'll have a permanent building committee update with
Nancy from the last meeting. Then we have a presentation discussion and vote on the council on aging's position regarding um recal and that I will got run that um future agenda items and we already did the approval of the 6925
minutes but we do need to talk about when our next meeting is in August. So, so we do welcome you all and we do um did you you didn't have a chance to run off the book but
but we do um have consenting looks like this. Yes. Going to have it digital. Yeah. So, um any new members in who are kind of new that have joined in the past probably year. Yeah. Um, we have a we have a binder
that we are organizing and putting together. Just kind of get gives you an overview of everything. Council on Aging, Elder Services, Trust Funds, and so on. Um, we've been working on it. Hopefully, as I told Marilyn today, I'd like to have it together in the next
month, but I'm going to be realistic, it'll be two. So, we'll have that within the next month or two. Um, and to give everyone, we'll have a digital copy. Um, if you have any questions, you can ask. And again, I I've already scanned literally every page of it, and I'm
happy to send it to you. It will save you about three hours work if you want to use that, but whatever. Yeah, it just needs to be organized, but has been has But the scanning's all of them need to be updated. Updated, but not many. Yeah.
Any questions from the new members? We we're really happy because the way Look at this. We're like at full staff. Yeah. And Karen, we do have a visitor, John Costigan. Okay. All right. And
is the new um booklet going to be so different from the from the one from 10 years ago that years ago people need a different one? No, it'll just be updates. I mean, we could get folks if they wanted an updated one, an updated one. Um, but it's just maybe updates, you know, for
certain things. It's not a whole lot. It's 26 articles. Well, no, it's the the G updates. I It's not a whole lot of updates and stuff, but we just want to get it up to date and put it online. Yeah. So, people can just click on a link and see it instead of
having to print these monsters out. Maybe some of the stuff we had even 10 years ago was a little outdated at the time. A little bit. Yeah. Is that a project that we need to take on to update it? We had sort of started that twice now.
Yeah. Yeah. I mean, that's why we met and that's why I shared the month month or so, right? And I wonder if we as a maybe we can do that subcommittee and then present it to everybody to for approval because one of the things I and it's not on the agenda, but I just am throwing it
out here. When you look at the website, what our responsibilities include. I wonder where that came from and if we can should update that as well. No, that's from a a bylaw which it explains in the book. Okay. Obviously, I need the book too. Yep.
All right. Thank you. And um select board update. Karen. Oh, wait. I have I have things for the welcome. I have gifts. Oh, I'm so sorry. We have business cards and I have more at home, but I made little packets for
um each of the I don't have one for probably all our guests, but the people here may give you one of their business cards. Thank you. So, um it's got on it here. Let me just hand those around. Um, some people have already seen me.
Yeah. Anyway, I just took my box of things and behind me here. Thank you very much. Is everyone who's an associate or a full member got one now? I didn't get Oh, there he is. Let's go. Okay. Um, what's on here is a
little statement about who we are. It's not the town design because Laura checked. She tried to get it for us and Laura checked and we're um boards are not allowed to use the town standard town format. She said you can put whatever you want on it but we couldn't
put the town logo on town seal town seal. We couldn't do that. So off I went. If you have a cell phone and you scan the QR code, it will take you to two things on my phone. One of the things it says, it takes you directly to
the town web page and those responsibilities you were talking about are there and I'll mention those a little bit too. Um, it also when I do it, I get threequarters of my screen is an ad for some stupid thing and I'm like, where did it take me? And then I notice at the top there's the link to
the town web page. So, ignore the ad if you get one. It's got nothing to do with this. And look at the top for the link and click on it. It will take you to the town web page for the Council on Aging, which has all kinds of good stuff. It lists our main responsibilities,
which I can whiz through in a second. Um, it lists the people who are currently members and their status, and it has links to lots of important things that we're working on. Um, so it's it's a good page, and this also has on it a
um email address. We do have a town email address for the council. It says council on aging@ci.red.mma. us. If you encourage people to send feedback, questions, comments,
pictures of their cat, whatever. No cats. No cats. Um, it comes is still going to you or did it get switched? Yeah, right now it's going to me. It could be delegated, given to someone
else. Um, and um, I think we might actually be able to put all members emails address. Oh, CC open. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Can't do it. Um, but uh um anyways, I I have it now, which is fine. We basically just get um advertisements, you know, groups that
your your I mean we're all of our email addresses on the on the voting members are included. Oh, actually, um some but addresses go to the to the town form, right?
Yeah. Okay. So, if you're chatting with someone and you want them to reach out on something or they're thinking, "Oh, I wish I had the information purpose and less expensive," but you can write your name on the back so they'll remember who you are. And I
have more of them. Think people want them. We've used these at a couple of open houses and things like that and it just helps connect with people. Thank you. That's my big present. And the other thing I did print out and
you'll see you go, it's your homework assignment. Please go to the website and look at the page, see what it says. But it gives a very short overview which I can just read through for a second. Um, the council on aging functions as a board of directors. The council is comprised of 10 reading residents who
have demonstrated a concern for and a commitment to reading. This does come from according to first one identifying the needs and interests of the 60 plus age residents and encouraging programs to address those needs and interests. Two, educating the community about the
needs of the 60 plus age residents. Three, developing a network of information sharing which I mean little things these aren't like huge things we it's little steps add up. And four is establishing policy direction to be implemented by reading elder and human
services in having this and you'll see it in other stuff that's in the big book. We're meant to work as in partnership with elder services and we're supposed to support them and they're supposed to support us. Our scope is a little different. You're
looking puzzled by this but it's written in the book. You'll enjoy reading it too. Um anyway that this is there's a national council on aging and there's a in the state in the mass general laws there's legislation in the book which
creates the opport the the right I guess of all towns to create and then there are by which is a councils plural on aging and you can be a member of that trade association if you are an elder services group going to summarize it too
briefly but individuals with appropriate credentials can also belong to it. And they're a very important group. They run an annual conference which is usually really good. Um they put out suggestions on how elder services and councils on
aging grant that brings 20 people. We're part of a big network. This is part of a statewide and national effort to help the elderly. And with that, I'll shut up. Thank you. That's helpful. Okay. The other thing though, I noticed
we don't typically have the visitors. So I see you're a visitor. Is there something you want to share with us, Mr. Just on the board of the Friends of Ready of Seniors 60 plus? Thank you. Okay. I'm hoping at some point we can get to work with the council. Great.
And I'm just, you know, putting my foot in the water to see what what goes on here. Thank you. Thanks for coming. Oh, and one last thing I was just going to mention. There are four trust funds that come from funds that various very generous people have donated
um usually in memory of a lost loved one. Um and three of them are under the direct discretion of the Council on Aging on how that money is spent. And we don't have the reports this month because it's end of year and it's a hard time to get reports. Next month you'll
see reports into a better context I think to talk about these. But we one of them substantial. It's over $200,000. So we have the ability to make a difference in all. So now I'll show up again. Welcome anytime.
All right. And Karen, um, a select board update. So, I'd like to use this part of the meeting not so much for me to present to you, but for you because I'm here for you. And so, I really like to hear from all of you what you want me to
do for you. That may sound like a lot of news, but um I'm unably impressed with all that you just did and congratulations to all the new people and it's wonderful to have everybody so engaged in volunteering. Um, but I think
I think my role would be better served if you all told me what you're looking for. So, little things like the Plus Street Center is going to eventually we're going to have to find something to do with it. And so, I you're all very invested in the building. You've been there for a long time and I'm sure you don't want to see it plowed down and made a parking lot, you know what I
mean? So, I feel like I really would like to keep it in town and use it locally. And I'd love to hear everybody's ideas of what they envision it being used for. You know, we're not quite at that point yet. We don't quite have all the figures back and anything like that, but I would like to respect
everyone's opinion on where you see that going. I think our topic tonight will be something that you can take back to the board. A position statement, but um um so in
terms of hearing from us, huh? Well, and this is to give food for thought for me, you know. So every meeting, you know, I'm happy to give updates from the select board, but there aren't usually that many updates from the select board because I don't usually know until later meeting what we're
going to even talk about. So we have our meeting tomorrow. Um, and there's nothing on the agenda that really relates to seniors or even from the past meeting or even from the past meeting, anything. And so if you're looking for something or or you have a question about something, you'd like me to bring something up, you know, I I think recal
is a super important part of it. And I would like to bring that information back on what you're having. Have you been to the senior center? Have you taken classes there? She was there one of I'm going be almost every day different
classes. Yeah. The building has heating, plumbing, wiring, plumbing. It's old. It has mold. It has mildo. It's flooding. So you're looking for something to do with it. I don't know what type of business would step into that situation.
Agreed. But I have a different opinion on it. So I I think this would be a good agenda item. I'd rather have it be an agenda item because expecting that. Is there anything from a previous
meeting that you feel we need to know about that was discussed? Because that's typically what we hear and there'd be some updates. So, um, I I just want to say I agree with you on that last statement and this
group is will be very verbal with you and tell you what what it feels. But, um, I I think what's important for this group to hear from you is what's happening on the select board. And even
though sometimes the select board might be talking something talking about something that's not labeled senior center, it it affects it from the from the side. Okay.
And um you know some some whether it's money being voted or new groups being formed or um whatever it might be. Okay. Um there there are things that we want to know about. Yeah, I think one of the big things
right now is RCTV and the contract. That's kind of a Yeah. Yeah. It's a big thing right now. Um I believe we might get an update tomorrow at the meeting as part of the town manager's um report, but it's not up for discussion tomorrow. So we
hopefully we'll have some updates on how the negotiations are going. Uh something else I thought of that would um we're going to discuss tomorrow a water um rate committee kind of to go over water
rates and and um which impacts everybody and so it's very complicated. I've learned this year it's incredibly complicated and um that's I think that will be very valuable to all the residents to try and have a couple meetings a year to really truly understand why the rates the way they
are and whether we can get any money back from NW for the ongoing discussion about a potential override for the budget. So of course that over time will have an impact. Yes. So that that tomorrow's the first
time we're going to talk about that and I know the finance committee is going to jump in as well which would be great to hear from them. I do know that the town accountant is phenomenal and the child itself is pretty conservative. So, they do do it. And this is where I'm hoping
because of financing they decide, well, we're going to get rid of the old PSC building. And that's my concern because I think in the past history everything is take away or sell. We really do not have any other
major buildings historical or not in town. I would rather see money go to that building. Renovate if you have to possibly rent it out if need be or maybe put a cultural center or use it as a backup for future town offices.
So maybe this that's again something that we could discuss vote on as a COA. I don't know. You know, I think it'll be an definitely good. this is a good place to start the conversations because I think you know you're intimately familiar with the building and so you know it's like
land they're not building it anymore so but it's not on the agenda for tonight so we'll thank you thank you Karen went out this morning yeah um sorry I was making out on Friday but um something happened with our
computer and I couldn't get into my senior we had a really good today to calculate the average and we've had another phenomenal physical year. So, as you can see year to date the people I was trying to do the best numbers the best I could um this morning
um I'm up to 1833 unduplicated I think it's a little bit higher um as I was trying to get the numbers in and get them to everyone but um that's what I calculated when I finished up this report this morning interactions. So, um, yeah, I look at the interaction the
the duplicated and, um, we're about 30 just over 37,000, uh, probably 37 and a half, which was about on par as same as last year. Um, the only thing I don't have in there is the number of ATS rides. Um,
alternative transportation, they take care of our medical transportation and everything. I don't have the number of I like to calculate them at the end of the physical year because it allows me to know how many rides we're doing and it's just kind of nice to know that number
especially if we didn't have ATS. I mean kind of shows you how many rides we'd have to deal with if we didn't have at ATS. So So I didn't throw ATS in there. Um but we had a great year. I can't thank the staff enough. Um, you know,
Anna with the programming, she's been doing great with the programming. Carrie with the case case, uh, managing um, and services, she does a great job. And, you know, people call, I hear the phone calls every day. And, you know, it's amazing. You know, it's, we're not just
playing bingo at this center. We're, you know, Carrie's dealing with real life stuff, mental health, homelessness, um, you name it. um and and and we deal with that as an a department as well. So um you know, so thank you to Carrie. The
volunteers have been um just tremendous over the past year and the growth. You can see that on the bottom. So I want to thank Janet for that. Um you know, and to be honest, Linda at the front desk, you know, she fields so many calls. It it's just amazing. But you know what? No
matter what, she always has a smile on her face and usually a joke. She's amazing. Um, and then Joe with transportation, you know, so I mean it takes a team to be able to pull this off. So, you know, just the end of the fiscal year, we just finished fiscal year. And kudos to the team for another
amazing year. And Olivia and Olivia, sorry. And Olivia, the nurse, we welcomed her on staff. Um, and it's been nice to have her um, you know, jumping in taking care of the nurse advocates role and everything. So, thank you, Janna. I
feel like I always forget somebody. He used to be Linda. Now it's um the second page there. You can see we had some weight lists in um June. Not super big. Hill view we had three at the
end. We we had some fluctuation but um you know uh three weight list on Hillview. Birthday lunch three. Flower therapy workshop we had four on the weight list. And then community lunch we had two. I was on that weight list. flower workshop. Yes.
Um it's a very popular one and it's really good. So we'll do it again. Um um we have a lot of great events this month. So you can take a look at the cloven trees. Um but just you know you can read down through there for June events. We had the great time at
Hillview new bingo. Seniors had fun. They enjoyed enjoyed it there. Skincare uh presentation. Archery with intergenerational programming. And I heard that. You did that, Rosemary, right? I did. And I I asked her to rebook it. I'm a little worried that she took it
just so she she could chase me. The bow and arrow video, right? Um, Father's Day lunchon was a nice, actually, it was a really nice event, the Father's Day lunchon. We didn't have that many fathers, but we had a great
group and we actually spent a lot of time on the patio playing games. So, we played Connect Four and Cornhole and Jenga. Um, and we just sat out there for a good hour or so and we just played games and we had a great time. Um, hearing
screenings, lunch and learn, um, disrupting aging presentations. We had a um, art van trip to Harvard Museum. Um, flowers of the heart. Um, it's always nice if you don't know what that is. Um usually um if Art goes out on a trip um
Flowers of the Heart comes in we do flower arrangements and then we take them down to the hospice on um Hilum for hospice patients. So it's really really a nice nice event um LOL presentation and then we had a great um culturally
curious culturally curious presentation on June 26. Um and thanks to the writing cultural council they had a little grant for that. So that was great. Um, property tax workoff moving forward. We have 10 participants. We had 10 spots. We had 10 participants.
Two are going to go to the DPW or plan. We were planning but two in the DPW, two at the clerk's office, and then six will be at um two of the schools in town. Um, which is really good. Um, but we had a really great great fiscal year and month as well. So um,
yeah. Uh, any questions on that part? Chris, thank you so much and uh thank um all of your staff for their commitment and they're they're you know really working well with the 60 plus community and we're really really grateful for
everything that they do. So they're amazing. Yeah. Let them know that we're very appreciative. Thank you. Yeah. Thank you. And so we didn't have anything for the trust fund. No. Um just to give you I usually for anyone new in here I usually have like a trust fund update. It's just the end of
the fiscal year. Um I just hadn't re may have recent maybe I missed them, but I don't think I got them yet only because we're just in a rut of getting all invoices in and making sure we're all fresh. Um so we can go into the next fiscal year. So I do not have that and I don't have anything to vote on for
funding either. So that's it. Thank you. Thanks Chris. And Nora, do you have anything you want to update us about from the friends of Ready? Well, we had a busy spring. I mean, I think I mentioned it before. We um we came to
the Pleasant Street Health Fair. We had a table of the Friends and Family Day and we had a fundraiser, our addict fundraising, and I can't remember how much. Do you know the figures on the money? I didn't final figure. Okay. But we do have 15,000 in our
overall absolutely accounts, but I don't, you know, the the fundraiser was wonderful and everybody loved it and we had fun and we'll do that again. So, but we haven't met um this summer. We're probably taking some time off, but anything else you want to
enter add? Gee, no I I I today went and visited the puberty location, the Terriian Center, which is their senior center, right? And it was quite impressive. That's I've heard
what they had there. Am I okay to speak? Yeah, you're part of the update. I'm I'm a past chair of board of health, so I know you're running a tight ship here. I didn't want to speak up, but uh they had a very they had a very impressive cooperation there.
Yeah. And you know, I'm hoping that as I said before, our reading senior friends of Reading Seniors 60 plus may be able to work with a with the council uh to help see what your views are and
to help help those come to fruition. uh because their their council is very active within within the city. So they they do a good job themselves. The other thing I'd just like to point out is 15,000 15,000 doesn't sound like
a whole lot of money, but for a group of people that started 5013,000 is a d good accomplishment. Very generous. Yeah, that that 15,000 doesn't include the donations, does it? Or is that
Yes, that's okay. That's everything. Oh, okay. Nice. I do have to say I want to say just like John said, it's been amazing what the friends group's been able to do. Um I I remember when Nancy spoke at the wellness Wednesday, right? Um and thank you at least on the other
human services side. No, and plus these meetings you really do learn a lot about what's going value that partnership as well. Thank you. All right. And then any questions? 2nd
of July, I believe it was. Yes. Second. And um um I I And then we have some regulars now who attend. Karen's been attending and Marilyn's been attending and Jean's
been and Pat Tommpkins runs a wonderful meeting um and he uh listens to many viewpoints and will come to some decisions. Anyways, the last big um the
the uh I I wanted some completion on the um I was going to say it again. not on the schematic design review by uh at
that time Brian who was the manager and also by Joel who is the architect and still the architect. Um but then it was also supposed to be reviewed by the uh
members of the uh per one being Brian um was uh let go from the project and we didn't have a manager for I don't know what three three months. So some of the
work groups didn't meet and um and one of the things that was supposed to be done from the schematic review was that and places where people saw a hole or places where people saw something
missing and we had a form to fill out. It was it was very extensive and um and then what was supposed to happen was some kind of well actually I don't know that was my topic at that meeting and I
I basically said that the council on aging wanted some closure on what we suggested as um uh suggestions that needed to be looked at further. And the
the the design group anyways was told all the way through this process that we um um during the design review phase, we would be able to go into more detail on some of these things, but
it's a little different now. And anyways, um I did talk to Pat and he and Mark, who's the new meeting manager. Um OPM OPM when I say meeting manager
I I went over the presentation where I was like I kind of talked about some of this but we have new members and then I talked about what some of the things were in the list that the uh groups the
COA member as a result of the PBM meeting. We do have some documents and um I talked about them at the PB um CP meeting and uh a a spreadsheet of
everything. So it wasn't just COA, it was everything and it was everything that was captured. So, I took the liberty of doing that. And then some people said, "It would be much easier if you just pulled out the COA and combined
any duplicates." So, now I have this spreadsheet that's gone to the BBC. Um, and they are currently reviewing it. And then at our last meeting, we also talked about were added into the spreadsheet.
So, it's a pretty comprehensive spreadsheet about what Council on Aging had uh uh suggested and now we're looking at we need to know what the permanent building that's been passed out. Um I
think if you go to the PBC minutes, you will see this in their packet. So, uh, and one of my topics at the the things that I want to discuss at the next meeting, I I love that they're putting out a chart with all the with all the
information, but there's no dates on this. I mean, they're they're kind of generic. It's a It's a very, as you can see from over here, it's one of those very um no date gant charts that that you see
everywhere. So, I'm going to ask that we, you know, at least have a version with dates on it so we can see when such and such is going to happen. So, that's my report. Yeah. I thought you mentioned this was going to be ending in August, right?
Yes. Yes, it is. Yes. Wow. I mean, we should have at least our list of things that the were suggested by COA. We um uh mostly con uh uh
um commented on the within the articles and that kind of thing. We kind of stuck with the interior issues is what we looked at. But yeah, it's coming up quick fast. Yeah, they did um just a quick update. I know
they voted on um at one point the ex exercise equipment room was on the first floor. They voted to move that up back up to the second floor. So that was approved to move that upstairs. They were very responsive to um our input with that.
Yeah. And they also the other another item that was voted on during that meeting was um whether to put a divider in one of the first floor rooms. The one that would have come down here that is coming and they said the cost was going to be
$150,000. So they voted that down and and depending on how you did it there possib I think there was two different ways to be able to do it. One was more, one was less. the one that was
less actually ate into the corridor heading to the senior lounge. So you'd So they had to shift things if that was going to happen. And you know if you look down at the senior lounge you're just seeing this 4 foot bump out in the
hallway which just not you know kind of hides the senior lounge. So part of the cost issue too was timing. They said, "We're so early on to be giving up over $100,000 right now. If it were the end and they could be doing
this and they had a hundred,000, who knows? It might have gone differently, but it's not and it's apparently not." Someone asked something that we could change our mind about later. So, it's it's gone was my understanding. But, but the timing is just that they've got a tight budget.
in and the whole reason for that divider was because there are a number of very large rooms but there's a very small number like one or two of small to medium rooms. So we were this
group was concerned about that because you don't want a small group of 10 people in a thousand you know square feet. I mean you can't do it and we do it now but you know you lose some of that sociability and
plus you could be offering two programs instead of just possibly but right so in the initial construction of a divider is there something that has to go in the ceiling could that be put in as it's built and then wait later later
on to do the whole curtain I brought that up and well not this past meeting several meetings ago just to get the mechanics in there, right? And evidently, no. I don't think they actually discussed that at this meeting.
Not at this the divider, but they put the track in. And yeah, but they've been in business a while. I haven't actually felt a need for it is the feedback I've gotten. But anybody noticed that we have another
chance? Yeah. So, um, thank you, Nancy, for that update. We really value your input, um, and the role that you're playing there because it's, yeah, you're representing us and and and Marilyn and Gene have been very involved as well in the, you
know, as part of the design committees, but I do believe and the work group, the work groups, but I think also our involvement now is going to be taking a different role now. I mean, it's been two months now since the this um the debt exclusion was
approved. So I want to ensure there's programming and operation of the senior center recount because it's a reality and we want to make sure that the COA's voice the 60 plus community we are the representatives of the 60 plus community
and the whole point of this structure came reaching out to the community and making sure everyone realized how desperate um things were at the senior center and how inefficient ineffective and deficient it really is for our 60 plus community. So now that we have a a
building, we want to ensure that the 60 plus community's voice is heard. And so um I hope everybody did get a chance to look at the slides that I incorporated in the presentation. We can pull that up, but we don't really need to go
through it. But these were um Thank you. So I was just I took this was the recal recalc presentation a year ago in August 2024 to the select board. So I took several of those slides really to give
some context and some history and also it did you know clearly identify the significant needs and so you know probably you know so we can go to the next one. So I took eight slides out of that partic there were some surveys done. I mean it's just it's well
documented and so I just wanted to make sure that we had that as well. We can go to the next ones. Um these are all just background. I'm just assuming everybody did have a chance to vote these through the you know again the limited capacity.
We only had 4500 square ft of usable space. And so when we did uh when we explored Walgreens before it became Dollar Tree and when we explored expanding the Pleasant Street Center, we were thinking in terms of 12
to 4, that's what was really needed. Can you make a comment on that picture? Of course. On the picture on on that slide. Yes. So what everybody is looking at there that that is a chair yoga class and so many people attend that we have
to open the doors that are in between an office where Anna sits and Janna sit and so to the left of this first lady with her hand up they do in that class basically they're stretching up because we can't stretch sideways we'll be
punching everybody in the face so there's no space for that class shoulder from our footage too like that out of that 4500 of usable space it's actually less like so if you take a look if you take a look at the out of the 40
I calculated it one day and we're actually closer it depends upon if you actually count the kitchen or not the kitchen's about 250 if I recall square feet um if you're counting the kitchen we're really only dealing with um 2550
square ft which is about half of that um 45 um the kitchen. Um the two the two rooms upstairs, the lounge and then the kitchen. This does not include necessarily of uh Janet and um Anna's
office right there, which you see in the photo. Um and then that also includes the billiards in the computer room downstairs. And that's when when I when I talk about a usable square feet, those are the those are the one two three four five spaces, maybe six of each. So
you're adding that all together, all those. And do you think people think that you're talking about that space is available, not that it's made up of several little spaces? I don't know. Hard to say, but I mean it is made up of several like the lounge,
the second room here is um right around 400 square ft. The office is closer usable space 1,000 square foot um or 1100 if you include the all the way to the walls.
Next one. So then they these were the recommendations from recal um the that were delivered back in February and so they continued in the presentation that was in um the August 2024 presentation
programming for seniors including new offerings better accessibility develop communication strategies and community outreach and the desire for an all ages community center is real however this is the key it should not take precedence over first meeting program service and
facility needs of reading standards and that was the a big point and then the recal um brings the together the communities and you can see you know it's especially around accessibility outdoor activities 60 plus
intergenerational programs and community health improvement and then the next slide was um all of the things that the PSC currently does which is a very extensive list of what is currently happening. That is not a complete list. And it's not a complete list.
And so with that in mind, then the next slide shows um the different options like actually the Pleasant Street without the gym um was going to be an 18,000 square foot area
and um currently well if you look at what this is how Recal came up with the figures and the numbers. So their number for the total area of the existing Pleasant Street Center was actually 7,100 square ft. So that's all all the
floors. And when they looked at Oakland Road and Simon's Way, um they brought it up to 26,000 square feet. So I mean we can argue about what the actual numbers are in terms of square foot square feet,
but the reality is on the low end. So these were the project priorities. Again, you can look at those 60 plus community. So in May, we got the debt exclusion approved. Um and it was
to furnish a new community center so called the senior center recal. And so that's been approved. So now next slide. So they identified, we already said this, identified the deficiencies and
highlighted the significant needs supported by data for providing for the needs of the 60 plus community and the report included that extensive list of things that are already occurring and they recommended additional space to ensure needs are met. So what is our
role as a COA? Now the town has approved the ballot and so I plan we identify dedicated hours that programming priority remains for the 60 plus activities that we are involved in
the operations and so um and you know the the dedicated space really has to include all different types of spaces u flexible multi-purpose use meals all types of exercise classes small groupoup
activities for small spaces for confidential and counseling activities. So we need all different types of spaces that will need meet the needs of um the 60 plus community. And so in looking through that previous slide
of um the dedicated space dimensions, first floor um those are the totals and then the second floor and add it all up together was 9300 square ft which doesn't include storage or bathrooms or
office space. So um so I wanted to and then these are the COA priorities for recal. So I'll make some decisions that can then be a statement that we then share with
PBC and with the select board to ensure that the 60 plus um needs are being met with this new building. I have a quick question. Yes. Yes. especially like a smaller
conference room or a smaller room for confidentiality. I'm not talking about change. So that's what we can talk about is what what do we want to see as dedicated space for the seniors and dedicated hours for the seniors. So those are the things that
you know those are some of the things that I really hope that we can reach agreement about. Well, I think we should start with definitely dedicated hours uh because then that will help the programming going forward. So myself, we've been working with a
consultant. So it's been Jane, Chris, Jim, Will, myself, and we just presented it to get it to the council agent to the committee for a comprehensive look and a vote. So it would be great if like you could go over all present it. um that
would be really great. But you know, a lot of these items are in there like priority programming, designated spaces, and it's all very well thought out by our team of like great professionals and I think you guys will be able to add a lot to that as well. Um
I I think it might feel like we want to be more involved even now. Yes. That our voice is heard even now instead of in retrospect. Yeah, definitely. And I think that having these conversations is great, but we have been working on something with
the consultant and with the team on programming and operations of the building. And we just now let our teams as a whole in on it because we didn't want to dive in like all the way until we knew the project was going to be approved, right? So now we're kind of
diving in and speaking with our teams and doing some team visits to different places and figuring out how we want to operate as a team. So, I think in the next couple months we'll have But that doesn't that also means I I like the idea that you're going to discuss this
because like I just sat down for the first time last week with just the EHS staff and we discussed um we we're discussing some of these things like what do we think we're also discussing like you know you know what how are we gonna how would
we use this space and now I think it would be great now to kind of okay now that we're kind finally talking about it. Um, and if you guys are talking about it now, we can kind of start blending together and be like, "All right, we didn't think about it this way. Can we do it this way or can we
tweak?" Once you make your plans like that, will it be flexible? So, we can once you present it, we can make changes. Yes. The thought the the intention is is that we get it probably like 80% there, right? And then we bring it to the
committees to adopt and to edit and go line by line and make your edits and be the real part of like this comprehensive plan with us. But it's we needed to have a a starting point and we needed to work as a team internally before we got all
these different voices involved. Um excuse and Marilyn have been involved. This is I I think it's very important and I understand staff and administration
want to be able to uh um manage and and drive the operations of this center. But part of part of all these volunteers here is that and we have been part of
the process all the way along including during the um initial development phases. So we have never really been handed a n we say uh-uh now as a you know what is
your willingness to as um you know just mentioned what is your willingness to go back and say oh okay well I guess we'll you know we'll cross out this and we'll replace it with this and we'll move this
person or or we're gonna to Nancy to NY's point, I think as the COA is advocating for the elders to begin with. Sure. And you mentioned operations etc. So
yes, we have this plan in place, but has anyone taken into consideration or is it being taken into consideration? You might say, "No, there's no one going to be hired." But in a year or two, personnel. So, is the staff going to be
needing more office space? And right now, are you taking into consideration when you're doing the office that it's constructed with so those can be taken down and made another small little area for the seniors for their workouts or something. So
these are things I think now need to be are issues and concerns that the COA definitely should be part of. Sure. And all of our offices are pretty pretty large. And we talked about that as a team that um even initially we're
like we all told architects we don't need this big of an office but they said that they said hey well it's for expansion. A couple people can fit in one office. I know that you know the program coordinator and Janet volunteer coordinator are like oh we'll sit in the same office and um and then we do have a
staff dedicated conference room which I think is very well needed because we gave up our break room for 60 plus storage closet and a custodian closet but that also in the future if we needed to expand our staff we can make that conference room into offices it's a
worst case scenario so there there has been those those thoughts that we've discussed as a team. Um, and I completely see your point of view of wanting to be involved and you are involved and will be involved. No, we really don't. They haven't been
shut down met with us. No. Well, Chris can attest that we've only met with the consultant a few times on a Zoom. He's a very hard person to get in touch with. So, um, a lot of those conversations have really just been me
and him or, um, and he's really just diving in with the concrete numbers that we've given him with like programming estimates and rental fees of the building and um,
projections on staff and things like that. What about definite hours for the seniors? You're talking rental. So, where are the definite? Is it going to be 8:30 to 4 on Monday through Friday or Monday through Thursday? Is there going to be a Saturday program? Well, that's one of the things that we
can vote on tonight. What we are recommending. Yes. Right. And just just in the to be completely transparent too, I I saw the dedicated hours on there and that's definitely something that you guys can discuss tonight, but that's
never something that was presented as being part of the plan um at town meeting or in any relevant meeting. It's fans. No, it's there was never dedicated hours.
So, that's all right. Even if there were never dedicated hours, we as a COA are going to take, but I'm just saying it's something to be aware of because when you're telling the community on the town meeting floor, they can get access to the fitness room at all times. they can get access to the walking track at all
times and then you backpedal on that and that's what people vote on. You just have to be careful. That's it. No. So, um, but you can certainly still discuss it and have an open conversation about it. But, but Jenna, here's here's the concern. You're So, basically what I
hear you saying to seniors is we're working up the operations plan. In several months, we're going to share it with the Council on Aging. Two months, we're going to share it with
Council on Aging. You can make some edits, but as I'm hearing with Times, um, you know, the Council on Aging won't be involved in those kinds of decisions. You know, is there a split? Is there a
split? And I really think so that you're not surprised in two months, your staff and you are going to want to bring um the Council on Aging members. Maybe not all of us at one time because that would
be No, I think you need to voice. I was wondering John Sasso is here as well. Go back. Can you put the slides on the on the other one that you had with the broad? Yeah, the broad category. Yeah.
I also wanted that one. Yeah. I also wanted to John um I know that is John's here. If John if you want if you want to raise your hand if you have anything you would like to contribute as well because you were on recalc and you were the one that
made the slides and he made the slides and he wrote up the um the recommendations from recal. There is a hand up there. Oh yeah, there is a hand. Oh that's That's your cursor. Got your cursor. John is on there.
All right, John, feel free to raise your hand if you did want to add in anything. But yes, I was hoping, you know, that this could help guide our conversation tonight. I think he's trying to say something. Can you guys hear me? Oh, now we can. Yes. Yes.
I'm sorry about that. I was I got kicked off the internet for a few minutes. I apologize. Um I I don't really have anything else major to add. Um I I I certainly wanted to listen to hear what sort of feedback um you folks had. Um
certainly uh if there are questions about what what you felt may have been presented in the past, I could certainly try to clarify that. But I think you've captured it pretty well. The slides we presented back in August, I think were, you know, really the the basis for for
what turned into the presentation for um you know, for recal eventually. Um I I I I think there's a lot of competing interests still and they have to be sorted out. Um but I I definitely um would say that the way recal was
established is that the priority was for 60 plus activities and and needs to be met first and foremost. That doesn't mean that um to the detriment of other needs. Um and those things now that this is in front of us have to be sorted out.
And I am absolutely an advocate for coming up with a good policy and operational plan to make it work. And I think everybody needs to provide input to that. Um and um I think even when you guys get something, my expectation is whatever you end up with is not going to
be what's going to um be in the in the long term because you'll it's going to change. Um that's the only thing I can guarantee. Um but I do think it's important to to put that together and um solicit inputs. um from from all stakeholders to and and if what you guys
are doing tonight from COA's perspective is to is to lay some of that out, I think that should be valuable feedback that um that staff should take. I think that's great. Yeah. Thank you, John. Can I show one of
my concerns too? One is at the moment there is no person over the age of 60 who's involved in any part to my knowledge of the operational or executive decision making and it's really hard to give priority to
something that doesn't even have squeak of a voice at the table and I'm very concerned about that. Um my other we didn't talk about who was going to be helping either. So but so far there's no one we're not allowed to go. I'm not gonna
I brought this up before and I the plan you got to keep let me finish please. The other piece is that and there is a difference as you get older you have interest in things. What some other towns have done around the state is start running focus groups
with 60 plusers and saying what would you now we know we're going to have space what would you like what would you like you're in your 70s what would you like you're in your 80s what would you like and we we've raised them but it's been a little tidbit of a question in the midst of a hundred
others a real focus group on it um but that's that's what some towns have done my other concern is that a rec center is fundamentally different in steel, structural design, ultimate mission, you name it, from a senior center. And I'm
hearing comments, I heard it from Jane. You were sitting there last week at at uh when we went to go see um Lexington's plan of this isn't going to be a senior center. No, she said she and I started saying all these kinds of things. She
said, "I've never heard that. The Council on Aging needs to speak up." Today I heard it from Jonah Hoop. He said that building's not being designed to support a senior center. It's not a senior center. Well, they're different things and both need to be there. I'm
fine with Recal also being there. I'm delighted there'll be a gym, but there needs to be that environment that is a senior center that's a place where people go and when they go, they may stay there for a good part of their day. They may go three days a week, they may
go 5 days a week. You've got to have food. You've got to have a place to sit. It's a very different environment from like when I go to the Y. I go, I know my class is at 10:00. I'm going to be done at 11. I'll see a few people. I'll see Nora who I haven't seen in a week. U but
it's very different from the environment of a senior center. And I'm concerned that I'm not hearing any focus on that, which doesn't mean it's not there. It just means we're not at the table so we can get close. Yeah. I I keep hearing that you don't have a seat at the table and We don't
I really I'm going to politely disagree with that. Um and we can you know have these conversations offline as well but it's been a completely transparent process. Again the operations plan has just
started to form. There's really I don't even have the draft report from the consultant right now. I haven't even seen a written report draft from the consultant. I only have the programming stuff, the operating hours and things like that that the staff has worked on.
And I'm telling you that when you see that part, I think you'll be very happy with it. And you'll notice and you'll recognize that the staff has put a lot of time, effort, and priority for this bus population. And you know who's behind all of that is Chris and his
team. And I'd like to thank myself because this is my job. I don't allow them to end. Um, you know, but also I want you to guys keep in mind like I've been trying because our team has been talking about some of those
questions. Like we're not hiding anything from you. We're trying to tell you this is why we're talking about it right now and telling you is my team and I have to talk about these things. We've never talked about them. Do we want, you know, do you put in a policy? You know,
people can stay there all day. Well, you got to really think that through because, you know, we have a standards of independence and what does that look like? So, you can't just say, you know, we want people to hang out there all day, but the staff and I have to talk
about this as a team because we need to think about the details that we have to deal with daytoday in that operation. We're not hiding anything from you. It's like these this is a new ball game for myself and the team. We did an amazing
job with the PSC. We doubled the numbers. We did great. But these are some things that my team and I have to talk through. I have to talk to Carrie. I have to talk to Ann about programming in case manager because what happens if a homeless person comes in? What happens
if someone comes in and has bad hygiene? You know, these are a lot of questions that we have to talk about and how we're going to deal with before everyone just starts saying, "Hey, we're gonna throw together an operational plan." Well, we
have to be ready as a staff to be like, "Yes, we have an answer to that." And until, you know, so I just want you to know I'm not trying to hide anything from you. I think we just started talking last week for our first staff meeting and then my goal is to bring
that po procedure that after the staff and I talk about and actually read to make sure the wording's right um on our end. Um because you know we don't do counseling. Um so we have to be very careful on the verbiage especially from
a case manager point of view. Um, and then next month or well probably would be in a month but it's going to be two because I'm taking a vacation at the end of this month. So it's I'm sorry blame me for not getting it to you in a month. So it's going to be probably later in August when we sit down as a team COA
team and be like this is what my team that EHS has talked about so you can see what we're thinking and we want your input and how do we tweak it as a group. But at the rate at the end, well, I just wanted to say you have
talked about, okay, brand new, don't know some of what's going on at all, but you've talked about working with the consultant that you're having difficulty meeting with and stuff. In the very assigning of what you want the
consultant to do are assumptions and depending upon who was represented in the creation of what was said to the consultant you may have missed some assumptions that reflect the perspectives of those
in this room. So you have a consultant you said looking at issues like rental income and stuff. Well, there's an assumption underlying there obviously was stated in some way about how much time there's going to be for rental rooms and what
rooms are for rent and everything. So So I'm just raising the point that you have to look at what you're starting with and and it feeds into what I want to say to Chris's comments too. It is a a circular kind of thing. So,
you're starting from the premise of we have to run this place. So, we're going to talk about what we need as a staff without feeding into it. What might be some of the things that we'd like to have there?
And so, you're going to get that feedback and then just like you've said to her, you're going to have to look at it. and they may be really wildly different and then you're going to have to start all over again. And are you willing inviting another voice
into that conversation? Somebody who's not staff but somebody who represents the struggle of trying to come up with the vision of what you want for this place to be. Well, if you haven't gone and participated in activities here and you
can't really understand what Chris is saying. No, I do understand what Chris is saying. I'm saying I do understand his point of view, but I'm also saying that what exists now is confined by what exists now. What exists to come is confined
their thinking partially informed by what they have. And again, it's the underlying assumptions. And so rather than bringing that conversation to this conversation and then some kind of crash and redoing and however much as Nancy
said crossing out and stuff, right? Can you just invite a different voice into those conversations from the very beginning? But that's why I wanted this conversation here because we all have our own thoughts and so you know it does one voice
represent all of us? I don't think so. But I think this conversation tonight is very important and I think I do hope that you know if nothing else that we can give some guidance about what we're looking for in terms of dedicated hours and dedicated
space at at a minimum. I'm hoping that we can at least do that. I'm one of I really appreciate develop communication strategies and community outreach regarding the need for seniors. And then the next bullet
was the desire for an all age community center with dedicated space for seniors facilitating needs of reading seniors. So I think I think well for me
again we should as a want to be included in our thoughts. I mean age, we need to have commitment that it's going to be for seniors whether it's one program, two, three programs going on at the same time. Well, one of the things that I
heard Jenna and Chris both say is because you've started to talk operationally and pro programwise. What are you thinking in terms of the dedicated hours for seniors? Well, definitely the hours we have now and expanding them. I'm not going to say
dedicated, but the primary hours we like we just talked today about what the staff's working because we have to figure out staff hours. I mean you guys none of this is set in stone and we're not this document is not it will be fluid. Yeah, sure.
Now to at least to get started um you know and what would that be? Well 8 8 to 4:30. Uh well four the center is open 8:30 to 4 and Monday night um and it could be Monday I mean and
we've been talking about various evening activities we just have to figure out how to staff that um you know but the primary focus is a major is you know like we do now Monday to Friday well Monday through Thursday
um 8:30 to 4:30 and then we go 8:30 to um 12:30 on Fridays. Now, we were talking, you know, we may open at 8:00, open at 8:00, so increase the hours earlier to 8, but the first program probably wouldn't start until 8:30. Um,
cuz we do that now and it's not a great people come in at for a program that starts at 8:30, but we open at 8:30, so they're standing outside. Very bad idea. Yeah. Doesn't work very well. But so we open at 8. First program would
probably start at 8:30. the afternoons are kind of, you know, we're working on the afternoons um because we have a different we have more space. We don't have the issue that we're facing right now. So, we're trying to figure out what that kind of, you
know, at least on our end, you know, how we do that. Um but technically, we'd go at least until 4 for senior programming dedicated. Um, well, right now it's 2:30 and then it ends at 3:15 and then they chat and then
they leave at 4:00, but you know, we can't start a thing at 3:30 right now because we close at 4. Um, so we're still focusing on that set of hours. Um, and what that would look like in such a time,
but then add nighttime programming like we have now. Um we just haven't literally we just started talking about the main building last week for the you know so we haven't even talked as a staff about evening do bridging generations in the evening um you know
we do Zumba in the evening you know and we can have that in our dedicated senior space but the building is not going to close at 4:00. No. And then but really at 4, you know, really once everyone's in their room, let's say at 3:00 3:30, all
the seniors are in, you know, then, you know, then we can, you know, go Maryland. Okay. Well, so what so these two questions to me can't be separated. dedicated space and dedicated hours. Because if you're saying the entire
building is dedicated to seniors within these certain hours, the underlying assumption that I'm hearing is that your staff is then responsible for everything within the building that if it's not dedicated, like if the gym or the
walking track is open to the community, I would assume I don't know if that's recreation or who then gets figured in as part of the staff too. So I don't know how you can separate these two conversations for staffing. Yeah. Um three things if I can keep
three thoughts. One one thing we learned today at TBID is the vast majority of their classes are taught by volunteers and don't cost a penny. So that helps with staff. Wow. What? Pardon me? Taught by who? Volunteers.
Volunteers. So no charge, no budget, nothing. Yes. Um, I'm gonna lose all three. Second thing is no one is suggesting that you're hiding things. I don't think we're suggesting you're not hearing things because you're not allowing yourself to listen.
Third thing, by not including any 60 plus. The third thing is this twomonth plan. Well, what's the date on when it's going out to bid? It's going to be too late. And an example of something that's already operations operations. It affects
design. And one of the things that we've already lost effectively is because we didn't get the divider is two small rooms. We all felt the need for that for the kinds of settings that we want to have seniors able to do and it's gone. And there won't be a time for it to come
back before it goes out to bid. It's carved in stone. And that's just one thing. You're not allowing us to speak. I'm sure that's what we're taking. That's what we're doing tonight. Jenna and Chris are both here, so let's be respectful. And yeah, Rowan,
I would like to hear Jenna's thoughts on the dedicated hours. Sure. Um, so the dedicated hours I assume in this conversation is that you would like 60 plus only from like 9 to 4. Is that
is that what I'm was that your intention? Well, we were Yeah, we were thinking of what the current hours are. Yeah. Okay. dedicated hours and then we also Yes. And I was wondering so nobody else is in the building except that what we're saying in the dedicated space
because there's there's dedicated space and dedicated hours and to me they are connected. I to the town and these meetings and it's really I think clearly laid out in the presentations was that um this is
a community space. First and foremost, we are serving the seniors. We want to make 60 plus priority programming in the building. And if there is extra space throughout the day, Chris and Jim work together. If we could do like a mommy
and me class in the gym, our intergenerational grandparent child class in the gym, we should do that. So we never as a staff or really as a collective anywhere discuss the dedicated hours as being a thing but
rather the designated spaces for the 60 plus in like perpetuity. So you know the bottom left wing of the building like we're thinking that would be like prime time and in perpetuity those would be just the designated spaces all day all
night. No one's gonna touch them unless like Chris is okay with it, I know about it and it's approved, sign, sale, delivered. Um, so and those are the types of things. But even with those designated spaces throughout the whole day and night,
let's say the gym, I mean, most of these centers that we went to, I I don't know if we can as a staff, okay, let's say you said dedicated hours, I'm just making this up. Let's say 8 to 4. I don't know.
We can fill the gym. You know, we could probably have some activities in there. But if we go back to that other slide, you know, we could have like pickle ball. You know, we just got to be careful. Like my big concern is I don't want to
have this building that the taxpayers paid for. And we got to be a little fluid with the hours because what if the seniors don't show up or what if there's empty space sitting? that's not as busy maybe 60 plus from 9.
So, do we fill let's say there's one room that's available outside the senior dedicated space in the building. Do we let people use that then? Let's say do we a group of 50 year olds come and they
want to play pickle ball? Well, technically if we had dedicated hours, I have to say no because it's 60 plus then I'm not in virtually but again just one vote. I'm not seeing the gym as
dedicated space for the for the seniors. But that's where But here's the thing though. If we have dedicated Sharon, if I'm not Maryland, when we were on the design stakeholder, it was my understanding that there was going to be a specific
door down near the kitchen should wreck or someone want to come in and use that gym during dedicated senior hours. But there also be a door that shut off the rest of Exactly. And there would should be a
divider or a door that would Yeah. close out the senior area. So you're saying there would be two entrances. Well, we thought that's what I thought too that I had heard, but I I was not sure of my understanding anymore of
and there is two entrances and I think we decided against the door because again it's supposed to be a really inclusive space. I mean, it's not really logical to think that like a person under 60 would like walk through the hallway, you know, at a given point of
the day to go upstairs to walk the track or something. Why not? Why not? Why not? So, you're saying someone who's 50 who's from a member of the community, they walk through the 60 plus designated
space hallway or something, right? Right. So, so it would be okay, right, for like someone to walk through the space and and go use the walking track. That's not See, I think everyone we were all under the impression that they were going to
be dedicated hours for 60 plus. And to me, that's not dedicated. Then we went down to we have our dedicated senior space, the senior I know some people don't like this name, but Marilyn used senior hub. We have our senior that's in the plan. Where where
is the everything to the downstairs? The two large downstairs room, the game room, the lounge, the program room, and then the flex program exercise room. And we need the multi-purpose room.
The multi-purpose room. And of course, you've got the But then we have to use But then we have to use the arts and crafts when we have fiber arts and art regularly. Um, and the billiards is upstairs. Um,
can you go to slide 13? Um, it doesn't include the gym. It doesn't Oh, wait. You You went too far. Oh, sorry. Slide. Slide 13. Is that up or down? Down. Down. Sorry. It says PDF. So,
Oh. Oh, I No, no, you need to see the dedicated space. So, I thought you were in the PowerPoint. You were not. Yeah. Go to um page 13. There we go. Originally designed. And so, the multi-purpose room is 2100 square ft. The kitchen is 500. The Zumba room is
a,000. Program flex room is 1,000. The game room is 600. The lounge and cafe is 1,100. And then there's so that's the first floor. And then the second floor is the fitness exercise equipment room which is 900. The craft room 1,000. The maker
space 500 and the billiard room is 600. That totals 9,300 square f feet and it excludes the gym and the track, right? Excludes the gym and the Yeah, we're not thinking in offices and things like that
that would bring it up to 12 to 14. But I do think but it's in line. Yeah. I think that number is typically like if you look at another senior center like North Andover there are like 14,000 square feet give or take. Yeah, but that also includes the hallways and
everything else. So once you subtract all that, it's well below 10,000. I just have two thoughts. Um, as a town meeting member, I I do seem to recall that dedicated hours came up. Like that was my impression when we were voting.
We were voting to, you know, that priority. My understanding was that we would provide priority to 60 plus. So, I'm just saying that that's my my recollection as a town meeting member. Um, and then the other thing is I just
with the gym I you know my concern is that 60 plus are going to get crowded out from using the gym. So, I I really feel like there should be some time set aside just for 60 plus because um Marlin and Nancy early on too about the
gym and there's tons of programming in the gym that we want to do like archery, pingpong, botchi, corn. John, I'm the first target so you're fine. I'm not sure that we're so off, but you're saying things that you have
in your head that we don't know. And so that's where the disconnect is. Okay, fine. All right. But maybe Nancy and Marilyn have heard it, but the rest of us haven't. Sure. And and that's why again, we're going to be presenting all
this information in a couple months, but I think we should do it sooner. I'm sorry to interrupt. Yeah, it might make or would make me feel this is what we've been working for and this is what we're going to be achieving for not for the seniors plus the 60
plus. Sure. I mean comment about assumptions you know like you're made so your decisions are being made on maybe assumptions that are disconnections from what we are thinking right I understand that and I want you
to know too that I'm not making these like it's not like Jenna and Chris and who we've we visited over 15 community centers senior centers we gathered so much information John was going on the visits with us John Sasso John Parsons
Um, so we collected all of this data about rental fees, about what people charge, about their like so many different things that you can imagine that's informing this plan, too. So it's not like, oh, this is what Jenna thinks. Let's rent the gym for like $50 an hour and let's rent the gym from like 4 to 6
on a Sunday. Um, you know, these this is like based on statistics and data that we've gathered from other communities as well. We can we can probably present this se I would say September at probably September but the only reason I
say September is I'm out I'm out at the end of that's why we have to change the COA meeting in August. So I'm out for a week and a half. Jenna's out the week before and part of my staff. So we're not revisiting this as a staff or
anything really. I mean, we may talk about it individually here and there, but we're not really talking about this until mid August. And we have time for the operational program plan. We're not, you know, it's not like we're meeting tomorrow and working on it every day and
every No, we're focused on actually operating our current center. So, what I would say is, you know, we got to move the COA meeting in August, but I mean, you know, that's because I'm going to be out in and and we won't have time to we won't have
time. It's the first day he comes back. That was the last item on our agenda is we're moving it to the third Monday of October. Normally, it's the sec of of August. Normally, it's the second Monday of the month. So, but before you finish that, I'm just wondering, do we believe
that we need to take a vote tonight on what? On um a a decision as a COA on dedicated space and dedicated hours? Yes. Do we believe that we or do we want to wait until you know we hear the report? What does the council what would the
council like to do? Nancy, my personal opinion is because we're um it's very clear that there's a request for more input, but it's will be
forthcoming, but it will be forthcoming much later than we needed. And um um I I think we should take a vote. Um and and at least
um town hall staff will know what we're looking for right now. We have Yeah. No voice. I'm sorry, J. I know. Just every time you say it, it just strikes me in the
I think I think that makes sense. The other thing too, Nancy, and maybe you you have met with Jen and you are too, but this is the whole council too. We're not unanimous in our thinking. We all have our own perspectives and our own experiences. And a vote tonight wouldn't be set in
stone. We can change. Absolutely. You know, input as you're saying, we could say like with a minimum or at least I mean we can just give some guidelines. So, um, and again, it doesn't have to be set in stone because this whole process
is is fluid. I was just going to say be right before like my hope is to present this. I mean, it's just because of the timing over the next handful of weeks. Um, you know, by September at the latest. I don't know by
the next COA meeting in August because we're not we're all the staff is out because of vacations and everything out. But the other thing too is if I think also if we do take a vote then you can take that information back to the consultant. This is what the COA is
thinking. So please consider that also for for PBC. I was blown away today when John Coop just said, "Oh no, we're not designing for a senior center. We're not having a senior center." I mean that's only one person on PBC. But this is the prevailing view out there. They
need to accept that it's a senior center/recal that got voted on by this town and it might not be what people intended but that's what went on the ballot and that's what voters believe they voted and the committees that are doing mentally the mindset has got to
change. It's going to be too late if we don't get these things surfaced until September cuz we're going to have put the thing out to bid the estimates. But we're trying to avoid heard from John and I got to be careful what I say because all this gets recorded and it's open.
So, but I'll take a chance anyway. Remember, you're talking about John Coup. I understand. I understand. But it's a person and I'm hearing it again and again and it shocks me every time I hear it from someone. But but it's him and he's probably the only one.
I don't think that's No, not at all. A a quick thing follow up to what Marilyn just mentioned. I think we we pushed and we advocated for a senior center reading active
living center. It's all being referred now to as a reading active living center. We need to get the word in the title senior center. A reading senior center active living.
That that's not that's not the name of the building. The name of the building is the writing center for active living when designated space for the 60 plus the mission and the vision statement that has been presented since the since
last fall and that you guys sat in multiple meetings Nancy and Marilyn to come up with this mission and vision statement for the building and you can clearly read what that vision and mission statement says and the paragraph that relates to the building and never once in that paragraph with the vision
and mission statement It doesn't save it. Is it It is a senior center. But but to your point and I understand why people are thinking going for community activities because the word senior is
not in here for the and that's another whole issue. I'd rather did somebody want to make a vote because I propose a vote because I do believe we've really spent enough time on this and I think everybody did everybody who wanted Karen did you want to add anything? I want to
make sure everybody who wanted to speak stop. Thank you. Okay. Um would anyone like to make a vote propose a motion? Exactly what I'll be voting. How many hours? You could say at least. You could say,
you know, at least the current hours that are current, you know, that are the hours that are currently in place. I mean, we we can we having a motion we can vote or not. I mean, we can vote. Motion. Thank you. I propose No, now I'm losing my wording. I propose
that we The only problem, Kathleen, to be honest, I can say it and someone else can take my word. endorses the dedication of the specific spaces outlined on your slide and we'll have to
specify those in writing. um during the hours of 8 to 4 be which is reflective of the current which is reflective of the current hours um be set aside for use by seniors by 60
plus I don't know what phrase we want to use by the 60 plus members of the community but we have nighttime hours too yes we do so that's but this is at least and then we'll see go I think the nighttime hours should be
right in there at least. Why don't we stay comparable to the hours? What will we Yeah, it's it hasn't been made. We wonder civic spaces as mentioned on page on slide 13 uh during the hours of 8 to 4 be set
aside for 60 plus during the night hours during the the using the model of the current hours or so, you know, the current hours for um activities at the Pleasant Street Center, something like and and you could add possible to
include evening or Saturday for the 60 plus and or andor and I I don't even think it should be possible. I think that if we are interested in um seeing nighttime
activities there it needs to be in print somewhere. But the other thing too is those seniors just have to be through elder or a Saturday as for the working 60. That's one of the things I'm hoping is that they'll be activated. Well, let's say you're intergener
so we could have a motion and then make some amendments to it or refine it. though. Um I forget saying besides seniors, anybody that's needed by the case worker because Gary sees people that are not see the offices aren't part of the
dedicated space. So car they could come in. That's why I think that's why you excluded those because then anybody can come in to see people in the offices. Yeah. As an associate member, can they you can't vote. Can we make a motion then?
No. Okay. So, we can read it. And then somebody can say so move. Okay. Okay. Oh, should I try? Sure. Go ahead. Be what you have. Okay. Uh I motion that the
Yeah, you just say a statement. Uh just that the council of aging endorses a dedication of specific spaces on at least during the hours of 8 to 4 be set aside for 60 plus using the model of the current center
comparable to the hours we have available now during the daytime and nighttime and sometimes on Saturday. Seniors take preference. You saying so moved? So moved. Say so moved. Oh me. Okay. So move
second. Okay. So now we have discussion on the motion. Thoughts on the uh are we do we have any more discussion on the motion? I the associates though can can talk about absolutely.
One point I'd just ask that we keep in mind and I don't know that it needs to amend the motion at all is that it's not just space cuz we want x square feet cuz there's a slide. It's because this documented massive growth in the size of
the 60 plus population and research that shows that the programming needs have grown. They can't be met with smaller than this and that this is a very reasonable request in light of what's happening everywhere. I guess my hesitation about is that for
me that's yet unproven territory in terms of programming at least that I'm aware of. I don't see a lot every but not every evening and not a lot and and not Saturday. So what I'm saying is
so that and so that's for me why I'm more in favor of endorsing something that stays within the confines of what we have so we don't lose anything work in progress force to see how it all works out. So do we want to make a friendly
amendment to limit it to the current I wouldn't use the word limit. No. So you want to expand it beyond what is currently in place as needed. Well, we have at least at least as part of the language. So, right. But but Rosemary took it beyond
that to other to evenings and Saturday which we have. We've had evenings and Saturdays. You have Saturdays. Saturdays when we've been open we've been down. Having it is different from to me the issue for me is that you're dedicating this space which
puts a hampering feel on than what operationally other people begin to think about. Right. Well, we can we can vote on this motion. We don't have to approve it. We can revise it if it's voted down. Um but you
want a comment. Um, I think the unknown is how many 60 to 64 full-time working people are going to take advantage of the facility in the evening and on the weekends. Like that would be me and a lot of my friends
where we don't go now because we're trying to get there and I think you're going to be very surprised the amount of people that you will all of a sudden come and so I think you don't want to limit it. Um, I mean it's not limited, but we should have
preference if we want to book something in. We should have and we certainly are going to get a lot more people. When Wilmington opened, they had 485 new people in the first week. Yes. So, you know, and we're going to get people from all over.
Although, be careful because Wilmington's kind of dipped down a little bit. You get that mad rush and then you dip. They haven't dipped much. you still have a lot of weightless here. Um Nancy um at the risk of everybody ge tonight
um other things. So I'm wondering if should we form a small well I think it's four four well what is what is the number now for work group is less than six we have a motion on the table we have a motion
you can vote it down you can future things we do but it can't change it can't change a workg group and and bringing it back to this group to kind of discuss it we are discussing it We know what we want.
Karen, did you get that? We just need We need the vote. We need the motion. Ready? Karen, I have a lot of what um Ron said that it would be um that it the dedicated space would be the same as what we have now.
At least what we have now. And then other people want to add dedicated. That's dedicated hours, right? Sorry. Oh, we need it exact. We need it. Okay. Why don't we stab what? We need We need it. This This has
to be exact. Yeah. Um Okay. I'm going to write it down. So So my initial statement was that the We need to know what we're voting on. My disabled was that the council of aging endorses dedication of specific
spaces and hours on at least during the hours of 8 to 4 spec 5 days Monday through Friday be set aside for 60 plus using the model of the current programming.
Okay, I didn't get that fast enough. Okay. All right. The COA endorses dedicated specific spaces as on find on slide as as on slide what Ron has you have it written down right? Yeah. So could we just add to Ron's what what
we need to add since it's already written. Yeah. Okay. Uh 60 plus using the model of the current programming. I wouldn't use the model of the current programming because I don't know what the model of the current programming is.
8 to 4 hours at 8 to 4 and um Monday evening. Could I make a friendly announcement? I can't. You can use the wording though might be um and maybe to pick up on uh Chris's wording is so the wording you've got in there now is with P
to the 60 plus to the 60 plus 60 plus community because that takes it out of requiring it to be set aside till we see what happens with it so you don't have empty space kind of thing
issues and weekends. So that means that you have to be willing to change because you said you didn't use the word priority. You said evenings and Saturdays. Saturday. Are you willing to change make she can mean
I want the seniors to have what hour? Whatever hours daytime, nighttime and weekends that they want and they should have priority. Okay. So you're fine with the priority given the connection into the slide as to what dedicated services. Okay. Well, yeah. Between the two of us, we
have it. Okay. Okay. Because that's Well, the slide represented 9,300 square feet. All right. Okay. Are we okay with Does everybody understand what we're voting on? Well, read it back for everybody. Okay. Well, I have most of so that the
council of aging endorses dedication of specific spaces on at least during the hours of 8 to 4 be set aside for 60 plus using the model of current programming
with priority given to 60 plus on evenings and weekends. Excuse me. I thought we the word dedicated, not specific. Oh, did it? Yeah. As outlined on slide 13 of 9,300 square feet.
That's okay. And then usage. Yeah. Well, yes. During the hours of 8 to 4 be set aside, that line, you know, of approximately it doesn't I mean of approximately 9,300 square feet. I mean, it could be
whatever. Okay. Are we good? Any other discussion? Making the motion because he's an associate. Well, Rosemary. Rosemary. And then and John seconded it. Okay. Yeah. Great.
She needs to read it, right? No, no, she can say moved. Okay. All right. Absolutely. Not totally get it. So, okay.
All right. I've got part of it. The COA endorses dedicated spaces as out as is outlined on slide 13 of the presentation of approx specific hours and dedicated hours about 8 to 4 be set aside for 60 plus
with priority given to 60 plus on evenings and weekends. Yeah. Nancy. Yeah. using model term programming or is that you did? Yeah, that's
all right. That's a little bit different than we originally said and I'm not sure how that goes. Well, basically what we the hours we use now should be for seniors, right? But I just want I mean the the motion has gone through a few I I have been. Yes.
How would you deal with this particular motion issue? Well, once you got the verbiage down and everyone understand. Yeah. Okay, let's vote. All right. So, this is a roll call vote.
Rose Breed de Benadetto. Yes. Jean Prao, yes. John Suzinski, yes. Marilyn Shappley, yes. Nancy Zimlac, yes. Karen Janowski, yes. Okay. Pass
unanimous. What is it? What is it about the proposal? No, it's about this we're talking about. Okay. Okay. So, I wasn't good enough. Sorry, you're slipping.
Participate during the evolution of the operations plan. The COA and EHS work closely to identify needs and interests of the 60 plus age residents and
um maybe just right after. So the very first part would be the Reading Council on Aging must be given the opportunity to participate during the evolution of the operation plans for the Reading Center for Active Living.
Is there a second? I second it. It actually is in the agenda. It is allowed. I think it's critical and I think the timing is critical. This this vision of and again I'm not suggesting anyone's
trying to keep stuff from I'm just trying to ensure there's an avenue for us to give you stuff is we wanted that wasn't trivial and they're gone. And I just think this is really important for us now while it's still in the making to at
least be aware of what's being discussed and what the thinking is and to have a chance to say, you know, all good work, but you need to think about this as well cuz it's going to be too late. It's going to be, gee, maybe when we get money someday
to get an addition for the building. I mean, it's going to be too late. It's going to go out to bid. It's going to get assigned and they're going to start construction and the budget's going to be tight as all get out and it's now or never. What exactly are you saying is going to be too late for us? Well, if we wanted, for example, to have
two small meeting rooms, there's no room in the building now because they didn't agree to the divider that we wanted. It would have given us two. Nancy, can you read back the motion one more time? I'm Thank you for writing it down. Um Oh, here it is. The reading council
on agent aging must be given the opportunity to participate during the evolution of the operational plan for the reading participants must be members of what does that look like?
I don't I I don't know. Do we need that level of detail in a motion? Are you just asking that we be invited to future meetings and get input? A really big step. asking for the will
be included in the the um operations discussions not just must but they will be okay friendly amendment so um I don't think it's been moved yet so I don't think you have to amend it
there was a second otherwise the reading council on aging must be given the opportunity to participate must be given. What did he just I said will should be or I mean you play
should be instead of should be should be inviting included. Oh yes. Okay. I just want to introduce one. No, I'm just not sure what that looks
like and how we can ensure we we want to we want to participate in those conversations and I just want to make sure that the motion reflects that. Um I um but the timely I think your point is is that we have no authority to make them include us. Yeah.
But what we're trying to do is to say we want to be included and that may be all we can do. Yeah. It's coming and and a little bit may I just Yeah. So to Marilyn's point about So I get your point about the structural
difference. We can't get the two rooms back. I'm not sure I see as much fallout if we couldn't change down the road. I just think the discussions will be richer and
include more and need less revising. if we're included at this point. But things that have changed because we are there, right? Um in the um design work group, but it's not but it's now been disbanded. So Gene
and I are out of the picture. Um but operations and I mean there just there are things that do affect the architecture that there's a window when you can bring it up and you can get it for architecture. you can get it. And I'm worried that depending on whatever they're thinking about operations,
operations and programming, we could plan it next month and in a year and a half it may just totally change because there's so many factors. It's an ongoing we could open, we could have it set and then two days after No, we have to change.
Every time I go to North the rooms are all in a different place. I understand what you're saying. Nancy, I would just ask that you change the word must to should be because and like Katherine said, we can't be for you, we can't force anybody, but we would like to be invited. Yeah.
Included to be included. Yeah. Should be included in the in the discussions about operations. How do we say this? And then prior to the whatever is considered the
completion I mean maybe it's affected immediately we need to be part of each phase of the discussion ongoing the discussion is going to change you're absolutely included in the ongoing discussions around and and it's and to be honest just so
you guys know it's coming to you after vacations are done here okay we're in about a month and a like it's probably I don't think August is realistic. No, but September it's right and even a part of the policy that
we've talked about was a section where it has like evaluation and feedback which will be given every six months by the 60 plus community by see you know council on aging recreation committee all these things. So excellent. Yeah. on the front page. It literally
has council on a book count priority policy for programming for 60 plus. So let us know because in perpetuity we know that from the time the building till the time the building closes. It's
priority plus. So we didn't find the need as a staff to designate specific hours in perpetuity to the 60 plus population because we we actually opened it. I actually have it from your motion. We actually have it wider.
You have it in a dedicated space and pretty much all other time is priority senior 60 plus whereas and you guys just narrowed it down to I think one evening. No, we did say with priority given to 60 plus evenings and weekends. We
so we have it we have it. Yeah, it's already This is why Jen and I are sitting back because everything you're discussing right now, we just haven't got to this phase yet because we just finished design. We're getting through summer in September.
You guys can take a look, you know, and that's okay. Yeah, fine. You just got affirmation from Karen that says, "Yeah, you've told us." So, um, you just want to keep telling us.
Yes, we we don't know what you've proposed. We we had no idea. We just wanted to make sure our voices heard and so I'm hearing that and we look forward to um to the operations plan and the programming plan. Um but we still do have a motion on the table.
Okay. We'll be given the opportunity evolution of the operations plan for the reading center for active living. And there was a second I forget who stepped into it. Rosemary. Thank you, Rosemary. All right. Any further
discussion? Thank you for writing it out. That made it very clear. Okay. I wish I could say all those in favor. Here we go. All right. Jean Prado, yes. John Suzinski, yes. Chapley,
yes. Nancy Zimlac, yes. John Parsons, yes. Rosemary Deanadetto, yes. Uh Karen Panette, yes. and Karen Janowski. Yes.
And our next and just one thing, our next meeting is August 18. Yes, we have. Thank you. Great discussion. Um, he has to vote to adjourn the meeting.
He already did. Yes. What did you say? The August meeting. August 18th. The third Monday. Okay. 18th. All right. Now we just have to vote to adjourn. Move to I mean it was seconded. Karen, yes.
John, uh Rosemary, yes. Uh Jean, yes. John Suzinski, Marilyn Chapley, thank you all. Thank you.