BELMONT COUNCIL ON AGING
BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING
January 6, 2003, 7:30 p.m.
Present: B. Miranda, N. Niv-Vogel, J. Brusch, E. Hamann, J. Horner, J. Kantor, H. Kazarian, T. Morabito, P. Solomon
Absent: M. L. Ahearn, V. Falvey, E. Finnegan
The meeting was called to order at 7:34 pm by Barbara Miranda, chmn. The minutes of the December 2 meeting were approved as written.
Springwell (formerly WSES) report of December 12, 2002 Board Meeting by E. Hamann: Thanks to many letters and phone calls the Homecare item on the Governor’s budget to cut survived another round. Board members will continue to receive requests for help with calls and letters. Things will continue in limbo until the Governor-elect makes new appointments.
Financial reports: The campaign to raise money to support the Money Management Program has received $13,000 from 10 banks to date. $3900 was received the end of November from a grant to help with radio communication. Brookline and Weston will join with Newton and Watertown in having radio access for meals on wheels driver. The Homecare Purchase Service Program in the budget can still continue to add more clients. It will probably be cut in January. The Budget is on track for this year, but is still projecting a deficit for the year. To keep from dipping into savings the following cost cutting proposals are being implemented: 1) reduce employee pension to 3% from 4%, potentially to 2 ½%, 2) asking staff if they wish to reduce hours for this year, 3) possibly reduce a
couple of staff positions, not working directly with clients, 4) hiring freeze for certain positions.
Community Choice Program – 12 clients are now enrolled in the Stay at Home project.
Title III Grants – A change in people at Elder Affairs now allows towns such as Belmont and its transportation project to apply again for funding if it meets a priority need and they have made a good faith effort to find other sources.
Directors Report by Nava Niv-Vogel. See attached report.
The COA Board agreed they would like to have an appreciation party for the COA staff in the spring. The Board members will do the party, as there is no budget for this.
Old Business
Barbara Miranda reported since there is no further news about the fire station site, a Special Town Meeting has not been scheduled at which the Future Senior Center Site Search would be reported and voted on. The Senior Center Article is ready to go at the regular Town Meeting in April if there is not a special meeting before hand.
By-Law Committee Report: It was voted unanimously that a term of office shall be one year. The Chair and Vice Chair are limited to serving two one-year terms in succession. The terms of the Treasurer and Secretary are not limited. If there is not a quorum a vote will be rescheduled. The By-Laws will be retyped by Barbara Miranda this week and will be sent to all board members for discussion at the February board meeting and then a final vote in March.
Transportation donation issue: It was decided that Nava Niv-Vogel will prepare a short statement about the costs of transportation and make a suggested donation. This will be given to Belder bus and medi-car users and distributed from the Senior Center, Senior Notes, Libraries and other locations.
New Business
It was decided that pre-board meeting materials should be mailed out 7 days in advance and that the Director’s Report be included. Any additional information that comes up after the mailing would be mentioned verbally at the board meeting.
If a board member has a death in the family the Nava will alert the board by phone or e-mail.
The meeting adjourned at 9:10 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Ethel Hamann
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