1993 04 16
CHANHASSEN SENIOR COMMISSION
REGULAR MEETING
~ APRIL 16, 1993
Chairwoman Billison called the meeting to order at 9:30 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESE~T:_ Bernice Billison, Barbara Montgomery, Jane Kubitz, Selda
Heinlein, Albin Olson and Mark Littfin, Sr.
MEMBERS ABSENT: Sherol Howard
STAFF PRESENT: Sharmin Al-Jaff, Senior Planner;
APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
Kubitz: On page 40 of the February Minutes, way down at the bottom of
that page. I did not say that because I'm the last one in the world to
wake up at 10:00...
Montgomery: I'm sure that's a mistake.
Heinlein: Well there was one in there and not I can't find it. It was
when the President of the bank was speaking. I found it this morning.
Anyway, I did not say the St. Paul Stockyards. My husband worked in the
Chicago Stockyards. I woke up this morning and I wasn't awake I guess
either. Did he speak first? That's what I'm trying to think.
4It Billison: Jane, is this the one that you were referring to? Because I
don't like to wake up or something?
Kubitz: Yeah, way down at the bottom of the page.
Billison: You did not say that?
Kubitz: I did not say that...until 10:00 but believe me I'm up. And I
don't stay up half the night.
Billison: You are requesting that we delete the sentence?
Kubitz: I don't know who said it. Whether it was Sherol or you or who,
but it wasn't me.
Heinlein: And the one that I'm referring to is on page 5...
Billison: And you want that deleted Selda?
Heinlein: Well, it's Drovers Bank in Chicago, not St. Paul.
Billison: Okay, is there anything else?
Olson: Mark and I have no complaints about being mixed up.
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Billison:
changes.
Otherwise we will make those changes.
And how about the one for March 19th?
Everyone note those
Heinlein: I wasn't here so I don't know.
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April 16, 1993 - Page 2
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Montgomery: I didn't say anything significant.
Billison: Okay. Then we will have a motion to accept.
Montgomery: I will move to approve the February and March Minutes.
Kubitz: I second it.
Montgomery moved, Kubitz seconded to approve the Minutes of the Senior
Commission meetings dated February 19, 1993 amended on page 40 by Jane
Kubitz and page 5 by Selda Heinlein, and March 19, 1993 as presented. All
voted in favor and the motion carried.
VERBAL DISCUSSION OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT FUNDS.
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AI-Jaff: I'm just going to give you an update of what happened at the
Shorewood City Hall meeting. We had requested that the City Council
consider, and that is Shorewood City Council, consider a friendly
annexation by Chanhassen. If we annex land that is located in Hennepin
County, our Block Grant money would continue to come in. The Shorewood
City Council was open to reviewing the options. Looking at the option.
The majority of the Senior Commission was there and I'm sure that
influenced their decision. They will be looking at this proposal in 2
weeks. They did ask if we would consider swapping land with them so they
would have some land in Carver County and we would have some land in
Hennepin County and we are open to this option. Anyways, the moral of the
story is, if we have any population, one person living in Hennepin County
our funding will continue. Otherwise we lose the Block Grant money
altogether. So it was just an update that I wanted to give you.
Tentatively the next meeting is in 2 weeks. But we haven't heard
anything. Yes, it is on April 26th. If they complete their studies then
this item will be on the 26th agenda. You are invited to attend. You
don't have to but if you wish, you are more than welcome to attend the
meetings in Shorewood. Yes.
Kubitz: Where exactly is that property?
AI-Jaff: Okay. I'm going to point at the map behind you.
Kubitz: Have you got a street on there?
AI-Jaff: We're looking at giving them this...
Kubitz: Are there streets in there? I could look it up on a map.
AI-Jaff: Yes. I can pull the report and show you where it is.
Kubitz: Okay. ..1 was just curious.
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Montgomery: Sharmin, have any staff meetings been set up?
AI-Jaff: Regarding the Block Grant?
Montgomery: Yes.
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April 16, 1993 - Page 3
Al-Jaff: There has been some.
Montgomery: I mean with Shorewood.
Al-Jaff:
mainly.
No. Don Ashworth, the City Manager is dealing with this project
But nothing so far.
Olson: That is the way it was left at the Council meeting the other night
at Shorewood. That their staff and our staff was going to get together to
work out the details.
AI-Jaff: The last update I got from Don Ashworth was the fact that he had
located land that could be swapped with Shorewood and he was discussing
that with Paul Krauss. And Paul was very open to it as well. He thought
that that would be a good swap. However, if we gave up all of that land,
he was saying, we should get their entire subdivision back.
Montgomery: We should get what?
AI-Jaff: Rather than one lot, get all 5 of them because we would be
giving up quite a bit of land.
Littfin: As it amounts to acreage to what it was?
Al-Jaff: No. It's how many houses. I believe we'll be giving up more
than we will be getting. But on the other hand we would be looking at
maintaining our status with the Block Grant so we would come out winners.
Montgomery: We'd lose it for one year no matter what, right? Is that
what they were saying?
AI-Jaff: Correct.
Montgomery: And then how do we know that the Block Grant program is even
going to survive with the new everything?
AI-Jaff: I'm sure it will.
Montgomery: Think so?
AI-Jaff: Yeah.
Montgomery: It would be Year XX and I wondered if that was the end of a
20 year plan or something.
AI-Jaff: If anything they're looking, with the new Clinton Administration
they're looking at adding onto those funds. So the indications are that
this program will continue.
Montgomery: Somebody said that there were no Block Grant funds available
in Carver County. Is that right?
AI-Jaff: Yes.
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Montgomery: They're not available at all?
Al-Jaff: No. The reason being, you have to have a population of, and I
learned this in a class, you have to have a population of 50,000 in order
to qualify. I think Carver County.
Montgomery: I see. For a city?
Al-Jaff: No. For an entire county. And Carver County has less than
50,000 people in it.
Heinlein: Well the way it's growing, you'd think we would be approaching
that figure.
Al-Jaff: We still haven't reached that 50,000. We haven't reached it no.
I also, do you have any other questions regarding this?
Billison: My only question is if we should lose completely, and another
thing too. The little bit of Chanhassen that is in Hennepin County, that
doesn't qualify us?
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AI-Jaff: Okay, you have to have at least 1 person living in Hennepin. We
had 2 houses but with the expansion of Highway 5 they had to demolish
those houses. We weren't responsible for it. It was something that the
State did. They just demolished that land. I mean those houses.
Montgomery: I'd think all that time we were trying to pursue a different
way of getting this rather than the annexation?
AI-Jaff: Correct. We will look at other alternatives.
Kubitz: Where were the two houses?
Al-Jaff: It was the Kerber farm. You know where the DataServ is? You
know where DataServ is?
Littfin: Right across Highway 5 from the Redding.
Olson: Redmond Industries.
Littfin: Redmond. There was a farm there. That was one and the other
one was right across from the Taco shop.
Kubitz: Well there. I remember those two going. Okay, those were the
ones.
Littfin: Yes.
Kubitz: I didn't realize those were in Hennepin County.
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Littfin: Those were a part of a political maneuvering way back when
Chanhassen was incorporated.
Olson: There were not enough people living in Chanhassen to incorporate
so they took a strip of land on each side of Highway 5. Ran it out there
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Senior Commission Meeting
April 16, 1993 - Page 5
to include those two farms and annexed that to Chanhassen. Then they had
enough people to incorporate into a city. But that's how those 2 farms
got into.
Kubitz:
County.
When those two went, I didn't realize they were in Hennepin
I thought that was part of Carver and Chan.
Montgomery: So then the next thing is just to wait for the staff of
Chanhassen and Shorewood to get together and see if they're ready in time
for the April 26th meeting?
Al-Jaff: Correct.
Olson: Would you notify us if this is going to be on the agenda?
AI-Jaff: Absolutely. I'll do that.
Olson: Please. And then we'll show our pretty faces again.
AI-Jaff: Okay. That sounds wonderful. Even if there was a KC meeting?
Olson: Well if it's the 26th.
AI-Jaff: 26th of April. That's the tentative date.
Olson: That's the last Monday. Their Council meetings are on the same
night as ours?
Al-Jaff: I'm assuming.
Olson: Because our Mayor and Don had to get back for the Chanhassen
meeting.
Montgomery: I will be gone so you'll have to...
Billison: Thank you Sharmin.
Al-Jaff: Sure. May I add one more thing? At the last meeting I
understood that the Senior Commission felt like they weren't consulted as
to how the money, the Block Grant money should be spent. What was, is
that an accurate statement?
Montgomery: Yes. I think people were wondering why. Always before
somebody has made a presentation and we've talked about it. We've had a
recommendation through the Commission and that didn't happen. I don't
know whether it was timing or whatever it was.
Al-Jaff: It was timing. Okay. I believe Paul mailed out letters asking
what would you like to see this money spent on and it just got to the
point where we had to present it to the City Council.
Montgomery: I think people didn't understand what was needed in that
letter. They didn't know whether, you know there was no chance for the
Commission to respond or take a vote or do anything. That's what I was
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April 16, 1993 - Page 6
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objecting to and I think Sherol was objecting to and I think a few other
people were objecting to.
Al-Jaff: Alright. I just wanted to understand.
Billison: How it came about?
Al-Jaff: Well, we'll make sure that this doesn't happen in the future.
Montgomery: It's a pretty important item for the Commission. It's sort
of awkward not to know what's going on.
Billison: Is there anything further on item 2? If not we will go on to
item 3.
NAME CHANGE FOR CALLING NETWORK FOR FRAIL ELDERLY.
Al-Jaff: I was looking for suggestions from you. I believe that Sherol
said we need to change the name of Frail Elderly and I'm open to
suggestions. I mean what do you think would be a good name?
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Heinlein: I'm trying to remember. I read an article and I didn't get a
chance to look at the paper very closely this morning but I happened to
see an article about some gentleman who's had this frail line hook-up and
it has fallen through. He was charging I think was it $15.00 a month and
apparently it did not, either it didn't work. I forget now what...
Al-Jaff: I'm wondering if you're thinking of, usually through some
hospitals you can get like a monitor.
Heinlein: It was an individual. It was an individual had set up this
call system. Apparently nobody either didn't come for it or whether it
was the money that he was charging or what. I just glanced at it casually
because I didn't have the time to sit and read the whole thing. I think
it was on the, either it was on the front page or in the Metro Section
that we get here. But I think it was in the Minneapolis area. He was
trying to get this going and it just did not work.
Montgomery: What did he call it?
Heinlein: That's what I'm trying to remember. I mean just glancing at
it, but I just, I was surprised that people wouldn't, didn't want to take
advantage of it.
Kubitz: I think the $15.00 would stop a lot of people.
Montgomery: That's a lot. You know for somebody who's counting pennies
pretty carefully.
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Al-Jaff: May I make a suggestion? Would you rather just drop the word
frail out and just call it, Calling Network for Elderly?
Montgomery: I had only one thing that I thought up called Listening Post
but I found there are 400 different Listening Posts somewhere.
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Heinlein: How about Homebound?
Kubitz: That's what I had suggested.
Al-Jaff: Homebound?
Kubitz: That's what I told you the other day.
Al-Jaff: Yeah, you said that. Does it indicate that this person is at
home?
Heinlein: That's the thing that totally, yeah.
Montgomery: Then it sounds like they never leave the door.
Al-Jaff: Is that how you want it?
Kubitz: No, because that would indicate like they said. You can't leave
at all and these people are not completely homebound.
Al-Jaff: Should we try Calling Network for Elderly and see how it works
this time?
Heinlein: That might be a good idea. Calling Network.
4It Al-Jaff: Alright, for Elderly.
Montgomery: Would you repeat that Sharmin?
Al-Jaff: Calling Network for Elderly.
Kubitz: For frail.
Billison: For frail?
Montgomery: No, leaving out frail.
Al-Jaff: We're going to drop frail out. This way it's open.
Billison: Calling Network for Elderly.
Montgomery: Is it limited to older elderly? I mean is there any age
limit on it?
Al-Jaff: Should we go with let's say 65 and over? Because I believe that
the 60's are not, people are still healthy at that age and...
Olson: You'll always have exceptions no matter what age you're going to
pick.
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Al-Jaff: Okay. Do you want to start at 65 or do you want to go lower?
Montgomery: I was just thinking of the word elderly. Whether that still
is, if somebody's in their 60's, are they going to want to, well people
are funny. How about just Calling Network?
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Billison: I like Listening Post...
Kubitz: Senior Listening Post.
Montgomery: Or how about Calling Network for Seniors.
Littfin: Yeah, where there's no age.
Heinlein: Then there's no age.
Littfin: Just calling them seniors would be much.
Montgomery: Rather than having elderly.
Kubitz: Yeah.
Al-Jaff: Calling Network for Seniors.
Kubitz: Of course then that might. ..elderly like they have to be 80 or 90
or something.
Montgomery: But then it might be confused with the Senior Linkage Line.
Kubitz: No, I don't think so.
~ Littfin: Did you have a comment sir?
Audience: What's the purpose of...
Heinlein: For people that are either handicapped or can't get out of
their home or need to be checked on. Maybe they don't have a family
nearby or someone to be sure that they are able.
Someone in the audience made a comment that was not heard on the tape.
Kubitz: That's it. This is what we're getting at. Somebody that just
wants. ..
Olson: George, I don't think it's a matter of qualification as it is for
people that want to be called. We do not want to restrict to those. Say
that you want to be called, even though you're up and about normally.
Others do not want to have the, shall we say the nuisance of the call. We
had a lady in town here 2-3 years ago, Mrs. Schneider. Wife of Bernie
Schneider, the banker. She was up and about normally. She'd go to mass
everyday and so on. But she died of a heart attack right around
Thanksgiving of that year. Nobody found her for 2 or 3 days. Now if she
had been on the calling line, they would have found her, or there would
have been no answer the next day and then they would have checked. See
it's to.
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George: .. .two ways. There are a lot of people who are not physically
handicapped but they're fearful of...
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April 16, 1993 - Page 9
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Heinlein: That's another hook-up that works with hospitals and that. I
had some information on that at home. A gentleman that I knew in Chicago,
actually a neighbor of mine's son. Now they had, he was hooked up with
the hospital and when he didn't answer, they were notified that they
couldn't get an answer from them. Then they would notify his daughter so
there was a 3 way hook-up there. His daughter didn't live anywhere near
and my kids lived right across from them. That's another kind of a
set-up.
Olson: This does not contemplate a response to a beeper for something
like that. This is only to provide a calling service. We will call
George every Monday, Wednesday or Friday, or something like that.
Montgomery: Whenever he wants.
George: If the technology is there so you can set it up so you can...
Heinlein: It's strictly voluntary.
Montgomery: This is going to be done by the volunteers at the Senior
Center.
George: Yeah I know but I'd just like to make it know that...
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Heinlein: Well we're all volunteers and we do what we are doing and a lot
of us spend a lot of hours over here in the senior center and we do not
get paid.
Billison: Sharmin, do you have, what's the date, the cut-off date when
you need a name here?
AI-Jaff: Well I have to, if I'm going to put an article in the
newsletter, I would like to have a name today.
Billison: You'd like to have it today.
Al-Jaff: May I ask one question?
Billison: Yes.
AI-Jaff: George, can we have your last name and address just for the
record because whenever we have public.
George's name and address were not picked up by the tape.
Kubitz: This is for some people are alone and maybe their phone doesn't
ring all day. It would be nice to have it ring once a day.
George: There are a lot of people that...
e Montgomery: Well, we're just experimenting.
Kubitz: That's where the Answer Line would come in.
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April 16, 1993 - Page 10
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Montgomery:
compromise.
I sort of think that Calling Network for Seniors is sort of a
What do you think?
Littfin: Should we put the in there? Calling Network for the Seniors?
Kubitz: I think just seniors.
Heinlein: Just seniors. For seniors.
Montgomery: Calling Network for Seniors?
Heinlein: Drop the elderly because everybody don't want to admit they're
elderly...
Billison: Calling Network for Seniors. Alright. Is there anything else?
Montgomery: Maybe you want to take a vote. Should we have a vote on
Calling Network for Seniors?
Heinlein: I so move that we accept that name.
olson: I'll second that.
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Heinlein moved, Olson seconded to change the name from Calling Network for
Frail Elderly to Calling Network for Seniors. All voted in favor and the
motion carried.
Billison: Okay, the new name is Calling Network for Seniors.
VERBAL UPDATE ON SENIOR LINKAGE LINE (SLL).
AI-Jaff: We conducted interviews. We had some extremely qualified
people. It was really difficult to make a decision. We had the first
round of interviews on the 20th. No, I'm sorry. It was on the 7th of
April and then out of 11 people that we interviewed, we selected 3. The
first round of interviews was conducted by myself and Julie Bentz. The
second round included Dawn Lemme, Julie Bentz and myself. We selected 3
people. The person that we hired for the position, her name is Phyllis
and I really have a tough time pronouncing her last name. But I'll learn
it in time. I'm not going to attempt it right now.
Montgomery: How do you spell it?
Billison: Phyllis is Phyllis.
Montgomery: No, I mean the last name.
Billison: She said she'd...
AI-Jaff: I will have her attend the next meeting. You'll be able to meet
e her.
Kubitz: Is she the one from Watertown?
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April 16, 1993 - Page 11
AI-Jaff: Yes. She's the one from Watertown. She's extremely well
connected with the western part of the county which was one of the reasons
why we decided to hire her. She is the Director of the Watertown Senior
Center. When the County cut off the funding, the seniors decided to raise
money just so they can keep her. They really didn't want to lose her.
They didn't want to hire anyone else. I checked her references and
everyone is raving about her. They are quite certain that everyone is
going to like her. Her only weakness is that she's not very familiar with
all the services available through Chanhassen. And I think that is
something that she can learn fast and easily because we have everything
spelled out in the directory for instance. And if she's going to be in
Chanhassen every day, she'll be able to pick up that information quickly.
She seems like a very smart lady so.
Billison: Wonderful.
AI-Jaff: We're hoping to on the 20th, we will be meeting with Carver
County, Phyllis, Dawn, myself, Julie Bentz and we're going to start
working on the details of the program. Such as recruiting volunteers.
When should this begin? We need to go and buy TDD machines. So all of
the little details are going to be worked out on the 20th hopefully.
We're also looking at starting the program, maybe not on the 1st of May
but it will be up and running in May. Through the month of May.
Montgomery: Sharmin, I think you deserve a lot of credit. You've worked
awful hard on this.
AI-Jaff: Well, I think it was a team effort. We really got a lot of
back-up from you. A lot of credit goes to Betty. When anytime we
appeared in front of the Senior Council for Carver County, Betty has been
extremely supportive. I'm so glad that she is there. Sherol has been
extremely supportive of it so they're the ones that pushed the County to
make that recommendation. They were definitely on our side. They helped
us there. And just, it's really good. I think that the seniors in
Chanhassen are extremely active. When they set their mind to do
something, they always do it and they get what they want. And that just
tells me that you're go getters and set your mind to accomplish something
and you do it.
Montgomery: Maybe George would like to know what this Senior Linkage Line
IS.
Heinlein: Yeah, I was just going to say. Perhaps he doesn't know what
we're talking about.
AI-Jaff: Okay. Senior Linkage Line is a new network that the State is
going to have in Minnesota. Any person that wants information, regardless
of what it is that concerns seniors, be it, let's say I want to find out
if I moved my mother to Chanhassen, would someone be able to bring her
meals over the noon hour. I would call Senior Linkage Line and they would
be able to tell me when meals would be available and through whom to
contact. And a day or two later they will call me back to check if the
referral that they gave me worked out for me. Which is something that
really is not available right now. It's also available for seniors.
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April 16, 1993 - Page 12
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let's say a senior would call and say, my cat is on the tree and I can't
bring it down. Whom do I call? Or it could be, I can't plow my driveway.
Whom do I contact? So it could be any number of questions but the Senior
linkage line, whom it will be mainly run by volunteers. They will always
be contacted back to make sure that whatever referral they had, had worked
out for them. And we got that approved jointly through, it's going to be
a joint program by Carver County and Chanhassen. We're both working on
this joint program.
Kubitz: You mean, doesn't that work too say if you have an older parent
in another city in the State, who do I contact to have them checked on?
Al-Jaff: Yes.
Kubitz: So it goes statewide.
Al-Jaff: It goes statewide, correct.
Olson: Sharmin, this gal Phyllis no name.
Montgomery: Phyllis Blank.
Olson: Phyllis Blank. She is going to be a salaried person paid by funds
out of Carver County.
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Al-Jaff: Correct.
Olson: And stationed here in Chanhassen in the Senior Center room?
Al-Jaff: Correct.
Olson: In Dawn's office?
Al-Jaff: Correct.
Olson: Okay. What is her job? Or what are her duties?
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Al-Jaff: Okay. Her duties are going to be recruiting volunteers. Writing
monthly reports. She has to be responsible for the promotion of the
program. If needed, maybe once a month she would have to go to different
communities in Carver County. Tell them about Senior linkage line. In
cases of emergency, she has to know how to handle those. She has to train
her volunteers. She's going to be trained. Dawn and myself are going to
take the training as well just in case there were any problems, we would
be available for back-up. And it's going to work the same as, I know
what's going on in the senior center. If there was any question and Dawn
wasn't available, I'm available. Over the past 6 or 7 months I've only
been called once. So this is something that will rarely happen. I know
it. That I would be contacted or Dawn. Dawn is more likely to be
contacted than me basically because she spends quite a bit of time in the
senior center. So if Phyllis is not available, Dawn will be the back-up.
If Dawn is not available, I will be the back-up.
Montgomery: What are her hours?
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Al-Jaff: They're flexible. We asked that, and that's another thing that
we suggested and it will be discussed on the 20th. When the program first
begins there are going to be many loose ends. So we suggested that she
starts with maybe 20 hours and then gradually taper off to 15 and then
down to 10 ,because once the program is up and running, she truly doesn't
need to be there all the time. The volunteers will be doing most of the
work answering the phones.
Montgomery: And she's okay with that? Having less hours?
AI-Jaff: Well it was something that, the job was advertised for 10 to 15
hours a week. The work has to be done in that timeframe. It can be done
in that timeframe. I know the phones are not going to be ringing off the
hook. We might, I don't know. I just can't imagine the phones ringing
all the time. No, it's from 9:00 in the morning until 4:30. 9:00 to
4:00. Yes, 9:00 to 4:00.
George made a comment that was not picked up on the tape.
AI-Jaff: It's not an emergency. It's more what do I do. I mean 911 will
still be available for emergencies but sometimes you wonder what can I
do? I can't clean my house anymore. Or just the examples I gave you
earlier.
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Littfin: Who do I go to for some tax help?
George made another comment.
AI-Jaff: It really is and the volunteers have to be trained to recognize
if the call is an emergency call. If it should be referred to a social
worker. Or if it's something that they can handle.. .yes, absolutely.
Montgomery: While we were trying to work this out, we did get a directory
together and published it and about 5 days after we published it, we had
to change you know upteem names. So this is far better. It will all be
on computer.
Billison: Is there anything else? Does anybody else have anything?
CARVER COUNTY SENIOR CITIZENS' EXPO DAY.
Al-Jaff: I need to find out who would like to attend the Expo.
Heinlein: Well we know we're going to be there.
Littfin: You bet we are.
Kubitz: We have to be there. The Board. The Commission. We've got
double duty.
~ Heinlein: The Chorus is going to sing that day.
Kubitz: Oh the chorus, yes. You've got triple duty.
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Al-Jaff: I need to find out today because our next meeting is on the 21st
and the Senior Expo is on the 14th. I need you to sign up.
Montgomery: What day is that?
Al-Jaff: The 14th is a Friday. It would be the Friday before our Senior
Commission meeting.
Montgomery: Okay. What time?
Littfin: 9:00 to 2:00.
Al-Jaff: Thank you Mark.
Littfin: George, I don't know if you are aware but the senior citizens of
Chanhassen has formed a chorus.
Olson: And they're looking for more members.
Littfin: They're looking for more members.
Al-Jaff: This is the time to recruit.
Littfin: We meet on Fridays at 12:30 at noon.
Heinlein: Why don't we make it 1:00 instead of 12:30?
Littfin: I don't know. You'll have to talk to Zach about that. But
anyhow we're looking for more male singers particularly and we're going to
sing, hopefully, at this Carver County Senior Expo. We're scheduled there
and we're also scheduled for the civic celebration on the 4th of July here
in Chanhassen. We've got a lot of work to do. You know some of us can't
turn the pages that fast. Some of us don't see the notes. But you're
welcome. We're extending the invitation.
Heinlein: We had a gentleman come in yesterday while we were playing
cards. I couldn't figure out how he got in. He got in through the side
door.
Littfin: Is that right?
Heinlein: That door isn't supposed to be open.
Kubitz: Somebody came into the Senior .Center through the emergency door
yesterday.
AI-Jaff: And did the bells go?
Heinlein: No. I looked up and here's this man standing there and I
thought, where'd he come from because he did not come from the right
entrance.
Littfin: He wasn't a city employee was he?
Senior Commission Meeting
April 16, 1993 - Page 15
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Heinlein: No. No.
Al-Jaff: Was he a senior citizen?
Heinlein: Yes he was. Marion talked to him. Then he turned around and
he went back that way and I thought, well now where he is going and I
watched sitting where I was, I saw him come out that door.
Al-Jaff: Okay. I will talk to the library.
Kubitz: He could go out alright but he shouldn't have been able to come
in.
Heinlein: No, he couldn't have come in any other way because all the
doors are locked there. He was interested in the chorus. That's what he
was interested in. I didn't get his name. I think Marion took it.
Littfin: Well, it's good to see the interest.
Kubitz: It's good to know also that that door wasn't locked because we
would hate to have somebody doing damage.
Olson: Or steal the piano we just got.
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Gillison:
Is there anything further?
Olson: Did Sharmin get the number of the people going?
Al-Jaff: That's the sign-up sheet that will be going around right now.
Billison: Anything else on Senior Citizens' Expo Day? Then we'll go onto
the next item.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES FOR 1993.
AI-Jaff: Do you have anything to add to your goals and objectives?
Montgomery: Did we ever decide anything about the historical stuff?
Whether we're going to do that or if it's on hold.
Al-Jaff: No, it hasn't. I have talked to Dawn about it. If a
subcommittee would like to start this project, and I don't know if it's
something that the Senior Commission should take over or should be through
the Senior Center.
Littfin: That was discussed at our March meeting.
AI-Jaff: Okay, with Dawn?
Littfin: And I can't find what we decided. Because we asked the question
e of the Mayor at that time if the City had any archives.
Kubitz: And that is when Don Ashworth I believe was around.
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April 16, 1993 - Page 16
AI-Jaff: Todd Hoffman? Todd Gerhardt?
Olson: Page 11.
Littfin: Page 11? Of the March?
Olson: Of March.
AI-Jaff: So you do want to consider?
Montgomery:
have it die.
be fine but I
that somebody
It just seems to me, I would like to not just forget it and
But if somebody else could take it over, I think that would
just, I'd like us to kind of keep it moving. Or make sure
does something then. Not necessarily us.
Olson: Minutes say we're going to get ahold of Todd and find out.
AI-Jaff: Todd Hoffman?
Olson: Yes.
AI-Jaff: Okay.
Olson: No, Gerhardt.
AI-Jaff: Gerhardt? The Mayor said that?
Olson: Yes.
AI-Jaff: I'll talk to Todd about this and bring it to your attention at
the next meeting. Senior Linkage Line is, that was another goal that you
had and it's almost done. Senior housing. We will be meeting with
McCombs Group to start looking at financing and what options are
available. And this is going to be a staff meeting at this point. After
that we will bring it in front of you. Nothing has been discussed about
an architect yet or specific designs. I believe that in May we will pick
that up again.
Montgomery: I understand that there have to be sort of choices. I mean
several options. You can't just pick somebody. You have to open it up to
bids for several architects.
AI-Jaff: Okay. I need to talk to Paul about that.
Kubitz: When is the McCombs meeting?
AI-Jaff: That would be next week.
Montgomery: Has anything more been done with the negotiations for the
land?
AI-Jaff: They're aware of it. They're aware that we're looking at the
sites across the street from Target. And George, just an update on this
one. One of the goals of the Senior Commission was to build senior
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Senior Commission Meeting
April 16, 1993 - Page 17
housing. We looked at 13 different sites. The 3 most desireable sites
were the site in front of Target, where the farmhouse is. This site is
number one on their list. It would be the closest to the Senior Center.
Close to Target. The shopping center. So it's in a central location and
it is very close to everything in downtown. The second site is where the
hockey rinks are. That site, it is desireable as far as location.
However, it's too close to the school. Parkland would be lost, and that
area is heavily used. The third site is next to the new bank, the
Americana Bank. It is desireable. It's got the acreage but there will be
no room for expansion. So one of the advantages of the other two sites,
the hockey site and next to the Americana Bank is that the city owns those
two sites. But the site in front of Target is owned privately so
additional money will have to be spent. So that's where it's at.
Montgomery: Last meeting the Mayor suggested that he knew of someplace
that he thought was really a very attractive place. Wasn't it in, was it
Maple Grove? Robbinsdale or something? Anyway, over that way. And I
wondered if we could go see it. Maybe he has another suggestion, I don't
know.
Al-Jaff: No, he had talked to me about it.
Kubitz: We still want to go see Mayberry to satisfy those people who were
there.
Al-Jaff: Mayberry?
Montgomery: Wayberry?
Kubitz: Wayberry.
Heinlein: From what I heard the other day, I don't know.
Al-Jaff: What did you hear?
Heinlein: Well I don't know. Let's drop it for the time being. I don't
know, it came up the other day and something about food and a lot of
argumentation going on. People are just battling each other for, somebody
that's bringing food into them and they think that it should be put more
to the food shelf where everybody can get their share.
Olson: Yeah, but we just want to look at the building.
Kubitz: The building. They want to see their apartments because they
liked them.
Heinlein: You know who it is that wants, the ones that go to the senior
center. They're the ones that want you to look at their apartments.
Montgomery: Yeah, but it's just a building that we're looking at.
Heinlein: Well I don't know. It was after that kind of talk I thought,
well now what kind of building is it?
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Montgomery: Maybe the Mayor or Paul have some ideas of some other place
that they think we should see.
Heinlein: Because we've looked at how many?
AI-Jaff: We've looked at about 7.
Heinlein: Quite a few I know.
Montgomery: He seemed to be very upbeat about that one.
Al-Jaff: We'll go, no problem. I'll contact him.
Heinlein:
other day.
Yeah, it was one of the men that helped with the taxes the
He was very upbeat on the one in Waconia.
Montgomery:
The one we saw?
Heinlein:
Yeah.
Montgomery:
Yeah, I liked that.
Heinlein:
He said if he was alone, that's where he'd want to go.
Montgomery: Yeah, I thought that was beautiful. I liked that.
Al-Jaff: Would you consider looking at the 21st of May. This way we can.
Heinlein: what day?
AI-Jaff: The 21st. Friday. The same day as your Senior commission. We
can have our meeting then maybe meet at say 11:00.
Montgomery: I don't know. It seems to me that makes everything so
hurried and everybody's not concentrating on what's going on. When we
have it after the meeting.
AI-Jaff: Okay.
Montgomery: That's my own observation.
AI-Jaff: Then we would do it on a separate day.
Montgomery: Well, how do the rest of you think?
Kubitz: Just push it up an hour.
Littfin: Sharmin you want to be careful too that it doesn't interfere
with any of the planned one day trips that the seniors are booking. We've
got that mystery trip coming up and we've got.
Heinlein: Well that's the 27th.
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April 16, 1993 - Page 19
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Littfin: Is that the 27th? I mean there are those things that are
scheduled also.
Kubitz: Barbara, you were just saying you didn't want to go at 11:00.
You wanted to be able to go a little later.
Montgomery: Well I just think that sometimes it puts us under pressure
when there is something because.. .to the meeting you know and it's
distracting with a bus sitting out there with the motor running and we're
trying to decide something.
Kubitz: Plan our meeting accordingly and go when we're done. So the 21st
is alright, just don't push the time.
Heinlein: Our meetings are usually over by 12:00 aren't they?
Montgomery: Well at least. Usually 11:30.
Al-Jaff: This is about the Senior Expo. Does anyone know if Sherol is
interested?
Kubitz: She is, yeah.
Billison: Is there anything else on goals and objectives?
~ Heinlein: To get more people into the center.
Littfin: I think it's really pretty good. What did I hear or read
somewhere that the month of February had 300.
Kubitz: Over 300. They expected even more in March.
Littfin: Which I think is pretty good.
Montgomery:
. ..publicity.
AI-Jaff: On the senior center?
Montgomery: Well I don't know. About anything since.
Kubitz: I think that's up to Dawn...
UPDATE ON SENIOR CENTER ACTIVITIES.
Al-Jaff: Well it's basically what you have in your packet. There's a
schedule for April and May and those are the activities that will be
taking place at the Senior Center...
(There was a tape change at this point in the discussion.)
~ Littfin: How many members do you have?
Olson: Oh, we're short about 50.
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April 16, 1993 - Page 20
George: How many do you have?
Littfin: I don't know. Every Friday somebody's either got a dental
appointment or a doctor's appointment or the flu so it varies from time to
time. We've got practice today.
Heinlein: I know. The 23rd I'm going to be babysitting...
8illison: Mark, what are the qualifications for membership into...Do you
have to read music or do you just have to?
Littfin: Well, there are no qualifications other than the usual senior
citizen.
8illison: And a loud voice.
Olson: Good voice.
Littfin: No, not good, loud. You're right.. .so for the Expo celebration
and the 4th of July, we're going down to simple music. My Country type of
music.
Kubitz: The old favorites?
Olson: This Land is my Land.
Littfin: This Land is my Land and something like that.
Heinlein: No Man is an Island.
Littfin: Yeah, that's a tough one. That's four voices and that's going
to be kind of our theme song.
Heinlein: I don't know why we can't do it without four voices.
Littfin: Well it's going to come and it's going to be fun.
to.. .organ background and with four voices it's hard to pick
notes from an organ. Whereas if you've got a piano, you can
note up and everybody can hear their note.. .Oh, it's fun.
We're trying
out your
pick that
8illison: Okay, we're down to our last item.
SENIOR COMMISSION COMMENTS.
Littfin: I would like to bring up two items from our last Minutes of the
March meeting. The question was raised, or the suggestion was made that
we send a letter to...thank you note for the railing that was installed in
the sidewalk... That was my question and I wanted to bring it into this
meeting so we don't lose the question. Dawn said in the Minutes that she
would prepare it...
AI-Jaff: I'm not aware of whether it has been sent or hasn't.
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Senior Commission Meeting
April 16, 1993 - Page 21
Littfin: Okay. So we'll continue the question in the Minutes until we
have an answer.
AI-Jaff: Okay. I will draft a letter. Okay, it was for the railing
installed.
Littfin: The use of the public works building...
(The quality of the recording became so bad at this point the discussion
wasn't audible on the tape.)
Heinlein moved, Montgomery seconded to adjourn the meeting. All voted in
favor and the motion carried. The meeting was adjourned.
Submitted by Paul Krauss
Planning Director
Prepared by Nann Opheim