1993 06 18
CHANHASSEN SENIOR COMMISSION
REGULAR MEETING
JUNE 18, 1993
4It Chairman Billison called the meeting to order at 9:30 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT: Bernice Billison, Selda Heinlein, Mark Littfin, Jane
Kubitz, Albin Olson, Barbara Montgomery, and Sherol Howard
MEMBERS ABSENT: None
STAFF PRESENT: Sharmin AI-Jaff, Planner I; and Dawn Lemme, Senior Center
Coordinator
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Howard moved, Heinlein seconded to approve the
Minutes of the Senior Commission dated May 21, 1993 as presented. All
voted in favor and the motion carried.
INTRODUCTION OF KITTY SITTER. SENIOR LINKAGE LINE SITE COORDINATOR AND
VERBAL UPDATE ON THE SENIOR LINKAGE LINE.
4It
Kitty Sitter: I passed some information around for you. That's where
we're at right now...so far. I divided my job up into about 3 areas that
I'm focusing on currently and the first is basically with the system. The
computers, the phone equipment, that sort of thing... I believe that we
finally have that all set and in place and we've got a couple of calls that
have come in to...That leads us to another part which is publicity area of
my job and we started to...pass out this kind of information that you're
seeing here in front of you. We also put some out at the Senior Expo in
May and we've also have some phone calls out to the various communities in
the county. What...before the summertime. We've been contacting the
churches in the county to give them information and we also have a line on
the Senior Centers throughout the various cities in the county. So we're
starting to find the avenues to get the information out about the Senior
Linkage Line. Sharmin was also mentioning that I should speak to you about
the SAIL organization who is helping us do a little publicity in their
capabilities that they have as well. And we had a quick meeting yesterday
that I came to part of it and I might let Sharmin fill you in a little bit
on that in a minute. I wanted to give you the third part of my job that
I'm working with right now and that's with volunteers. The recruitment and
staffing of the phone lines so we can have someone there on the other end
of the phone line when somebody calls. Currently we have a senior aid
that's being paid through the Title V program and the county has helped us
fill that position. And we also have two volunteers, Lola Kagol and Betty
Bragg are our first two volunteers that are working with the program and
they have been, they've gone through their first training and they have a
second training set up for next week and then they're full fledged
volunteers ready to go and I think that all three of those people.
Howard: What about Helen Nelson?
Kitty Sitter: She's the intern, or not the intern but the senior aid
that's working.
4It Howard: Oh she is?
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Kitty Sitter: Right. So those three people are the people that are
helping us out right now. We would like to have it staffed from 9:00 to
4:00, Monday thru Friday and our volunteer staff hours are working in 3 1/2
hour slots so they'll be 2 of those slots every day, Monday thru Friday. So
we still have a ways to go to fill our volunteer staffing. So that's what
I'm working on real heavily right now is getting those people up and
running. Do you want to talk Sharmin about the SAIL piece? Would that be
okay with you?
AI-Jaff: Sure. We met yesterday with Maureen Novridge Snyder with the
SAIL program. She wanted to find out where this program is at this time.
What progress we have made. She also wanted some background and she is
quite familiar with the program but she wanted us to repeat everything that
we have done up to date. She's going to put an article in her newsletter.
That goes out to all of Carver County. One thing that she mentioned was
SAIL has a quarterly meeting. There are three groups that meet. One is
information and referral. One is chore. And the third one is financing.
She thought that it is rather imperative that someone from Chanhassen would
start attending those meetings. Julie Bentz also was at the meeting with
us yesterday and she agreed that that would be a very good idea. No one
has been designated to attend those meetings yet. I was looking at
volunteering myself and Julie said, you have to learn to say no. I'm sure
we will find someone to attend those meetings. All that will happen at
those meetings is we're going to learn more how other communities handle
their information and referral. What type of services they offer their
seniors and we will look at ways of improving the system that we have here.
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Howard: Does one meeting encompass all three of these parts?
AI-Jaff: No.
Howard: Each one has a meeting?
AI-Jaff: Yes.
Howard: So there are three meetings quarterly?
AI-Jaff: Yeah but I don't know if we want to attend the finance part of it
because each city or each organization finances their whatever project in a
different manner. And I don't know if two organizations. Well, we could
use similar finance systems but we have the Block Grant money that we
usually get our financing for the seniors from. We also have the city
budget that a portion of that budget gets allocated to the seniors in
Chanhassen so I don't know if we want to attend the finance part of the
SAIL program quarterly meeting but the information and referral would be a
good one to attend and just see what other communities are doing.
Howard: Where are they held? This is a 5 county area so do they skip
around to the different counties?
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AI-Jaff:
I'm sorry.
They're always held in, it's a half hour drive. I can't remember.
I don't remember all the names.
Kitty Sitter: Is it west of us?
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Al-Jaff:
Yeah, it is west of us.
Kitty Sitter: Yeah, because the SAIL project is dealing with those 5
county areas that are south and north and west of us. Of Carver so I would
guess it's probably.
AI-Jaff: I want to say, no. I'm sorry, I can't remember.
Howard: And when are they?
AI-Jaff: They're quarterly so once every three months.
Howard: No, I mean the first Wednesday or?
Al-Jaff: I don't know. I don't know but they're usually between 1:00 and
3:00 so you can count on your afternoons to be spent there.
Howard: I think it'd be a good idea for us all to take turns going to
them. Would that be feasible? Or do you think one person?
AI-Jaff: Well, whenever you have consistency, I think it would be better
because you have that one person that has all the information and you count
on that person to share it with the others. If you want to try having a
different person attend I mean in one year we'll have four people attending
those meetings.
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Kitty Sitter: You know what might possibly work is to send Helen to one of
those meetings and maybe job share so to speak with one of you on the group
so basically you could go every other and just keep up to date. That would
give us.
Littfin: Does it necessarily have to be one of the Commission?
AI-Jaff: No.
Littfin: I'm thinking, if we got more people involved in the senior
activities, planning and so forth, we could create more interest among our
seniors and I'm wondering if a fellow like George Dorsey, if he was
approached to represent the Commission and attend these meetings. I mean
here's a man that looks like he's just dying to do something. If we spread
our activities around and ask him.
Montgomery: I think that's a fine suggestion.
Littfin: I mean we've got other people too like, well I don't know about
Al Herzog particularly but he's interested.
Olson: Dale. Dale, well he's on another commission.
Littfin: Geving?
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Olson:
Geving, yeah.
Montgomery: Yeah, he's already doing something.
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Littfin: But if we could get some of these other men interested, we'd have
a broader base for our entire senior program.
Howard: I would suggest that we have Al and Mark find someone, as long as
you know these people.
Littfin: If I could get just a little resume of what would be expected of
this individual so I could say George, here's what we'd like you to do as
representing the seniors of Chanhassen. These meetings are going to be
this time, here, 3 times a year. 4 times a year. Whatever and give him a
basis as to what he's commiting himself to.
Al-3aff: We would have to fill George in on what Senior Linkage Line is
all about and how it operates.
Montgomery: I think he'd love that.
Littfin: I think so too because he's a very knowledgeable person. He's
interested. I mean he put together.
Montgomery: He might take somebody with him, you know.
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AI-Jaff: Whenever we get involved with something with the county, I'm
always cautious because the Senior Commission at the city level
accomplishes so much in such short time and I know if we have a slow month
or two, everybody says Sharmin, how come nothing is happening and I always
have to, I mean you keep me on my toes and I always have to think of a new
project so that none of you would get bored or say okay, we're not doing
anything. I don't know if the county would move at that same pace.
Whoever starts attending those meetings, well Sherol you have attended
quite a few county meetings.
Howard: There are meetings and there are meetings.
AI-Jaff: And you do have some times when a couple of months pass by and
not much gets accomplished and then all of a sudden things start to happen.
But they're definitely at a slower pace than what you are used to.
Howard: With the Linkage Line involved this might move better though than
the county. This would be the whole 5 county. So this might move a little
better.
AI-Jaff: Okay, as long as that person doesn't get bored and realizes that
things move at a slow pace. I'm not saying that. ..and it will be at a
slower pace but from what I have seen in the past, the County moves at a
slower pace than Chanhassen does.
Olson: We also have another active man is Al Klingelhutz who was a County
Commissioner. So he knows a lot of these people that they'd probably be
dealing with.
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AI-Jaff:
If you can get Al involved, that would be wonderful.
Olson: He is retired now is he not?
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AI-Jaff: Yeah. In name only. He still comes to City Hall all the time
asking questions. I can't imagine Al retiring.
Olson: I mean there's probably other men and other women also that would
be very knowledgeable about such a program...
Montgomery: It might be a way then they would also be interested in the
Senior Linkage Line. You know if they're representing it, maybe they want
to volunteer.
Kitty Sitter: I do like your idea though of drawing in some other people
besides just your group here because that does give more ownership
constantly to other people and get them involved in what you're interested
in as well.
Littfin: Otherwise we become a clique.
Howard: It isn't for lack of trying that other people.
Littfin: Well I appreciate that. I know that.
Kitty Sitter: Were there other questions you had about the Senior Linkage
Line or are you up to speed now on where we're going with it?
Olson: Are there many people participating?
e Kitty Sitter: As far as callers calling in?
Olson: Yes.
Kitty Sitter: Not yet Al and the reason is because of the publicity and
we've done that slowly on purpose because we didn't want to have people
calling in and not have a staff member there to answer those calls for
them. So what we've done in the meantime to fill in our staffing gaps, is
that we're able to transfer phone calls, when we don't have the lines
staffed, and to transfer those over to the Hennepin site of the Senior
Linkage Line so there is a knowledgeable staff member there taking the
phone call. And if they're not able to find the information on their
system for some reason, then they make sure that we get that message and
then we cover that when we're back here staffed. So the caller is taken
care of and all of the database that are involved in the computers are
pretty much the same except for we have the option of kind of custom making
our own system geared to our county services. So on a monthly basis we get
a sheet that says these are more options that we can put into our computer
database. Which ones would you like to have entered into your system and
so I'll go through and find the ones that are really specific to Carver
County or ones that people might have a general interest in and put those
into our system. So that happens at each of the sites with the Senior
Linkage Line so that Hennepin is able to see some of what we're offering,
if they choose to put it in their system. And that's what I mean. If they
can't come up with it on there, then it gets back to us and we take care of
those people. Any other questions?
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Al-Jaff: I just wanted to point out that Kitty has been wonderful for the
program. I mean she took it and ran away with it and she's just been
wonderful. She's done a fabulous job and we're really lucky to have her
with us.
Kitty Sitter: Well keep me on my toes. If there's something that I can...
let me know.
8illison: That's a wonderful program and I think we're leaders in the
field.
AI-Jaff: Absolutely. And I think the article that was written in the
Chaska Herald that I sent to you proves that. They're using Chanhassen as
an example of how seniors should be treated and I thought you would be
proud of that article.
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Kitty Sitter: The one thing that I'd leave you with, unless there's other
questions, is we are really looking for volunteers right now to help staff
so if there's someone that you can think of that might be interested, we do
all the training for them. The computer is not a scarey thing. For some
people that's been kind of a hesitant area for them but it's a matter of
punching in just a few little letters and that's all. You don't even have
to type. So as you're out and about, keep your ears open for people that
might be interested and let me have their names and I'll be really glad to
contact them for you. And the other thing is the publicity. Word of
mouth. I'll be counting on all of you to help spread that as well as our
written material that we send out so you have to pump this thing up and get
people knowing that it's available to them to use. Thanks.
8illison: We certainly will do our part.
Kitty Sitter: I know you will.
Montgomery: You know I was just thinking of one thing. I remember a
hotline that I worked on had little cards. Like little calling cards and
they just left them allover everywhere.
Kitty Sitter: Like a business card is what you're thinking of?
Montgomery: Yeah. And people could pick them up.
Howard: We have little stickers and I think all of us should carry those.
I was talking to someone and I had none with me. You can pick them up at
the senior center and I think we all should have a few of those with us.
Montgomery: Maybe just leave them around places.
Howard: When we meet people.
8illison: Good idea.
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Kitty Sitter:
I'm all ears.
Well if you come up with some more great ideas, let me know.
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Billison:
Thank you so much.
Appreciate your being here.
UPDATE ON SENIOR HOUSING.
Ai-Jaff: It's really a very short update. The financing package has been
awarded to McComb Group. So they are working on it and a draft should be
submitted very soon. So that we know what kind of financing we can go
with. And architect has not been selected. You can go with any architect.
I mean we're going to have to send RFP's so I know that you were looking at
different architects. You didn't want to be tied down so you are not tied
down. Yes, you can go with other architects. I am meeting with Todd to
start discussing options on parcels. I know which parcel you're looking at
and which one is your favorite site so I will be meeting with him on,
hopefully this afternoon. And you know that Todd has spoken to the owner
of the parcel. We're talking about the James property where the Kerber
farm is. So the owner is aware that the city wants to build senior housing
out there. But I think that Todd needs to talk to him again just to let
him know that the city is still interested. Other than that, nothing.
Howard: Has there ever been mentioned any timeframe that they would like
to have this completed by year x or under way by year x or what?
AI-Jaff: When it comes to our Senior Commission, I mean the senior center
was supposed to be finished in 5 years. You got it in 6 months.
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Howard: Nothing has been discussed?
AI-Jaff: No. No, but I know that, I wouldn't be surprised if it was
completed within a couple of years. I mean we have to purchase the land
sometime soon.
Montgomery: Do we need to do anything to say yes, we would like to get on
with this?
AI-Jaff: No. We are moving on it. I mean we are working. This is the
slow period where staff keeps working and trying to put things together and
those things take time. But please be assured that we are working on it.
We're not just sitting back and saying, okay things will take care of
themselves.
Billison: We know you're working Sharmin to the benefit of all of us.
Al-Jaff: Paul has handled the financing because you all know I don't know
how to balance a checkbook.
Montgomery: We'd just hate to see some other offer for that land take
over.
AI-Jaff: No. Something will happen very soon. Like I said, I'm meeting
with Todd Gerhardt this afternoon and I will talk to him about it.
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Billison:
Stay in there and pitch for that property.
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AI-Jaff: Well, you've got the option with different architects so believe
me, we are trying. We are working. You're not stuck with one.
Montgomery: I just think it's nice to look at different options.
AI-Jaff: Absolutely. Absolutely. I know that when we went to Waconia,
the firm that designed the senior housing complex was from St. Paul. And I
got that from Sherol's notes.
Howard: It must have been true then.
AI-Jaff: But I will contact them again and get the name and you would like
this person to submit a bid to design the senior housing.
Howard: Well we like that style.
Montgomery: Was his name Miller? Was that the one?
AI-Jaff: Yes. That's the one. Well, I will let you know, but you would
like a bid from that firm right?
Howard: We all liked the building I think.
Montgomery: We all liked the looks of that building.
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Billison: Thank you Sharmin. Appreciate it.
Kubitz: That doesn't mean another architect couldn't build the same type
of thing.
Howard: That's true.
AI-Jaff: No but what we're saying is, you like that style and.
Howard: That style would fit in very well with the existing buildings
around this immediate area.
UPDATE ON COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT FUNDS.
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AI-Jaff: Well I've got good news. Last Monday the Minnesota Municipal
Board officially approved the annexation of, you're aware that we have a
parcel north of Chanhassen. The county line runs smack in the middle of
the house. So half of the house is located in Hennepin and the other half
is located in Carver County. So we went to Shorewood and we asked them if
we can annex that half a house into Chanhassen and they said, fine. No
problem. And so, but it has to go through stages for the approval to
become official so the City approved it. Minnesota Municipal Board
officially approved it last Monday. We're hoping that HUD continues to
support it and then we would need the approval from Washington and that's
when the Block Grant money would be guaranteed that we would have it. We
haven't lost it. We're in the process of getting approval to keep it. But
we're on our way so I thought you might want to know about this. Also, we
have always talked about if we can locate a house or a building in Hennepin
County we would guarantee that we would have our block grant money. I have
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been approached by a developer that is looking at putting, that portion of
Chanhassen. There is a map behind you. That portion of Chanhassen that is
located in Hennepin County, and you can see it. Yes. Yes, that portion
that's sticking out. Yes. Okay. This is zoned industrial office park and
it's guided for office park. If we decide to put any type of residential
uses in there, we would have to get approval from the Metropolitan Council.
Now the developer I was approached by wants to put in townhouses. To the
south we have Lundgren Bros single family housing and to the east in Eden
Prairie we have townhouses as well as them proposing to put in a mini-mall
commercial. To the west we have housing so I think we could convince the
Metropolitan Council as well as the city to put in residential. It's just
a matter of how much it would cost and that's something the developer is
going to have to deal with as far as the cost of the land. If we put in,
the reason why I'm bringing this up is if we put in residential, let's say
10 units. 10 families right there. You have your population in Hennepin
County and the Block Grant monies are guaranteed. So no official proposal
has been submitted but this developer is extremely serious about it. He
has approached me 3 times so far and I told him that we could support
something like that.
Montgomery: Are there any drawbacks to doing it?
AI-Jaff: Well, changing industrial land into residential. The taxes.
Littfin: Is the city losing taxes?
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AI-Jaff: Yes but we have to think that if we are going to lose taxes,
I mean industrial land will give you much higher taxes than residential but
we're gaining the Block Grant money.
Littfin: But we have the Block Grant money secured by the other house over
here in Shorewood.
Al-Jaff: Yeah and what if someday they came and said, you can't have just
one house...
(There was a tape change at this point in the discussion.)
UPDATE ON SENIOR CENTER ACTIVITIES.
Howard: I only wanted to have them see the thank you.
Lemme: Right, and r gave you all the copies that I had.
Howard: They're at my house.
Lemme: So unfortunately r don't have that to show.
Howard: Well Dawn has made a one sheet that will fit in the
envelope that just has a little design and it says thank you
Chanhassen seniors. And anytime we have occasion to use it,
blank space in the middle. Write a little note. Whatever.
doing the thanking and Dawn will address it and mail it in a
Chanhassen
from the
there's a
Whoever's
Chanhassen
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envelope and we have quite a few at the moment to thank for quite a few
items.
Billison: Thank you.
Lemme: Your calendars are coming. The June-July-August. Since yesterday
or Wednesday we just had our Senior Advisory Board meeting. There's a few
additions to that and then they're going to be mailed out on Monday to our
mailing list of seniors. You do have quite a few things going on this
summer. Quite a few trips and opportunities for activities. We've got
three scheduled trips to go to Farmers Market in Minneapolis. For shopping
for fresh produce. We had a golf workshop last, or this week. Excuse me
on Monday and Wednesday. Of course you know on July 2nd we've got our
first year anniversay celebration at the senior center and the senior
chorus is going to be singing there. I just passed around was one copy of
the oldest senior application. I just wanted to show you that. Did that
make it down the line?
Howard: No.
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Lemme: Okay. I just had one copy of that just for everyone to see.
Because we'll be doing a, if you know of anybody who you would, could
possibly qualify for as the oldest Chanhassen senior. We've got
applications down in the senior center for that. And there will be a
birthday celebration for that person at the open house. Again, there will
be entertainment and refreshments. On July 1st we're going to the
Minnesota Orchestra to see a coffee concert and there's a purple flyer that
was supposed to be passed down the line on that also. So if anyone's
interested, there are still openings on that trip as well. July 17th we're
having. and that's not on your calendar but we're having a card and game
night. Saturday night special. That's Saturday, July 17th there will be a
card and game night. I also had passed along to you the lawn chair lyrics
concert schedule and that's a city wide thing but we hope that the seniors
will participate and come out to those as well because it's our free
concerts and they should be good and the weather's going to be sunny, I
just know it.
Littfin: Dawn, may I ask a question?
Lemme: Sure.
Littfin: On the lawn chair concerts. Are there provisions for any
refreshments to be sold?
Lemme: If the co-sponsoring group would like to sell pop, we told them
that that would be okay. Electric is a problem. We're going to have just.
enough for the band. In fact we'll probably have to use generators as it
stands because they're going to be outside in the future central park
location. So I told all the co-sponsors, if you'd like to see some
refreshments, popcorn or poP. that's up to you. We won't be doing that
though as a city.
4It Littfin: If the sponsoring or co-sponsoring organization were not going to
sell refreshments, could that be a project to be considered by Al and his
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Men's Club?
Lemme:
music.
Absolutely. Or the chorus if they want to earn some money for
That's what I thought you were thinking of.
Littfin: Well that's what I was thinking of too but either a chorus fund
for music or Men's Club. A fund for supplies. Or just into the general.
Does the senior citizens organization have a central fund?
Heinlein: No.
Littfin: We don't.
Lemme: Money can be earmarked. Say money that was earned at the garage
sale. That money was deposited into the general city fund but that money
is earmarked for a senior project or senior.
Howard: I think it might be a good idea Mark to have one.
Littfin: I think so because let it, if seniors could make money on
different projects. Goes into a central fund and then a phase of the
seniors needs some money, have a fund to draw some funds from. That's a
bad sentence structure.
Lemme: They can do that because the money's earmarked.
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Littfin: I wish there were a fund that we could take some money out and
buy a flag for our senior center.
Lemme: No one's asked me. There probably is.
Littfin: No but we do not have a flag in our senior center and we should
really have one there for July 2nd.
Olson: The American Legion I'm sure will donate a flag because they're
giving everyone flags.
Montgomery: Who is?
Olson: The American Legion. They just gave one to the church. They just
gave one to this here home where these boys are out on Highway 5. So I'm
sure if we ask them for a flag that they would.
Lemme: And money has been budgeted for senior center improvements.
Littfin: We should have something more than a flag. We should have a
standard like that. A flag with a fringe on it and all.
8111ison: And the eagle on it.
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Littfin: Yeah. That's appropriate for our room rather than a flag that
you put on a pole.
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Lemme: I could sure look into what the cost of that and I could talk to
the Legion as well.
Olson: We should get a...coffee maker.
Kubitz: This was also discussed at the Board meeting.
Olson: Something like they have at the American Legion where you have
glass pots and they have hot water in it all the time and you can quickly
make it.
Howard: This was decided Wednesday Al. That's where our garage sale money
is going.
Olson: Great. Great.
Lemme: Yeah, I agree with you Mark but you do have funds. I have a budget
that I work off of for the senior center and it's not that what goes out
for expenditures is not reliant on what comes in. So I would have to look
at my budget. I don't have that on me but I would imagine there'd be some
money to buy that.
Littfin: The funds that you have though came from the City? Okay. I was,
my thought, going a step further was that maybe some funds could be raised
by activities of the seniors themselves so that anytime we do want
something, we don't have to tap the city. We should be a little bit self
supporting.
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Kubitz: We've been around on this one.
Howard: Yes. I thoroughly agree.
Lemme: We try to make all our trips have to be self supportive. Many of
our individual programs are self supported. We eventually see that that's
where we'll be at a place where more of the items will be but right now the
center is still real new and the city wants to support a new facility such
as that.
Howard: That would not interfere with having our own fund though would it?
Lemme: I would have to check into the logistics of that. How they want to
do that. Even when donations come into the city, they go to a general
donations fund. Legally they can't go right to a different, to individual
areas. That's an area I'm not.
Howard: Well for any money we make, we could have a general fund could we
not? For any money we generate?
Lemme: I'd have to check into that. I don't enough about the budgeting
process Sherol to answer that.
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Littfin:
We're sponsored by the city.
Maybe we can't do that.
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Howard: Well, we can't make a motion now but would you find out and
perhaps next money we could discuss it.
Lemme: I do have a senior budget. I have a 144 budget.
Howard: We know but that is nebulous to us. We just ask and we receive.
We don't know the limits. We don't know.
Lemme: That's a public document. I can show you that right after this. I
mean anyone can see that so I can sure show that to you.
Howard: But x number of dollars not allocated for the senior center,
right?
Lemme: Yes there are. There is a senior center budget.
Howard: And it's x number of dollars?
Lemme: Right.
Montgomery: Would it be possible to have a quarterly report or something?
Howard: So we're aware of these dollars.
Kubitz: Well we do have some funds that Lola keeps track of.
~ Lemme: Those are our self supportive type of funds.
Kubitz: Yeah, but this is I think what Mark was getting at is to build
that up by doing activities.
Littfin: I'm not necessarily interested in building up a fund. I'm
interesting in having money available that we raise that we can spend
exclusive of city monies.
Lemme: Sure. Like I say, I'm not sure that we can do that because of the
donation thing. Right, and that's why when money comes in for such events,
a fund raiser such as the garage sale, that goes into a fund but it's
earmarked. I mean that's your money. That's the senior center money.
That's not going to be, if Planning spends it, we're not going to have it
anymore. It's earmarked because we know how much came in from that event.
But like I said, I have to check into the logistics of that. There are
some funny things having to do with donations and fund raising.
AI-Jaff: The one thing that we looked at, maybe 4 years ago, was a non-
profit organization status. That would allow you to open a fund, accept
donations into it and build up funds in there. Monies that you can use for
anything you want.
Littfin: If we were a non-profit organization. Had that status and could
maintain an account, then the city appropriates $50,000.00 for senior
citizens we just put it in our fund.
e
Lemme: You want both things.
Senior Commission Meeting
June 18, 1993 - Page 14
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Montgomery:
There seems to be a lot of opposition to that idea though.
Kubitz: Jay was also talking about that one time.
Howard: I think it's very important for self respect to be contributing.
Not just have our hands out to the city.
AI-Jaff: I just renewed our status as a non-profit this year. Or I
renewed it in January so we still have a non-profit organization status.
Montgomery: Well it's an application. It's not approved though.
AI-Jaff: With the State we are non-profit but I haven't set up an account.
The need never arrived so I just kind of.
Montgomery: Well I think it's really very complicated and needs somebody
who's really an expert at the non-profit status to look at it. It really
is much more complicated than the form looks. And you can get into a lot
of hot water unless it's done just right and I just think that if that's
going to be done, it should be done knowledgeably. With somebody who has
had a lot of experience in non-profit stuff. Not just finances because
it's a whole different ballgame.
AI-Jaff: Well, the State is aware that we are non-profit but we don't have
any funds in a non-profit account. We haven't accepted, have we accepted
donations for the senior center?
e
Lemme: See what's interesting is, like with the money that came in for the
piano that was purchased, I originally did out my receipt for it and I had
it going straight to the senior fund and they said no. That's a donation.
That goes to the city and then the city pays it back out of there so the
money is earmarked and the bill's paid out of the city fund but the
donation goes into the city thing. I'm sure it has to do with, like you
said, a lot more city guidelines than we know.
Montgomery: When you do an application for this, you have to have a Board.
You have to have the people. The names that are responsible for this and
you have to submit forms yearly. There's a lot of stuff that goes with it.
It's fine but it's just more complicated than people realize.
Lemme: But if what you really want to know is how much money do we have.
If we wanted to buy a flag pole. That is, like I said, that budget, the
City's budget is general. It's a public budget and I believe I have a copy
down in the senior center as well. That can be looked at any time. If you
want to see now as far as quarterly reports, we get monthly reports on
where we're at in our budgets. If there was a question on how much money
was left in a certain fund, that could be looked at.
Howard: Is any money specifically earmarked for seniors or is it just as
each thing arises?
e
Lemme: No, I have a senior budget. I have a budget just for the senior
center, excuse me. The senior center and Sharmin has a Senior Commission
budget also. That's where the money for, when you traveled to see the
Senior Commission Meeting
June 18, 1993 - Page 15
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other senior housing, that's where that money came from.
budgeted figures there.
It was out of her
Howard: We haven't done that for a while.
8illison: Our guest would like to say something.
Audience: It sounds like another issue that you'd like to have a
non-profit corporation and the city that the politicians don't have their
hands on that you can build up and do with what this group or what the
seniors want to do without having people, with somebody else having
control...and you can do things that you don't have to account for to
the Mayor or the County Commissioners or somebody like that. It's money
that's more independent. Somebody will have to take advantage or control
of the adminstrative.. .It sounds like that's what you're thinking about.
It'd be nice to have some money that you don't have to go and ask and ask
and ask and...
Littfin: Yeah. Evidentally the City when it prepares it's budget, and I
assume it does annually prepare a budget and they'll say so much for street
maintenance and so much for fire department, so on and so forth and so much
to the senior citizen.
Lemme: To the center.
e
Littfin: To the center. Okay.
Lemme: Right. I did that budget this year but I, not being in it very
long, I just kind of pulled some amounts. Okay I'm going to need $1,000.00
for fees for service which would encompass entertainment for the holiday
party. It would encompass a variety of things and some of the figures were
done for me. You know they were gone by from previous years. You have a
better idea after you've run for a year or two of what you're going to need
to budget for the following year.
Olson: Do you meet with people who like the Minnetonka Senior Commission
or what they have over there? Their center. They must have the same,
they're much larger than us and do they have separate accounts?
Lemme: Oh I'm sure that their SenioT Coordinator has to do a budget for
the senior center or someone does it for them. I've done budgets before.
That's not the thing. It's just when you have a new center and you're not
sure how many trips you're going to run or how many activities you're going
to want to be supported. Like I said, it will be 10 times easier this year
when I do the budget and I'll go by, you know I'll go by what we've done
and I keep up on my monthly reports and see where we stand. Everything's
included in there.
Howard: I think the other senior centers in the county are under the
auspices of the Senior Resource organization. The one Jo Ann Kvern runs,
don't you Barbara?
e Montgomery: Yes, and that is a non-profit so they can use their non-profit
status. We could do that at one time but we can't now.
Senior Commission Meeting
June 18, 1993 - Page 16
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Howard:
We were working with them at one time.
Montgomery: But I was thinking too that you do have to do a proforma
budget if you do this, the non-profit application and that would be a lot
easier now to do than it was before because you have some idea of what it
takes.
Kubitz: Eden Prairie is run, they have not dues but a donation...is that
city supplied or on their own?
AI-Jaff: Can you repeat that question Jane?
Kubitz: Bunny, in Eden Prairie you said they don't collect dues but they
have a donation per year. How is the rest of it run?
Billison: But everybody contributes. It's $4.00 a year.
Littfin: The seniors contribute this?
8illison: Yes. It used to be called dues but not anymore. You can't call
it dues.
Kubitz: You give a donation.
e
8illison: And everybody, there's a list kept by the person who takes the
money and who has paid and who hasn't. And then they also, you have to pay
for coffee. Everything. If there's donuts, you pay for the donuts. You
pay for the coffee and the fund is.
Lemme: Yeah, you pay for everything. That's one of the drawbacks.
Billison: It's not like our's.
Lemme: It's not supported.
Kubitz: Well how much does the city pay for, or doesn't the city pay for
anything?
8illison: I don't think so. Trips, they pay for the van and if they have
to pay a driver. Usually they're volunteer drivers but they'll pay for the
van and they'll pay the cost of, if there's any oh convention type meetings
we go to or anything, or that we did go to, they pay for each individual.
That comes out the city funds and also the meals that are served at various
functions like St. Cloud. The senior programs, the city pays for that but
otherwise the senior center is pretty self sufficient with what they take
in. We have raffles. They make quilts and they have raffles.
Kubitz: And their coordinator is a city employee.
8illison: Right. Sandy works for the city.
e
Montgomery:
Well are they a non-profit then?
Senior Commission Meeting
June 18, 1993 - Page 17
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Sillison: Non-profit, right. They have various things like the Men's Club
makes bird houses, as we do. And they sell them and when they sell a
quilt, this one year they sold a quilt with all the, the sqaures in it were
all Eden Prairie historical places and then they had a quilt. I mean they
had a poster made and the poster was sold at all functions. We all took
turns sitting in various places like the Eden Prairie Mall. In front of a
bank or something trying to sell the posters. We didn't sell them. We
ordered 1,000 of them and they were such a poor picture. The quilt was so
much more beautiful than the poster showed so we didn't sell. They still
have a lot of them so they're not going. Sut other than that, that's where
their funds are.
Lemme: See I think the City of Chanhassen would like to not have their
senior center be a constant fund raising event.
Howard: There are drawbacks.
Lemme: There are definite drawbacks. That can be a real drain and
especially in the early years of the senior center. You know, maybe it's
in the plans for eventually but I mean you've got other things. You've got
electricity and you've got water and all the other bills too. I would
imagine the city covers those things.
Montgomery: They've been so good we can't believe it I think.
e
Sillison: There are many seniors in Eden Prairie who are very adamant
about the cost of everything, because they are seniors you know and
everybody's on fixed incomes and they don't have it and many times they
can't participate in many of the activities where they're costly.
Kubitz: I don't want to see us get stuck like some of the other Carver
County ones where all of a sudden the funds were cut off for a coordinator
and they're lost.
Montgomery: Yeah, I don't like to look a gift horse in the mouth. We've
had a wonderful set up really.
Sillison: We're very fortunate.
Kubitz: Very fortunate. The city has been wonderful to us.
AI-Jaff: I just wanted to point out.
It's hung in the Eden Prairie Council
absolutely gorgeous quilt. If any of
at it.
You were speaking about the quilt.
Chambers right now and it's an
you have a chance to go take a look
Sillison: It's hanging in City Hall and it is beautiful with all various
historical points of Eden prairie way back when. Sut the poster didn't do
it justice so therefore they didn't sell many of the posters. They were
asking $6.50 a poster. Sut very poor photography.
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AI-Jaff:
It's absolutely gorgeous quilt.
Billision: They were trying to raise money.
Senior Commission Meeting
June 18, 1993 - Page 18
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Howard: Well I don't feel we're anywhere near ready to stand on our own
feet and be independent but I think it would be nice if you two would
inquire and see if we could just start a fund.
AI-3aff: Sure. I have the applications for the non-profit.
Heinlein: I have one thing. Now you're talking about buying an expensive
coffee maker. I hope to goodness that in the future people will take the
time to wash those coffee pots when they get through with it. It caws me
to clean those coffee. You can't clean it very well because you don't have
the equipment but they should be cleaned thoroughly after each use. And
they are.
Howard: Well that's something for the center will do. That's not for the
Commission.
Heinlein: Well not but I mean I'm just bringing it up.
Howard: Bring it up at the Board meeting next time.
Heinlein: Well we're not all, the only ones that use it though.
Howard: We're the ones that run the center. And we'll put notices in the
kitchen and see that it's done better.
Billison: Your mother does not work here. Clean after each use.
e
Lemme: But anyway, I do need to go here but I just wanted to let you know,
if you have any other questions on the calendar or what's going on here.
The chorus will continue doing their practices until after, you know until
the anniversary celebration. And then from what I understand they're going
to take a break until the fall again. In fall we'll of course start up
wood carving and some of the other classes. Men's Club. Our last Men's
Club we had I believe 20 gentlemen and that was real good. That's going
real strong.
Olson: I wanted to bring that up on the Men's Club. This little blurp in
the Chanhassen Herald or whatever it is.
Lemme: Oh, the Villager.
Olson: Seniors. Could that be put in?
Lemme: I've been putting that in. I submit it.
Olson: No, I mean about the Men's Club being on the first and third
Monday.
Lemme: Under the senior center OT the senior column?
Olson: Yeah.
e
Lemme:
I usually submit that.
Senior Commission Meeting
June 18, 1993 - Page 19
~
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Kubitz:
I think there were some things missing.
Lemme: Yeah, sometimes space wise they'll, you know when I submit about 10
or 12 items, sometimes they'll randomly edit.
Heinlein: That's what we get in the South Shore.
Howard: Sharmin, I spoke to Gay Mattson and they're going to include...
Lemme: I'm sorry, I do need to go.
Heinlein: Are there trips that could be put in here? On our calendar.
AI-Jaff: What dates?
Lemme: Which trips?
(There were a number of different conversations going on at one time at
this point.)
Heinlein: Well are we going to New Ulm and places like that?
Lemme: That one will be on there. That's an Eden Prairie trip that
they're doing with us but otherwise everything should be included, except
for that card night, which was a new plan. I don't think there's any other
trips missing from here.
e
Bi11ison: Members, we have conversations going on both ends...
Lemme: Are there any other questions on the center activities?
Olson: There's nothing in there about the Men's meetings on Monday.
Lemme: Like I said. I submit it every time but this time I also submitted
several other new programs that were in there. I mean when I send them 10
or 12 items for the senior column, they can edit on their own, and they do.
Because I submit Park and Rec.
Kubitz: ...runs into a problem because then people don't know about things
that we wish they did.
Lemme: Right, but all newspapers have that right to edit, depending on
space. I can submit them every time and I do Al, and same with Park and
Recreation. I submit.
Billison: But you can't control the space.
Lemme: Unfortunately I can't. Generally they do get it in though because
I haven noticed those and I think if you look in the thing that Selda
keeps, the book, you probably look and there's a lot of Men's Club things
in there. I try to always get it in there.
4It Olson: This last meeting that we had a good turnout, there was a lot of
calling ahead of time.
Senior Commission Meeting
June 18, 1993 - Page 20
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Lemme: Yes, that's because of calling.
going to have to continue to do that.
Right.
And I think we're just
Olson: Thanks to Selda.
Littfin: She likes calling all these men. A discussion of the logistics
for July 2nd is not appropriate for this meeting is it?
Lemme: Not really, no. That's a senior center activity.
Billison: Dawn, thank you for being with us. We enjoyed your input.
Lemme: We got a really good May, Older Americans Month turnout. We had a
lot of people come in. We had a lot of wonderful prizes to give away and a
couple of these are being passed down right now so Mark... If you recall,
every time you came into the senior center you could fill out a drawings
list and then we did a drawing at the end. Several of the seniors...
Howard: Marietta won the big one Mark.
Littfin: $5.00 from Hair for Guys and Dolls.
Heinlein: They do cut women's hair?
Littfin: Oh yeah. Very nicely. Isn't that right George?
~ 8il1ison: Thank you Dawn.
SENIOR COMMISSION COMMENTS.
Bil1ison: I think we've done that.
Howard: No, Barbara has something.
Montgomery: I have several. And this isn't part of the agenda but I'd
just like to bring it up and maybe see if anybody wanted to think about
doing something about it. I noticed an article in the regular paper, the
Star Trib about a donation that the Blandon Foundation had made to KTCA.
And they are going to be setting up some kind of a format on the air.
Something like the MacNeil Lehrer where they will have, I think there's
several a week. The round table sort of discussion of things and one of
their main interest of the Blandon Foundation was for the elderly finding,
taking care of people in their homes. It was mentioned in this article and
it seemed to me that there was certainly an opportunity for us, or for
the Mayor or you know, I don't know. Maybe Sharmin to perhaps send a copy
of Jim Fabor's letter with a cover letter saying that we would be very
interested in participating in any kind of informational meeting that they
might have because they are going to be researching that apparently. And
this isn't until next year so there's a lot of time but it just seemed to
me it would be a wonderful tie in with the possibilities of some good
publicity and maybe the Senior Linkage Line, we're getting some kind of
boost from it. So I don't know. Here's the article.
e
8il1ison: I'd like a copy of this.
Senior Commission Meeting
June 18, 1993 - Page 21
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Montgomery: I'd like a copy back. But it just seems to me, it's a million
dollar grant and they're going to be doing a lot with that and I don't
know. It wouldn't be money for us. This would simply be a tie in with
KTCA, if that's feasible. I have no idea. I don't know anything about it
but you can look at the article and see what you think.
Howard: It's certainly worth investigating.
Montgomery: And then another thing that I wondered if anybody is
interested in the fact that there is no urgent care available in our area.
You know if you cut your thumb or something and you just need somebody to
put it together, you don't need 911. But you can't wait for an appointment
somewhere and there are these places that have urgent care. Like way over
on.
Kubitz: You can just go down to the doctor's office and he sewed my
husband's finger back.
Montgomery: But that's nights and weekends. They're not open during
day. And there's nothing as far as I, I don't know. Maybe there is.
haven't really checked it out but as far as I know there's nothing in
Chanhassen area and I don't think there's anything in Eden Prairie.
have it in St. Louis Park and Waconia.
the
I
the
They
Al-Jaff: You're looking for an emergency room?
e
Montgomery: Yeah. A...emergency room or someplace where you can go
without setting up an appointment and going through all that stuff. And I
don't think there's any facility like that that's close by.
AI-Jaff: I can check into that.
Montgomery: And I'd be interested to know about that. And maybe trying to
get something done. I know that there's going to be new hospital buildings
through St. Frances but I have no idea what that is and that's a long way
off. The other thing that I noticed was an article about the Historical
Society and that was in the Villager and they were looking for volunteers
and needed some help with stuff and we've been talking about this for a
long time.
Howard: Are we going there next month? We kind of delayed it a month,
didn't we?
AI-Jaff: Yes we did. And I went through the Minutes trying to figure out,
someone had a trip and that's why we couldn't go today. No, I think it's
you've got chorus practice today so yeah, two members couldn't make it.
And that's why we delayed it and we were going to sometime after the 4th of
July celebration.
Olson: Can we go on some day other than a Friday?
e
AI-Jaff: I'm taking the last two weeks of July off. I'm taking my
comprehensives and drafting up my masters so I will be gone those last two
weeks. So anytime before the 19th. Before the 17th, I'm flexible.
Senior Commission Meeting
June 18, 1993 - Page 22
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Howard: The whole idea is we're all here Friday morning AI. Try and get a
date. Will you all be here Thursday morning?
Littfin: This was discussed on page 9 and 10 of the last month's meeting.
Montgomery: We decided to do something.
Littfin: In July, yeah.
AI-Jaff: If you want, we can have a real short agenda on the 16th of July
and we can go to the Historical Society. It shouldn't take us more than
half an hour to get there. Not even. 20 minutes maybe.
Montgomery: Are they open all the time?
AI-Jaff: Yes. And I will call and let them know that we are coming.
Olson: We've got two men, Al Klingelhutz and Larry Kline who are, and all.
the Kerbers. I'm sure they would...
AI-Jaff: I talked to a Kerber.
Olson: Larry Kline has got all kinds of information from way back and his
family is one of the original settlers. And I think now that they're
retired that they will be willing to put a lot of the input.
e
AI-Jaff: I spoke to, I can't remember the first name but he was a Kerber,
last Saturday and I was doing the tire and appliance collection and I asked
him for proof of residency and he said, I'm a Kerber. He didn't want to
show me his license. But I said, you really should try and join us at the
senior center. We are trying to get history on Chanhassen together and you
would be a wonderful member of that club. And if you can convince him, I
think that would be wonderful.
Olson: I think, we've got Herald to come now to the last two men's
meetings which.
AI-Jaff: I think that's who it was.
Kubitz: You did better than I did.
Olson: And Herald's wife Leona...she's a historian.
AI-Jaff: His wife?
Olson: Yeah, Leona.
AI-Jaff: This person, his wife plays the piano.
Kubitz: That's Bernie and Helen.
e
AI-Jaff:
Okay.
Bernie is the one I was talking to.
Kubitz: He's another one to get down there.
Senior Commission Meeting
June 18, 1993 - Page 23
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Olson: Yeah. He's always too busy to come to our Men's meeting but one
day they'll break and they'll come.
Kubitz: He has to do so much at the church.
Olson: Well he does too. He really works up there.
Howard: Mark, are you still having chorus practice the 16th of July?
Littfin: No. No. We're going to quit for the summer after our July 2.
Howard: So July 16th wouldn't interfere with that.
Heinlein: Did he drop the Fair?
Littfin: I don't think we've ever been committed to the Fair.
Heinlein: I thought he said that the day we sang at Chaska. He mentioned
that we were going to.
Littfin: Well when we were talking that day at Chaska, there was the Fair.
There was another senior home. There was st. Hubert's. Everybody was
asking for us to sing and Sax says no. This is not going to become work.
It's for fun so everything was dropped after July 2nd.
e
Kubitz:
I thought he had agreed to the Fair one.
Littfin:
No.
Billison: Is there any further business?
Olson: There's something I'd like to bring up, and this was also an
article in the Minneapolis paper and I did not cut it out. All public
buildings should have a handicap park, especially for senior citizens and
they should tear out 3 pine trees and put in a little parking lot right by
our front door.
Heinlein: Well they haven't even cut the curb away there.
Olson: No, they haven't cut the curb away even. And if you're handicap
and aren't able to drive a car, I suppose you could park over there but
then you've got, in the library parking lot but you've got a half a block
to get to our door and it's all uphill.
AI-Jaff: May I comment on that?
Olson: Yeah.
AI-Jaff: In the near future, and I can't give you an exact date because I
really don't know when, but in the near future Coulter Drive, which is the
street that fronts in front of the senior center, that is going to be
closed and it's going to become a park. So the senior center is going to
be facing Central Park. City Central Park.
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Senior Commission Meeting
June 18, 1993 - Page 24
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Olson:
Will there be a close by parking lot that's accessable for seniors?
Al-Jaff: That detail has not been worked out yet. But eventually what's
going to happen is the library is going to be moving out.
Heinlein: Eventually.
AI-Jaff: Well, Selda give it a couple of years. We can't just say okay,
let's tear up this portion and spend so much money on it and then come back
a year later and tear it up again.
Heinlein: I thought the library was going to go into where Kenny's was.
Al-Jaff: No, it's across the street from Kenny's. The existing building.
There's a bar out there. That building is going to be torn down. Right
next to the church. That building's going to be torn down and a new
library will be built.
Howard: How much competition do we have as far as getting the space in the
library?
AI-Jaff: Quite a bit. We're really short. I mean we're back into turning
closets into office space. We have two closets that we turned into offices
and the mail room and where we keep all our files, we've rearranged
everything and turned it...
e Howard: So we may not get the library.
Al-Jaff: Well that's, we'll deal with it when the time comes but that's
what we're thinking of right now because that's where we were thinking
about putting a kitchen. Maybe Park and Rec has said that numerous times.
They've said we'll go down. I've heard them. I don't want to say that
that's what going to happen but I've heard Dawn mention it.
Howard: She'd probably like to go into where we are now.
Al-Jaff: Either that or get offices on the side close, you know. The
library is quite large. I mean if you open it up to the senior center,
you're going to have quite a bit of space there. So if they had like 2 or
3 offices along the side, I don't think that's going to affect you any. I
mean that space could be shared with another department.
Montgomery: Well it would seem to me there would have to be more parking.
Al-Jaff: There will be. There will be because the parking upstairs...
Howard: Well we would get this entire lot at that time, that's now for the
library.
e
AI-Jaff: You will have this lot for parking. This lot would be open for
parking. The lot up by Public Safety is going to be expanded and to enter
City Hall you're going to have to come through Kerber Boulevard rather than
coming down to Coulter. So yes, we understand the concerns. That was one
thing when we were building the senior center we looked at, the access was
Senior Commission Meeting
June 18, 1993 - Page 25
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one of the major problems. Where do we park and how do we get into the
senior center. And that was something that you said, okay we'll live with
it for now and when we expand that will work out.
Montgomery: Hoping it would be the library.
AI-Jaff: Work out, yeah. So Al you're right. You're 100% right. We need
to do something but it was one of those things that we had to compromise
when we were looking at a space to locate the senior center.
Olson: They could at least do the curb out there right now.
Kubitz: They will.
Al-Jaff: If you look at that access into the senior center, I believe the
grade is rather steep as well. I shouldn't be pointing those things out.
Olson: I know it's steep.
that I wouldn't come here.
If I were in a wheelchair, there's many days
In the wintertime or anything.
AI-Jaff: We try to keep, in the winter I mean we make sure. I know I've
gone out and put salt.
Olson: Yeah, I've gone out and shoveled on days that.
e
Al-Jaff:
out and.
And we've always made sure that our guys from Public Works come
olson: They don't though.
Al-Jaff: They don't?
Olson: No. I've shoveled at least 3 times in the winter when I've been
here. Even the front sidewalk, you get out of the car and you can't walk
on the sidewalk.
Heinlein: If you're walking, they don't clear down by the curb.
AI-Jaff: See they do the upstairs in front of City Hall.
Olson: But the Mayor comes in upstairs.
Al-Jaff: Okay. Okay. I'll point that out.
Howard: Going back to the 16th. Are we going to? Should we have a
motion?
Al-Jaff: You make the decision and you let me know.
Billison: You mean to the Minnesota Historical Society?
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Howard:
No, to the County one at Waconia.
Olson: Now is that the museum that they have there?
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June 18, 1993 - Page 26
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AI-Jaff: And they will tell you how they go about things. What they have
about Chanhassen because I asked them if they could help us start a club in
Chanhassen because it's something that has been.
Howard: He called both Sharmin and me after we talked to him at the Expo
and he's very eager to include the eastern side of the county, which he
said has just been in limbo. Nothing's been done about it.
Montgomery: Well I would make a motion that we go to the Carver County
Historical Society on July 16th following our Commission meeting.
Howard: I second.
Montgomery moved, Howard seconded that the Chanhassen Senior Commission go
to the Carver County Historical Society follwing the meeting on July 16,
1993. All voted in favor and the motion carried.
Billison: Is there any further business?
Kubitz: Are we ever going to, I shouldn't say it that way. The Mayor had
recommended that we see some housing, where was it, up in New Hope or
somewhere. Are we going to try for that one or not?
Al-Jaff: When do you want to do it?
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Kubitz:
In August.
Al-Jaff:
That's fine with me.
Littfin: You don't think we've seen enough.
Kubitz: Well the Mayor requested that we see this.
Littfin: Well he mentioned that this was a good one to see. yeah.
Howard: We get new ideas everyone we visited.
Montgomery: How about getting some literature from there to see what it's
like so we can look at it.
AI-Jaff: I can call them up.
Howard: Yeah. maybe we can avoid a trip.
AI-Jaff: This is in New Hope. right?
Montgomery: I thought it was Robbinsdale.
Howard: I thought it was Robbinsdale too.
Billison: George, would you like to say something?
e George: Yes, and shut me off if I get, you've already tal ked about it or
this is the wrong place and the wrong time. . ..but I was thinking that the
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June 18, 1993 - Page 27
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people that are here now are able to get around.. .some of the seniors in
the area that probably would compromise to a considerable degree. If you
look at the services...it's suggested that people get around and do things.
There's a lot of people that can't get around and do things as well. Is it
possible to have some kind of a display or...benefit to us and also be a
benefit to our children who. ..for people that have a hard time getting
stuff off their shelf. People that are shaking or people that don't drink
soup because they spill it allover their shirt... Some of us know how to
take...to help people to help themselves where they can stay independent
for a longer period of time. And improve the quality of their life before
t.hey get to the poi nt where they can't take care of themselves. Some of
the time people don't identify the right problem and consequently they
can't resolve the problem. Two different things and I guess might we set
up where we have a hotline for this, that and the other thing. Might we
set up the hotline for families for people who, if we have a problem. I
don't know what it is, etc, etc where you can evaluate or somebody can look
at their house and perhaps make some adjustments. I'm sure that we have
creative people who are... For people that can't walk, I mean their feet
hurt too much. There's thick pads you can put in your shoes that are
cheep. You can walk. You can walk on your slippers without.. .There are
things that we can do to improve the quality of our lives. This would help
us. It also helps the family...I don't need to look at that. No you don't
but if there's someplace where you can go and look at, where you can...push
a button and answer the telephone instead of getting up and going over.
You can set it there...A lot of different things and I can't go through the
whole thing but where this could, some of these things could be set up.
Where somebody could...he's going good. He's still sharp but he can't,
he's losing weight. Well he's losing weight because he can't hit his
mouth. There are things that we can do to help...but maybe you don't quite
need a wheelchair yet... I don't know if I'm...all over the place but it
seems like this is something that we can do to help the people to get, like
Al said. If I was in a wheelchair, I \~ouldn't be able to get over here in
the snow. If a guy's in a wheelchair he may be just sitting in his room
waiting for spring you know and spring may never come but there may be
things that we can do to help the people to, not only get out but to
improve the quality of life.
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Howard: We have a facility. Are you familiar with the Linkage Line?
George: Yes. Yeah.
Howard: This will answer an individual question as it comes up.
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George: Sut they need to have some way to know to call.. .If you call the
Linkage Line, they just send you over to Physical Therapist who's 30 years
younger than me maybe and there's practical things. I have a thought...
came over. I know there are places you can go. I've gone to some of these
places and a person piCKS a particular interest and has the time.. .might
get it resolved. If they're in a hurry, they may not understand the
problem because they can't be thoroughly presented. Some of the time I
might go there and I said this is the problem I'm having and...that isn't a
problem. You can do this but maybe they don't come. I know there's ways
that you can do it but it's so difficult to find a place and a person to
help them to do something. Maybe it needs to be thought out more and
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June 18, 1993 - Page 28
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1 know this...might be doing a lot better than somebody who's getting paid
a ton of money to figure your problem out because he doesn't have time to
really understand the problem. And the problem may not be the one
that's...Something for you to think about. I think that this can be a
really good service to some people and we're all moving in the direction of
some of these things...but there are things you can do to help people so
you don't get to that spot.
Howard: Well this is what the linkage line is supposed to find the answer
and get back to them on any question they ask. But that's one individual.
George: ...highly trained or they can tell you where to go and get it.
Howard: See they find the highly trained one.
George: ...1 can think of some questions 1 don't know where anybody... how
to do it. Mark might know because he went through it. Or Al might know or
you might know it but sometimes we don't ask the questions that we want the
answer to.
Montgomery: Do you see this as something that maybe could be some kind of
presentation at the senior center with all these different experts taking
part in it?
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George: ...time and the place but there is a need and I know that it's
going to come to say, this place you can go there, you can go there, you
can go there. You can go to all these places but if you don't have a
person who has the time to figure out what the problem really is. ..You go
to the drug store and get pills and got pills so kids can't get into them.
Well hell, I can't get into them either. You've got to hit it with a
hammer to get into them and then I've got them allover the floor.
Billison: Well like Sherol says, I think our linkage line is going to take
care of a lot of the problems you're discussing.
George: I'd sort of like to have you, not here but think about it
I think there are problems and there are situations...linkage line
going to be as good as where they can give you a telephone number.
telephone number's wrong, bang. Or 1 don't know...
because
is only
If the
Howard: I think it's a wonderful idea for a program at the senior center
but now, how do you get the people there who are not in shape to come to
the senior center to hear our program.
George: Well, maybe send them...I wanted them to be able to take care of
themselves as long as they possibly could do it and you go through it and
the contractors today have a handle so you can get yourself up. You've got
to have this so you can get in and out of the shower. You've got nurses
who will go in and give them a bath and all that. You don't have to get to
the point where you can have that. You say...
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Howard:
So aim the program at, yeah.
Billison: Excuse me, Sharmin.
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AI-Jaff: Maybe what we can do is, and the reason why I'm saying this is
because when I first started working with Chanhassen seniors I really
didn't know much about the seniors. Everything I learned I learned from
you. Yes, absolutely. Wonderful teachers. One thing that you just
pointed out. Opening a childproof medicine. Yeah, I would have never
thought about this and maybe Kitty hasn't thought about this either so
I think it would be wonderful if you can sit with Kitty Sitter, who is the
Senior Linkage Line coordinator and say, Kitty. These are concerns that I
have and it's possible that you will get phone calls on those issues. They
need to addressed and I'm sure she will be more than glad to hear about it.
Howard: Well there's a simple solution for that one. You can sign at the
drug store and ask them not to use the child proof.
AI-Jaff: See I didn't know that either.
Howard: I didn't either until the last couple weeks.
George: . ..we're getting into the point where we've perfecting everything
so nobody can get into anything.
AI-Jaff: Yeah but Sherol, you just pointed out that you can request that
you could.
Howard: I just heard this in the last couple weeks that you can do this.
e Al-Jaff: Okay. And I wonder if Kitty knows that and I don't know...
George: ...if I could see it I could open it but I can't see or whatever.
But there's a common kind of problem...
Montgomery: I wonder if there could be a category called Handicap Aids or
something like that that would be on the computer that would access for
instance the little vision clinic and all these. The diabetes center has
all kinds of stuff available...
(There was a tape change at this point in the discussion.)
Howard: The County has under the social services of the County, they I
know have people that will go out and visit and oh, I can't think of the
name of the man that runs that. Can you Sharmin? The young man who's
ahead of the social services.
Montgomery: Gary Bork.
Howard: Gary Bork. I know they have people who will do that. But how do
these people find them to call to do it.
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George: People who for one reason or another and we should applaud them
that they won't call social services. The guy next door might.. .but they
might call another number and Al or myself or someone might go over to...
door knob's falling off. Now I know why you can't get out. You can't get
the door open. It doesn't have to be a big fancy kind of thing.. .They're
simple kind of things that I think can be worked out if people know what
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June 18, 1993 - Page 30
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the problem is and if they can call without looking at, I don't want to be
on welfare. I don't want to make a federal case out of this. I don't want
my kids to know that I can't do this. It's safe to call such and such a
number and like this linkage line that you're talking about. This is like
having a good secretary. If you've got a business office, the secretary or
the person that handles it is really going to make it go. Somebody that
smiles and somebody that looks busy and somebody who knows the system
and...
8illison: I really feel that our Senior linkage line is going to.
Howard: I think you should talk to Kitty Sitter. If you were to go over
and talk to her.
8il1ison: I think so too.
George: We can do that and then when the children are involved so they
know and part of this is kind of education.. .or even at our age if we fall
down and break our arm or something and we're right handed and that one's
broken, why you've got to learn how to use the left one.
Howard: I put it down for a program at the senior center.
George: I think we're all going to be moving in that direction. We're all
going to need some kind of help. I'd like to think that somebody who's
smarter or younger than me is going to be there...
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8il11son: Thank you very much.
Olson moved, Montgomery seconded to adjourn the meeting. All voted in
favor and the motion carried. The meeting was adjourned at 11:00 a.m.
Submitted by Paul Krauss
Planning Director
Prepared by Nann Opheim
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