1993 10 15
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CHANHASSEN SENIOR COMMISSION
REGULAR MEETING
OCTOBER 15, 1993
Chairman Billison called the meeting to order at 9:30 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT: Bernice Billison, Sherol Howard, Selda Heinlein, Barbara
Montgomery, Jane Kubitz, and Mark Littfin Sr.
MEMBERS ABSENT: Albin Olson
STAFF PRESENT: Paul Krauss, Planning Director; Sharmin AI-Jaff, Planner I; and Kitty
Sitter, Senior Linkage Line
APPRO V AL OF AGENDA: Howard moved, Heinlein seconded to approve the agenda as
presented. All voted in favor and the motion carried.
APPROV AL OF MINUTES:
AI-Jaff: I received the Minutes the day before yesterday at the end of the day, 4:30 and I had
asked Public Safety to deliver them to you and my understanding was they were delivered.
Obviously not. Do you want to look at them next meeting and approve them?
Billison: Can you just tentatively approve them now and make any corrections at the next?
Littfin: Just leave them in abeyance until next meeting.
Billison: Okay, we'll wait then on the approval of the Minutes at the next meeting. The
first item on our agenda this morning is the, or the second item I should say is the update on
the Urgent Care facility.
Krauss: Excuse me Madam Chair. If I could, I got to read Sharmin's reports...Could I touch
base with you on two items and then I'll get back. The thing I wanted to touch base with
you on was the Block Grant application. I think Sharmin related to you that nobody ever
gives you a parade when you're back in the program. I mean they don't send you a
certificate saying you're in for the next 10 years but as near as anybody can tell we're in for
the next 10 years and as long as we can keep one person living in Hennepin County we're in
for longer than that. Which means that the programming that we did, was it last, usually in
March or so we try to forecast where we're going to be spending money on from last year.
We're going to be able to make good on those allocations which is in large part, we spend a
fair amount of money subsidizing Dawn Lemme's salary and for the Senior Center. I believe
we had $4,000.00 some odd dollars for South Shore. We will continue to fund them at a
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lower level and there were some other projects we had. I think that, if I remember right
Sojourn was looking for contributions towards a bus.! don't have the whole list in front of
me. But it also means that we can make long term commitments now and pretty soon we'll
be going through the process. It's usually March-April that we have to make our, basically
reserve the dollars and say who we're going to give it to so you may want to start thinking in
the next few months of programming for the next funding cycle which would be available in
July of '94. Every year it seems to get a little more. We're probably going to be up around
$50,000.00 a year. We're up to $46,000.00 now I think. So that's a fair amount of dollars.
So if there's needs you're aware of for the senior center in terms of capital improvements. If
there's program needs we can support. I know Sharmin's been talking to me about working
out with Carver County I think on the Chore program.
Howard: Paul, SAIL has taken on the Chore program. At the meeting in Chaska, Maureen
Schneider, you know who is the head of SAIL was talking all about it and they are, the only
thing I don't know is when it's going to be done and they are taking applications like
plumbers, in the 5 county area. So then if you call in, you get a plumber from this area
rather than one from LaSeure in another. So they have to organize it. And they're going to
have all professional people who are guaranteed and they aren't going to be using retired
people looking for something to do.
Krauss: Do they get a subsidized rate though or is there a subsidy?
Howard: I asked if it would be a sliding scale and she said, yes it would be.
Krauss: Now what we have every year for the Senior Commission is the Council gives you
about, I think it was $8,000.00 last year and I requested the same amount for this coming
year, to operate. So not only can we rent your buses and buy you lunch with that but I mean
we've doing things like, we had Judy Marshek do some studies for us a couple years ago.
And some special mailings and those kinds of things. We don't seem to spend all the money
we have and that's fine. I mean we don't need to but we probably can tap into that for
programs like the Chore program.
Howard: What is Maureen's name? Do you know Sharmin? She has a hyphenated name.
AI-Jaff: I have it upstairs.
Howard: Oh, would you call her and ask her about this?
AI-Jaff: Actually I have talked to her recently.
Howard: Do they need subsidation? They don't do they?
AI-Jaff: Well they have the money but the...has not been worked out yet and I spoke to
Jackie with Carver County and I asked her. I said what can we do to speed things up. I
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don't know.
Krauss: Well we can see. Maybe we can offer, there's lots of potential. Maybe we can
offer an increased subsidy for Chanhassen residents or maybe we can do publications and
mailings so the program is better distributed. What we'll talk about is, we don't have to wait
for the Block Grant for that. We can probably tap into a few thousands dollars of your
existing funds.
Howard: What is happening to the extra money that we heard about last time at this
meeting?
Krauss: Extra money? In Block Grant?
Howard: What was left over from HOME or something.
Krauss: Oh, oh, oh. See that was, for Block Grant you're stuck, well you're stuck with
limited numbers of things that you can fund and since that was Year XVIll dollars which
were from last year's allocations, you can't create a new project but you can reallocate the
dollars in existing projects. Okay. And we went and looked at the existing projects that we
had funded in that year and they were all doing fine. We had enough money for Dawn
Lemme. We had enough money for Sojourn. We had all those things. The Park Board has
a, they take about half of it generally. They're doing some handicap accessible park facilities
and they're fine too. And that's when we got the request from Ron Block saying that you
have money left over that you're probably not going to spend by December 31st. If you
don't spend it by then, I mean this is a typical type of government program. If you don't
spend it by the deadline, you lose it and it goes back and nobody gets it in Minnesota. So
Ron asked if, because they're running at a deficit at South Shore, if we could transfer what
was left out of the Home program to South Shore. And our recommendation to you was yes.
Let's go ahead and do that and I got your recommendation and I'm passing that up to the
Council. Since we had nothing else to do with it at that point and we wanted to help out
South Shore if we could. One of the things too I think I mentioned in my memo to you that
I wanted you to be aware of. We've got the long standing relationship with South Shore and
I know some of you probably still go up there and a lot of our residents probably still do.
But we also have to remember that we pulled a pretty cute deal on keeping on Block Grant.
We ran them around and around on the federal government on this one and I don't think
they're all that happy about it but since we had Senators and Congressmen breathing down
their necks, nobody's saying anything about it. Basically what we did is we grabbed a house
in Shorewood, which was in Hennepin County and we did it with Shorewood's support. Now
Shorewood helped us out because they know that we fund things that their residents use too,
like South Shore Senior Center. And Sojourn. So part of our recommendation to you for
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transferring the dollars was based on good faith and they helped us out to keep the program
going. Let's make a good faith gesture back and they needed the dollars and we didn't so
let's give it to them.
Howard: They won't expect as much the next time.
Krauss: Well, I have no doubt that South Shore Senior Center won't be back asking for an
Increase.
Howard: We didn't unanimously agree that this is what should be recommended.
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Krauss: Well South Shore has always asked us for, I mean every year they kind of, I get a
letter in January saying last year you gave us $4,000.00. This year we'd like $5,000.00.
Whatever the number. Up to 2 years ago we were giving them $8,000.00 a year and when
we opened up the senior center we agreed, after discussing with you, that we wanted to keep
our foot in the door with South Shore because our residents are continuing to go up there but
since we had our own senior center with it's financial needs, we weren't going to fund it at
the same level. It was cut in half. That's when it went from 8 to 4 and that's basically been
the level where it's at. I don't anticipate recommending to you that you change that in any
way. Honestly I guess I continue to feel, I really haven't been in the loop very much lately.
We don't get a whole lot of support in things from Senior Community Services or from South
Shore and they have not been very good at working with us to build on the success of our
senior center. I mean it's almost as though...some people are offended by it.
Heinlein: Well I think for one thing, I won't forget what Joann Kvern said when we had that
one meeting. That she was going to eliminate as much publicity as they are putting in the
papers here, in our local paper. That we should get more publicity than they are getting and
it isn't happening that way. They are still getting and it seems like every time we come up
with something, boy the very next week or so, you'll see they are having the same thing.
I've been watching that pretty closely.
Kubitz: They get more coverage in our paper than they do in the South Sailor.
Krauss: Well on the other hand though I mean, I don't want us to, I'd rather that we didn't
have to have like over, I don't know...! think we've all known that Joann takes the South
Shore center very personally. That was her starting base and it's an emotional thing for her
as well. On the other hand we know our residents run back and forth between the two and
we want them to continue to feel comfortable doing that.
Littfin: By the same token Paul, there are a lot of residents from Victoria and Chaska and
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Eden Prairie that come to our center, and we welcome them but we don't' expect any money
from them either.
Krauss: That's true.
Littfin: It seems like they want their own little world over there at South Shore with their
own fence around it. And I don't know that we have an obligation.
Kubitz: When we were in that task force Paul, Joann sat next to me and she tried very, very
hard to convince me that we didn't want a center here. That we should go to South Shore.
Krauss: Well Jane, one of the other aspects.
Kubitz: I understand her point, yes.
Krauss: You know she was lobbying us at the same time and when we fIrst hired a senior
coordinator, I mean she was really upset. Nobody would answer her calls. Nobody would
coordinate anything. But I guess I'd ask you Mark to separate out the management from the
people issue. I continue to think we have a long term obligation to do something for the
bigger senior community but, I think it also gives you a little bit of leverage. You know
there's nothing to say that we can't put strings on continued funding of South Shore. And if
there's issues that need to be addressed like failure to cooperate in publication, or
coordinating trips, that we say okay. Well, if you want this, this is going to be contingent
upon you agreeing to do these things. And if you fail to perform, then next year there won't
be anything. We'll look to reducing it. I think that's fair.
Montgomery: Some time ago I decided I'd try the bus thing shopping at, I forgot whether it
was 7 Hi or where it was. I think it was Knollwood, or over there somewhere. And they did
pick me up and we did make the trip and the driver was fine but there was so much
grumbling about the fact that they were going out to Chanhassen and they were not happy
about that arrangement and I wondered if anybody else has taken any of those shopping trips
or used their bus service or whatever because that was supposed to be okay.
Krauss: You know what goes around comes around. I mean Shorewood doesn't have a
Target. Shorewood won't have a Byerly's because they blew that but it looks like we will. I
mean they're going to want to come here. I guess I think my knowledge of the long term
plans for expanding the senior center space, bar none I think you're going to have one of the
best facilities. You already have a nice facility. It's being used and you've got the user rate
that keeps on climbing every month. I think Park and Recreation is doing a good job with
that and you're doing a good job and people in the volunteer efforts there. You know long
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term, I don't want to say South Shore is going to become a back water but it's going to kind
of be an off ramp. I see that this center is going to take on more and more importance
whether Senior Community Services supports it or not.
Heinlein: Well aren't they building a new center?
Krauss: They're talking about it but talk is cheap.
Kubitz: They're having a hard time getting the other 5 cities involved to cooperate.
Howard: The latest thing is taking over the little restaurant below the Copperstein on the
other side of the road that keeps changing ownership. That's the latest scuttlebutt that that
might become the South Shore Center. It's a nice building.
Littfin: I think another thing that has to be considered as far as finances in our area are
concerned. While there's no doubt we could not operate without the benefits given us by the
City Council and the city of Chanhassen, but our own center is very conservative. Well I
don't mean conservative. They're very determine to minimize expenses to the city. We go
out for donations to buy a piano. We've solicited money to buy a PA system, which is all
for the community. We bought a vacuum cleaner from proceeds from our Septemberfest. I
mean we're trying almost to be self sustaining which I think is commendable for people that
are 70 years and older. I mean we're not just looking for handouts. Pardon?
Howard: Speak for yourself.
Littfin: Well I told someone, Meredith told someone the other day that our average age of
our chorus is probably 85 so. An exaggeration a little bit but what I'm getting at is, we have
a center that our people work to minimize expenses to the city and we try to buy lots of
things that will be for the benefit of the center and the city. I don't know how other senior
centers operate but.
Kubitz: Well many of them have to raise their own money. They're only supported in a
small way and they have to raise their own money.
Littfin: Well we haven't had that obligation put on us but.
Kubitz: We've been very fortunate in that.
Howard: Is there any question of our center needing this money? Or can't we do that?
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Krauss: No. I had enough money put away. I mean I can only fund a certain level of
Dawn's salary and center stuff. Well it's actually a lot of that goes to that and we're already
sufficiently covered for that. I can't take the money and go around and buy something new
that we didn't already program. So the only thing that we had to spend it on were the Home
program itself, which wasn't using it. South Shore Senior Center. Dawn Lemme's salary or
a park improvement project, and they were already well funded. So when I looked at that,
you know we didn't have a lot of options and again, I keep coming back to the Shorewood
City Council really worked with us on this. They didn't have to. And typically in the past
they usually didn't. But this was one where we went to them and said look. Our senior
residents and your senior residents really don't care where the city line is. They're a pretty
mobile group and they go where the best things are being offered on whatever day they're
being offered. And we've always supported that. You know we invite your residents down
to our senior center. We don't ask them to show a drivers license and we know our folks go
up there so the Council up there did help us out. I guess the way I view it, if it costs us
$4,000.00 a year to get $45,000.00 a year.
Kubitz: It's a good investment.
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Krauss: Yeah. And besides I justify it, it's not only South Shore senior center. It's Sojourn
which we've helped out over the years. And again, you're talking about a facility that
doesn't know any boundaries. I wish they could move into our community or closer. But
again Mark, I think it's perfectly valid for the Senior Commission to come up with a list of
items that you want to address in terms of better cooperation and support and attach that to
the allocation. But I sure wouldn't recommend going much above the funding level we are
right now. I think we're doing more than our share. I'm pretty comfortable with where we
are. But you've got about 3 months to figure that. You know one thing we should have,
when we get the letter from Senior Community Services, which we get every year when the
funding comes up, we should have them come and address the Senior Commission so you can
put it them directly. That you're not very happy about the lack of cooperation and the
antagonism and the competition. It's really not a benefit to anybody.
Montgomery: Well is their van supposed to be available for people in our area? I live in the
Minnetonka school district so it was a little different arrangement at that time. Now I don't
know whether that arrangement is still where it was or not. Then it was sort of through the
school. But I don't know.
Kubitz: Barbara I think so because one of my neighbors who never comes here but goes over
there, for congregate dining. When she can't drive she gets, they pick her up.
Montgomery: She does use that? So it is still supposed to be available.
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Kubitz: Now that's way over by me.
Montgomery: I just don't know what the status of that is. It would be interesting to know.
Howard: Paul, going back to this other. George might be able to tell us when they anticipate
having Chore ready. Isn't he on the Board?
George Dorsey: For which one?
AI-Jaff: The Chore program.
George Dorsey: Chore program?
Howard: Under SAIL.
AI-Jaff: The Chore program. The one that you've been.
George Dorsey: They're trying to work out the legal part of that right now so they don't
have to hopefully carry out so much liability insurance and all that kind of business.
Howard: When do they anticipate being able to have it operable?
George Dorsey: Well I think the one over in St. Paul is already operating after a fashion but
they said it's just kind of depending upon how soon these people in St.Paul or whoever
makes these decisions, get together to make the decision because they're reluctant to send the
people out until somebody's going to assume some liability, or how much liability.
AI-Jaff: George, what about Carver County?
George Dorsey: What about Carver County?
AI-Jaff: Yes. When will we start? I heard it wasn't until May so we're going to have a gap
between January 1st and whenever it begins here in Carver County.
Howard: Sounds like it.
AI-Jaff: There is an existing program right now. However, when I was talking to social
services at Carver County they said that, we typically have anywhere between a 2-3 week and
a month and a half period of having to go out. Hire somebody.
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Howard: Between the request and, yeah.
Montgomery: So that's just really worthless.
Littfin: Paul, have you met George Dorsey?
Howard: I don't think: so.
Littfin: Paul Krauss, the City Planner and George Dorsey, a very interested member of our
retired community.
Al-Jaff: He's been very active.
George Dorsey: It will start sooner than that as we get the legal part of the stuff going is the
impression that I had. They just said, well they don't know when they're going to have... but
we're reluctant to letting anybody go in until they've determined what the liability is going to
be. And whoever makes this decision apparently resides in St.Paul and whenever they decide
to get together...first of the year or whenever they meet. I suppose every 3 months.
e Krauss: Well we can look into it a little bit as we get into the funding issue.
AI-Jaff: That's why I called Carver County and asked them and they said, I don't know. I
don't know the time...so I thought I should call them directly...
George Dorsey: The biggest thing is the liability if some guys goes in there and breaks a
pipe and floods out the whole house, you know who's going to take and be responsible for
that.
Howard: Well do they have their professionals lined up who are going to work? Do the
work? Is that all taken care of already?
George Dorsey: I wouldn't say, they didn't say that it wasn't but they didn't say that it was.
I don't know how you're going to have it all lined up if you're going to tell them that you
might work in January or you might work next Mayor you might work but it sounded like
they felt that there were people available to do this kind of work but it will depend apparently
on what kind of prices they can set for some of these jobs. And so that will depend upon if
they have to carry a lot of liability insurance and a lot of the details that will take and run the
price up. And one of the concerns is if you're going to set it up like a regular business, the
costs are going to be the same as a regular business and the idea is to try to keep the cost
down so that somebody can afford it.
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Howard: Are they going to use a sliding scale to pay for it? The customers?
George Dorsey: They didn't talk: about that at all but I would assume there's going to have
to be something like that. I think what they'd like it be nice to, a lot of people that are
looking for something to do that would be willing to not work for top wages that will come
in and do things like that to keep the cost down. It will be different in this town as compared
to another town.
Krauss: Well we can tap into some financial resources if possible... I guess I'd be curious to
know what the ultimate list of services are and how quickly they can turn around. You know
you have a need for roofs to be fixed and you have a need for plumbing to be fixed and those
kind of...if it would cover the smaller things. People who need their walks shoveled or you
know, even leaf raking or something like that. I mean we don't want to reinvent the wheel.
Administering this must be very tough.
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George Dorsey: I think the nice thing is, it'd be nice to have some kind of place so when
they decide that you'll be able to implement it and what they were talking about, they didn't
talk about this very much at the last meeting. They were talking about some housing that
seemed like it was way off in the distance here. Talking about programs that are set up for
around the perimeter of the Minneapolis and St. Paul. There's some apparently here in
eastern Carver County where people have set up facilities for foster homes. For homes for
people who come...so they've got apparently some people running the homes...marketing plan
because these people are all getting discouraged. They were all set to start what they thought
was a business and all of a sudden the mail comes. All these forms that have to be filled out
and there's somebody says, all I want to do is take care of somebody. I didn't know that I
was...work out a marketing strategy but they kind of got the cart before the horse. The lady
that seems to be running this is somebody, a very competent person but she's spread real thin
over 5 counties...
Howard: She seems very capable.
George Dorsey: She is and I think she knows what it's about and it's very hard when you
have to create...
Montgomery: I noticed in the paper that, in the Villager, apparently asking for bids for social
services and there was a long list of what they are asking services for. I don't know if you
saw that or were aware of it or whatever. I didn't have time to really look at it. It was a
long list of services that they wanted to contract out.
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AI-Jaff: Which paper was it?
Montgomery: Villager. The one just came out.
AI-Jaff: Okay. I haven't looked at it yet.
Montgomery: Back with all the notices.
Krauss: Worst comes to worst, you could always start up your own program if you have to.
I mean we never want to do it if we can avoid it and it's always better to piggy back onto a
bigger one and help support it and I think that's clearly our fIrst goal. To see that this
program gets up and running and combines some...services and if we can tweak in and make
it a little more inexpensive for our residents and that kind of stuff, we'd be happy to do it.
George Dorsey: ...other way around. I think we should, we've got some collective wisdom
here and there's some know how and there's concern and there's interest. It seems to me we
could get something like this going and fold it in.
Krauss: Well Minnetonka I think had Volunteer Skills Bank or something like that where
people would call up and it was through the senior center. We should be able to do that...
intensive things but I mean it's, a retired plumber or somebody who wants to do something
on the side. Or the electricians and it's also people who might do housekeeping or
something. And you could offer a reduced rate and it's even getting high school kids to
come out and put a crew together and shovel sidewalks.
Howard: This is what I was going to say. We have this large untapped source of young
people and what a lot of us need is common stoop labor like raking leaves, sidewalks,
moving your outside furniture in and putting it out and so on. And couldn't we work through
the schools and get a corps for unskilled labor? Have people available.
Krauss: The administration of these things is difficult. Publication and volunteer
coordination. It's something that we can broach to the schools but my fIrst reaction is I bet
that with everything else they've got going, that they'd be supportive of allowing you to
distribute things but they wouldn't be able to operate it.
Howard: That's something that might be able to be worked through the senior center.
Anyone who's interested in working could register at the senior center.
Kubitz: There is a program in the schools now, because my neighbor's daughter came over
and she did all the running for the bake sale. That they have to put in 20 hours of
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community service per quarter. Now why can't you get some of these high school kids.
Krauss: As a graduation requirement?
Kubitz: She's in 7th grade. If she does 20 hours of community service every quarter and
that's why she was looking for something...and she goes down to the Middle School in
Chaska. So why can't we get that coordinated into this program?
Al-laff: Well Sharmin says she's got a call into them. She's heard about that.
Kubitz: The other question I have is, this money that we get, either from the city or the
Block Grant for like Chore. Does that to pay the salaries of those who run it or to subsidize
the services?
Krauss: That was always one of the concerns I had for this Home. It was for both. And the
administration was supposed to be a little more efficient since they were doing 5 or 6
communities. But since we had so few takers of the program, the amount of dollars that was
going to run it, the amount of dollars that was going to support it was out of balance.
Kubitz: Well this is where we ran into a problem a couple of weeks ago with the neighbor
who needed some service and there wasn't any service available. And then when Betty
checked into it, she found there were all kinds of services listed and there was somebody
there to answer the phone but there was nobody to perform the service.
Heinlein: When you're thinking about asking about the young people and that and they're
going to come and do something, isn't there a question of insurance?
Krauss: There sometimes is.
Howard: Not if it isn't steady I thought.
Krauss: Well, I don't know. It's something that you get some attorney will pin something
on anybody these days but I don't know. That's something we can bounce off our attorney.
It's a volunteer effort.
Howard: Casual employment.
Littfin: I think your average homeowners policy covers this type of thing. As long as it's
not a permanently hired employee.
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Krauss: This will sound scary. I'm kind of reluctant to put it out but there's a whole group
of folks who have to do community service because the courts told them to and I'm not
saying these people should be inside somebody's home necessarily but this is a program
operated by a guy I met, and it's a statewide program. They're expanding and it's called,
something to service. I mean where they're obligated to do community service and they're
coming around to communities looking for things to do and we have them working in
roadside ditches or cleaning up trash. But things like painting somebody's house maybe.
Things like mowing grass. Those kinds of things. It's done, these are people that are not
hardened offenders. They're people that have typically gotten nicked for DWI. These are
organized crews under the direction of the probation officer who's always there. There's
always somebody around. At first I was kind of saying, well geez.. Do we want the chain
gain working around the city but it's not that way. But that's something for outside chores
that maybe we could, help to look at. But yeah, I mean clearly if the high school students
are looking for things to do.
Kubitz: She's middle school but from what she said I understood that this was a program
that they have set up now.
AI-Jaff: It's through the Student Council.
Kubitz: I think to make the kids more aware of being a part of the community.
AI-Jaff: Correct.
Krauss: Maybe for the next meeting we can give you an update on this.
Howard: I'm against the service you're talking about. We had a corps brush a road through
some property up north. Sentenced to it when Johnson was President and they, some of them
at least were able to case our cabin and saw that it was alone and went back and stripped it.
They were later caught but who wants somebody come rack your lawn and see that you live
alone.
Krauss: There is that problem. That's why I didn't know if it was appropriate or not but
again, I mean the people who are working on these things are supposed to be a different
breed and they are watched. But we'll come to you with more information on that. On both
of those programs. If I could, I've got to get back upstairs but could I touch base with you
on senior housing for a moment? I continue to have a lot of interest on behalf of developers
who want to do a project. Initially we had thought that our tax increment program, the
downtown tax increment district was going to generate something like $11 million dollars of
excess revenues. That's after we build all the roads and after we, the one thing we had
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programmed there was going to be $11 million left over. You know that was enough money
that you could go out and buy some land and build a project and write off all the costs. Then
the city could own it and hire a managing crew and it'd be just great. Well, we started
learning more about leveraging city dollars so we didn't have to put so many city dollars in.
At the same time the kitty shrunk. I think you probably read in the papers about how
commercial property, the bottom fell out of the commercial property market and property
values were going down. Well it's showing up now in the taxes for commercial. So instead
of $11 million in the kitty, there's something like $4 1/2 million in the kitty, projected out
right now. And we think it's going to go back up some but who knows how much. So we
started looking very actively at the need to do a public/private partnership instead of it being
public type of development and there's a lot of options we've been discussing with people.
In some, they're privately developed but the city has a say in what happens to it or would
ultimately become owners of it. What I've been stressing to the City Manager and potential
developers is, we don't necessarily need to own it but I'd prefer to own a chunk of it because
we want to be able to respond. When residents come to us and say they don't like the
manager. If they need some other facilities or something like that. We don't want to just
throw up our hands and say, well you know. We don't have anything to say about it. It's
private development. We'd like to be able to, we don't want to manage it on a day to day
basis. We want a professional management group, whether it's an Ebenezer or a Methodist
group or whoever. Whoever does a good job. And developers are willing to talk. I mean
we've got a large variety of options. In terms of what's happening right now. I think the
HRA is, we're pushing them to potentially, a developer brings us a proposal on a site that
they own, you know that's one thing. So far nobody's done that. They always want us to
provide the land or something. We've been inching towards the HRA, picking a site or a
couple sites and then going out. Putting ads in the professional papers and saying, here's the
kind of project we want. Come back and make us an offer and seeing who can do the best
deal. One of the things that's potentially in the works right now, our study indicated that the
best site for senior housing was right across the street. For the type of housing that we were
looking at. It made sense to a lot of people. That that would be a good site. It's across the
street from the senior center. Downtown is accessible and what not. We've talked to the
fella that owns that property and he's not opposed to senior housing someplace on the site but
he doesn't want it there and his reasons for not wanting it there is, that corner of the site is
the only place where a big footprint building will fit, and I'd have to show you a map but it's
the biggest part of the property. Kind of where the barn sits. It's not a secret I guess that.
Howard: We've heard Byerly's is going in there.
Krauss: Yeah. It's been the worst kept secret... Now I met with the architect who's
supposed to be designing the store for Byerly's last week and they tell me that the lease has
been signed. So the plan is basically for a Byerly's store to be located on that corner and
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then about 60,000 square feet of retail attached to it. What we've been looking at with this
developer is the potential of the city owning the comer out at 78th and Powers. About 4
acres. Well about 6 acres in there, that may be used to accommodate two things. One is
senior housing. The other is the post office. The reasons for that comer are basic, well a
couple reasons. First of all it's still downtown. It's not, you know yes. It's a block further
away from the senior center than it otherwise would have been but it's still within walking
distance of Target. It's still within walking distance of Byerly's. It's on a comer which
concerns me somewhat for traffic and noise so that's a design issue. On the other hand, if
you've ever been to the top of the hill right behind there...grading is, it's just a phenomenal
view. You can see down over the Minnesota River valley from there. So I think there are
design questions but then it still is downtown where we wanted it to be. There are some
other factors involved here that deal with the condemnation of 78th Street where it's being
built right now. Which tell us that it may be wise for the city to talk about cutting a deal
with the developer to own that comer. So that's the way things are sitting right now. It's
nothing definitive but I would think within the next month or two we'll see if that's doable or
if that's going to move that way or not. If we have to.
Howard: There's no room between the apartments and along...
Krauss: I have a copy of the Byerly's site plan but like I do with most things, I gave it
somebody and forgot who I gave it to. But if you saw how it laid out Sherol, it's a big
building. Well it's not as big as Target. It's about 65,000 square feet and what they would
have is the restaurant facing kind of back to City Hall and the future park over here.
Howard: How neat. That'd be nice.
Krauss: It really takes up the whole thing because they need a big parking lot out in front.
The building is back here and then you only have just a little area where they can bring in
trucks. Kind of right behind the building and the hill where they're kind of hidden and there
wasn't any room left over.
Howard: Now on CR 17, housing's going in on top of the hill isn't it?
Krauss: Yes.
Howard: And you're talking about below that?
Krauss: Yes.
Montgomery: It would be on the level, the same level as.
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Krauss: Same level as 78th Street.
Howard: And are we on the same side of the street as Byerly's?
Montgomery: Yeah. That's not so bad.
Krauss: Now if that's the deal and we come into ownership on that property, at that point
what we would want to do is to sit down with you and Jim McCombs and the folks we've
been using on the financial and housing feasibility study and come up with what's called
OUL.. request for proposal. Saying okay, we've got a site. The city is willing to be
financially involved at this level. Whatever that level turns out to be. Maybe it's just that we
own the land and we're willing to buy the land. And here's what we want back out of it.
Here's the type of project. What kind of spaces. Here's the kind of use. Here's the kind of
management. Here's the kind of different finish. All of those things and put in the RFP and
then we'll send it out and ask qualified developers to respond. And what we do then is we
hold an interview and see who comes up with the best package.
Heinlein: That's understandable.
e Montgomery: How big is that site? And it would also have the post office?
Krauss: No. Where the line goes Barbara is still kind up in the air.
Kubitz: Are you talking about the east or west side of Powers Blvd?
Krauss: The east side.
Montgomery: Would it still be 72 units? Or there abouts.
Krauss: Oh yeah. We haven't...
Howard: Obviously studies must show we can support two large groceries? To go from
nothing to two seems a lot.
Krauss: Well, this is conjecture because I haven't seen Byerly's study. It was a...to get the
first market in here and they kept on saying it was border line if it's going to be profitable
and da da da. But you know, I think we know the community a lot better than somebody,
and not that I think...and we know how fast the community's growing and how good our
access is becoming. I understand they're doing quite well. What happens with a Byerly's,
and besides. I mean Target is the, I forget what they call it. It's some kind of a sector killer.
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I mean Target's going to carry itself, so much traffic and I know from my family's
experience and probably yourselves. Well, if you're going to go to the market and Target's
on the way, we're going to stop. You'll probably do two trips at once and it's kind of a
common thing to do. Well, Byerly's is picking up on that. People who tend to shop at
Byerly's don't tend to shop at Festival. Now on the other hand, some people may make one
trip a month to a Byerly's because where else are you going to grape leaves and all this other
stuff that's fun but expensive but when you need a pound of banana's, you're going to go
over to Festival where it's cheaper. So they know that there's different markets. I think
we're fairly comfortable that because if Byerly's came in, it wouldn't necessarily kill Festival
or the other way around.
Howard: It's just interesting that they both.
Krauss: Well look it. I mean you've got Cub in Minnetonka and Rainbow's going across the
street and they are going to go head to head.
Kubitz: You better believe they are. Is there still talk about Fleet Farm on TH 41 and TH 5?
Krauss: Fleet Farm continues to talk. The Highway 5 plan, which has recently been
completed basically says no, there will never be a Fleet Farm there. That's in the process of
being adopted. I don't think Fleet Farm's given up yet. But I don't see it happening.
Kubitz: Something came up the other day. Somebody asked me and I said I don't know.
I've heard talk abut I don't know anything more about it.
Krauss: They own it but they've never been given...
Kubitz: Oh, they own the property already?
Krauss: They've owned it for 5-6 years. But they bought it on speculation.
Littfin: Does the city lose tax money by having a post office on a given site? Does a post
office pay any taxes?
Krauss: Actually right now it does pay taxes. What happens is you've got basically an
existing post office is actually a commercially owned property that is leased to the postal
service. And we would sure push that a similar arrangement be done. In fact we've been
working with the owner of this building.
Littfin: Or like the Weather Station?
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Krauss: Exactly. We ask, well 4 years ago when I started meeting with them, we insisted
that the Weather Station not be a federally owned facility. I guess that's it for me. If there's
no other questions, I'll finish reviewing your report.
Billison: Does anyone have any questions? If not, we'll go onto the next item. Before we
do that, we didn't have any update here on our Urgent Care facility.
UPDATE ON URGENT CARE FACILITY.
It
Littfin: Paul, if you have just a minute. You asked for Urgent Care. I would like to state
two instances that happened at our civic festivities. The day of the Septemberfest a lady
stopped at the baked goods booth and wanted to know if there was an Urgent Care facility in
Chanhassen. Her little girl had been stung by a bee. That may not bother most of us but to
some people it's very critical and life threatening. And we, my wife talked to the lady and
we had nothing here. She did send her over to, it was suggested she call or check with the
Fire Department. If they could give some first aid, if they had some of this medicine that can
be applied to a sting. That was item number one. Item number two was last Sunday at the
Fire Department Open House. Mae Ernst had her blood pressure checked. 250. After, they
checked it 4 times. They were all 235, 240, 250 and so forth and the paramedics said to
Mae, you get to a hospital right away. Well, you know Mae. She wasn't about to go to a
hospital. And the paramedics said, well we'll call an ambulance and take you over to
Ridgeview. And they said no. Well about this time Harriet and I got into the picture and
they explained the problem and then we said, okay. We'll take her over. So we, Harriet and
I took Mae over to Ridgeview and we sat there an hour and a half until they could contact
her doctor and so forth. Tried to calm her down, or lower the pressure and in that time they
could not get the pressure down. So anyhow, they got a prescription for her. We brought her
back home and took her to her apartment. But there again was an instance when we had no
medical facility in town that could have reacted immediately. It necessitated a trip so as I
mentioned Paul, Urgent Care is I think very important in our town.
Heinlein: She was at cards yesterday.
Littfin: Oh sure. You don't keep Mae down but anyhow, that is what happened on Sunday.
Krauss: I know from my experience on taking my kids you know, kids always seem to get
sick on the weekend or, and where I live in Eagan there is an Urgent Care facility but even
that's often not open when you need it. You know it's nice it's open until 10:00 at night and
it's open on Saturdays...it's something nice to have. It does perform a real useful role but
there are times when you've got to go to the emergency room anyway because there's no
alternative. So I guess we sent out the letters. They said there was some interest in
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expanding services so maybe something is in the works. I kind of think that, you know this
is the kind of place they're going to want to be. When we have thousands of people in
downtown everyday, 24 hours a day because there's markets open and Target, they're going
to want to be here. When we have a town that's growing rapidly, they're going to want to be
here. So let's see what they've got to say.
Montgomery: I can speak to that because I did talk to several people who were involved at
Park Nicollet in this kind of thing and Dr. Paul Berman is the director of Urgent Care at St.
Louis Park facility and he's meeting, well just probably right now with the President of Park
Nicollet and a Dr. Mitlyng and this was one of the things that they were very interested in.
And very concerned with and I told him we had a meeting this morning. He said he knew
they wouldn't have gotten through with anything by that time but that he'd get back to me
next week. But they're very concerned about it and interested in it.
Krauss: Well that's good to hear.
Montgomery: And the letter that I wrote went to several different doctors at his request and
they are all talking about it and meeting apparently and it also was going to be discussed at
the Board meeting of Park Nicollet Methodist where Dan Nelson is the Planning Chairman.
e And it was at this behest that this Vice President wrote the letter.
Krauss: I don't know what the commercial factors for them opening these things are
anymore. There was a time in the early 80's, mid 80's, when these things were the thing to
do and they all were convinced that this was the wave of how medicine was going to be
practiced in the future. That you could just drop in any time and they opened up a bunch of
them and in shopping centers mostly, or office buildings. And they wound up closing a
bunch because people wanted to stick with their doctors. Then they found this nitch, the after
hours kind of a thing.
Montgomery: Well this would be regular hours. I mean the ones that they have are during
the daytime. They're not evening things. It's not like the one at TH 101 and TH 7. The
ones that they do have open are open all day long and then part of Saturdays and Sundays too
I think extra hours. Depends. But it's not just an evening facility and it's not just pediatrics.
They're different. I've been there. I know what it's like and you wait there too. You know
it's not a perfect solution but it is something. It's something inbetween. Not being able to
get an appointment with your doctor and not being able to find them or something and taking
an ambulance and going all the way to the emergency, which costs a fortune you know. It's
really, and they don't always accept. Insurance companies don't always accept those charges.
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Krauss: Well the HMO's and some of the big insurance companies prefer you go to one of
these things. It's about a third of the cost.
Montgomery: Sure. Right. And also, if we had one in the vicinity you could get there on
Dial-a-Ride. You don't have to spend a fortune, like I did, taking a cab there. That's a big
plus. If we're having low cost housing that we're trying to bring out here and the reverse bus
service and all that stuff, we also need then to provide for people who can't spend a lot of
money on health care. And yet still need, they need stuff. You know just the same as
everybody else. And I don't know, with all the health care changes, who knows what's
coming up but at any rate, it just seems that there's a gap and this is what they were saying.
That they realized that sometimes these pockets develop where a whole community is not
served well and they realize that, they're finding out that that's really true of this area.
Krauss: Things have happened so fast here too in terms of growth of the community that I
think often times these kinds of service wake up calls. Hey, have you been in downtown
Chanhassen in the last 3-4 years. If you haven't, you haven't been here. And they see that
there's a market for stuff.
Montgomery: So I think that they're realizing that there's a large hole in this area.
e
George Dorsey: ...when you get Park Nicollet and these people, you're about at the outer
perimeter of what they're doing. You've got what, 220 doctors out at Lakeland and you've
got the ones at Shakopee and maybe we can work out some kind of an arrangement with
these people so somebody will be on call...population is growing and say hey look. What do
you do when you cut your finger. Say somebody cut their finger here on Sunday or
something. That's it. Drive all the way over to Lakeland...that doesn't make any sense but
maybe now's the time. There is more roads. Now's the time to see if they would be
interested in some kind of a venture. Either independently or together to staff an office in
this area. Now'd be the time to...
Krauss: ...we knew that. They're planning an expansion here anyway. There's a Phase 2 of
the Medical office building and they were going to be taking up some space in there...
George Dorsey: If they're talking about it already, they're already making inquiries for
people to work there but...there might be some more to come but within their system they
have to work it out too because the...let's get together. Now's the time and we could do this.
I wouldn't be adverse myself to going down and talking to them. Saying we've got this
many people here and let's begin to get the wheels grinding because you are out there and if
you...
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Krauss: Well somebody said that they'd begin to contact me in the next...Anyway by the
next meeting we'll know.
Montgomery: Did you see the letter?
Krauss: ...response we got from Ridgeview.
Montgomery: Yeah. Well maybe George would like to take a look at that.
Kubitz: Oh for the good old days when you could call your doctor like I had. Don't
hesitate. I don't care what time of the day or night, call me. And how many times he came
out when I didn't even ask him to.
Billison: Okay, if we're going to finish by 11:00, we've got to get going here.
UPDATE ON SENIOR LINKAGE LINE (SLL).
AI-Jaff: Can we have Senior Linkage Line at the bottom of the agenda because Kitty will be
here at, well any minute now but she told me that she doesn't have that much more to say
e from the last meeting but we have been getting definitely more calls.
Billison: We'll put that back...
UPDATE ON SENIOR CENTER ACTIVITIES.
Howard: One thing we're going to be having at least two openings on the Board. On the
Advisory Board for the Senior Center and we have the applications ready at the center so if
any of you know good people you could tell about or recommend. Everything's going well.
We've started a womens club. Just had our third meeting and we had one of the men from
the garage facility come over and talk to us about cars, which was very illuminating for all us
gals.
AI-Jaff: Who was it?
Howard: Harold.
Littfin: Brose.
AI-Jaff: I should have been there.
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Howard: Oh, everyone should have been there. It really was very good. We're having flu
shots November 2nd. And we're having a trip to the Old Log November 3rd. Our mystery
trip is next Tuesday. That is full however so. We had very good response to that. We have
a lot of activities that are going well. Outstanding is the chorus and our wood carving is
doing well. And the only other thing we will be having our holiday party Saturday,
December 11 th if you'd like to list that on your calendar.
Heinlein: Don't forget our Italian Night.
Howard: Italian Night will be the first Saturday in November which, darn. I don't have a
calendar here with me. First Saturday of November. The 6th of November will be Italian
Night. ...the same outfit that did German Night and I wasn't there. I understand that the
food was excellent and the cost will be approximately the same. Either $7.00 or $8.00.
Heinlein: Yeah, it was $7.00 or $8.00.
AI-Jaff: Do you have to be a senior citizen?
Howard: No you don't. You may be my guest...Can you think of anything else you gals?
Heinlein: I think that's about it isn't it?
Howard: The next Womens Club is going to be someone we're copying from the Mens.
Someone from the Weather Bureau. So that will be an interesting one.
Heinlein: I'll finagle my weekend so I can have it. Get there. Unless they start falling down
again like I did. I almost broke my neck the other day. Tripped over a concrete block.
Somebody's got this in front of the door on the laundry room.
Howard: Everyone be sure to...the opening coming up on the Advisory Board.
SENIOR CITIZEN COMMISSION VACANCIES.
AI-Jaff: Four people, four terms expiring at the same time is a lot. For continuity sake, can
we change the terms? It would be an amendment?
Kubitz: No, we have 3 going at one time and 4 so we're not that far off.
AI-Jaff: Yes, but when you lose 4 people. Let's assume that all 4 of you decided that you
don't want to run again, and this will happen. 2 years from now if you decided that you're
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tired and you really don't want to run another term, we're going to lose 4 people at the same
time. That's a lot of people to lose on a commission and replace them.
Montgomery: What we did last time was just draw straws I think. Something like that...
AI-Jaff: Well now the terms are 2 years each but we staggered them. What I was going to
suggest is go with 2, 3 and 4 maybe so that we wouldn't lose that many people.
Kubitz: We'd lose 3 at one time and 4 at the other.
AI-Jaff: Yeah, and that's a lot of people to lose Jane.
Billison: To begin again.
AI-Jaff: That's my only concern. Do we want to go with 3 year terms. 3 and 4 for instance
rather than.
Montgomery: That's sort of long.
e Howard: You can always quit.
AI-Jaff: If you decide to quit halfway, then we have to find a replacement.
Montgomery: What about 1 and 2.
AI-Jaff: No. No, one year is.
Kubitz: One year you don't get the feel of it good.
AI-Jaff: I mean for instance with the Planning Commission, we have usually 1 or 2 terms
running at the same time. We never have 4. Or if you're comfortable with it, then we'll
keep it as it is. I personally don't feel comfortable with losing 4 people at the same time.
Heinlein: This is the first year of my second term.
AI-Jaff: Correct. So you have one more year.
Kubitz: Al and Mark have another year to go.
Montgomery: So that would be 3 at that time.
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Al-laff: Well everybody's term has changed so that we can have that stagger.
Heinlein: If I live that long I'll be.
Al-laff: Do you want to think about it for this month and take it up at the next meeting?
Okay, that will be fine.
Howard: You don't need to have...
Montgomery: Well we still have to do that don't we?
Al-laff: What?
Montgomery: Fill out the blanks or don't we need to do that?
Howard: Did you have to do that Selda?
Heinlein: What?
e Howard: Fill out blanks or just stay the same.
Billison: I think she just said she'd stay.
Heinlein: Well I'm entering my second year.
Al-laff: She submitted an application but if you want to get reappointed, I'll just get that to
the Council and request that you get reappointed. Simple as that.
Heinlein: Because I still have one year. When I took over the first of this year, I have
another year to go. If I live so long.
Al-laff: Okay.
Billison: Now Kitty is here.
UPDATE ON SENIOR LINKAGE LINE.
Sitter: Thanks. I don't have a lot of additional information to share as far as how we're
doing with the set up. It's kind of the same as before except I do have a draft of a flyer that
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we developed for publicity information. I thought that might be fun for you to take a look at.
I only have one today. I'm sorry. Basically what we're trying to do with this new piece of
information was to condense about 3 sheets that we've been handing out in the past into one
piece and the phone numbers for the entire metro and statewide numbers are on this sheet so
if someone else needed the information that wasn't right in this county, they could still have
that information available to them. It condenses some of the wordiness of some of the flyers
that we've had in the past into something that's a little bit more concise and easy to read.
The other piece of this particular brochure is in the inside front there's a wallet card that can
be cut out and placed in a Roladex card file or in your wallet to carry with you. And we
opted to do that kind of solution to getting the phone number in people's hands as opposed to
another sticker simply because of cost is one major issue. And we thought that that might be
a little handier if you wanted to have it right with you to share with somebody else. So that's
what we're looking at currently. As far as I've heard so far, the printing will be done at the
Hennepin main office and probably within 2 or 3 weeks. So we'll have that available to you
at that time.
Howard: Have you had any more volunteers?
Sitter: Not at this time Sherol. We're covering pretty much. There's a couple slots that
have been empty from time to time but the one thing that has helped us in the last few weeks
has been the phone system with the city and now we have the direct answering machine, or
voice mail right to our Senior Linkage Line. So it's no longer going over to Hennepin
County for the answers when we're not staffed. Or during after hours.
Howard: Where is it going?
Sitter: Right to here. Right to our Senior Linkage Line.
Howard: Now no one was here Wednesday afternoon. Where did the calls go?
Sitter: To here. Onto our answering machine. V oice mail. So they could leave their name
and phone number and then we'd pick that up as soon as we were back in.
Howard: Oh I see. So they would get a call the next day in this particular case.
Sitter: Right. And in most cases, on the phone message that I leave for the voice mail, there
is the statement that if this is a medical emergency, hang up and dial 911. So we've at least
covered that part of it and we figured that any other calls that wouldn't be a medical
emergency could be picked up in time the next day. It wouldn't be that crucial if we were an
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overnight delay on that.
AI-Jaff: Have you had many people using the voice mail?
Sitter: It's been more or less people that we've been trying to call back for getting back on
research that we've done. Or for agencies that are trying to give us information about things
that we ask them for. But as far as the direct call in, we haven't gotten any.
Howard: Did Helen give you something the other day that should be entered into your, for
me that should be entered into.
Sitter: I remember your name on something Sherol and I don't recall what it was.
Howard: Well I don't remember. That's why I have to do it in writing.
Sitter: Well I do know that when we get brochures in from people and your's catches my
mind that there was something. We do check on the computer right away for those.
Howard: To see if you have it.
Sitter: Exactly. And if we don't, then we have a process where we can get that into the
computer as long as it's screened through for...and they're okay with it. We've also come
across a few, I'll say holes in the system right now and we're trying to deal with those kind
of holes. That maybe they won't come up on the computer for a service for us but we're
trying to find another connection for them so they're not just left out in the lurch. And that's
we're feeling like we're using that tailoring or the custom made part of the system to help
with people within the County.
Montgomery: Now where are the holes?
Sitter: The biggest one lately is more in the home chore area. The one thing I'd like to
share with you on that part is that the SAIL program which is dealing with 5 counties, our's
and some of the western counties beyond us. They have a grant right now that they consider
and should know some time next week whether they're going to be accepted or not in the
Home Chore program area. And if that is accepted, their grant would take... as far as putting
together a vendor list that we could draw upon to use. The drawback on this is that it
wouldn't probably be instated from 8 to 12 months from the time the grant is accepted.
Howard: Oh, that's what I was going to ask. If you got any time at that meeting we were at.
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Sitter: And that's the best, that date. 8 to 12 months. The reason that it takes so long is
because they want to do a real thorough referral system and looking up people's credentials
on who they're going to have in their vendor system. They've gone through a real good way
of asking questions about...
Howard: Good, sounds real good.
Sitter: So that's the problem with it. Putting all that kind of thing together unfortunately it
takes time. So we're looking, if that goes in effect and we're really crossing our fingers that
it does, we're looking at that year kind of void right now to try and fill. So unless we hear
about Girl Scouts groups or Boy Scout groups or people...
Howard: I imagine quite a few of your calls are in this category aren't they?
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Sitter: There are getting to be more, yes. And especially with winter coming up, yeah. So
the other day we also had a call that was in regards to some immediate short term help and it
was unfortunate. We were not able to help her as much as we would have liked to. We gave
her some suggestions and we did talk to a number of agencies that were kind of echoing what
we were finding as far as paperwork seemed to be a problem in the hold up of delivering
services. What was the other? There was another key. Cost. If there was an immediate
availability for help, the cost might be a little bit more prohibitive so between those sorts of...
it made it real frustrating to try and help this person. But the thing that I also feel when
we're dealing with the Senior Linkage Line and starting them up on these sorts of things, is
when I get back to the people and talk to them about we know there's some holes here. How
do you think that we might help build some of these things and get their ideas to help us start
connecting with agencies that could maybe relook at some of their intake procedures for
instance, or the way they help the customers. So I think that is really a benefit with the
Senior Linkage Line that helps agencies start to be aware a little more how they might be
helpful.
Montgomery: Sort of an ongoing study.
Sitter: Exactly.
Heinlein: Well I have to say that the day that I called and Jane happened to be there for
Olivia Kerber who is one of our volunteers and I couldn't help her because I wasn't up to par
that day. Even to try and walk her was a half a block away from my place and over to the
doctor. Well I called in. Well we wound up getting two of our good volunteers, Al Olson
and Fred Prinz took her to the doctor. Took her over to get her medicine. And then I got
her onto CART. So now she's using CART to get to, last week she had to go to Edina and
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one other town and she is showing some improvement but not totally. The way she should
be. There are problems and they have not come up yet with what her real problem is. I feel
sorry for her.
Sitter: Well that's the...though Selda what you're talking about is being able to get somebody
into a state where they can go through the transportation calls for instance or take care of
their own medical.
Heinlein: Now she's gotten to the point, she told me the other day, I've got to get a phone
right along side of my bed. Well she's hard of hearing for one thing and she has trouble.
You know when she picks up the phone, it takes her a minute to get. Well, it will help.
Sitter: Have her call Senior Linkage Line back and maybe we can connect her with some of
that type of...1 guess that's the other thing we're real concerned about is, I know we've had
calls back and forth for picking up from the senior greeter staff and what Selda says, they've
often times picked up phone calls of people have called into senior center and maybe should
have used the Linkage Line. So I guess I'm relying on all of your help with that kind of
confusing piece too is because the Senior Linkage Line is right there at the Senior center.
Often times people call the center instead of the Senior Linkage Line and they need to.
Kubitz: Well that particular day it was a good thing she called me because then I talked to
Al and Fred right then and there and Al picked it up. And Linkage Line, maybe it wouldn't
have gone through that way. So the good Lord has a way of making sure those calls go
where they belong. Even if it doesn't seem like it's the right place. I'd like to pick up a
little bit on one of those holes because I was very involved in one of them.
Sitter: One thing Jane, before you talk. We really need to keep a confidentiality of our
customers.
Kubitz: No, she knows I'm going to talk about it.
Sitter: Okay, but I would prefer no names if you could.
Kubitz: No. Well I'll just say a neighbor because her mother-in-law had been sick in the
hospital. Had been down there. Back up. Lost a lot of time from work where they were
running out of time that they could take off. And then she was home and fell and she needed
somebody to be with her during the day just to be there and Joyce would have a lunch ready.
All they'd do is just be there and it was impossible to find somebody. There wasn't anybody
like that available on the Linkage Line. She had already called Carver County Social
Services, which was about all Linkage Line had...She was not able to contact anybody who
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could help her. If she needed nursing care, that was available. When she started looking into
the daycare facilities, it meant a special trip, a special physical, shots. All this red tape that
would have taken the week that they needed. And one place cost $14.00 an hour, which is
over $100.00 a day. Another place she could get into but that was again the physical and that
was $35.00 a day. And I called several friends of mine and got information on the Senior
Companion Program, which she works out Southdale Hospital and it's a Lutheran services.
Social services and that is restricted as far as she's concerned at least. She has to get her
referral from, they call her from the hospital and it's people on low income who are going
home from the hospital that are going to need somebody for just a few days. But they are
also restricted to 4 hours a day. Well that doesn't help on this situation. So when we got
through going through all these things, we found there were quite a few holes. I called
Barbara. Barbara told me to call Betty on SAIL and Betty thanked me for calling her. She
said this is another hole. Well in the process of Betty checking, she found out that this same
problem has come up in many areas now. That there are people who need somebody just to
be in the house with them for a short period of time and there's nobody available. She also
found that there are services that have lovely brochures and somebody to answer the phone
but nobody to perform the service. So we have some holes to fill.
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Sitter: And I did speak to that lady that you're talking about and we had a good conversation
and offered some solutions and things to look at in the future. And unfortunately it doesn't
help those that need it immediately.
Kubitz: We talked about it afterwards. She said well, I didn't get any help. She finally had
to call work and tell them that she would not be able to come in all week. Then her sister-in-
law had to take the next week off, and she came up last Saturday and got her mother and
took her back. Who's going to take her the following week, they don't know. But they have
her name in at a convalescent home down in the southern part of the State as soon as they
can get her in there.
Howard: That sounds like something that you should be able to get an organized, nice group
of volunteers. Through the senior center. Just ourselves. Through our own senior center.
We should be able to do a list where someone would be available. I'd go sit at somebody's
house for the day. I think most of us would.
Kubitz: This is what we said. And then Betty said, in checking she said there is a Good
Samaritan program.
Howard: Well instead of another program we should...
Kubitz: ...champion to that or find out more about it. And then she was talking about having
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Submitted by Paul Krauss
Planning Director
Prepared by Nann Opheim
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