Loading...
1991 03 15 CHANHASSEN SENIOR COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING MARCH 15, 1991 Chairman Montgonery called the meeting to order at 9:35 a.m.. MEMBERS PRESENT: Barbara Montgomery~ Sherol Howard, Bernice Bellison; Kubitz, and Emma St. John MEMBERS ABSENT: Selda Heinlein and Betty Bragg Montgomery: Would anybody have anything to change? I guess to approve it if it's not changed. STAFF PRESENT: Paul Krauss, Planning Director; Sharmin AI-Jaff, Planner I; and Jerry Ruegemer, Recreation Supervisor Montgomery: Can we please have the approval what you're looking for with that. Krauss: Oh, it's a fairly regular item. If ~omebody wants agenda or to add items to the agenda, they can do that now. Montgomery: Do you have any changes? . Howard: I want to mention there are many mistakes Betty Bragg and I sat next to each other and she called me too and wanted me to draw attention to it that our names were interposed many times. I have a lot of pages . mentioned. 7 pages at least where it happened. Her remarks were attributed to me and vice versa. Krauss: Okay, if you've got them marked we can just make those changes. Howard: It makes no difference tome. it and8etty wanted me to. Montgomery: Okay, then perhaps you can make those changes a.fter the meeting. Would that beoka~ ~ith you? Krauss: Or if you've got them .marked there, we'll just those changes. Howard: I don't care if they're even changed but yeah, that would alright. Krauss: It's not a problem. Yeah this was, in fairness to see how complicated these things are and she's not familiar everybody is yet. . Howard: Well and we were sitting next to each other. Senior Commission Meeting March. 15, 1991. - Page 2 . Montgomery: Well I think she did remarkably well. for approval? Okay, is I make amotion we approv~. Bel1ison: I just have one more thing I'd like to mention. The spelling of the name of our guest, if that's not important. It's Zeta DeMal'ais. She spells her name Zeta and then it's DeMal'ais. Montgomery: Did you get the change? Is that okay? Anything else? somebody make the motion to approv~? St. John: I did before that. SOJOURN ADULT DAY CARE SERVICES - SALLY Montgomery~ Okay. A second? Bellison: I second it. St. John moved, Bellison seconded to approve the Minutes of the Senior Commission meeting dated February 15, 1991 amended to change the spelling of the name Zeta DeMarais and to make the corrections with Betty Bragg and Sherol Howard's comments. All voted in favor and the motion carried. . Montgomery: I'd like to call on Sally Hebson who's with Sojourn. She's going to talk to us today about the adult day care services that Sojourn provides. ,Sally Hebson: Thank you. Shall I sit hete? Montgomery: No, why don't you come up here and speak to us in here. KraQss: If I may too. I talked to Sally a few weeks ago and I believe once quite a while ago. We became aware that the program existed when Judy was doing some of her work. One of the things I asked Sally to do was to give us an overview of the program and I believe we can go visit it at some point. But also to give us an idea too about possible funding activities under the Block Grant program. It seemed that we do fund South Shore Senior Center. We do have an item on here later on to continue that . funding but the Sojourn program seemed to be a good candidate for possible funding as well under the Block Grant Fund. If there are suitable activities and if you're in concurrence. With that I'll pass it over to Sally. Sally Hebson: Thank you. I think Paul and I first talked when I read an article in the paper about the activities that the City of Chanhassen was working on with Judy Marshik and the planning for possible future senior needs in the city of Chanhassen and I realized that we had, even though we're beginning our seventh year in this area, that we had only been in the city of Chanhassen a couple of months. Since July of last summer and that we had not introduced ourselves to the City of Chanhassen. Though we had connections with the City of Excelsior and we still have an Excelsior . Senio, Commission Meeting Ma,ch' 15, 1991 - Page 3 . mailing list, we indeed ale now in Calve, County and needed to make that contact. We ale located now at Holy Cross Luthe,an Chu,ch which is.3 miles. west of Excelsio, on TH 7 just inside the Chanhassen township limits. And so we are now in Carver County and have expanded our services to take mOle Carver County residents into our program. The reason for that being primarily that Carver County's adult day prog,am which moved f,om Chaska to Young America a couple of years ago, is full and I think this is a new occurence fo, them. They serve about 25 people per day, 5 days a week but they have neve, been in a situation where their program was to capacity every day. So because of that we've been wo,king with the social .service department at Carver County and serving many more Carver County residents than we had befo,e. The,e was always an unde,standing at Carve, County that we would be able to participate in the alternative care grant p,ogram which our monies through the County was to pay fo, se,vices fo, olde, people to come to daycareas well as to receive home care which that has expanded. So I'm here today to share with you about our p,ogram Sojourn and to answe, any questions and to also talk about the City Block Grant funding, which I understand is to se,ve low income older people which is what our constituency is and to see what the possibilities for funding might be for Sojou,n. My backgr6und is in community 'health nursing. I g,aduated from the College of St. Catherine in 1965 and have worked in cpmmunity health ever since in a va,iety of different activities. I lived out of state for several years and moved back 10 years ago and since then have worked with the Minnetonka School District as a school nurse. And worked for a home care agency and along with anothe, public health nurse colleague, decided that we would like to have a home ca,e program fo, .;~' seniors in the Excelsior area where we both lived. And at the time we decided to do this which was in 1984, as we began to talk with people it became apparent that there was really a lot of home care available but what w~sn't available was adult day care. And so we did a lot of research. South Shore Senior Center had begun a year before and had a lot of info,mation that was available to us about the numbe, of seniors and what services they needed so that was one of the basic documents we used as well as inte,viewing othe, day p,og,ams. So we developed a non-profit ' corporation and we leased space from the Minnetonka School Dist,ict at West Junio, High School, which was then opening to small businesses. And actually I think we were in Carver County, barely because we had some questions about that when we were beginning. As we sta,ted the program had a list of about 30 people who were potential participants and both being experienced public health nu,ses, we we,e sure that all we had to do was begin and tell everybody and we would be booming with participants and ready to go to town. Well we started out with one person a half a day pel week who was an old neighbor of mine when 1 was growing up in Excelsior. So we didn't get off to the roaring start that we thought we would. We began 2 days a week. Expanded to 3, 4~ 5. The School District has been wonderful landlord and we we,e able to make wonderful connections with teachers and develop really good intergenerational p,ograms but also the School District needs thei, space for classrooms and so we moved 3 times in the first 4 yea,s and then were finally asked to leave the School District because they need their space fo, class programs last summer. So we've had a lot of expansion. . We've had to be real creative and real resourceful. . We're now serving an average of 18 people a day at Holy Cross. And as I said, we've been there since last July. We have a wide variety of Senior Commission Meeting March 15, 1991 - Page 4 . activities that we offer participants. Everybody who is referred to our program or who's family inquires and wants the person to come, receives an assessment by a staff that includes myself, Gail Skoglund who's our program director who's a social worker and the rest of our staff are people with backgrounds in therapeutic recreation. We're licensed by the State of Minnesota Department of Human Services to provide adult day care and so therefore we're required to do real stringent record keeping. There's a very stringent rule through the Department of Human Services which protects our participants who are vulnerable adults from any abuse or neglect. So we do an assessment. We write a plan of care based on that assessment with specific goals and objectives for each individual person. So everyone rea11y has an individual program plan as well as a chance to participate in overall group activities. I have some information here which is just a real basic outline of what a day could, be like at Sojourn. I'll pass it out to you. We have every variety of activity I think that you can imagine that people would enjoy pursui ng whether or not they ~r.Jere well. One of the common denominator of a participant in adult day program is probably that they have a need to have some assistance to live independently. And this assistance could be a physical difficulty. A mental problem. Emotional problem. We have a wide variety of people who participate. Some people need some assistance with activities of daily living because they've had a stroke. They still live at home. Everybody's first choice pretty much is to live at home in the community with the family members and so this is a service that helps the families keep going and provide them with a break. It really has a two fold purpose. It's a place for the older person to come and socialize. To get peer support. To have friends. To have some fu~. To have a sense of purpose and ~omethingto do as well as it gives the family members a well needed break from the care. A chance to go on with their own lives and their own jobs. We have 3, well actually 4 major funding sources. ,We have a contract with Hennepin County for the alternative care grant funds. We have a contract with Carver County for alternative care grant funds. We have a contract for a demonstration project through Medicare with Alhzeimer's diagnose. We have private pay. I guess that's it. So our income 1s based on a fee for service. People come to the program. They receive the services of an adult day program and then they're billed at the end of the month and appropriately, either the families are billed if it's private payor one of the other contracts that we have. Right now about 50% of the participants are on pr,ivate pay fees and 50% are under the other programs that I've mentioned. Well as you can tell, I could talk about this for a long time and I want to be respectful of the amount of time you have for your meeting here and also to answer any questions specifically that you might have about what an adult day program is and ho,w it wor ks . I'd 1 i ke to mention one thi ng though before I do that and that is, to talk about the care givers and those are the family members who provide the bulk of services and care to the participants of Sojouin. t.Je are well aware of the fact that an adult day program is just a small part of what people do in taking care of an older person in the family. And that the care givers need a lot of help and support too. We about 4 years ago established a care givers support group which is every other Monday in the afternoon. We started out with two groups. One in the evening and one in the afternoon and found that people prefer the afternoon meeting. We've also been doing a series of outreach programs in conjunction with Minnetonka School District called lunch and learn. ...~~. , , . Senior Commission Meeting March 15, 1991 - PageS . this at Shepherd of the Hills Church in Hopkins the third Monday of every month. We have various speakers come. For a $5.00 fee people come and have lunch and listen to a speaker and then the remarkable thing that we all need is we sit around the table and talk about all of the concerns that we have as care givers. The first time we did it we thought we had the word out well. It was in January and we had about 4 people come. The second time we had about25 and we have 20 some signed up for the program coming on Monday so we've been trying to, we're always trying to look at new ways of being supportive to the care givers. To give them what they need. Information and support and good food and conversation too I guess is part of that. I guess maybe before .questions I'd also like to introduce my friends who I brought along. This is Irene Thompson who comes to Sojourn 3 days a week and her daughter Mary Kay Schmidt and .they live here in Chanhassen. I thought maybe I'd ask them to talk a little bit about what Sojourn means to them. Would you like to do that? Mary Kay Schmidt: Well, I guess I can do some talking. Lrene Thompson: I don't do any talking. . Mary Kay Schmidt: That's okay. Well it's an excellent program, at least for me. I do work full time. My mom too finds it, she looks fbrw~rd to because it's something where she's got a planned schedule doing what she wants and having, there's just different projects. You can look on a calendar .and there's bingo one day. Or sometimes they go out to eat and she likes to go out to the restaurants so it gets her a quality of life that;. it's hard for a care giver to take care of that. .Especiallyif you work full time. So the' program, like I say is excellent. My mom is considered custodial. She did have a stroke that she's improving all the time. She's not going to be driving a car yet but she's improving all the time. So the program too challenges her and gets her a set of, I mean she could spend her life in front 6f the TV and watch soap operas which is not...so this makes her do that.too. Sometimes she doesn't like to but most of the time it.'s very, very good... Montgomery: I'd like to ask how it works ~utwith your working hours. noticed 4:00. Mary Kay Schmidt: I'm in medical sales and I work out of my home so. But I do travel. I have 6 states to cover. I have a brother out in Mound too who comes and a sister-in-law who has a. craft shoP...yarn but yeah, it's a battle. Then I have another brother in Grand Forks so she spends some time in Grand Forks part of year too. But she's going to be here until July... day care program hope will keep going on.... They're a part of living. Montgomery~ Thanks so much. St.John~ How long alone? since she was living .... ., Mary Kay Schmidt: Well she's lived alone out on Lake Mlnnetonka a~d with my nephew and he, after my dad passed away but after her stroke . been in the program over 2 years. She's improved greatly from the time of the stroke. She wants to doeverything...and that's good. Senior Commission Meeting March 15, 1991 -Page 6, Montgomery: Could you tell me again how many participate in the program? I didn't write that down. . Sally Hebson: We have about 18 people average per day. We're right now licensed to serve 20 people a day and we do have space to expand that and if we get to 20 people we'll make a decision about how to do that also and that would be through the Department of Human Services again. We staff at a ratio, which is required by the State, of 5 participants per each professional staff person. We also have a lot of volunteers. We're real fortunate I think ,being real visible in the school district was helpful for that also. People would come into the community center. First we were in West Junior High School. Then we were at Excelsior Community Center for 3 years. And then we were at Deephaven Education Center for a year so we really had a lot of exposure to the public. Also the School District is a wonderful place to get free public relations because they have people taking pictures of the older people and the kids and running articles in the newspapers a lot so that's been real helpful. And because of that we have a really good volunteer organization. So even though we say we staff 5 to 1, we really have a higher ratio with volunteers who particularly like to go on outi ngs. We've been to Target Center 3 times si nc'e it opened which is really pretty good for us. We had a bowling team, believe it or not.' We'd go to Country Club Lanes. We had pink bowling balls that weighed 6 pounds a piece and they have blow up bumpers in the lanes so Bverybody's a winner. And in the summertime we have an intergenerational bowling team with the 12 year olds from the Explorer's Club at the Community Center and that is the hit of the whole program. Even the people who can't bowl are really proud to come and watch and cheer and be part of a real normal kind of thing. Montgomery: Would you like to tell us about your budget or what your needs are? Sally Hebson: Oh sure. Well when I talked with Paul it became apparent that the funds that might be available through the City Block Grant were not for programming but were for hard goods. I don't know what you'd call that. KraUss: Capitil expenditures, yeah. Sally Hebson: Capital expenditures. We have always operated on a slim budget. Our bUdget has always been balanced. We are in okay financial shape but we have never had extras to buy some things. And after I talked to Paul we started thinking. We had a Board meeting and got the staff together and we kind of talked about some of the things that we might need. It would be wonderful to have two new wheelchairs that were not falling apart and didn't stick every time you tried to open them. We have some donated things that are wobbly and probably not as safe as they could be. We have a physical space at the church and we'd be delighted to have anyone come and visit at any time, which has a long hallway out to the main entrance way and there is no doorway. There is no door to block that . Senior Commission Meeting March 15, 1991 - Page 7 . hallway off from the main entrance so not only does cold air come in but if .' the church has an activity and we're there, we had to actually leave one day when there was a funeral because our programming was going to interfere with the funeral. So to have some kind of a door, which I'm sure would have to be approved by the City Fire Marshal who we dealt with at great lengths when we put in our smoke alarm system when we moved last summer. I think that would have to be approved so I don't really know what that would entail although I could certainly find out and get specific costs. We also serve two snacks a day. Morning and afternoon as well as a hot lunch. We have a kitchen that is, I guess you could say inadequate. We have one little sink. There's no counter space. There's not much cupboard. It would be wonderful to have a dishwasher. I'm sure it would be far healthier. Carver County did not do kitchen health inspections or support the food service unless you fix your own meals so they don't even want to talk to us when we moved into Carver County. We just had someone from the State write a letter saying we don't need to come and talk to you so I know that we could probably have a more sanitary, safe system of food preparation will be to have a dishwasher. Krauss: Do you need to have, I mean are you equipping a commercial kitchen or would you be looking? . Sally Hebson: No. See we buy the meals from a catering company that also provides meals for child daycare. So we don't really need to have a commercial kitchen. Hennepin County has much different kinds of guidelines for those than Carver County does. I mean they have no guidelines. They literally didn't want to see about our food preparation. Now we're inspected by the Department of Human Services who is our licensing place and We're also inspected by the Department of Education which gives some reimbursement for lunches but none of those people do the same kind of inspections that a Health Department does. About temporary of water for washing and you've got to, although we've been doing this. We've been in this food business for 7 years and so we have a lot of policies and procedures about being sanitary. I know it would be much easier for all of us to have a dishwasher. It'd be a real treat. Howard: I'd like to ask a question. When you're speaking of making improvements to the building, are you assured that you can stay in this location? ' Sally Hebson: Well, I guess having moved 4 times in 7 years I don't know that one could ever be assured. I. know th'at the South Shore Senior Cente,", you know we all have had assurances that we would stay where we were from the very beginning. We were to stay at West Junior High forever. That school would never re-open. They couldn't do enough to encourage small businesses to come and stay. We were there 3 years and then we left. When we came to the Excelsior Community Center, they couldn't be more delighted. The Senior Center was there. Here we were. They thought we could stay there forever. The answer is I don't know. . Howard: Well, I think this would have to be a consideration when you're making improvements to your building. Senior Commission Meeting March 15, 1991 -Page 8 . Sally Hebson: Sure. Krauss: Do you have a lease there of some sort? Sally Hebson: We do. We have a year to year lease. Krauss: Well then of course there's two categories that they Wheelchairs clearly could move with wherever the location is. dishwasher can be a portable dishwasher or could be moved. St. John: Would the Church approve the doorway and that? That would have to go through the Church Council. Sally Hebson: It's always nice to have you come for lunch if you'd like. You could all come for lunch. We, like I said have catered lunches. You could come in the morning and have coffee and kind of see what we're doing. Anytime in the day, you know we would be glad to set it up. There are certain days we go on field trips but other than that we are, there's always a group who's there with some staff people at all times. Howard: I have another question. Areall of your people enrolled on a regular program or do you have drop ins? Sally Hebson: Well we haven't had much call for drop ins so primarily everyone has what we call a service plan. We know that they're going to come Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. We have transportation to arrange which we do through the Metro Mobility System. We primarily use the Yellow Cab Company. We find that it's a real efficient system when you've used the same drivers and the same vehicles all the time. They know the. people and so most everyone is on a scheduled basis. We have transportation, meals and staffing that are a concern. We always say to families, if you have the need and you want someone to come that isn't scheduled, you can . Senior Commission Meeting Mar6h 15, 1991 - Page 9 . call us and if we can put together transportation, meals and staffing, we'd be glad to meet that need. But as I said, we really have a stringent rule and we have to be very careful about not taking on extra people if we don't have the right staff ratio. Montgomery: Would you like to arrange a time now or should we do that later? Krauss: If I could interject. The timing for the Block Grant funding cycle is of the essence. We have to have a public hearing at the Council level on this next year, next round of funding and it's g6ing to be a week from Monday. The first hearing and we have a possibility for a second hearing and then we have to get the stuff over to Hennepin County so I would encourage us to do this fairly quickly so we can get something back to the Council. (The~e was a tape change at this point in the discussion~) Sally Hebson: We write a newsletter to each family member schedule that we send out. Bellison: Are you going to give us an idea of what those are? Sally Hebson: Yeah, so everybody ~retty much knows what's happening and what the activities are. Monday is the only day that...we're having the lunch and learn program that I was telling you about so I'll be off doing that. .. Would next Friday be a possibility or is that cutting it Krauss: Well if I'm going to get something to the City Council, that goes .out on Thursday. Montgomery: Ho~ about, would ne xtwee k? Krauss: Yeah Tuesday. Montgomery: Would you Kubitz: No Tuesdays. Howard: Wednesday morning? How does that, next Is that a good date? Sally Hebson: That Wednesday would be fine. Krauss: Sharmin could go. Montgomery: Is Wednesday alright? Shall we arrange to do that? . Howard: Is there another day? Senior Commission Meeting March 15, 1991-Page 10 . Bellison: Monday's are always a good day and Jane can't go on Tuesday. Howard: I think it would be very nice to visit but would it be necessary to visit before we can make the recommendation? Howard: I don't see why. Krauss: I don't think so. Krauss: That's true. And if you're comfortable doing that, you know in the past the Block Grant is, I've adminstered it and there hasn't been. Senior activities are one activity that we fund out of the Block Grant. Recreational activities are another and we had, Jerry's here tonight. Not about that but about some other things but we have some commitments to finish funding. A handicapped totlot that's equipped for handicapped and abled bodied kids over at the school. If you're comfortable with. some of the outlines of what's been related to you today and we can work out some of the details so that we get a funding request back to the Council. Give me some direction and responsibility to do that, I can handle that from there. Howard: I would make a motion that we recommend to the Council to buying a portable dishwasher for Sojourn. Sally Hebson: Great. Sally Hebson: WeTl I could sure find out. I can go back. 1 have a medical supply catalog. Krauss: Would you know what the wheelchairs would cost? Mary Kay Schmidt: I can probably help you. Sally Hebson: Well there she is. Mary Kay Schmidt: Well I used to work for a distributor. I don't anymore but I can probably tell the right distributor with the right prices. Krauss: Sherol~ if you'd like, what we could do is sort of structure that if we. Howard: I would include in my motion the wheelchairs. Krauss: Okay, and what we could do is prioritize it depending on money we can shake lose out of the Block Grant for the dishwash~r the wheelchair. Sally Hebson: Do you have any idea what monies are available for these kinds of programs? . Krauss: We had, well a couple of things. It gets fairly cumbersome but have approximately $26,000.00 left for senior activities from this past funding cycle. I couldn't figure out what to do with it so the Senior Commission Meeting March 15, 1991 - Page 11 . ~ommijsion's aware that we just put down senior activities. We figured that the commission would decide. We got some commitments to fund studies ~fsenlor housing and senior center. I also have, and that pretty much takes care of. this past year. Now we have the ability to juggle. I can take some of that money from this past year and we can spend it on different things an.d holding stuff for next year. They're increasing amount actually. We're getting $37,000.00 for the year starting next month. Krauss: The $26,000.00 is what we had last year funded uncommitted that we have to spend by Christmas. We have $37,000.00 coming for this next cycle ~hat we have no commitments for yet. We do have a funding request from South Shore for $7,000.00 some odd dollars which is consistent with what we've funded them in the past and we've sort of got a long term commitment to do that. Sally Hebson: Okay, so are we talking~boutlast year's money? Sally Hebson: And that's a program activity? Krauss: They get programming. Yeah,there's a percentage. dollars that are passed through Block Grant can go .to programmi ng and 1 thikn next year they're actually lowering that to like 12% so they're getting tighter and tighter. So with our commitment to South Shore, I thirikwe'repretty well tied down to actually physical improvements or equipment. And like I say, I've also got a commitment forme to complete this playground which is probably going to take. about $20,000.00. . Sally Hebson: So this is out of this same Block Grant money? Krauss: Well okay. If we add it up,. I've got $26,000.00 this year and I've got $37,000.00 for this coming year. So I've got $63,000.00. South Shore is $7,500.00. We're not sure what our study for the senior center and housing are going to cost but .we assume it's about 15. I've got a $20,000.00 commitment for the playground so if my math is any good. So I've got $63,000.00 and we've committed $43,000.00. Montgomery: Is that, the commitment to South Shore for this year's funds? Krauss: Yeah, we already paid South Shore. So we can do some juggling. We have some opportunities to do some more things. Montgomery: Yeah, we hav~ some other ideas. Okay, there's a motion on the floor. Would anybody like to second? Kubitz: I'll second the motion. Montgomery: It's been moved and seconded that we recommend to the Council that the funds be used toward a dishwasher and wheelchair if that would be feasible for the Sojourn center. . '. Howard moved , Kubitz seconded that tneSenior Commission recommend that funds from Community Block Grant Development fund be used for purchasing a portable dishwasher and wheelchair" if feasible" for tne Sojourn Adult Day Care Center_All voted in favor and the motion carried unanimously.. Senior Commission Meeting March 15, 1991 - Page 12 Krauss: Sally, this recommendation will be passed along to the City Council a week f~om Monday and I'll send you a notice on that. You should probably be prepared to come to the City Council meeting and describe the program. I know we always have representatives of South Shore there. Sally Hebson: When will that be? Krauss: That will be Monday evening at 7:30. Sally Hebson: March 18th? Krauss: No, the 25th. Sally Hebson: Okay. And what time would that be? Krauss: The meeting starts at 7:30. When we put it letybu know. Sally Hebson: And that's here in this room? . Krauss: Yes. Montgomery: Okay, let's see. We weren't going to talk today then about the other ideas that Pastor Slake had. Are we going to do that? Krauss: Well I think...Pastor Blake, I wanted to meet with him. He~s talked about encouraging. You know they do have a very strong commitment to senior. activities and I know he had indicated that the congregation had some ideas about things but I'm not sure exactly what they are.. Montgomery: Perhaps we should take that up at a later talked to him. Alright, thank you so very much. Sally Hebson: Thank yoU very much for having us here. TRANSPORTATION Montgomery: Okay, Diane Harberts is with us today and she is the Director of the Southwest Metro Transportation System. She is going to tell us something about what they're doing and what some of the concerns are that we have. . Diane Harberts: Yes. Well thank you for inviting me this morning here. What I'd like to do is maybe just give you a little bit of background information about Dial-a-Ride and also then I'd provide you with some updated information about some fare changes that may be occurring and then I'd also like to receive comments from any of you regarding any concerns. Comments, etc. about the Dial-a-Ride system. Maybe to begin, in Senior Commission Meeting March 15, 1991 - Page 13 . April of 1989 Southwest Metro began a door to door shared ride public transit service and this is called Southwest Metro's Dial-a-Ride Service. Essentially the residents, any aged resident of Eden prairie, Chaska or Chanhassen can give, with 24 hours notice to Dial-a-Ride, can receive a ride for a very reasonable fare to just about any location within the 3 cities. One of the things that Southwest Metro is undertaking, we'Ye looking at steps to improve the service. Different aspects of it from the information that's provided verbally or in brochures to the level of service, reliability, etc. of how well it's performing. Before I go into that, I wanted to take this opportunity, Sharmin do you have those fares? Okay. I'm just going to pass out today information about a public hearing that's going to be held on April 4, 1991 at 7=00 at the Eden Prairie City Hall. The purpose of this public hearing is to receive comments about the proposal to increase the Dial-a-Ride fares. The reason that the Commission is looking to increase the Oial-a-Ride fares. Currently the Oial-a-Ride system is not meeting the performance standards, the r~gional performance standards set for all of the transit services so in one way meeting the standards is to change the fares. In a nutshell, what this is going to mean for seniors 65 years of age or older, they're going to be requested to pay a fare of 75 cents, except if they go to Southdale. Then it would be $2.00. One of the unique things about this fare structure for the seniors that are 65 years or older. If you call the same day or if you call a day in advance. If you use your cash or if you use a ride coupon, it's a straight 75 cents. Whereas with the other age groups of 5 to 64, depending on what time you ride, depending on if you pay cash or depending on how much notice you give, it would cost them anywhere from 75 cents to $1.30 or $2.00. So really the senior citizens 65 years of age or older, they get a real good deal. Like I say they can call anytime. Use cash or use a coupon. It's going to be a straight 75 cents a one way trip. Again if you go to Southdale though it would be $2.00. This is the proposal that's outlined for you. What I would like to ask is that you share this information with other friends that you have. If you know of someone that uses Oial-a-Ride, we have extra fliers here. If you want to take them along with you and give it to them or post it. If you have a building ora public board. Sharmin will have extra copies and there will also be other available so I wanted to take a minute to ask you to just pass the word along. Getting back to the Oial-a-Ride service, a couple weeks ago we sat down with the sub-contractor" Morley Bus Company. They're the private organization that provides the actual van service for us. What we did was sit down with their management staff to identify all the areas and the concerns or comments'that we've heard about Oial-a-Ride. Basically what needs to be improved to insure that the system is operating as efficiently and as reliable as it could. And so what I'm here today is to receive any comments that you may have. If you can't think of a comment, good or bad today, please give me a call so we can jot it down. We're looking to take these steps between now and the first of May and about the first of May we'll have, you'll see a much more improved service. Maybe not visibly in terms of the van but at least in term~ of how the service operates~ I'd like to open it up for any questions or comments. Even,if you have comments about the service itself. If you use it. If you know people that use it. What their experience has been. . . Senior Commission Meeting March 15, 1991 - Page 14 . Montgomery: I have some of,the notes from our Task Force investigation. We met for about, oh from February until about November of last year and heard comments from a lot of different people regarding several different areas. Of course one of the important ones we found, in fact a very important one was transportation. These were some of the concerns that they had and I think we thought that one of the real problems is that pe6ple don't know about it. They haven't heard enough. They don't know how it works and they need to be told how to do things. You know how do you do this and that applied with Southwest Metro in general. They don't know how to do this bus thing. And another concern was the, I think just the hours of the operation where a lot of people seemed to want an expanded service time and I think the Saturday session was one of them. Or the Saturday service. Also, evening hours was something that people really' seemed to want. And I think we did expand the area to reach Excelsior but there seemed to be some limitations that caused great barriers for people and those were primarily considerations. Did someone else have s6me others that they had talked about? I think those were some of the main problems. . Diane Harberts: If I could just comment. 1 think those are very good points. Sharmin has shared with me a copy of that survey. You know, one of the goals that we identified for 1991 subject to the availability of the funds we received is to increase the awareness. We were finding a lot of people not aware that the service was being, was even available. One of the things that we're targeting for this summer through our spring and summer promotion is to develop some type of brochure as well as maybe public speaking events to let them know about the availability of service but more importantly how to access. So 1 think you keyed in on a point and your comment too about the expanded hours but again subject to the availability of funds in 1991. Our '91 management plan projected the evening hours to be added. You may be aware that Saturday hours were added the end of October in 1990. Again this is subject to the availability of funds and hopefully in the next couple of months we'll be able to iron out those funding questions to basically get on the road with what we wanted to do for 1991. That survey was very helpful. I've been with Southwest now, will be 6 months the first part of April so a survey like that was very helpful to get a little bit of feeling for flavor for what the needs were, especially in the Chanhassen area. Montgomery: 'I think so many seniors have just thrown in the towel about going anywhere in the evening and there's so much that's available. The educational opportunities. There are church meetings. There are all sorts of things and they really have just written them off and that is really too bad. Diane Harberts: Sometimes they tend to write it off for the entire part too. You know if they can't access it when they want it, it kind of leaves a bad taste in their mouth and you know those, when we talk about improving the service, those are the kind of things we want to get at. And so you know it's nice to see a commission, a senior commission established for Chanhassen because it's going to give us an opportunity to maybe get, directly to those concerns. . Senior Commission Meeting March 15, 1991 - Page 15 Montgomery: And I think then to encourage people to take advantage of it will be another step. I think it has to be available before it depends on that. Diane Harberts: Other comments? Does anyone use it? Howard: Is there any thought of increasing your area to include Excelsio~? Diane Harberts: At this point, because of the joint powers agreement that was created by the three cities,.Chanhassen,Chaskaand Eden Prairie, those three cities are the only ones that provide the funding and so we're limited at this point to utilizIng those. funds to serve the residents of those three cities. I believe Dial-a~Ride is flexible to provid. service to the Excelsior Senio.r Center but because of the funding limitations, that's as far as we can do it. So unless something new happens with funding, our restrictions right now are just to service the three cities area residents. St. John: I'm not familiar with the works of the Dial-a-Ride but for instance, if you ask for Dial-a-Ride and go to a certain destination and then want to return, do you have to say what time that van is supposed to be there to pick you up and then come back? . Diane Harberts: You're very close to the concept. Maybe I can just give you a little bit of background in terms of how a typical ride request may occur. Let's say for instance that you live in Chanhassen and you. want to go to Target in Eden Prairie. Today is Friday and say you want to go tomorrow. So what you would do, you want to call Dial-a-Ride at least 24 hours in advance because it's on a first come first serve basis. You call them up. My name is Diane and I'd like to go to Target tomorrow in Eden Prairie. I'd like to be there about 10:00 and I want to come home about 2:00. So what they'll do, they'll work with you. You know, you want to be there by 10:00 so they'll work with you with an approximate pick-up time. You know if you were driving your car and you may leave at 9:30 to get there at 10:00 but because it's a shared ride, we're asking you to be flexible so you may be picked up at 9:15. And you told them that you'd like to come home about 2:00. Let's just say for example that at 2:00 they're not going to be right there but they're going to be there at 2:15 in the area so they're going to ask you, can I pick you up at 2:151 If it's essential that you have to be picked up at 2:00, then you say no. It's important that I get picked up at 2:00 and so they'll make whatever steps they can. You have to realize it's a shared ride service. You know if you want the premium personal service, that's when a taxi cab is appropriate but you pay the price. Because Dial-a-Ride operates on that flexible system, we ask you to be flexible and at the same time we're able to meet that need and for 75 cents, if you're 65 or older, you can't.drive very far for 75 cents. So basically giving them a call ahead. Telling . them what time you'd like to be there. Depending on what their schedule is and your schedule for flexibility, they've got probably about a 99% opportunity to get you there and back on the times that you requested. On any given day with the exception of Saturday, there's at least a minimum of 10 vehicles operating. On Saturday there's about 3, maybe 4 depending on . Senior Commission Meeting March 15, 1991 - Page 16 . :what the demand is for that particular day so it just takes one simple phone call. Real easy to access. Montgomery: I've used the Dial-a-Ride a lot and one of the things that I ran into is the 6:00 cut off. Diane Harberts: a.m.? Montgomery: I had a real problem with that because I had a meeting until 6:00 in Chanhassen and if they couldn't guarantee that they could get there right at 6:00 when this building was locked and I was standing out. So I said, well and this driver very sweetly suggested I could walk over to a store and he could pick me up there and I could wait inside. So then I called and said well could they pick me up at 6:10 or something at th. store? Well no, we don't go after 6:00. We had this big thing so I haven't been to this meeting all winter. I couldn't get there from 5:00 6:00. So that's you know, is a real problem. . . Diane Harberts: That may be one clear example in terms of the communication and that's what we're working on between just the dispatcher, the person that you call for a ride in light of what policy is. In the last few. months that I've been on board I've found some, I guess we'll call them discrepancies. What we thought was happening. What their management thought was happening and what the dispatcher was saying was two different things. With a scenario like that, if communication had been as strong as it should have been, there wouldn't have been any reason why you wouldn't have gotten that ride because of that flexibility factor. But you know a dispatcher only knows so much so what we're trying t6 do is improve that communication which will improve the efficiency and get that bad taste our of your mouth. Montgomery: And the driver Was wonderful and he was in real trouble. Well we have no authority to make that promise you know and I thought, oh dear. Poor guy I'm getting him in trouble by making an issue of this. Diane Harberts: And one of the purposes too of my position is to talk to " the public. To work situations out like that. You know if you have a problem like that, it just doesn't stop with the dispatcher. Give us a call. That's what we're there for. The only way we can take care of problems is if we know that the problems are there. I auess my first reaction is, how many other people maybe have that same problem. Montgomery: That's what I'm saying really. Diane Harberts: With my understanding of the system, there would not have been any problem to be that flexible but that communication wasn't strong enough so those are things we're looking to improve. Thank you for sharing that. But everything works vety well doesn't. it? . Montgomery: Oh it really is. I've been very grateful for it. service. Except for my timing problem. It's a great Senior Commission Meeting March 15, 1991 ~ Page 17 . Diane Harberts: other comments? What I'd again like to do is just ask that if you are aware of people, friends, family that use Dial-a-Ride, if you. could just share with them this flier or all the fliers will be on the vehicles so .ask them next time you take a ride to ask for a flier about the public hearing. We want to try and get as much public comment that we can The Commission was real sensitive. Very sensitive about making sure that this service continues to be affordable for everyone. You know as I stated earlier, Dial-a-Ride isn't meeting the regional performance in terms of efficiency so the real simple thing that the Commission could have done is just basically increase the price where it would cost $1.50 to $2.00 a person for a one way trip. That would have been the simple and easiest solution. But because their real ,concern to make sure that this continues to be an affordable service. Part of the solution to the problem was to increase slightly the fares. The other part is basically the burden on my shoulders is to improve these effiencies so we're basically taking, ~very 2 weeks I sit. down with Morley's staff. We identify 2 or 3 issues and we work the problems out. We're finding a lot of little, I guess we'll call them loose ends that we're tying up very neatly. I appreciate the input and the opportunity to come here today. Thank you very much. M?ntgomery: Thank you very much. AI-Jaff: Will Dial-a-Ride be able to carry wheelchairs? . Diane Harberts: That's a good question. The question that Sharmin had asked, would the Dial-a-Ride vehicles be equipped to carry wheelchairs. Right now all of our Oial-a-Ride vans are not wheelchair accessible. However, we're still watching to see what the need is. If the need demands that a vehicle, that all of our vehicle~ are wheelchair equipped, you can bet'that we'll have the wheelchair eq'ulpped. Right now with 24 hours notic'ewe can make sure" that that wheelchair equipped vehicle is available so we have the opportunity to make it available with some advance notice. One of the things, to add a wheelchair the lift as well as the tie down~, we lose some' space. Passenger seating and the additional cost that's incurYed. So that's why~e're trying to identify what the demand, ~hat the need is for that so it's something we're trying to keep aware of. So it's something we're aware of. The resouyce is there, we have to have some advance notice but the resource is there. And Metro Mobility does cover Eden Prairie and parts of Carver County. Well all 6f Hennepin County and parts of Carver County.. So that element is there too. Please feel free to give me a call. If you haye any, questions, let me give you my number at the office. It's 934-7928. I dbn't call myself very often. Once in a while I have to keep pulling out my bu~iness cards to see what my number is. Again, thank you foY your time. Montgomery: Thanks very much for coming. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES,. Montgomery: Okay, our next item here is to be talking about goals and objectives a little bit. Does anybody have anything? Did you pick some numbers? . Senior Commission Meeting March 15, 1991 - Page 18 . AI-Jaff: them. . . We had this item at the last meeting and we were going to rank Montgomery: Well number 6, upper right hand corner of the green sheet here where it says goals and objectives. What we were trying to do to decide if there's some particular direction that we need to take first or whether we need to go ahead with all these things and just sort of see how it goes. What we need to really put under long term consideration. Would somebody like to talk about their feelings about it? Montgomery: Yeah. St. John: Some of them were short term and some of them were long term? Kubitz: I thought we had decided we were just going them going at the same time. Montgomery: One of the things I discovered is that an awful lot seems to fall under independent living in your own home. That you can't do that without most of the other parts of this with the exception of the senior citizen center and maybe the senior housing which we know is a long term sort of thing and we have to work towards. I guess it's a rather personal thing too because r for one feel transportation is very important to me and I think it is to a lot of people actually. I think there are a lot of people driving around who probably shouldn't be driving around. Vision gets poor as you age at night and it is a consideration. And if you don't know what exists of course, you can't take advantage of anything so it seemed to me we need to work pretty hard on the information and assistance part of it too. Just like with the Dial-a-Ride. If you don't know it's there, it's not going to do You any good. St. John: And if you don't know the procedure of it, you feel uncomfortable. Montgomery: You're scared to do it. Yeah, right. We really need to work on that and r think Sharmin is coming up with a brochure or some ~ind.of~an informational catalog of services. I picked one up at the South Shorj Center. They have one that came .ou't, now I don't know what I. did withit. They had one that came out recently,but of course that's geared to Hennepin County and doesn't really cover wheat our needs are here but it could be combined. There are a lot of things on there that we can use but we need something specific to those of us who live in Carver County. Because there are other services, different numbers that would be better and would apply more to us. But I think that's something Sharmin'sgoing to be wbrking on. AI-Jaff: We have all, most of the information gathered and it's matter of organizing it and putting .1n bn paper. Montgomery: This is just the one the South Shore Center has and it's re"ally a very convenient arrangement with all the categories. r don't' know what form ours will take but something that is an easy reference brochure I would think. . Senior Commission Meeting March 15, 1991 - Page 19 . Krauss: We'll have to lay it out and bring it before you. envisioned this as something that each year is going to get better because we learn more about what's out there and we've opened up more lines of communication. . Montgomery: One of the questions that I had, I don't see anything in a lot of this information about chemical dependency services and I think that's terribly important, especially for seniors. It doesn't get addressed and I don't know what funding there is or what sorts of things are available. Now I used to know all about that but I don't now. I'm out of touch. I think it's an important consideration and that there should be some information about referral or what's available. They have Al Anon and listed but there's a lot more available than that and I think it would good to have something from Carver County. Whatever services are available. AI-Jaff: Maybe what we can do is we need to go to Carver County...all the information that they have. We do have some information from when Judy was working on the study for the task force so we do have some information as to what Carver County offers. Montgomery: Things seem to change so fast too. Like their talking about their locations. You have something all nice and neatly put out and then a week later somebody moves somewhere so I think it's really important'to keep updating it and look at that information. How about some of you? What do you see as something we need to pay special attention to? . st. John: This information and assistance. I think that is short term ,and then transportation would be the second one. Montgomery: Yes. That was, at least it .was happens with it. Montgomery: How about you Jane? Kubitz: I was wondering where did we stand on the senior center and the senior hosuing. Are we going to go ahead with the study or is that in progress? Kubitz: We don't need to do any more on that until we get the study? Montgomery: We did all we could do at the moment I think. Do you have any sugg~stions Paul or do you think that's as far as we can go? Krauss: Montgomery: She was talking about should we do anything getting something going for the senior citizens center. . Krauss: Oh, we're going to be bringing something back to you. Sharmin and I met with Judy Marshik and asked her to give us some preliminary proposals on what it would take to do these studies. The Block Grant funding process being what. it is, we're going to have to advertise these things and let Senior Commission Meeting March 15, 1991- Page 20 other people bid onit and see what kind of response we get. But we wanted to give Judy some, actually we wanted to get information from her what we should look at in ball par k stuff. She was going to get back to us probably around this week or next week sometime on that so we should have something for your next meeting. Montgomery: I guess. Well and then there was the information Blake. who was. talking about land that he might make available. church might. Kubitz: So put that one on the back burner for a week or until next meeting or something. Krauss: He did and I guess I wasn't terribly excited about that there because of where his church is located. Montgomery: The location is so far out. I th~nk that's a real right away. Krauss: I mean we've already got South Shore Center up in that neck woods, that far north. We really need something in town. Krauss: I should add too, we do have Jerry Ruegemer here from our recreation department. You met Todd Hoffman at an earlier meeting. Jerry and Todd work together and our recreation department, I don't want to put words into their mouths but I think they're very supportive of the senior commission and possibly getting into the area of senior activities. Normally yoU know the Park and Rec group is,I mean their primary responsibilities are keeping the hockey rinks going and organizing league play and basketball and baseball and what not but they have the programming capabilities to do that sort of thing for senior activities as well. So I think we have a resource here. I don't know Jerry if you have any comments on that. . Ruegemer: Yeah. Like Paul and Sharmin have both expressed interest in offering programming for the seniors and Paul is correct. You have support from both Todd and myself but I think we're all in kind of the same boat. Where do we do it? If the Commission wants to put together like...survey now just to kind of throw some ideas on the table to kind of let us know what you're interested in and kind of go from there. If you want speakers or different seminars or if you want to go on tours or I know you plan a lot of tours yourself but there's always, anything of interest that the Commission has, we can surely look into that. Just some things I've been receiving in t~email here too. Here's different tours. I don't know if Sharmin has given to you. There's also like a coffee concert at Orchestra Hall which is here and then there's also like the summertime events at Senior Commission Meeting March 15, 1991 - Page 21 . Orchestra Hall. These are just to name a few. But you have a copy... I guess at this point we're really open to any programming activities that you have interest in. Montgomery: Do you arrange the transportation for the whole thing or how does that fit in here? Ruegemer: That, you know we really haven't had any experience in that area before but that's something we could sure take a look at. Krauss: Well, Jerry does do that sort of thing like the ski trip that you did. Ruegemer: Yeah, we .can arrange. Montgomery: So it's a possibility. Ruegemer: I thought that was really a good idea that Diane was here tonight just to get you exposed to that. Montgomery: I guess our problem is we don't have any space to use to coordinate stuff so we're more or less dependent on somebody else making the arrangements until the center comes about. . Krauss~ There's another problem I guess too in that we don't have a lotally based senior group. Well we do have a locally based senior group but apart from the regular card playing activity, they haven't done more. If there was a desire to have speakers come in on topics of interest, this ~oomis a good one for speakers and this room is often available. And yeah, there are things we can accommodate here but we can't doa folk dancing class or something like that. Montgomery: Yeah, but there are some things we can do. St.John: Speaking of trips through the South Shore and that is always advettised in the papers too. They have trips that are available to accommodate a lot of people in Chanhassentoo. Montgomery: Maybe it's one of way drawing some Chanhassen people together too to have something. We have Older American month coming up that we're going to be talking about shortly here and perhaps we could do something in connection with that. I don't know. It may be too short term to do that but that's something that we might 'bear in mind because we do want to get more seniors out here as a group, To get to know each other and I think you have, the only way you do that is to draw them together somehow with something but we don't have the space and all we need with a center to do that. But that's a good, that would help, . Ruegemer: ..,some ideas and go from there. Another idea just off the top but as part of kind of a king of community event we're trying to put together a historical society too. That might be another area that you could use your energies on. . Senior Commi.sion Meeting March 15, 1991 - Page 22 . Krauss: It just occurred to me that ~~ alsodoa. July 4th event and October event that the City participates in that draw a lot of people. The)"'.e may be an opportunity there for like. a senior! nformation booth. Ruegemer: There's a trades fair where they have a big tent set up for the 4th of July celebration. We certainly could accommodate a table to give information out.' Montgomery: I was just talking to them at the South Shore Center, the Advisory 80ard there thateis from all of the different centers around there and what they're trying to do for older Americans, they are taking histories from a lot of the older people and putting it together in some kind ofa book and doing that available. And people were volunteering to go out and talk to these people and then bring them into a lunchebn and there'~alot of information out there. It might be something we'dwarit look into. Is that up and going now? Is there a historIcal society? Ruegemer: Currently there really isn't a historical society for the Chanhassen area. There is for Carver County but the extentpf it down there is they have pictures from 1986 of the Chanhassen area. There really isn't anything going back to the start of Chanhassen and the different people that were i nvol vedthe.n. Montgomery: I think that's something we may be interested in. . Ruegemer: That could be a real good resource too. available in the community. - 8ellison: I think that's primarily of interest to people who are from this area. To the old families and I belong to one across the lake where I grew up and I really feel a historical society has a limited interest for people who come from other areas. With the knowledge Montgomery: I think It would be appropriate for just the Chanhassen area 'that is right... Howard: And how long have you lived here? 8e11ison: I've been hereabout 36 years or so~ AI-Jaff: This would be, a historical society can bea real good resource for students if they're going to do research or learn, anybody if they're going to learn about Chanhassen. It would bea source to get informatiori. Montgonery: Maybe an intergenerationalsort of thing. . Krauss: Yeah, I'm not sure how to advise the Senior Commission to interact with something like that. It's not normally what you'd think of coming from the senior commission but if there were people here that were interested on it in setting up a subcommittee or something. I think the id~a of the informational group at the public events, I mean that fits in real well with our desire to get the word out to people on the transit service. On what activities are available. What groups are available. Programs. Senior CommIssion Meeting March 15, 1991 - Pagec23 Ruegemer: Thank you. . That's directly fits in with the goal .statement. As far as the project goes, I mean I think it's kind of intriguing and I hope co~es of it but I'm not certain how that senior commission fits Montgomery: Anybody have any more questions for~erry? Montgomery: Thanks very much. Bellison: ...published in the Villager. Krauss: What's that? Bellison: Some of these programs. Th~se trips. Kubitz: You have to have a' group organized to do it. My sister belongs to what they call the Jet Set and that's their thing. It's a potluck lunch every Wednesday and they decide which is the next trip and the order that they're going to take them. Krauss: Did you get a copy of the City's newsletter in your mail yet? Montgomery: What is that Paul? What's the deadline for the next newsletter? Montgomery: Yes. . Krauss: Because there is a Chanhassen Seniors column that we've started in there and we didn't know what to put in at this point. I mean we just put an overview that you exist and here's the kinds of things you'll be looking at. But this is going to' be coming out quarterly so if there's enough lead time. Krauss: It's April, I think it's April 15th. Howard: Does this go out to everybody? All the re~idents? Krauss: Yes. It's the first newsletter we've published. Howard: That's the deadline? St. John: The South Shore trips and that... Howard: Will we have another meeting before the deadline? Montgomery: Well let's see. . Krauss: Well so far, I thought that when the next newsletter we'd write up the South Shore program and Sojourn and give them an idea, give people an idea about the activities and who to call. But you know, we're pretty new on this. I mean this is the first edition so we're feeling our way through this at this point. If there's programming stuff too, I m(;lan the whole Senior Commission Meeting March 15, 1991 - Page 24 . insert in the middle of this is Jerry's recreational stuff and I'm sure we can put some notice of upcoming events in there as well. Montgomery: If the deadline is the 18th, our meeting is the next day. Would that make it too late? Krauss: Could you funnel some things through us that. I mean we've got the South Shore stuff now and we can write UP whatever is current in there but we've never had a mechanism to talk to o~r residents before. It's kind of exciting. It's going to be delivered to them and hopefully it will come our regularly enough that people will look to this as a place for information. st. John: Will Excelsior? Anybody in the city gets it. Because our Villager came a week late. Krauss: Well it should be correct onus. We. grit our teeth and put Excelsior in the mailing. AI-Jaff: We do have a limited space in the news 1 et tel" . >" So you can't put a whole lot in there anyway right? . Al-Jaff: I don't think we can get away with taking up two pages. No. There's actually, this is about twIce.as long as it was supposed to have been. But you can see,! mean the range of things that we try to cover from the City Mana~er talking .about the budget to my writing about the Comprehensive Plan and the Mayor has a letter telling people about the highway project. Southwest Metro Transit. Here's one thing that is of interest to seniors as well as other people but the smoke protector give away program that Mark and the Fire Marshal is running. We figured that when we get this Vial of LifettHng set up, we'll put it!n here to notify everybody. . Bellison: This is something I'd like to bring to your attention. Under the "Chanhassen Senior Citizens column, this morning laps. ! have been going over here tothe~hanhassen Elementary School for 3 years. 3 times, sometimes 4 times a week. I go there from 6:00 in the morning until 7:30. There's everything. You can walk the whole school and I have neVer ever had anyone to walk with~ I'm the only one. Kubitz: You started right after we stopped. . Bellison: Really? I go over there all the time. There's the gym. The big gym. I go in there and turn on the lights. There's bars. You can stretch. There's mats on the floor. You can do your pushups. Your pull ups. You can do anything but it's early in the morning and I have yet to be able to get some of my ne~ghbors and I live in Ponderosa there and there are many widows my age in the area who are friends but it's something else. Senior Commission Meeting March 15, 1991 - Page 25 . But I enjoy it. It's wonderful. I can go over there and I can use all the equipment that they have there. The bars and if you had a basketball, you could throw baskets. There's everything there and it's wonderful. I'm all by myself. I have the whole school and r can just do anything I want. I enjoy it. I've asked many, many people to come and join me... Yeah, I know it's very boring. In fact one time my neighbor said, oh that's.so boring. I can't stand it but yoU have. Kubitz: ...husband had a heart attack and that was the only way r could get him to take any exercise~ Montgomery: Maybe that's something we can put in the newsletter. Krauss: rt did go ou~to every house inChanhassen. 8ellison: ~..and his wife belong to Flagship and that's very expensive. This you can do the same things almost except you don't have the bicycles. Howard: You can walk at the Chaska one free too. 8ellison: The new community center they made? Howard: You can walk. It circles the swimming pool area. . Krauss: It's a running track that yeah. Howard: around. And that's free. You can j~st go in and take you all the way St. .John: There was a walkand exercise thing set In by Excelsior Elementar-y where South Shore was located in the back of their area. wasawalk. 8e11ison: Where is thIs? St. John: In Excelsior. Where the Community Services, where south Shore was located. Montgomery: But they're not there now right? Krauss: Well one of the things that Oial-a-Ride is doing, we're looking to. improving service to the Chaska Community Center so that's a good way to get over there. Montgomery: That's an option too. St. John~ That walkway is still there. Well I imagi ne we should get on with our. next one here. . Senior Commission Meeting March 15, 1991 - Pag~ 26 . 'ADOPT A RESOLUTION TO DECLARE MAY AS OLDER AMERICANS MONTH. Montgomery: Older Americans month is coming up in May and we thought it might be something we'd consider to recommend that the Council adopt a resolution to declare Mayas Older Americans Month and perhaps that would give us a chance to focus on some of the senior concerns. Item 7 on the agenda here and I think you have a matching page. AI-Jaff: I don't believe that we have enough time for this year to do any programming for the month but definitely next year we could do programming., Possibly work with some businesses in town. Maybe with restaurants offer special deals for seniors. Offer special trips. Tours. .Montgomery: I wondered if there might be any consideration of giving a Life Line to somebody. Yo~ know have some kind of promotion or some kind of a, I don't know what. An awards sort Of arrangement to provide Life Line to $omebody for a year. I don'~ think it's all that expensive. Did anybody get any figures? Somewhere I sot the figure of $17.00 a month pius a $34.00 initial charge which doesn't amount to an awful lot of money really. And I thought that would be something nice. AI-Jaff: On your for information? . Montgomery: Yes, I have that but it didn't have a price but somewhere, I don't know where I heard this price. From somebody. Ai-Jaff: lean get that. Howard: Are you thinking of awarding that during the senior month? Montgomery: During Older Americans Month. I know th~t it does come Block Grant funds because they're doi ng that in Ecxelsior. They're providing that for.I think 10 seniors or something like that under the Block Grant. Krauss: We can sure look at that too. st. John: At the South Shore? Montgomery: Yeah. Or up for that area. AI-Jaff: We talked to JoAnn Kvern and she indicated that they planned On recognIzIng seniors above the age of eo. That's one of the activities, and maybe that is part of it~ Montgomery: Yeah, I don't remember just how that was. Howard: You don't know if people are just signing up for Or how are they giving it away. .. Montgomery: I think they're giving it on a need basis. Something like that. I'm not s0re how they set the priorities but I wasn't thinking of doing that as much as, I don't know.. Maybe one of them as something that Senior Commission Meetirig March 15, 1991 - Page 27 . we can demonstrate we're doing something for seniors. Make it available. tdon'tknow. It's just in idea and I don't know how we .can d6 it but it seemed to me it would be nice if we could do something special for Older Americans Month. Something that would attract some attention. Maybe through Sojourn or through some of the service~ that contact the older..~ Howard: ...in the paper that the Senior Commission was planning to~ Krauss: We can run down the information on that pr.tty quickly. Montgomery: Maybe make that for the next meeting. That should be time. Krauss: Do you want to think about too, it's probably, maybe a. little premature but some sort of a recognition awardfof a Chanhassen senior who's done something during the yej~of particular note? 8ellison= They've had that. Howard: My friend Walter Thompson has received ita few They've had those. Krauss: I know we give out Maple Leaf Awards for citizens who've done something. Oh, I thought that was seniors. . Krauss: but. No, that's something for anybody. I mean seniors may have won it. Howard: But now last year Pat Cunningham was named Chanhassen for some reason or another. Montgomery: How would they decide or how would we do this? Krauss: Well! think you'd have to set up like a sub-committee and ask for nominations. Put. some notice in the paper. If there's any noteworthy people that somebody should submit their name to you so you can make some sort of evaluation. Montgomery: Do you think we're at a point we can do that or is this something we should be doing next year? Krauss: It tends to take a little time. Montgomery: 1 think possibly we should look down the road for that and maybe begin one. I don't know but it's just something I think we need to start thinking about. Al-Jaff: If we...and put a deadlineon~hen to receive nominations~ . Krauss: But still, I think this subcommittee is going to have to set up some criteria. I mean what are you going to evaluate this as. Senior Commission Meeting March 15, 1991 - Page 28 . Montgomery: Time is pretty short to get going just as arranging activities for this time. We have to get a running start. Well, would you like to see if the Council will adopt a resolution declaring Mayas Older Americans Month? St.John~ Did you ~ant a motion on that? Montgomery: Yes. St. John: I'd make a motion that we ask the Council td adopt the resolution to declare Mayas Older Americans Month. Bellison: I second that. St. .John moved, Bellison seconded that the Senior Commission recommend. to the City Council to adopt the resolution declaring Mayas Older Americans Month. All voted in favor and the <motion carried unanimously. AWARD COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT FUNDING. TO SOUTH SHORE.. SENIOR CENTER. . Krauss: I touched on it briefly earlier. I received JoAnn's request and it was for $7,573~OO for the 91-92 year. That's pretty consistent with what we've been giving them for quite a while. It has a slight increase. in therefor cost of living which really doesn't cause us a problem because I think our Block Grant actually went up more than the 5%. We've had a lo~g term commitment to South Shore which we've reaffirmed to JoAnn until such time as there is a local c~nter in Chanhassen, that we want to continue to work with them and it would beou~ recommendation that in addition to Sherol's motion from earlier today, that you adopt a resolution to ask the Council to fund South Shore in the amount that they're requesting. I.lso should tell you that I have set up a meeting with BenWithhart who is JoAnn'sboss and 30Ann and another fellow over theret6 talk to them about~ very preliminary stages about what does It take to get a senior center up and running. They're an agency that does management of senior centers and they're not limited to Hennepin County. Senior Centers require a heck of a lot of expertise in that area and you're going to want to qualify people Working with us on that so this discussion will be the first step in trying to get our act together with that. !'lllet you know how that goes. Montgomery: When's the meeting? Krauss: 2 weeks. I have to check my schedule. Yeah, I was going on vacation next week so it's the week after next. 3 weeks. Other things about the Block Grant Fund too. My math from earlier said that we still had uncommitted funds, something on the order of about $20,000.00 which is fine because that's what we've been, we have uncommitted funding right now. What I may try to do is juggle the funds around which means I'll spend this past year's allocation and carry tOhe balance forward for the uncommitted . senior programs and activities for next year so, you've got to spend this money by December of the year you get it or you lose it. . One of the reasons we kept this pile of money sitting there with unnamed senior Senior Commission Meeting March 15, 1991 - Page 29 . activities is because we kn~w we were moving towards setting up a senior commission and we wanted to give you an opportunity to help decide what to do with it. Now you're already working with that. If we do the housing study and the senior center study and if we increase or add some funding for Sojourn. we're well on the way of using that money appropriately as it's supposed to be. But if I carry the balance forward and basically swap dollar for dollar, it will give you some more time to work up ideas for funding. One of the other things Sharmin and r were talking about too is I'm going to see if I can use some of the funding to do a good job on the brochure. Informational brochure. 8e having a mailing to all our senior households. That would seem to be a good use of it. Montgomery: I think so. Unless those funds could come out of something . else. I mean you know, I was thinking that with the senior study andeome of the oth~r stuff, if some of the funding could come from another fund, that leaves more for us and that would bea good thing too. . Krauss: The problem is, I'm sure you've all been watching the papers and seen on TV where the Governor's budget, well they just balanced the last State budget by taking it out of the local government. We lost $54,000.00 that we had budgeted for in November becau~e we were told by the State that it would be theteand of course you start spending it if it's in your budget and they just took it away so we have to come up with the difference. Next year is going to be worst. We think we're going another $160,000.00. So money is scarce at City Hall these days. why the Block Grant fund's kind of nice because you can only spend activities. Montgomery: Certain things. Krauss: Yeah, and YOLl can't take it and pay for the janitor's hours. Montgomery: I just thought I would mention it. Well should we, would somebody like to make a motion that we award the Community Development Block Grant funding to South shore Senior Center? Kubitz: I move the staff recommends that the funds requested, $7,573.00 for the community center be approved by the Council. Howard: I second. Kubitz moved., Howard seconded that the Senior Commission recommend to award $7,573.00 from the Community Development Block Grant fund to the South Shore Senior Center. All voted in favor and the motion carried unanimously. . Krauss: Okay, at the next meeting I'll report back to you. I'll give you a list on accounting of where all the dollars are and what they're going to and what you still have to work with. The only other commitment we have is last year we started funding of a, it's basically a tot lot at the north end of the school over here. It's designed to be used by abled bodied as well as handicap kids. The ramps are wide enough that wheelchairs can be accommodated on it. There are tunnels that wheelchairs can go through but Senior Commission Meeting March 15, 1991 - Page 30 . an abled bodied kid can run through too and we think it's going to be a real good facility for the school to use and for area residents who have kids who have special problems to use. So we've already allocated under the last year we gave them $6,000.00 to start that and this year we're going to be funding them $20,000.00 to finish that. So that's where a big chunk of our money is going to be going. Montgomery: Is that under Park and Recreation? That's the money you were referring to? Krauss: Right. They've also gotten private donations to make up some of the difference. That equipment is quite expensive. But those are the kind of things that we're been doing in the past. I mean we bought handicap accessible fishing piers. Howard: Do I understand. brochures under way will be mailed to all the seniors? Krauss: Well we still have to get that together. We're going to be doing that and we'll put it together and then run it past you and if you approve of them or not. Howard: Does that include a section for them to fill out such as we had our order of priorities? . Krauss: You mean a survey type of thing? Yeah. You know that's a good idea. Howard: I think it should. Montgomery: That's a vel'Y good idea. Ask for feedback. Krauss: There's no deadline that we have to get this thing out so we can put something together and we could do that. Now that adds, if you Want to get a reasonable response back, you have to enclose a stamped envelope so that adds to cost. Now you only get a percentage of people willing to fill those things out anyway and if you don't give them the envelope and the stamp, then they're not goIng to do it at all. You want to make sure that the informatIon you're going to get is going to be something you're going to use. Montgomery: Maybe we could do that in connection with the survey that she's going to be doing on senior housing and the senior center. I would guess there would be some kind of mailing for that won't there? Krauss: I don't know. I don't know what she might use. Well, we'll come back to you with some ideas and you can tell us which way you'd like to go. . I thought it would be really good if we could get that during May. Duri~g the Older Americans Month. It seems that .. Senior Commission Meeting March 15, 1991 - Page ~1 . that would be very appropriate. know. But we may have a time crunch. I don't AI-Jaff: How about...in May'? Hontgomery: Yeah, that would be good. Al~Jaff: That would be something the Senior Commission could work on. Krauss: And that we've already got the ball rolling on easy. Montgomery: And the Vial of Life. AI-Jaff: It's the same. Montgomery: Same deal, okay. Yeah, that would be something tangible. I'd like to have something visible that we're doing. GENERAL DISCUSSION -.LETTER.TO CHANHASSEN SENIOR CITIZEN CLUB. . Krauss: I sent a letter ~ut to the ,Chanhassen Seniors Club. We had a list of things that came back to us that they were concerned about and I wrote to them. I guess I'll try to paraphrase what I said. I basically tried to reassure ,them that nobody is trying to usurp whatever kindo~arrangements they have but we all envisioned that they've been there a longtime. That they're 90ing to continue to exist. That we'd like to find space for them. That if we ever do build a senior center, there will be a space for them. I think that they feel that there's kind of,I got the impression that there's a little.bitdf a turf issue here and that they feel that the senior commission is sort of stepping on their turf. I mean it shouldn't be that way. I think you're all working together on these things. Ialso tried to answer some of their direct questions on bus routing on TH 7. There were, some questions about, well if there's Federal Block Grant money, why can't we get some too basically and I had to tell them here's the guidelines of the program but Ioffered~ if you have anything that meets the guidelines, come to the Senior Commission and let us kno~ and I'm sure they'd be willing to consider it. But I haven't heard back from them. I also offered to go speak to them about it. I've spoken to that group before and I guess, if I'm going to ~o do it again, I want them to sort of invite me to do it because basically when you just show up and you try to get some point across, you're kind of getting inbetween them and their cards. Kubitz: You want them to listen. Krauss: Yeah. Montgomery: Well I think we get E for effort. We've'certainlY been open to them. I think their's is the next step. . Howard: How large is this group'? Senior Commission Meeting March 15, 1991 -~Page 32 . Krauss: They must have, when you go there I'd say there's 50 or 60 people playing cards. Howard: Ohreally? That many. St. John: But they have the idea that because of this they are not going to be allowed to play cards whenever they want to and there are more seniors in the area than this group and have other ideas of what they want to do. But when these othir needs a~e filled, their need can still be filled and they can keep on playing their cards. Montgomery: Somehow we have to get that across I guess. Well, we'll keep trying. We certainly want them to be cooperating with us. Working towards something that we can all enjoy. Ruegemer: Is it, I remember I talked t6 a couple different people. I talked to JoAnn Kvern. Krauss: No. This is, there's a woman at the Senior Club who's been a contact that Todd Hoffman gave me. I think she's a secretary. St. John: That's Leon's wife, Joann. Krauss: No. St. John: Marian Schultz? Kyauss: Marian Schultz. Montgomery: I remember hearing that name. St. Jbhn= She's the reporter. Howard: When you go and play cards, are you supposed to take a partner with you? . St. john: Your partner? Senior Commission Meeting March 15, 1991- Page 33 , ~oward: Do you go alone to this bridge thing? you to play with? St. John: Well you just come. Howard: If you play 500, if you have a partner. St. John: Yes you do but there's usually always room that there are, always when I go, I go alone. I don't take somebody with me. Howard: Oh! And you get a partner? st. John: Yeah. And then they have other, two other games that they play too that if you don't play 500. Howard: What are they? . St. John: One is 31 and another one they call Scratch. I don't always stay all afternoon so I am sure ,that I do not get into a 500 game because if you start playing 500, you are expected to stay the whole afternoon so that table will not be broken up which I can understand. Montgomery: This is Paul's letter. Thank you. Well, I think that looks great Paul. We'll just have to keep in touch with them and keep, maybe some of us should go to a couple of meetings. Maybe get to know them. I think that might help. Maybe if they feel we're a bunch of strangers, maybe we can get to know them. St. John: Every Thursday. And the first Thursday of the month is their business meeting so they have a very short business meeting at that time. St. John: It has come up even that time when Selda was when they asked her to say something that this money is spent just for certain things. That you can't get the money to buy just anything. But they Want their card club and they all enjoy playing cards and they play cards 3-4 times a week. Even those folks get together on their own and this is fine if they want to do that and we're not trying to break that up in any way. Krauss: Well I'd encourage any of you to go over there or going over there, to spr~ad the word. Kubitz: forth. rounds. Some of them go to Deephaven and Minnetonka and Westonka and so To those card homes. That's what I heard. That they make the St. John: I know that some of them have gone to Victoria but not in Deephaven and I don't know. I know they get together in the homes, different ones and play cards. They enjoy playing cards. . Bellison: That's all they want to do. Howard: I've played bridge 4 rights this week... Senior Commission Meeting March 15, 1991 - Page 34 .. St. John: That's the same way and if you want to do that, you should be able to. Montgomery: It doesn't spund Howard: I play, I don't play social bridge. AI-Jaff: Maybe if there were other activities available to them. Krauss: Yeah, I don't know. You've got to be real cautious about giving any impression that you're trying to change them. Montgomery: They really love these cards. Kubitz: And the fact that they're at the school and if they cards, let them but why can't there be other people who come activities there? 8ellison: In the Eden Prairie Senior Center now they have two rooms. Real nice rooms and one is closed off and when they have speakers, the card players go in there and there's maybe 1 or 2 people to listen to this speaker which is an insult I think to the speaker. I think it's very rude but there are people who just, they don't want to do anythi ng but play , cards. . Kubitz: I'm not saying if they want to play cards but why can't ther~ some space for other things? 8ellison: I would think that their coordinator would say, now look we've invited this speaker. She has some very important information for you and it behooves us all to respect her coming here. Let's all just set the cards down for a little bit. Howard: Crafts could be involved with this. st. John: They did have crafts at one time. They had a lot of crafts that people would work on crafts. Montgomery: We can take it easy. Work slowly. Montgomery: Well what happened to that? st. John: That just went by the wayside. There wasn't a leader that went ahead with it. The leader that they had at that time is no longer around. St. way get to. John: Well I don't think our idea is to work with this group or in any we are concerned about other seniors in this area and if they want to in with that and play their cards, this is fine. They should be able . Maybe a different time ora different spac~ or a diffe~ent Senior Commission Meeting March 15, 1991 - Page 35 Bellison: But it would be nice if some of them would participate in other programs or organizations. Montgomery: Is this room available or would it be for something like that or not? Krauss: This room? Montgomery: Yes. Krauss: Well it's available, the space is available. I mean we only have the two tables. St. John: It might be too many pe9ple for the space. Krauss: Yeah. St. john: Or what were you If we did some kind of craft something or did Something that isn't messy. Montgomery: I don' tknow. some kind of, I don't know. Krauss: For a lot of that stuff though you need, they don't finish it one night and you need a room. . Montgomery: You need to store it. Well, that's true. And you need power because you might have to. Kubitz: Everybody come and bring some handwork. Montgomery: Well, does anybody have anything else? Bellison: I was just going to mention too. At Fairview Southdale Hospital they have what they call a seminar coordinator program. They send doctors or registered nurses or people who are knowledgeable in their particular field of health to senior centeis and that's what I do there. I schedule these speakers to go out to. various senior centers and talk. It's a.really good program. In fact last, oh a couple weeks ago we had this registered nurse who came to the Eden Prairie Senior Center and she talked on care of the feet and she's been there before on other programs like the heart and a healthy heart and these type of things. I mean we could do that. We could put our name into the senior coordinator there at Fairview southdale and she would be happy to schedule us. Montgomery: If we had some space. Krauss: Well for that kind of thing, you could haye here. See the thing is, you know I'm not sure what direction you want to take though. When you actually get into scheduling of activities and you want to bring some cookies and coffee. . Senior Commission Meeting March 15, 1991- Page 36 Bellison: It's more or less at your leisure or whenever you into a program. St. John: Now those things are available at the South Shore Center. have somebody there the other day that was speaking. Bellison: For eye tests and everything. They'd listen. No, it was hearing wasn't it at South Shore? St. John: Yeah, and then they have some talk on arthritis and they had some available for nursing homes and all of those things are available at South Shore. Bellison: But the card players don't want to hear them. They don't want to listen to that. St. John: No and then they have one day over there that is for they're mostly Chanhassenpeople that come Xo that. Montgomery: Would you see that then as just a repetition if we had something here? St. John: I would think it would be a repetition. . Montgomery: That mightbesomething~ Bellison: There's everything from how to handle grief and for care and there's so many programs and the doctors... St. John: Do you feel then that if you were to schedule that for some place right here inChanhassen, that you would have more people here exposed to it than what people are exposed to with the South Shore? Montgomery: Well maybe we could find out. Th~t would be a way maybe of attracting a core. You know we need a core group if we're going to do something with a senior ceriter. We need to begin finding out if we can attract them. Howard: If you're going to sway the card players, I think you have to have more escapist, upbeat type things like trips you can take under $200.00. Or 100 ways to tie scarves. Remember. those demonstrations? Not somber things but... St. John: This Marian Stoltz is the one that arranged the trips for them that they took from the Chanhassen group. Now in Chanhassen we have, or at South Shore we have a trip, a mystery trip which they also had at one time and this is, I don't know when it's coming up but if they have enough people sign up for it, then they will call you. Be111son: How long is it? One day? . -F St. John: Yes, just one day and it's only $3.00. they're g6ing or what. senior Commission Meeting March 15, 1991 - Page 37 :. Montgomery: something? Well is he a senior St. john: Who? Montgomery: Marian or what's her name. st. John: stoltz. She's one of the group. They u~edto live in Chanhassen and she now lives in WaybulY at Chaska. Because therear.e quite a few of those people that live in Chaska that used to live inChanhassen and just continued with the club. With the group. Montgomery: Well shall we adjourn? Does anybody have before we do? Bellison: I so move. Montgomery: Alright. Is there a second? St. John: I'll second. Bellison moved. st. John seconded to adjourn the meeting. All voted in favor and the motion carried. The meeting was adjourned at 11=30 a.m.. .-'""-;;, , .. Submitted by Paul Krauss Planning Director :.'