1991 06 21
.
CHANHASSEN SENIOR
REGULAR MEETING
.JUNE 21, 1991
Montgomery called the meeting to order at9=3S a.m~.
MEMBERS PRESENT: Barbara Montgomery, Sherol Howard, Bernice Billison, Jane
Kubitz, Selda Heinlein and Emma St. John
OF AGENDA:
The agenda was.approved as presented.
MEMBERS ABSENT: Betty Bragg
STAFF PRESENT: Paul Krauss, Planning
Planner I
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: St. John moved, .Billison seconded to approve the
Minutes of the Senior Commission dated May 17, 1991 as amended: Emma St.
John noted a correction on page 26 changing the name Dave Albert to Dagney
Aldritt; Jane Kubitz stated that the woidhealth" should be "help"; and
Bernice Billison noted the correct spelling of her name. All vot.ed in
favor of the agenda as amended and the motion carried.
.JAN GRAY - PROVIDING SERVICES
-
Montgomery: We have Jan Gray with us this morning who is from the South
Shore Senior Center and t.he Skills Bank. Maybe she can t.ell us what. she
does over there and. how we can help her and she can help us.
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Jan Gray: Good morning. I am Jan Gray. I'm a of the Excelsior
area for over 26 years I guess. Having raised my family in that area.
Married a home grown boy. Living in the family home so I really feel like
I'm beginning to become one of the community here. I have a long ways to
go perhaps compared t.o some of t.he years you all have spent. in this greater
western metro area. I'm employed by Minnetonka Community Services. There
is some confusion bet.ween t.he South Shore Senior Center located at. Mt.
Calvary and Minnetonka Commu.nity Services. We are two separate entities...
Minnetonka Community Services serves a 10 city area. Those cities all or
in part comprise t.he Minnet.onka School District. In other words, not all
Chanhassen residents go to Minnetonka public sohools. A small portion do
over on the northern end of the city ofChanhagsen. All of Excelsior for
instance is in the school district. The same is true of Eden Prairie and
Minnetonka. The"City of Minnetonka and the City of Victoria. Ninnetonka
School Distr ict doesn't serve the enti re city. However, it is t'he cities
that fund Minnetonka Community Services with a ~eparate levy separate from
the school district so Chanhassen is entitled to my services just as much
as Excelsior.city or residents are entitled to my services. So it's a bit
confusing. I was confused and I may still be confused and not know it but
I'm a little more enlightened I think. MinnetonkaCommunity Services
started a Senior Skills Bank 8 or 9 years ago. 9 years ago I guess and for
8 years it was staffed by an Elaine Evan. You perhaps have read of her.
Heard of her, whatever. She being the wife of the Pastor who's call came
from Conneticut last year and left this position to join her husband in
Connecticut. Minnetonka Community Services closed the skill bank for 3 or
Senior Ccimmission Meeting
June 21, 1991- Page 2
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4 months reopening it again in April. Assessing the jneed in the community.
Assessing the financing. The allocations. Can they fund it? They were
responsible to this city and to 9 other cities so I'm a new kid on the
block in Community Services. I came here in April. I'm technically called
the Senior Service Program Manager. I might just move this up a tad. I'm
a part timer. Essentially there are 3 or 4 specific duties that come to me
in that position. The primary one that occupies most of my time is called
the Seniors Skills Bank. I have pamphlets for you to each of you as .I
finish and give them to you. You can study them. The Skills Bank serves,
primarily to enable seniors to remain living independently in their homes
and apartments as long as it's possible. The theory behind that is it's
cheaper to all of us as taxpayers if seniors are able to stay in their
homes as long as possible. As we all know, it's more desireable in most of
the cases as long as the senior isn't at risk and is able to maintain his
or her health and wellness and sometimes that's emotional and social
wellness too rather than be isolated in an apartment or something. We do
this by trying to make easy the task of living independently. And that, as
you know gets more and more difficult to find people to do tasks that .
sometimes become kind of burdensome to you. Do most of you live in homes
or apartments? Homes? You live in a townhouse so you don't have to cope
with the yard work but the rest of you are like I am right now. with this
wonderful rain we've had I think we could all make hay in our yards. It
just has made the grass and the shrubs and perennials grow beyond, and the
weeds yes, grow more veraciously than they have in the last 4 summers.
Well, you know that that can get to be a problem and sometimes burdensome
to you. Seniors aren't quite as flexible or strong or have the stamina as
they may have had in the past pushing lawnmowers through heavy grass or
whatever. Sometimes it's a housekeeping task. Changing windows. Screens
and storms. Sometimes it's a need to have someone come in who can assist a
senior bathing in the morning, dressing and feeding them breakfast and then
let them go on their way. Or maybe tucking in a senior in the evening.
Seeing that those needs are met that are necessary. Maybe dinner and again
bathing in preparing a seniQr for bed. Whatever. Sometimes the shopping.
Doing the grocery shopping. Running their errands. Maybe it's painting
the casements around the windows. We all know what the tasks are. So
I. serve ~s a referral. I refer to myself as conduit. If you. think of the
wiring in your house. They have this metal tube through which all the
wires run. The tube does nothing except get the power to the outlet and
the power to the transformer so when you plug in something you get results.
So. in a sense I'm a conduit. If Barbara needed help in her yard, she would
call and say I'm looking for someone to...to clean out a hillside. A lady
called from the City of Victoria. Her husband has a chronic degenerative
disease for 4 years. It.'s terminal and they live on a hillside and they
sumac and weeds are beginning to overtake the hillside and it obscures
thei r view. It devalues thei r. property. . It makes them unhappy but he's
not able to do this any longer. She surely isn't. Could I possibly find
someone who could come assist her in that fashion. My task is to find
someone to assist. Now granted she could run and ad in the paper. That's
t.ough when you're a senior too. What if you get 22 calls? What if you get
one? Do you take only the one? So what r do is word gets out. I've not
had to advertise yet. Word gets out that there are needs like these in the
community and people who want to first work for seniors approach me and ask
if they could be considered for such tasks. I interview them and I check
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references out. That's not to say a lot folks. But it does give us a feel
about them. It does give us some accountability but that's about as far as
I can rightfully go anyhow because of the IRS l~wsthat determine that
person must remain an independent contractor. Self employed. r cannot
construed in any fashion to be employing anybody. So when I make a
referral to Barbara that r have Tom to do this task and ask him to give
a call, I'm done. It's up to Barbara to determine when she visits with
if she chooses to hire him. What the task is to be done and the~ agree
together what Tom's to be paid. We've had only one instance since April
that someone's called and said, I'd really like you to send someone else
out. I don't seem to get along with this. person. That happens. I mean
that happens to all of us. Whether we're seniors or not seniors. So it
kind of takes the burden of how can I manage. There's no one out there.
How could r find anyone? It'd probably be some whipper snapper who'll
steal me blind and all these things that are somewhat legitimate fears. too.
Certainly concerns in all of us. So that's the Skills Bank. The City of
Minnetonka offers a skills bank too exclusive to residents of Minnetonka.
Presently at this moment it's down because their funded by the Older
American's Act funding and Bill Norton, if any of you have followed this
for a long time. Was there for a number of years and in recent months a
,John Lesser. The Older American's Act funds this position as a transition
position. I'm speaking to you today because I have the sense you're trying
to figur~ out what are the senior services around or what might we as a
city do so this is kind of why I'm giving you all these details. The Older
American's Act pays minimum wage and it's meant to assist a person 55 or.
older to get back into the work pl~ce and to use this as a staging to go on
to something else. Well John went onto something else kind of suddenly in
this case so Minnetonka City Senior Services, the skills Bank is kind of in
a pause right now to the end of the month when they have a Mr. Carlson
coming. We work ~ooperatively together. John and I got together and
she,red names of woy. kers and concerns that we have and di fficul ties because
our caseload is very, very similar. Another part of my job is information
referral and that grows considerably. That's why it's helpful to have been
a member of the community. I know lots of you. I know a lot of the
organizations in the area and what they do but let me show you something.
These are two tools that are very helpful and perhaps you'.e familiar with
them. This is the Information Referral Resource Directory for First Call.
A United Way agency located in downtown Minneapolis and they have got eve.y
agency and service in the seven metro area. Seven county metro area.
Fortunately they've condensed it to a senior resource directory so it's
interesting though. Look how it compares. About a third of this book is
for senio.s too if you look pages wise. And in there is a listing for all
services. For instance, last week I had a person who has limited strength
from a dehabilitating disease. Have a child's graduation which was
important. They wanted to partake in these events but felt it was a bit
st.enuous for their walking. Did r know where a wheelchair was? So could
we find a wheelchair. Interestingly out here there's a for profit company
in Waconia run by two RN's. I think 4 years ago they sta.ted it for
medical, 'durable medical supplies. Loan closest and they rent equipment.
American Cancer Society in this case. He's a cancel patient, will provide
one free. They take care of the insurance if there are insurance benefits.
In this case my own church had a wheelchair sitting there for emergencies,
whatever and we just simply ran up. He. lived two blocks away. Ran up and
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Senior Co~missionMeeting
June 21. 1991 ....;;, Page 4
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got the wheelchair and saw that he was able to enjoy the graduation
festivities. Simple need. Sometimes we get calls about how do I find
Meals on Wheels or Dinner at ypur Door. Whatever the program might be
called in that particular community. Again. this is the resource area of
that. The INR is really important. Lots of times I get people my age
calling and saying, I have one now. A daughter in California who was here
recently for her mom in Deephaven. Her dad's in a nursing home and her mom
is 87 years old. Fragile but still able to live independently and with a
wonderful healthy independent spirit. But she wanted to know what are the
services? What if something happened suddenly? What are my options out
there for my.mother? What shall I go see while I'm here for congregate
living programs? What are the services if she shouldn't drive and she
shouldn't. Where does she go for that? A lot of my referrals go over to
ICA. Are you fami 1 iar with ICA? It's located in the City of t1i nnetonka.
It serves most of the same 10 cities I serve and it's operated on funds
from churches in the community organization. It operates a food shelf and
clothing closet and volunteer drivers with 4 day notice. That's really the
only source of drivers out here. People who can't drive themselves.
Howard: Is it just for Minnetonka?
Jan Gray: No. Let me just check up for you and see which ones it is.
There's a similar one out of Wayzata called Interfaith. Here's just a
listing of the services they provide. Clothing and food we mentioned.
Transportation. Information referral. Limited household goods and
e furniture. Limited financial assistance.. Surplus commodities. Holiday
food assistance. In other words baskets. Short term, 1 to 3 night
emergency shelters. That's through a voucher system. They serve Hopkins,
Minnetonka, Shorewood, Excelsior, Deephaven, Greenwood, and Woodland so
they don't serve the Ch~nhassen area. But it's essential to know the
agencies that are around here. Th~ part doing INR work, I used to work for
Carver County Family Services and INR for maybe a 5 month period while a
worker had surgery. What you discover is you have to play detective. As I
understand it in fact, you all had been given an assignment to find a
service for a particular need and I assume that in doing that you
discovered it's almost like playing 20 questions. You have to ask the
right question to get the answer you need. That's certainly a difficult
part of it. I'll come to back to that. Another part of my responsibility
is to write, and I hope you read in the Sailor, the Senior Corner column
each week. That's why it's confusing because in the same column I submit
for the South Shore Senior Center the menus and the activities for the
week. If any of you would ever like to guest a column, 200 words, I would
be delighted to have you. If you want t'oaddress what the commission is
doing. That would be great. That's a good forum for you. Just contact
me. I'll leave you my card and I'll see that we take care of that for you.
And the other element that will get developed. Now this program has been
cut in hours and Elaine Evans was doing some of this but as I told our
advisory board, when you cut hours. When you save money, you don't get the
same delivery of services when you have as many hours as you had before.
Having sat on many non-profit boards and done a lot of volunteer work over
A,a 25year period, it's helpful to be reminded of that. And as you look
~ towards your needs and meeting your needs for the seniors in this
community, you have to be willing to fund what it is you need. So the
Senior Commission Meeting
June 21, 1991 - Page 5
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fourth component t.hat we're going to st.art. a little bit in the fall but not.
as extensively as Elaine had, is some sort of educat.ion component. Let me
see. Going back t.o the Skills Bank. The most crit.ical difficult.y in that
is to really identify the need. Sometimes the person will call and say I
need someone to scrub out the hillside in my yard. I've been able, and
this position is funded with a travel allowance which gets me here but I've
also been able to make visit.ations. One time init.ial visit.ations. I call
'it doing the paperwork with the client and it's very, very helpful to have
someone in your home ready to visit and maybe see some other needs exist.
For instance, I have now a community volunteer who's able to do some
masonary work for us just through community programs and I was visiting
with a senior in the community and she has a very difficult hip
disfigurement and her walk is very strained and difficult and painful.
She's lived in her home since the 50's wh~n she and her husband built it.
And as she walks out of her house there are three stairs down to the walk
and over the 40 years the house has been ,there, as typically, it has sunk.
You know the sidewalk that comes to the stairway has sunk. Well the stair
was then 12 inches high. Well when you're short and when you're disformed,
that's t.ough. Really t.ough and so she would manage to put her cane on a
railing and leverage herself on down. It was tough for me to make the
step. 'Fortunat.ely I went out t.here to see about a lawn mowing request. 'she
had but fortunately I could see the stair and the severity of it.
Fortunately we had a community volunteer who said I'll do masonary work for
,seniors. So we got him out there and he put in a new stair for her and I
said t.o him, you know this is really neat. You have effected this woman's
life every single day. She leaves her house every day. She's fine and
bright and cheery and all this but every single day she had LO overcome
that obstacle. Now the obstacle is gone. Does that mean that maybe on
some days she would stay home? Does that mean she'd lose some ground if
she hadn't had that step fixed? I think so and that's part of serving this
goal. While I visit with them it's also an opportunity to find out. for me
if they're using other senior services that are available in the community.
And if they're not, maybe they don't. know about them. Maybe they don't
know about South Shore Senior Center. That there are benefits to doing
that. You don't. have to go every day or one man said to me, I thought it
was a Lutheran program because it's in the Lutheran Church now. Well it's
not but. we don't know. We can't assume that everyone knows everything.
Let's see. I really should put my glasses on. Then I don't have to sit
back so far to see right?
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Jan Gray: Oh please.
Krauss: Could we ask a question...?
Krauss: Do you try to screen out those who, you have volunteers who are
willing to do it for no cost or if you have a community that has funds to
subsidize the cost, do you do any screening of those persons who request.
the services to determine if they can really afford to pay for it?
Jan Gray: Let me address first. of all the community subsidizing. There
are no subsidies to the program and because of this recent IRS ruling,
t.hat's a real t.icklish thing so no we don't. We are available to anyone
f!',
e who's a senior citizen regardless. And the person who provides the service
negotiates with the senior-what is a fair price to both of them.
Krauss: Well I've been in a couple of cities where they've used funding of
their own to not only match people up but also to pay for the cost of
service.
Krauss: I don't think so but we
JanGray: Are they any of the 10 cities I mentioned?
Jan Gray: Some of the programs. Yes, Step in St. Louis Park
Again, that's going to be tricky with this new IRS )'uling.
Krauss: I believe Eden Prairie does.
Jan Gray: Okay, that may be. See we serve technically very little of Eden
Prairie. I mean technically we serve the entire city of Eden Prairie but
realistically we serve very little of it. As to the volunteer help,
t.here's no.screening done on that.. This is a community obligat.ion
volunteer that he has so many hours to do this. It's difficult.. We do
have one fund letter each year t.o t.he seniors we serve asking t.hat they
might support the program. Maybe to expand a portion of the program but
truly is placing me as a broker of services.
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Heinlein: Is this financial arrangement new? I had
and he said he was only allowed to charge I think it
JanGray: Yeah, that doesn't fit in with what we're doing now. I'can':!:.
speak of what went on in the p.st..
Heinlein: I think they did have guidelines in the past.
Jan Gray: What I'm seeing is, and this is what I tell my working clients
and,t..Jhat I tell my serving clients , is that I see the price rangegoi ng
from $8;00 to $12.00 an hour. That's a ,lot of money. On the other hand,
when you compare it to an electr- ician you know coming out and it's not that
we're meant to replace the union, lieensed, journeymen, electrician.
Whatever they are. That's not it. Part of what goes with replacing the
light bulb. Did he come to your home?
Heinlein: Yes.
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Jan Gray: Was perhaps different than it might be if he would go to your
neighbors home who also wants to visit with that man or that person. Not
just. to get in, fix the job and be out the door in 2 seconds later. Now
that may not be your need because you're active and involved in the
community but it's kind of like Dinner at your Door. Meals on Wheels.
These people first of all don't wanta young smart alex painting their deck
for them. They want someone they can enjoy having in their little world
for the couple days that it takes. So sometimes the appeal is even greater
than the price that the person chooses to deal with seniors. I'm saying
that kind of in a mu'ddle fudded way. Do you understand what I'm saying?
Senior Commission Meeting
June 21~ 1991-Page 7
e So no~ we do not set prices on it. I'm surprised. . I was called in to a
congregate living situation I would choose not to identify at this point
To learn that someone in the community had been providing some of the
services that this person now was calling for because this number one
person wasn~t able to do it anymore and had told the senior you know
because I know you're on a limited budget I'm only charging x amount of
dollars. It was very much more expensive than what the skills Bank workers
are going out for .between $8.00 and $12.00. I thought wow. I don't mind
that someone charges and delivers something for a price and it's agreed
upon. I do mind is the citizen, I do mind someone who says I'm doing you a
favor and charging you this much. You know that's not fair. So in that
case the Skills Bank was helpful to this senior in locating a provider
who's cost was considerably less.
AI~Jaff: Jan,if somebody lives in the Chaska School District, does th~t
mean they don't qualify for your services?
Jan Gray: No. If they live in the city of Chanhassen.
AI-Jaff: Regardless?
Jan Gray: That's right. All 10 cities.are eligible.
Montgomery: There was some article that said it was only the citizens who
lived in the school district. I don't remember what the article it was.
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Jan Gray:
I don't know.
That hasn't come out since April Barbara.
I don't remember where I read it.
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Jan Gray: As all of these~ there are errors around I imagine. I noticed
in here that I~ll call something and say oh no. It depends on the funding.
For instance if you should stop funding Minnetonka Community Services for
some reason and then these are all out of date. But no, anybody who's in
the 10 city area of the Minnetonka School District is eligible for the
services that I can provide. Let's see what other topics I have here.
The education component. It's real important. You know the sector of
seniors is growing. I don~t need to tell you that. I'm not knocking at
the door you know and I represent the edge of the baby boom where there
t.Jill be big numbers of us at some point. Anyhow, it's really important
that seniors maintain.their sense of independence and their sense of self
confidence and that they are not discounted because they have white hair or
because they have facial wrinkles or they've begun to shrunk or visually.
And it's amazing how society subtly discounts senior citizens. Now maybe I
don~t have to tell you that. That~s right. So education is two fold in my
book. One is to tell the younger ones hey, the olders one have a lot to
offer and indeed you do. The other part is to reinforce that sense of
indepedence and self confident for the seniors. And how we're going to do
that I don't know but that's one of my goals for the upcoming year. The
other component to that is what I think is the plight of the elder single
ffJOmen. It is really sad to see the situation many senior women, some
senior women are placed in. I think of one woman who~s husband is so
controlling. Now this is not a feminist issue. I believe in women and
Senior Commission Meeting
June 21, 1991- Page 8
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equally. I don't get on a soapbox and say women must this, that or the
other. Each person must this, that and the other thing. But this elderly
gentleman is so controlling that when the rest of the family wants to do
something and he doesn't, he'll lay down and promote a tantrum. Lay down
on the floor and promote a tantrum. The wife of course says oh, I can't
leave him like this and he has manipulated her so effectively she doesn't
go to the grandson's bi rthday party or somethi ng. ~10st recently the
daughter was telling me that when it didn't work the recent time, he got up
and said well that didn't work. Now what am I going to do? .. .but there
are more women around than men this age and the fear is there. 'The fear of
financial. The fear .of financial independence in thi ngs. George may have
left Marion with lots of money but said don't ever touih the principle and
so she's living on 5% income. That's tough. But I mean if she's not going
to touch the principle and she's 93 years old and living in poveity, what
is the sense of that? Women need understanding and need education. They
need to know they have a sense of enpowerment themselves. So do men. I
mean senior citizens need to know that. That's why you're here. You all
know that. You have power as a group rind to effect change. To plan to
better someone else's senior years. So that's essentially an overview of
Minnetonka Community Services and what they do~ Do you have any questions
about that part?
Montgomery: I have one question. If you did some educational stuff, would
you be able to do it in other locations~r can it simply be done at South
Shore?
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Jan Gray:
No.
Again, I'm not connected with South Shore at all~
Montgomery: That's where they...
Jan Gray: Of course they have and they do. That's the organization called
Senior Community Services and it's funded by United Way and grants and
foundations. They are a non-profit organization and part of their
programming is the education .component. I do work with Jo Ann Kvern and
Ben Withart and people in those positions but I would gladly cooperate with
them. With the Chanhassen Senior Commission. Putting something together.
Whatever. I think the more people we can involve and bring in as a
cooperative force will affect more lives. Interestingly, again having been
in the community a long time and having known about a number of these
services, I was surprised to come on board and find that they don't come
together in an association meeting and sharing ideas and that they really
don't know about one another a ~t.Jhole lot either. And so when I've
suggested to a number of them would you like it if I pull you together and
we meet. We share our information. We share our goals and fit with one
another to see if we can.do something collective, they're all enthusiastic.
But I'm surprised it hasn't been done. So yes, if you would choose to corne
up with an education program, I would be glad to work with you. . Cooperate
with you. Assist you. Whatever is required there.
Montgomery: Would we supply the funding or would there be somebody
available to do that?
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Senior Commission Meeting
June 21, 1991 - Page 9
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Jan Gray: There are no funds beyond my salary for that. And travel. But
now that's not to say we couldn't find funding. I happpen to like fund
raIsIng. I think we probably could find some fund raising within the
probably the business environment in the community. Maybe the
philanthropic groups or the fraternal groups. Something like that. Senior
citizens are a popular group. I mean everybody has a mother. Everyb6dy
has a grandmother. They want to be sure they're well taken care of. So I
would guess that service organizations would be glad to fund an education
forum. Something like this. I think that's quite possible. I have a
couple questions, if I understood from Shanoin. If I understood why it was
you asked me here is as I say to explain why. As you make your plans to
meet your needs of the seniors, I would ask a couple of questions. Hot'" do
they manage now? How do seniors manage compared to what I was just
discussing? Do they call me? I do have several clients over here. Over
here being the city of Chanhassen. The actual, physical city part here.
Do they know about services? That's something we need perhaps to do
better. What are their needs? Are theit needs c6ncurrent with what I
mentioned? Are their needs more than what's being met at the South Shore
Senior Center? As I understand it, the City contracts with Senior
Community Services so that these Chanhassen citizens are able to go over
to Mt.Calvary in Excelsior and have the benefits of that program. Do they
go? If they don't, why don't they go? How do you use Senior Community
Services? It's a good org~nization. What services do they have that you
might be using that you're not using? Is there a way to provide services
without re-inventing the wheel? I'm not here plugging them but these are
the kind of questions I always ask as I get into a plan.
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AI-Jaff: We did a senior needs assessment study last year. Judy Marshik
was the pe:rsonwho lJ.Jas hired to coordinate the study. Everything you
mentioned was.
Jan Gray: Addressed.
AI-Jaff: They were surveyed that we sent out to the seniors in
Everything that you mentioned was in the...
Jan Gray: Well, in getting your own directory going, is it essentially to
perhaps just draw from this directory and then to find out what the
services are beyond here? Are your efforts, you know, how do you get
directory to meet the senior citizen? Do you mail it to each senior
citizen or are you going to'have an INR operation?
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Krauss: We've actually considered doing both. We've got a mailing list
that we...and we're going to be updating it...housing and senior center.
We'd like to mail... The ~1ayor's been talking about using volunteers...
One of the problems that we keep coming up with is Chanhassen falls within
the gaps. Hennepin County is... Carver County does not but what Carver
County has is focused either on Chaska or on the rural area. We're not the
. rural area and we're not Hennepin County so we .found that there's probably
a need for us to take the information that's out there and put it all
together in...directory. We'd just as soon not have to do it. If there
was a pre-made one. I've seen an earlier version of...but some of the
things that we had out here...so yeah, it's a good resource.
Senior Commission Meeti~g
June 21,. 1991 ~. Page
e Jan Gray: It sounds like you've done youI' homewol'k and you've asked lots
of good questions. I'm trying to think about the INRsegment for you.
Part of your difficulty is because you're two counties and so what's in
here might not be what's available to you. As I say, having been in INR.in
Chaska, you're right. That is their fodus. It just seems like a lot to
have to make your own city INR.
Krauss: Not only two counties. If you look at where our residents get
their services from. Medical services I think half the community, probably
more than half of them go to Southdale area and everybody else goes
Waconia. There's a pretty big tel'r i tory there.
Krauss: Well true but we find the same thing with shopping. Where do
get your groceries? Well hopefully by next January or something. ..but they
go to Eden Prairie. They go to Excelsior. They go to Chaska and you find
it's the same thing in social services.. We found that more often than not
t..-Je've had to.. .senior center and would they be i ntel'ested in managi ng that
if we got it going. I didn't realize they offer more of those kinds of
services too. Maybe... .
Jan Gray: But medical services are pl'obably, they're certainly a
significant paft of your needs but probably a small part of the needs,
.
Jan Gray: They offer case management too. So for instance, this daughter
from California who's mother is elderly and who's husband is in the nursing
home, I said you knot..-J really, why don't you let me contact Senior Community
Services and have a case manager come out. That's kind of like having a
surrogate daughter around. She can kind of be the eyes and ears on
Estelle. Estelle fell the other day in her yard and a truck driver carne by
and sa~1I her and a neighbor came when she saw the truck dr iver and assisted
her back into the house. She called me. It's in my role, it's not
appropriate that I deal with that. On the other hand, it's real
appropriate that Ben's people deal with that so they offer a lot of good
services.
Montgomery: And that would be available in Carver County?
Jan Gray: Well if you contract with them.
..
Kraus~: I've met with them and...
e
Jan Gray: That might be helpful to you too. The other part is you do your
planning. Obviously a majority of the people at this table are senior
citizens. I'm going to be one sooner than I realize and as I said, I
represent a large significant part of the population. I also bri~g a
different life experience than perhaps you've had in your life. My needs
are different. Your needs are different. We're going to see the senior
needs changing significantly because first of all there are going to be
more seniors and there are going to be younger seniors. People at 60 are
younger 60's than 30 years ago. So as you look at your needs in your
community, anticipate this whole group of seniors coming who come from a
different spot than the present seniors do. It's kind of a puzzle. Well,
any other questions?
Senior Commission Meeting
June 21, 1991 -!Page 11
. Montgomery: I just really thank you Jan. It's been very helpful. You've
given us a lot of good ideas for our seniors.
Jan Gray: I said I couldn't talk for half an hour. Sorry.
Montgomery:
That's a lot of information and I really thank you.
Jan Gray:
get both.
Th"is book is, I think it's $14~OO. Actually I would suggest you
If you'd pass those down and if you would pass those down.
.
Krauss: Would it be possible, we have like a pamphlet area upstairs. Would
it be possible to get material from you...start getting oyt to people?
Jan Gray: I would be glad to do that. I'll give you a bunch right now and
here's a copy of the Senior Outreach Service brochure. Why don't you pass
that on down and you want to place these in strategic places around the
community. Please do. One thing I dfdn't mention." You'll notice on this
it says, Seniors Seniors Hotline. Skills Bank Hotline. Well ideally the
program is a senior to senior but you know what? There aren't seniors out
there willing t6 do lawn work and house work or able to. Ideally it's
connecting a senior. When you mentioned the light bulb, there's a
wonderful man who happens t.o go t.o our church and who for a number of years
has been active: in this program long before I was. He's a senior. He's
t.he ultimate handyman and so what. a nice way t.o subsidize his fixed income
serving a senior and what a nice way for a senior t.o have a job well done
by a man who knows what. he's doi ng and does it onl y one way. His ~>Jay is
right. It's like my dad. And so t.Je keep trying to cultivate these
seniors. I would like t.o find some of t.he younger seniors who are, you
know retirement is coming earlier now. There are quite a group of people
ret.iring at 55. I'd like t.o find some of t.hose younger seniors who want. t.o
supplement their incomes. So it's not really senior to senior any longer.
I t.hink t.hat's t.he end of everything I brought.. Is t.here anyt.hing else you
\,t.Jould like? Okay good. Thank you for having me. Call on me if you have
any questions. .Urge your people to call on me. If anyone would like to
write a guest column, I'd be just delighted to have you do that. Good
luck. .
Heinlein: If Iihave like~..wi.ndows t.owash, I don't dare get. up on the
ladder.
And my
to do.
Jan. Gray: No, you shouldn't do t.hat.. That.'s right.
yard.
Jan Gray: You're t.he perfect. person t.o call m~. And that's another reason
I tend not to send seniors out which require ladder work either. For the
same reason. Our balance and everything's a little less steady than it
was. Sure. Do you have one of ,the brochures? Did you keep one?
e
Heinlein:
Yeah
Senio, Commission Meeting
June 21, 1991 - Page 12
e Jan G,ay: Good." Call me. So give me a call Selda. On my 'reco,de, it
says what my hours are for the curlent week and then when I do cOme in
I ,etu'rn those calls.
St. John: Where is you, office?
Jan G,ay: My office is pa,tof Minnetonka Community Services that's
at Old Deephaven and Vine Hill Road. Second floo,. There ale about
us that shale an old classroom.
St. John: Is Jim Jones over there too now?
Jan G, ay: No. He's in the Ad Bui Idi ng in Excelsio,. ~~e ' ve just g,own and
expanded.
Montgome,y: Now whe,eis that?
Jan Glay: On Vine Hill Road. Highway 7 and Vine Hill Road is where BUlge,
King is." You go north .7 of a mile. It's the old, old Deephaven High
School. It's a 2 story brick building that's no longer used as class,oom
facility. Early Childhood is there. Explo,ers. Community Service
P,og,ams. And then next door is the Deephaven Elementary School. Thank
you all.
SENIOR COMMONS.
Mo ntgome, y :
look at that?
to make if we
have a senio,
you'd like to
You did receive f,om Sharmin a page about that. Did you all
Do you have any comments about what changes you would like
were to establish something of this nature? If we we,e to
cente, 0, senio, housing, were the,e some of the things that
do differently?
Heinlein: The only thing that c,ossed my.mind and I did a lot of thinking
about when we were ove, there. It's a nice place. I mean I giant it that.
And then when they began to talk about the amount of money that it was
going to ,equi,e to even get sta,ted, we're talking, ~"'e don't have anybody
to back us ,eally like they have. I was thinking of this one on TH 4 and
TH 5. Pe,haps we should also go the,e. Now they are funded. That...
place. Perhaps we should also go the,e. Now they ale funded by the young
docto,'s chu,ch and they too have a beautiful place ove, the,e.
St. John: l,.Jhe,e's that?
Heinlein: That's on TH 4. Between TH5 and is it Pionee, T,ail? You know
where the Eden Prai,ie Cemetary is? 1,.Jell, it's this side of that. Not
quite ove, that fa,. They have me on thei, ,egist,y and they call me all
the time 0, send me literature constantly hoping that I'll bleak down and
come ove, the,e but so far I haven't.. I ,eally don't. want t.o. I like the
place. It's a beautiful set-up and they .altt.Jays have activities. There's
always something they have. Chapel se,vices and they have everything in
this one place. But I began to think about it.. We.re talking 3 million
dolla,s as they we,e to get going. They have to have the land. You have
e
Senior Commission Meeting
Jbne21, 1991 - Page 13
e
this. Well that's in the future by a great distance as far as I
and think. Then I got to thinking, well that's a big but.
Maybe Paul can give some response to that.
.
Krauss: Well I think it's an excellent idea to get a variety of
experiences to see different funding...because there's a lot of different
ways to approach this thing. There's no commitment from the City Council
to come up with x number of dollars and x amount of funds. I mean we
haven't gone that far yet. Council's been very receptive to your efforts
and to getting something done in terms of a Senior Center and Senior
housing. In fact on a later item here we're doing feasibility studies for
these thing. I've had some of the people on the Council tell me stop
studying the thing and start to build it.. But one source of, you know the
dollars seem huge. When you talk about these facilities of $3 to $5
million dollars and I'm not going to tell you that's not, that's a lot of
money. But the City does have some sources of money that most communities
don't. It goes back to that tax increment development that we've had in
and around the downtown and t.he commercial area~ Those districts are
starting to have paid for all the improvements that we've made so all the
money ~rom here on out is basically money in the bank if you want to view
it in simple terms. We think there's a realistic possibility. I mean
there's a fund of money and last time we talked about this to the City
Council was last year. All our districts over the next 8 years are going
to throw off something like $22 million dollars in uncommitted revenue. Now
before t;.Je start spending all that, keep in mind that the plan "Jas to give
substantial amounts of it directly back to the School District at that time
Bnd some directly back to the County. But there is a strong possibility
that the City's going to capture a lot of that and we can use portions of
it for things like a senior center and senior housing. Our Housing and
Redevelopment Author i ty already owns lots of land in downtot;.m and they're
buying more so there's the possibility of them turning the land over for a
nominal charge for this kind of a thing. So don't let, we're talking about
big sums of money and we want to be creative in how we finance it but don't
let the dollar signs steer your off from considering something that's going
to cost a bit because it does cost that kind of money to do it right.
Montgomery: But we may not be talking about a nursing home facility
either. We may be talking about. housing and a senior center which
certainly is a lot cheaper than a very expensive nursing home facility.
Hei nlei n: That's ~t.Jhat kind of bothers me. There doesn't seem to be any,
everything's for the future. There doesn't seem to be anything really for
the present time for the seniors that are now around for instance like me.
I'm no kid no more and I guess I'm feeling my age. Anyway, I know they say
well, you can go to Excelsior as she did. We can go there. for this and
that program. It's a question well you've got to get there and a lot of
those that do go I know live on the edge. They're in Chanhassen but
they're on the edge of Excelsior. A lot of our people that are at our
meetings. I don't feel that that should be necessary. Why should we have
to go over there? I live here 2 blocks. I'm right in town. Why do I have
to go to Excelsior if I want to go to the senior center?
e
Senior Commission Meeting
June 21 ,1991 - Page 14
e Montgomery: I think that br! ngsup a couple of questions that maybeyou
can help us v.Jith and one. is, have we looked into any mor.savailablespace
here? Is there any possibility of having something while we're going
through all this building busIness? Is there any more possibility:? Has
anything turned up:? Was there anything with that real estate buIlding?
Al-3aff: It's offices.
Kubitz: I haven't found anything overln Excelsior I'm interested
do ~o over there for crafts once inawhile but I'm not interested
programs.
e
Krauss: You know ideally we'll have a program here that fits the bill but
it's'not going to happen quickly. I guess we have two problems. Or three
problems. There's the lack of physical space. There are virtually no
, - " - \
meeting rooms in the community that can be used on a long term basis.
That's why the senior club meets over in the school. They need that space.
One of the thi ngs t'Je' re funding right nOI;.J is V-Je're trying to make the Old
Village Hall handicap accessible which may make that a little more
available but it's a relatively small room and it does not have kitchen
facilities. Just finding a space, you know we talked about the space back
here behind the library which is larger but it's unfinished and it costs a
bit to get it finished off so we were looking to finishing it off anyway.
I know that the City is somewhat leery about giving that up because we have
people working out of closets again upstairs. ..new expansion. But just
having a room isn't going to make it any better than it is at South Shore.
In fact it ~-Jill probably offer less. That's why v.Jhen we were talking to
people like Ben Withart, I don't know ho~'-J to run. a senior center. Nobody
here does and you really want to bontract that out to a group that has the
expertise to figure out what our residents needs. What kind of programming
and figure out what ki nd of space we need. I' 01 convinced the space is mor.e
than, even if this room was available, that's not going to do it for you.
St. John: I think 8en Withart would be a good one to, and Jo Ann Kvern, to
talk to and get help. And just as you were talking about space, I just
happened to think about all that vacant space on TH 41 andTH7.
Krauss: The shopping center?
St. John: The shopping center. They don't have all of that filled do
they?
Krauss: They'd like to.
St. John: I know they would.
Krauss: But.theirrent that stuff at commercial square footage.
Kubitz: That is anymore convenient than South Shore.
II
Montgomery:
That's just as far as South Shore.
Senior Commission Meeting
June 21, 1991;- Page 15
e Heinlein: I know they've invited me to come next Monday because it's
birthday day.
Kl"auss: Honestly, one of the things I've been touting to the City Council
is i f ~loJe do construct a senior center, we should design it to have meeti ng
rooms that other folks could use becaus:e we just don't have those kinds of
spaces around town and it kind of makes more people buy into it I guess.
Montgomery: That brings up another question too. Or a couple of things.
How about a sub-committee or a committe6-that was going to be funded to
support the senior commission.
--
Krauss: Well, we haven't done that yet and frankly I have to apologize
because I haven't done a whole of things for the seniors yet recently and
we need to get goi ng on that. One of the thi ngs I was thi nki ng that tl.Je
launch that around is the feasibility study. Start bringing people into
work on that and become familiar with the needs. The Council didn't, well
you made a recommendation to the Council to appropriate the money that was
left from last year to do those studies and I'm pretty convinced that it's
going to cost about what we have to do that. When that was first brought
up to the Council, the Council t,..Jants to see results. I thi nk they've got
the same mindset as you do Selda. They're saying well, we want to see
something happen and I agree ~nd that's why we put an item on this agenda
to talk about it. What can we do? ~~hat do you want us to follmloJ up that's
of a more immediate nature? We pick up things like this will get the word
out. Well who will start making those kind of things but we want to be
doing more. The problem I told the City Council and in fact the Council
rejected doing the feasibility study the first time it came up because they
said, we've got this money. Why can't 1,IoJe do something with it and I have
to remind them that it's federal money. It's Block Grant money. There's a
lot of' strings attached. Very little we can do with it and that as the
Planni ng D1 rector I don't feel t.hat I know enough to stand before the
Council and say spend $5 million dollars on a ~enior center because we
haven't demonstrated. We think we have a need for it. We've had people
respond to a survey that says yes, it will be nice if we have one but does
that really mean they're going to use it. That's why we have to do this.
Kubitz: The ones at the school would use it and there's a bunch here that
t,..Jould.
Krauss: I think you're rIght.
Kubitz: Once you have it, you're going todral;J in a lot more people.
.
Kr auss: Right, but ~..te need to know who ~s goi ng to LIse it. What exactly do
they want? What exactly do we need in terms of, how many rooms should it
be? What sort of facility should it offer? Right now we have pretty good
evidence that it could be supported. We just want to get, this is
information that a developer would go through before they ask for money
from a bank to finance it. l~e want to be just as responsible as the
private sector is. Anyway, I brought it back to the Council and they
didn't deny it the first time or continue it the first time because they
didn't agree with it. They just wanted to see more action. And I went
Senior Commission Meeting
June 21, 1991 - Page 16
e
back to them and what we ag~eed to do, they're also trying to save money
and hopefully use that. I mean they can't spend that anyplace else but
this kind of thing but hopefully free up some of that money to do more
things for senior programming. And what we agreed to do is I wasn't going
to ask the Council to appropriate the money yet. I was going to send out a
request for proposals to 3 or 4 consultants, including Judy and make it
clear to them that we're looking for an economical yet valid piece of work.
Make it clear to them that they're competing on price. Then when we have
somebody ~-'Je ~'Jant and J,.Je have a proposal that you're comfortable'with, I'll
go back to the Council and say appropriate, if 1I-Je had $26,000.00, maybe
it's going to cost $20,000.00 Or $19,000.00. Appropriate that and then
~.Je' 11 be able to take the lest of the money and put that into other.
Montgomery: Have proposals gone out?
Krauss: No. That again, I've been in the process, I don't know if you've
heard., We had a Storm Water and Surface Water Utility and your utility
bills went up? Yours didn't because you'le in an apartment but everybody's
utility bill went up by $3.22. We've been in the process of reviewing
consultants programs for that. In fact it culminated yesterday down here
where the Council approved a consultant for that...over the next 2 weeks
but as soon as I come back, I'll send out the request for proposals. I've
got a list from Larry Blackstad of the consultants that could do it. $0
we'll be getting that out and we'll give them a chance to respond.
e Hontgomery: Is there any chance you can get that out before you leave?
Krauss: I can look at it. We had the proposals all prepared so. We have
to get valid offers. You have to make {t available to more than one
consultant. It has to be a...
Heinlein: You said that increase wouldn't affect me. What do you think
it's going to do to the rent?
Heinlein: Tack another $5.00 on or something. He'sgoing
in a couple of windows for me.
Krauss: One of the problems wi th sendi ng it out J,.Jhen I'm not here is the
first thing they're going to do is call us up to meet 1I-Jith us and talk
about it.
Krauss: Well yeah, sooner or later. You just won't
where it is and everybody else knows.
Montgomery: How about, does anybody have anything else? Any other
comments about the visit that we made to Chaska?
Montgomery: Did you find any interesting results?
e Heinlein: Yesterday I saw for the first time in town here, Metro Link.
I've never seen that bus. I couldn't imagine what the bus was. At first
Senior Commission Meeting
June 21, 1991 - Page 17
e
I thought it was one of the CART buses and then I thought no.
Metro Link so I will try to find that number. I did get this fr~m Carver
County and I also called a cab that is supposed to be available for
handicapped people but we have to be certified that anybody that uses it is
over a certain age and I believe they were going to send me some
literature. I haven't got that but this Carver County, they do vary the
prices depending upon the distance.
Montgomery: That's CART?
Heinlein: For CART, yes. It's 50 cents for a local trip, $1.00 within the
County, $2.00 vJithin a 15 mile radius or $4.00 over 15 miles out.
Montgomery: I wonder would it be helpful to you if Selda writes up what
she's found but or gives you~the brochures? Maybe you could put them all
together ~<Jhen you get through looking into it and any comments you~<Jant. to
make on it.
e
Heinlein: This here came with it. Who will provide ybur ride? Your ride
is provided by a volunteer driving his or her own vehicle. The driver is
reimbursed mileage at t.he County rat.et.o cover out. of pocket expenses such
as gas, car maintenance, insurance, etc.. The volunteers donate their
time, driving skills and dedication in providing transportation for the
residents of Carver County who have no other reliable alternatives. The
passenger responsibility is to call tvJO days prior to the time of your
appointment between $=30 and 1:30. If you...a specific driver such as the
one l<Je had, we will attempt to make those ar'fangements but do not call him
at his home. When your driver picks you up, you are expecLed to use a seat
belt and respect his wishes regarding, or hers, regarding smoking. You
must be ~-eady andll-Jatching fOl- your ride. The dr iver must not be kept
t",aiting. Often your ride will be coordinated with another and the driver
has a tight schedule to maintain. If you need assistance getting f~-om your
home to the car, please notify the dispatcher of your handicap when making
arrangements for your ride. We cannot put even the driver or the pas~enger
in the position where an inJury may occur. You are expected .to pay the
fare for your ride unless other arrangements have been made. You may pay
with cash or use a CART card. The fares are 50 cents within your community
as I said. r mentioned that. The case fare collected by the driver is
turned into the coordinator and used to operate the program. Nobody is
refused service because of inability to pay. Call the Transportation
Coordinator at 448-3661 to determine if you are eligible for a reduced
fare., For the purpose of assisti ng the passenger, a companion may ride
along free of charge. The passenger rights are, you are entitled to a safe
ride vJith a competent driver arriving at your destination in a timely
manner. Unless other arrangements are made, you may expect a round trip
ride. Any private information given to the dispatcher regarding your
transportation needs will be regarded as confidential. To insure the'
quality of the program, if you have any issues or concerns regarding the
above mentioned rights and responsibilities, please call the Transportation
Coordinator and discuss them confidentially. I
-
Montgomery: r think our time i~ getting a little short but I would be
interested in finding out vJhat else, somebody came across. Did you come
'Senior Commission Meeting
June 21, 1991 - Page 18
e across anything?
Howard: I had financial and...available discounts to seniors. Wh~t
involved in the financial other than that that r should be doing?
Montgomery: I'm not sure. Just' whatever you think. This is something
that we run into or seniors are Liable to run into and need some help.
Howard: The directory says there's services available. There's a number
to call for financial assistanc~ in that services directory. In that blue
one.
Krauss: It just occurs to me, you may want to try to schedule some kind of
a brief meeting with the Chamber. First efall this is being promoted ~sa
Senior Commission. You could ask them who provides senior discounts and
kind o~ get the interest coming that you'd likisome support on some of the
work... They have regular luncheon meetings. We could try to get on their
schedule. You usually have to be a month or two ahead.
Montgomery: I think that's a good idea. Like you say, to let them know
we're trying to do something.
e
Krauss: I'm half asleep from the last couple weeks but I had ~ntended to
ask you, Sharmin reminded me, that when you mentioned about the groups to
work on the Senior Task Force and the senior center and housing, th~twhat
I found at work was a letter on your signature to the Mayor asking him to
nominate or ask some people to help serve on that. Usually if It comes
from him we get a lot mor. people.
Montgomery: I think a few people have volunteered like the people from the
Bank and I think Tom.
Howard: And the minister from the church.
Krauss: In the letter he could outline who he's already contacted... The
Mayor's also a member of Rotary. Very active in that and the Rotary is a
group that supports a lot of these things through donation.
Montgomery: Ido think we need to get on with it. It takes so long anyway
that we just need to get the ~heels rolling.
Krauss,: We'll get that letter out.
Montgomery: So at least people can... Did'anybodyelsefindany.
Billison: I was just going to bring up Barbara, this pamphlet, did
everyone get a copy of this?
Montgomery~ Yeah.
e
8illison: This tells the information of programs of 13 different senior
centers in our area and it's very informative. It takes in every program
that seniors have like the Buffalo Senior Center which is the large 9ne.
Senior Commission Meeting
June 21, 1991 - Page 19
e
Montgomery:
too.
Well thatJs something that Sharmin should be watching then
Bil1ison: Everyone should get a copy of this.
Krauss: Do we get that because, I get one too,
are? Does the average senior citizen get,one?
Billison: All you have to do is call and be on the mailing list and
they'll be real happy to send one.
AI-Jaff: Do you get one?
Heinlein: Yeah. I'm on their list.
Montgomery: I was wondering if maybe what we should do is to get the
information to Sharmin~ Well, maybe you could write it up.
Krauss: We've got a mailing list that we developed from the survey.. Maybe
we'll send that to them and see if we can get more copies.
St. John: Different discounts. Discounts from the senior community
services.
e
Montgomery: There are some items that she has on there.
are available to seniors and maybe it's something...
Discounts that
Howard: .. .meeting from here I found out there is a sewage discount if you
are 65 and own your own home and are connected to the sewage but not the
water and I understand there's some people by Lake Riley and there used to
be a lot of Greenwood like that and you get a 50% discount in that case.
And instead of $41.75 it's $20.85. On the telephone, that is connected
with income. You get a $7.00 a month discount on the telephone if as an
individual your income's less than $9,420.00 or as a couple, $12,630.00 and
you must be 65. Northern States says no discount as such. They do have a
conservation rate break that some seniors qualify for. This is automatic.
You don't have to ask for it. If you use less than x number of kilowatts,
you get an automatic credit on your bill so if you ever see a credit. For
instance, if you take a 3 week vacation you might not use your kilowatts.
They also, I use their insurances to insure my refrigerator and furnace,
all this sort of stuff and you get a senior rate on that insurance which
Minnegasco does not do. And they also, I switched from Minnegasco. They
call an independent dealers or getting a specialist in each field and you
get prompter service than with Minnegasco~
Montgomery: This is NSP?
Howard:
washing.
This is NSP. They offer the same thing for your refrigerator or
All that sort of thing.
e
st. John:
Whether it's gas or electric?
Senior Commission Meeting
June 21, 1991 - Page 20
It
Howard: Yes.
conditioner.
They also do a maintenance on your furnance and orr your air
,
How ~an you eall for that servi~e?
Howard: I do have a number at home. And they do give an automatic
discount. Then I found out everyone should know about that 55 Alive
drivi~g. Everyone who.drives. Does everyone have that discount on your
insurance?
Billison: No.
Howard: Oh, go take the classes. I get 12% across the board and when it's
$500.00, 12% is worthy.
Montgomery: You don't have to pass a test or anything. You just have to
take it.
St. John: No, it's just a written. You have to take it every 3 years.
-
HO~Jard: Driskills has a 5% discount on Wednesday. I imagine everyone
knows about that. Then I happen to go to Mound Clinic and I don't know who
else applies on this. When you get glasses, they have a 15% senior
discount on glasses and they also, which I imagine a lot of places do, they
have a tray or area of discounted frames that are very good bargains so
that's another thing to think of. And I imagine everyone's aware of the
airline discounts but they have a new change. Northwest, their current
price is $432.00 for 4 tickets or $724.00.for 8 but now for $40.00 more,
$472.00 for 4 or $794.00 for 8, you don't have the restrictions of days.
You can travel any day. See on the old one you could only travel Tuesday,
Wednesday, Thursday or Saturday. On the new one you can do Monday, Friday
and Sunday also. They still have black-outs over holidays. Thanksgiving
and Christmas this year were listed as' black-outs but that's only $10.00
more a ticket. Really it's worth it if you.
Billison: Is that any airlines?
Howard: This is Northwest. .Delta is $472.00. They're the higher price
Northwest so perhaps, she wasn't sure if they had all the days or not.
Heinlei~: I usually go Northwest and I've gotten good discoUnt rates.
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Howard: And some of the bargains are better than the senior rates but
they're not always at your convenience. If you want to go to Miami in
July, you can get a good price. Then I just got this from Holiday Inn
other day which i~20% and you have to call ahead. I know another, a
number of motel chains set aside x number of rooms for seniors and when
they're gone. Howard Johnson has gone this for years and at first they did
it at 50%. You must call and make sure, call a central area. It's called
a Rally Program and who's the guy on TV? Willard Scott was their spokesma
and you can ask for a first floor room if you're handicapped and have a
reason not t.o climb stairs. I stay in these a lot and they aren't always
50%. Now t.hey can range from 20% to 30%. Once in a while you'll get a 50%
Senior Commission Meeting
June 21, 1991 - Page 21
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one but it's worth calling ahead. I don't know what other chains do but
when you are taking a trip there's always a major chain. Rather than.,.
which is 10%. You always should be able to get at least 20%.
Montgomery: Sharmin, is there any way that you can incorporate some
reference to this sort of thing? The possibility of discounts and that
people should investigate and check into it because there really are some
good thingsavailabl~ and you can~ist a few?
AI-Jaff: What we can do is send a letter to all businesses
Howard: I also called Minnegasco and they...discount.
Krauss: We can ask some of these things of local businesses. We have a
little bit of trouble though pushing private enterprise. Utilities
certainly and 6ur Mayor will be happy to hear that NSP has a better deal
than Minnegasco.
Howard: Well I happened to be retired and my husband used to be with NSP
too. Minnegasco I called and they have no discounts. They did say there
are services in town if you're and go through agencies and get help and
they'll insure that. Like a welfare type thing. .
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Krauss: This whole thing...like in the Chamber. We have a tough time
going out and soliciting private business but if the private business kno\lJs
we have 800 or 1,000 senior households in the community and it may be wise
to post a discount in their window and offer it. I mean the Hardware Store
or when you have a mower repair.
Howard: Everyone I c*lled was so nice. I said I'm on the Senior
Commission and I'm inquiring.
t10ntgomery: Anybody else have anyi nformation?
8illison: No, other than this which tells all of our information. I do
have some figures but I neglected to bring it in but on membership and
things like that. If you're interested in what the membership is and how
much it costs a year for these centers here.
St.John: I had the one for emergencies but I said call 911. Then I
called to find out who pays. Well the police department is not paid for
911 call but then the ambulance that they call, it depends. It will get
from insurance and so on. An incident happened last week. A very close
friend was at home and had a health nurse come every day and while the
health nurse was there he got sick and the wife called on the telephone,
car phone to get her son home and he said he wouldn't be able to bethere
until about 45 minutes. During this time the nurse decided that he'd
better get to the hospital and better call a~ ambulance. They called
Waconia Hospital. That's where their doctor is and that's wheTehe had
been in the hospital before and they would not come and get him. They had
to call a Hennepin County ambulance to take him to Waconia to the hospital.
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Senior Commission Meeting
June 21, 1991 - Page 22
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Krauss: That's because the 911 system works out of dispatching the units
that are closest and more quickly available.
Montgomery: What they told me at the Fire Department up here is that they
will dispatch the Chanhassen Emergency unit and also they will call for
ambulance and there's no charge for the ambulance unless it takes you
somewhere but they will do an examination on the spot to see if you need
that.kind of transportat~on. If you do, then of course they'll charge you
Krauss: ...a call like that. What they should have done is passed it
through t.o 911 dispatcher. Nobody should t.ell anybody t.o hang up and try
again.
Heinlein: I think that was explained to us. Didn't Mafk tell us all that.?
St. John: And then in Social service in Carver County, Teri Clay for
kind of heIR t.hat. a senior would need and they would go through some
channels and help get some help to them. Something like she was just
talking about.. The Skills Bank.
Montgomery: And that's the regular Carv~r County.
St.. John: That's the regular Carver County.
8illison: What.'s the number there?
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St. John: 448-3661 and it's Teri Clay. And the Community Health Service
is helping in t.he home and that also has their office in Waconia and they
~ork with t.he Waconia Hospital. Then they have a program that is called
Tele-Care and Dorothy McIntire is one that calls cert.ain people that. live
alone to see how they are and keep a day to day contact with them which is
a big help.
Howard: Now i~ there a cost to that?
St. John: No. She did that After my mother died it was 5
years that he was living alone and every day except. Saturday ~nd Sunday,
welT then if we were out of town on Saturday or Sunday, then I. would just
contact her and she would call in those days.
St. John: I don't have her home number here.
Club. This would also come through the Community Healt.h Services in
Waconia, and I'm sorry I didn't., That's Teri Clay's number. She's the one
t.hat told me about. it. It's t.hat same number. 448-3661. That's it and
that's all the information that I got because there'was nothing else that
they could, no matt.er what the situation was. Then they would have to find
some help for these people. I said if like there's a fire, what do you do
Montgomery: Is that the same number, the Carver County?
St. John: Oh no.
Montgomery: What number is that?
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senio.r Commission Meeting
June 21, 1991 -. Page 23
if these people have to 90 in a hurry? You k~OW to help seniors and they
said well, they would, Social Services wouldl~elP them find a place.
Montgomery: I talked to Glennis Butler at th Carver County Mental Health
. -\, -
Department and I had known her for some tIme and she's really very helpful
and would like to come to our next meeting and to find out what we think
the needs are of seniors. I mentioned depression was one that I think is
something that was encountered a lot and there's a lot of others but she'd
like to talk about that ~nd also about services for chemical dependency and
the need for them. What we see as. needs and what she would be able to do.
She would be willing to set up whatever we think we'd need. I gave you
that slip. It's Glennis Butler. It's on .there and her number's on there.
That's through Carver County Mental He.alth Center in Waconia.
St.John: Paul, I think your idea of contacting local merchants and seeing
about discounts is excellent and 0hen this new grocery goes in, any store
can be reminded of if they have a slow day like Driskills do and give a
discount on Wednesdays. After August we mention what the bank's doing.
Paul,
Montgomery: Anything else or should
update for us on theCDBG funds?
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Krauss: Well just what I touched on before. That it took awhile to get
the Council's approval to send it out but it wasn't for lack of support. It
was the same as you, they want to get more done with it. Sowe'llget that
out. I think the letter coming from you and if you want me to draft it and
put your names on it but asking the Mayor to get that together.~.
Montgomery: . That's what I'd like to do ia if we could get some of the
little junk out of the way so when we really get going we don't have to
stop and do all this stuff because it takes weeks. You have to wait for
the next meeting and .it just goes on endlessly. If any of you have any
suggestions of people that you think would be very good as supporters ofa
new senior center, be sure to let me or Sharmin or Paul know so that we
could add that name to the letter of th~Mayor.
Krauss: Keep in mind it's kind of a, I think you want to reach out into
the community and to the churches and to support organizations like Rotary
or the Chamber, some business people. . ..You've got people like, well I
guess they're all members of one or other. other. Frank Beddor's.
t10ntgomery: IIrJas trying to think of his name forever. He' sthe one with
the fire engine.
Krauss: He's the one with a lot of Audi's and Helicopter. Then there's
Jerome Carlson who is his partner. We've got some corporate clients in.town
that. . .outreach type of thi ng.
e Montgomery: I suppose the Chamber would be a good source.
Senior Commission Meeting
June 21~ 1991 - Page 24
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Krauss:
as. . .
I thfnk that would be a good place to star~.
The Chamber
Montgomery: But who then is a good contact or who knows who~s the
person in some of these companies or who would be socially aware?
Krauss: Tha~'s why the Mayor~s a good person. Don professionally for
NSP, Don knows everybody who's anybody.
--
Krauss: I put that on there. I'm growing increasingly concerned that we
keep asking them, come tell us what you need and we never get a good
response yet I keep hearing kind of through the grapevine that they keep
saying well~ we're the seniors in town. We should be getting money.
I don't know what money they're talking about.
Heinlein: Well, they're still talking about that money that goes to
Excelsior. I know what they're complaining about. We've finally gotten a
group going. The tickets went faster than I thought they would for they're
having a mystery trip and it was mentioned to me when we went to the Dinner
Theatre last weekend. In fact I got one from the tour guide. He sent me
whatever you want to call it explaining what it was going to be. We don't
know where we're going. All we know is we're going to get on the bus and
we're going to have lunch someplace and do some walking and listening to
music, etc. and pick-ups will be in Waybury~ Chanhassen and Watertown.
Whichever way that's going to lead me I have no idea but anyway, it's
scheduled for the 24th of July. So yesterday Marion come over to me and
she .said, did you say you wanted to go? I said I told you last Wednesday
said that I would go. She said well there's only a couple vacancies. It
filled up that fast in one week for a change. Now how many from this group
here ~"ill go I don't know. At the Di nner Theatre we only got together,
what was it? From our own group I think there was 5.
Montgomery: Well were they complaining when you were talking to them about
the money situation?
Heinlein: They feel like that money. should come to them. Not to
Excelsior.
it
Heinlein: Well that's been the kick back all the time. Every time
open your mouth.
Krauss: Whatever we're doing, whatever we're trying to communicate
them isrl't getting there.
St.John: When we get a room and
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Krauss: Well it's not only that, I don't want to go to the Federal
Government and say give me S100.00 so I can buy 50 decks of cards. I can't
do that. The money that goes to South Shore is paying for a facility that.
offers congregate dining. It's paying for staff time. It's paying for
those services. Maybe there are some things that they have there that we
Senior Commission Meeting
June 21, 1991 - Page 25
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don't know of but I don't know how to reach them.
their meetings before and we tried to talk other business and it doesn't
work. I guess what I'd like to propose is maybe we can contact their staff
individually and say hey look. We'd like to meet you on some neutral
ground...and bring a few people into it. Let's just sit down and talk
about this stuff and get it aired. Not at one of our regular meetings. Not
at our of their regular meetings.
Heinlein: I think we're going to have a change of officers. The Pr~sident
is very, very ill and I understand that he can't walk across a room...;Joe
had done a good job and nobody wants to step in.
Montgomery: I think Marion was listening and... I think she understood
what we were trying to say.
Krauss: We can also try and get a hold of their membership and write an
open letter to them...
Krauss: Sometimes a personal letter. to them, to somebody would be nice.
We can get that going. Maybe I'll write something and show it to you. '
Heinlein: . I don't think it is just basically, I think it's basically the
ones that are well the ones that come in. Now yesterday they were here
early. There was one group got there I don't know what time. They had the
card tables set up and they were playing cards long before the rest of us
got there.
Heinlein: Yeah.
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Montgomery: So they're really just using the facility?
Krauss: Public perception is something you really Tleed to get in front of.
When you do look...they're not going to want some people around...
Heinlein: They don't understand that we have to
dining.
Krauss: It isn't as though you came in here and there's some money on the
table to give out. I don't know what their understanding is.
St. John: That goes back to my South Shore start. When Chanhassen
supported that and that's because of this land with Hennepin County.
Chanhassen would not get that money from Federal funds or wherever it came
from...Hennepin County. The South Shore area. And some of them just don't
understand that. It's not that, I like all the people t.here but you always
hear this undercurrent there.
Kubit.z: They've got their blinders on.
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Montgomery: Are there any in that group that you can go to with this? Are
there any people in that whole group that you think might really understand
and might try to listen?
Senior Commission Meeting
June 21, 1991 Page 26
st. John: And there are quite a few of them that are from Chaska~hich
fine. They always come.
Billison: They had an incident at Eden Prairie I understand. This one guy
who's a former principal of Eden Prairie High School. He goes there and no
one likes him because he's always trying to don everybody. He even went to
City Hall and asked them to dismiss i:he coordinator for Eden Prairie Senior
Cent'er and she's adorable. She's a wonderful person but he's ay"eal hot
headed person and causes trouble all the time. The former principal. I
don't understand it.
Krauss: We want to get out 1'0 front of this and just don't want to let it
fester. I don't know what their understanding is. We literally Cannot buy
them cards.
St. John: That is the whole problem~
Heinlein: You do provide some money. Now just how much I don't know what
it is but I do know that you are paying for some of our supplies. That I
know.
Krauss: That might be through our recreation budget.
Heinlein: Two months ago I think...mentioned that he had presented a bill
and he was paid. Now it was for coffee and rolls and something like that.
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Krauss:
I want to get it out on the table. I'm real uncomfortable with...,
Montgomery: One women who seemed to me to be, you know that she might. I
don't know if she has any influence or goes there very often. When I was
over there I was talking to.
Heinlein: It would probably be Marion.
Montgomery: No, I mean we did talk to her and she came to understand to
their advantage to support a new center.
Howard: Well but if this money has to pay forABCD or Fand they can't
qualify for any of them, what's not to understand?
Krauss: Always come to the City Council and they say, the Block Grant is
not the only source of funds there is. The City Council has general
revenue fund.
Howard: But that's the one they're arguing about.
--
Krauss: And that's what has got to be explained to them.
Howard: That this Block Grant can only pay for ABCD or F.
Montgomery: Well what we found out is that the original ,charter is one
that Carver County itself had and it established all these senior centers
all around. At one time they did provide a director and they did, I mean
Senior Commission Meeting
June 21, 1991 - Page 27
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they didn't meet very often but they did provide something. Then they kind
of got off and it either disappeared or Chaska got it all or something. I
don't know how that was now.
St. John: Well this Dagney Aldritt that I mentioned, she was the
at that time.
Montgomery: Yes. And they did do quite a lot of things but then that all
disappeared and the County now is notdinterested in hearing about it.
St.John: And this is what most of those centers do when they need things.
...Carver County that they play cards.
Montgomery: It's a recreational sort of thing.
St.John: Which is fine if they enjoy it.
IN.
Kubitz: This is my gripe. There is not one word, even the word
citizen in there.
Krauss: The July 4th? Well it's not a newsletter. It's the program.
Kubitz: The program.
It
Montgomery:
But there's nothing for seniors you mean?
Kubitz: There is nothing specific for seniors. There's'games and fishing
for kids and adults and everything else but nothing for seniors.
Kubitz: You can figure where you want to fit yourself in.
Krauss: Maybe we can ~arrythat forward.
Montgomery: What kind of thing would you want them to have?
Krauss: I think she raises a good question. Todd Hoffman, our Recreation
Director. Typically Recreation Directors program activities for kids and
they get fields for softball, baseball and soccer. There's no reason and
I know Todd is interested in expanding that programming series for programs
for seniors. Now it's I thi nk a new area for him but ~\je' 11 br i ng it to his
attention.
Kubitz: I do want to go out square dancing if I can anywhere near it and
find out where it is. I'm ce~tainly not going to participate.
Howard: They could have a senior ring toss.
It
Kubitz: If they're going to have tents up, have a tent tr.Jith kool-aid or
lemonade or coffee or something where the seniors can congregate.
Senior Commission Meeting
June 21. 1991 - Page 28
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Krauss: Also sometimes if we think enough about this stuff ahead and
frankly I didn't or we didn't. we could have a table for senior
information. We had recycling booths.
Montgomery: Anybody else have
St. John moved, Howard seconded to adjourn the meeting. All voted in favor
and the motion carried.
Submitted by Paul Krauss
Planning Director
Prepared by Nann Opheim
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