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1991 08 16 . CHANHASSEN SENIOR COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING AUGUST 16, 1991 vice Chairman Bragg,called theme.ting to order at 9=30 a.m.. Betty Bragg, Emma st. John, Selda Heinlein, and Shero! Howard PRESENTATION'BY MAYOR 001'4 CHMIEL. MEMBERS ABSENT: Barbara Montgomery STAFF PRESENT: Paul Krauss, Planning Director; Sharmin AI-Jaff, Planner Todd Hoffman, Park and Recreation Coordinator; and Jerry Ruegemer, Recre.tiori SupervIsor APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Billisonmoved, St. John seconded Minutes of the senior Commission meeting dated July 19, favor and the motion carried. e Br,agg = On the agenda, the' first item is presentation by Mayor Mayor Chmiel: Good morning. Nice to get here. Unfortunately I'd like to attend more of the meetings but'due to circumstances beyond my control, working comes first. Just a temporary fill in. But I did want to sit down this morning and just discuss with you some of the ideas and thoughts that we've had regarding this most respected commission we have in our city. What I really am sort of thinking and I'd like to discuss just a little more about the participation by the seniors of this community. What I basically, and I know you had this because I read it in your minutes before. I would like to just explore probably a little bit more and sort of address som. of the issues where I think it could be a benefit for the city as well as hopefully for yourselves. To provide some time within the city to assist in many different things. Not just helping form paperwork or running a copying,.machine or if you have the expertise in typing with the Minutes and so on. This is something we feel could be a great benefit as far as the City's concerned. There's different areas that we have that each and every individual could be trained to do something and you can set up your own timeframe. To a point where you can find out what the basic . needs are by the city adminstratively. And hopefully sort of participate with some of these things.' Providing your time is valuable to us and hopefully it would give you another way of getting out and seeing people within the city. Some of these things that I look at I think are a real need for the city. Not too many cities have implemented senior commissions into City Hall and probably, a lot of administrators would probably shudder a litt'le bit because it's going to 'give them something that they're just not aware of what can be done but I know there is that expertise that's out there and we welcome that kind of assist within the city. There are other parts of that too that I would like to see explored and probably involving some more of the men into our~senior area from a standpoint of, well I'm here. e Bragg: But you aren't really an officia! senior are you? MayorChmiel= I'm getting there. But what I'd like to do is see some of the men participating within the community as well. As you, know over the Senior Commission Meeting August 16. 1991 - Page 2 It e years we.ve had some problems with areas where the kids are during the summer. People who don't think right and cause problems for children. having exposure of police protection within the city, what I.d like to see is some of our senior men being outfitted in a uniform per se within the city. Driving a city vehicle that has a radio and just by being seen would be a deterrent for those individuals who come into our community. -The participation would not be as such that it would be their responsibility to acquire or get that suspect or who's ever causing those problems but to be able to use the radio and call for the back up which would be the police. Because I don't want too much excitement to be there. Nor do I expect any physical portions for those people to be doing as well. But we have many parks. We're getting to have many, many children. This is a very prolific community. As I keep watching families growing and new families coming in with children and I want to see this community as safe as it possibly can for not only the residents but for whoever else. Along with that particular line just by seeing those vehicles moving around through town is also a deterrent for some of our people who like to drive excessive speeds. r mean 10 mph, 15 mph over to me is excessive. Possibly just by seeing more movement within the community would be a deterrent from that aspect as well. And I know that we have many people in the community, many men that are in the community that could assist in doing this. The only thing is we have to get that question out to the people to get them to participate the same as we're talking about the assist within City Hall. There are so many other things that basically could be dorie and what I'd like to get probably from you just this morning, some idea as to seeing possibly where you feel some of your needs could be. I.m also looking at different things that.we have. I know you're very good at doing all kinds and sorts of things. To me you are managers. You've managed families. You've managed the books at home. You've managed the children and as they grew and progressed and probably sometimes like I do, still do that. And so I see that there is certain amount of expertise that you have. I.d just like to throw that open. I have a few more things I'd like to talk about but I'd just like to throw that open for a little discussion to see where you think we could use our people of the community to either assisting other people or doing whatever we can. So I'll just throw that open. - Bragg: I'd just like to add to what yo~'re saying. I think when people retire they lose so much if they don't find something immediately<toput their energies into. If you have executives, and there are some out there, they like to use a little of that. They. don't like to be pinned down too much more than maybe say a day or something but when you do assign some of these jobs you have to be careful that you have a job descr iptionof .... it. Sort of a,we're not hiring someboaybut if you 're going to be given this responsibility you like to have. the decency of saying, this is what I do and I don't do this and when I do this I'm responsible to somebody. Sort of like a supervisor. Then they are more likely to be on time and put In their time and be responsible for the job. Then at the end when they each year. if they don.t get money for it. They at least get somerecogriitioD. I think those are three things you have to have when you want to have a volunteer program. First of all the job description. Second of all someone to be responsible toandthira, the reward in terms of some recognition. Mayor Chmiel: Sure. And I fully agree with that aspect. -- Senior Commission Meeting August 16, 1991 - Page 3 Bragg: I think there are people herein this group that have done a lotef velunteering and so. I think they mayor may net agree with me but I think if we want to. suppert a pregramli.ke this, and I persenally weuldlikete. But then like I say, I had an episede with illness. Yeu knew I had to. miss an awful let ef days. Mayer Chmiel: Tha~'s understandable. 8ragg: And that is semething that gees with having a senier and a volunteer. At sometimes they have to letyeu dewn. Mayer Chmiel: Right. Butseme times there are mere peeple erseme peeple whe>want to. participate mere and seTlle that den't want to. participate as much but to. have a back-up persenferthatpeisen would also. be the kind ef thing we 'd have to. leek at tee. Biagg: Weuld semebedy else want to. comment? Heinlein: I'm afraid to. open my meuth. Bragg: Yeu had a bad experience but I den't think yeu'll find that here. Heinlein: No., net yet. e Mayer Chmiel: Hepefully we den't because there's so. much, as I say, .se much energies that are still eut there. Heinlein: Net having a man areund I den't knew. I mean it wo.uld be nice to. have semebedy to. call en if yeu needed help in any manner and kne'w that they were trustworthy. By having so.mething like that yo.u weuld knew that you could call en them if yeu didn't have the police anywhere near. Of ceurse they're pretty geed abeut shewing up when yeu de call them. St. John: In these places where you need the help, weuld a velunteerbe able to see a list er so.mething and then say this is samething I would be interested in deing? Yau know some thIngs that I have dane weuld nat been that list and then I wo.uld be so. fareign to. that that it wauld be maieaf a disaster far me to. step in and try and do. something. Something I knew abeut. Mayer Chmiel: Yeah. That's prebablytrue but even as we arepragressing in years we still accept challenges. And it issert ef fun to. sometimes, I 'used to. be a persan who. went straight ahead. Did my jab. Didn't pay much attentiente ether things but I naVe fertunately I guess as I have put a few mere years en. -- Bragg: Matured. Mayer Chmiel: That's it. I find that I like challenges. It's fun to. accept a challenge and it's fun to. cemplete that challenge. I think that using the werd fun. Fun is semething that you knew, have a let af fun. Kick up yeur heels. Whatever. But there's different satisfactiens that. we can still-put into. that categery and by keeping eurselves eccupied and deing these kinds of things. But no., I agree. There prebably has to. be e Senior Commission Meeting August 16, 199~-- Page 4 some descriptions as to what the basic needs are. Kubitz: In this Whitney Whisker that I have or sent a copy of and saw that all the commission got copies of, they have a list here of retired senior volunteer programs and what the jobs are. Now we could do something like that. Bragg: I think we could generate some ideas like that. We're women of course but we have husbands and so on and we can think of. some jobs that men like to do. That would be a very good project for our commission. Mayor Chmiel: There's been several things that I had looked at as well. Some of my thunder was stolen here a few weeks ago. Adopt a park. Things of that nature by our fair Governor. That was another thing I was thinking about. Maybe sometimes that people had time they'd like to do that in going out within our city even and just going out for their normal walk that they should be out doing, and I should talk. I do a lot of what .I'm doing right now best. Sitting. But those are some of the things that can be expanded upon. Things that you could come up with some ideas and different concepts that we could put into the city. But I think as we go and grow with the City of Chanhassem, I would like to see that kind of participation if it's possible. If it's not, well then we won't do it. But to me there's many more pluses than there are negatives within it. e Heinlein: I'm sure there's a lot of retired gentlemen in this town. walk around I see a lot of them working in the yard. Howard: I should think the first thing to do would be to comprise of list of our needs and see that that is published and seniors are made aware of it. As I Bragg: And we have recreational needs but we have other needs too. Heinlein: Well if we made a list of all o~ them. Mayor Chmiel: And 1 think as far assti'll assisting within City Hall, that can be started at any given time . As far as summer .. is just about OVer and the beaches will be closed but I'm really thinking of having a strong kick off with ~his for sometime this com[ng year. You just can't jump into it. W~have to know as everyone has said here and the suggeitions are ~ll excellent suggestions and that's what we should try to do. But okay. Maybe Sharmin will draw up the information that was discussed and pull that together. Basically what those needs are and then come up with some descriptions as to what that responsibility is. Bragg: I'd like to see that as part of the agenda for next month and we can work on that a little more. Does that meet with everyone's approval. Okay, Mayor would you like to add anything more? ~ Mayor Chmiel: Just a tad. Bragg: Okay, good. e Senior Commission Meeting August 16, 1991 ~ Page 5 e Mayor Chmiel: The other Saturday that I was down here for my open meetings that I'm holding for any citizens wanting to come in to discuss a'ny of their basic concerns on Saturdays and I do that from 8:00 to 12:00. First Saturday of the month just to make sure. I was sitting down here and the first meeting we had three people come in. The second meeting I had one person come in. And I thought maybe that's pretty good. Maybe everybody's sort of happy with what's happening. Or they still don't want to come in and talk about it but r wish they really would. But anyway, sitting in here and reading my packet as well, r decided I needed to get up and walk around so I started meandering through the halls and came upon our little area. Not little area but our area in the back which is used as a store room. r thought here's a store room that's vacant. We're keeping things in there that we could be utilizing that space and what I thought could be done is to look at it for the senior segment. A place to come to. A room. Days that you have functions can be used for seniors. Evenings or late afternoons or whatever could be used for the city as well for additional spaces. Meetings are always a problem in this community. Trying to find a meeting room to go to. So with that I went upstairs that following Monday and talked to staff and said, we've got some valuable space here that's just .sitting. Let's put it to use and come up with some ideas. Not knowing how many dollars it's going to cost and it might make me shudder. Paul was sort of telling me about where it's coming from and where it might gO and r did shudder a tad. But I think there is that need for card playing. You know whatever. Heinlein: I'm going to say one thing and that's all I'm going to say about it. The subject was brought up at our meeting yesterday and one person really took me to task for it. They said well they threw us out of the City Hall once, and I said when? 8eing a newcomer I think they think I'm pushing. Anyway, I said you're talking about the old Town Hall? She said yes. We were happy there.' I said well what's in there? I said I've been there. I know what it looks like. I said it wouldn't fill the bill. Well they'll put us down there and then they'll dump us out again. I said that will be your permanent place until the real senior center gets built. I said now is that clear. Well what are they doing this for? what do they give the money.to South Shore for? Mayor Chmiel: Well that's right. There is theneecl. The reason they gi~e the dollars to South Shore is the basic participation there. Heinlein: ~Well she quoted a big figure and I said no ma'am. I said it is not that and I told her precisely and she looked at me and didn't believe me. I said what do yoU think I'm sitting on the Commission for. I said I'm to bring back this information to you people. Well, I walked away. Her temper was getting the best of me. Mayor Chmiel: Yeah, and it probably gets to that point but those are the kinds of things this, is really for. To keep people informed. Let them know where we're coming from~ Let them know where we're going. e Heinlein: I put my name up for President. Heaven help me if! with it but anyway, we thought I could be aliason between them group here. That was the way we looked at it. So we shall see happens in2 weeks. -- Senior Commission Meeting August 16, 1991 - Page 6 e Mayor Chmiel: That's right. But anyway, they're going to go into this a little farther on in discussion. I plan on sitting here. Hopefully it doesn't go too long. I have a doctor's appointment too this morning. My every 2 year physical which he's. telling me I should be there every year. That's beside the point. The other thing that I wanted to also just address as 't've had a bunch of younger, energetic men in this community. A bunch. Six. I should clarify. Who came to me 2 weeks ago and said you know, we have time on our hands and we'd be willing to help with some of the seniors in our community. And their point was giving back again to community for some of those people who can't do the painting or some of things that needs are there. Maybe the dollars aren't. They would be willing to provide their labor free. What I wanted to see done was to throw this 'open to you. I've talked to Paul about this and it just so happens that I read in the Villager last night. Talking about people always stealing my thunder. Plymouth and Norwest Bank had come in here to paint a home for one of our senior citizens which is neat. I think that's great. But I also feel that a lot of this should be done right within the community and it's neat to see that corporations do this. The corporation I work for do the same thing in Minneapolis. Go out and paint maybe a dozen houses in a year. But of course these people are willing to provide the time and the energies. The products to be put on the homes or something being taken care of or something within the yard where you don't have the time or the way of accomplishing maybe a broken tree or whatever might happen. These six, and I'm looking to try to expand that. I'd like to also see that expanded. There may be more people out in the community who would like to do this. But they came to me with it and said we'd like . to do this and I thought tha.t was really neat. Bra9g: That's one of the things as a group we're trying to work out a list of resources. My experience was that I injured myself on top of having been sick right before that and I needed some household help and I did call Carver County. Was going to utilize this resource and they sent out a person. They evaluated me and ! took them all through the house and r showed them where I would .need help and I said I am improving so it's temporary. I just need it for a 1ittlewhile. And as the days went by the weeks went by, they never found this person until I had just about given up and I thought I'm going to do this myself. There's no reason why I can't. Sorne things I couldn't do aJld then they came up with somebody. She came once and then she decided she wasn't going to offer to do that anymore. I thought well maybe I gave her more ,than she should have done but she said no. See I talked with her. Butt just assumed it was probably the wages she got and that was set bythatcommission~ So Ithi~k tnatwe really need to work on that because even those things they say they have. That they have that service, they. really don 't because they aren't paying enough and so there's some things we need,we have objectives I think that we could write on and submit that to Carver County. But to have it in our own community, here in Chanhassen would be wonderfuL e Mayor Chmiel: Those are some of the things that I think really this community. Bragg~ They're realistic. e Senior Commission Meeting August 16, 1991 ~ Page' Mayor Chmiel: Yeah. Chanhassen is really much different from what I'~. ever seen in other locatIons. It's sort of neat to see people wanting to provide those kinds of things. I knew that there aredmorepeeple that are out there and all we have to. do is just accomplish that list and these callsthatcari come in to. provide their time fer this. And these are people that~'ork their normal jobs but they're willing to do this ma}lbein the evening or on weekends. 6n a Saturday or whatever. I don't think they can be rebuilding homes but they can sure take care of some of the needs that semetimefrustrates us not being able to accomplish them. Mayor Chmiel: Yep,and I was geing to say watt but I theught. My hearins's okay. But anyway, that's just about what I had In mind~and wanted to discuss a little bit and I'll let it go. frem there. Bragg: Even putting in a light bulb is semething you can't do. Bragg: Well Mayer Chmiel, we're very, very happy yeu came and expressed yourself in these ways. There are things that we would like to do and there are things that we can do just beyond eur needs for recreatiorial space and all of that so thank yeu very much. We will proceed on this and we want to do this. It's good to have your support. Thank you very much. PRESENTATION BY MS. Mayor Chmiel: Thank you. e Julie Bentz: Thank you for having me here today. I'm with Senior Resources. Actually that's the agency that I work for and I 'mworking on a specialpreject. Our pregram called the Senior Answer Line and the Senier Answer Line network is, just to give yeu a quick overview of what we're doing wi ththe pregram and how 1 got involved wi th coming to. this meeting today is Federally funded program that isbeingerganized through Senier Resources which is a nen-prefit9i9anization serving Hennepin Ceunty and actually some ef thesurroundingceuntiesand cur mission with the prcgram is to increase the information referral network capability in Hennepin County, and if Scott, Carver and Anoka counties are interested in werking wi ththis whole netwer k , helping to. buildthei i . capacity fcr older adults. In lay people's terms I guess ycu'd say what we're trying to do is help people link up with resources. Older adults withreseurces in their communities so they're having to go through 14 or 15 different stops. Yeu've been getting a lot i nthe mail. So. they den't have to. make a whole lot of different calls or make a whole lot of different contacts trying to get the services that they need . Befere I actually star.ted with the pregram,a whole bunch of service providers and consumers and funders got together to. loek at what semeef the biggest. issues er preblems ercencerns related to older adults was in Hennepin County. . One of the top priorities right up there with transpertat.ion and caregiver support and all that,was that people were saying they were just having so much trouble knowing where the resources were in their communit.y. And largely the reason for that is that a lot of times none of us expect to need some kinds of services. We don't anticipate needing somehomemairitenance services. We don't expect. that we're going to be the one that's goins to fall and hurt our hip or that OUT spouse isgeingte g~tsick and not be able to mow the lawn or whatever. And so when you might get information about it, yeu might see e Senier Cemmissien Meeting August 16, 1991 ..;.. Page 8 e infermatien about it erhear about different things but unfortunately it's just human nature. Yeu can'tabserbeverything thatcemesat you so we discard a let oTthat stuff until beom. We're hit in the face with semething and unfertunately a let of peepleendup being sert efat the end ef their tether by the time they're able to. start making seme ef the calls leekingfer resources. And sometimes they might have to. wait fer a leng time for the services. Sometimes they might call their library in their neighborheed er their church. You know all serts of different places trying to. find out where the right resources are and finally give up. Thus affecting their quality of life and maybe their health and their ability to. live independently. So this was a big concern for people in the County and actually the whele metre area. So. the pregram was a group efpeeplegot together to leok at this. A task ferce and what they came up with was a preject, a programthattheyweuld seek funding fer that had two majer components to it. One is previding an infermation ~nd referral telephone Tletworkwhere people can call and get information about services in their community. And it's not just the hi. Here'. the number. Geod-bye.But at these sites people would be based in local cemmunities. Have a geod ' feel for the whole system in one area of the County or whatever and would be able to. say, would you like me to call the agency for yeu and make sure that this is. appropriate for you. That you qualify for that. Orwould'you like me to call yeu back ina week and make sure that you got linked up with Social Security or make sure, de some followthreugh with peeple and make sure that they get what they needed., The ether majer cempenentef the program, just going back to the first part a little bit. 1'11 give you some drafts ef the flyer that we're sending areund. Help yourself. The number that you have there Is for a number that serves the entire County. Eventually what we'll be doing with the Senior Answer Line is setting up information referralsi tes in five areas of Hennepi nCounty. South Hi~neapolis, Nerth Hinneapelis,thenerthwest suburban area, the west subu.rban,area and the south suburban area: And again, as I said, if Scott, Carver and Anoke Ceunties areepente it, we'll see if there's seme expansien we de in those areas . And then the ceunty wide number is for the areas that weare not yet serving withlecal sites at lecalagencies. Because the pregramis based, each ef the ,local sites.. are. based in local agencies like senior centers or city halls or whatever .' By the end of September we'll have a site fer seuth Hennepin. Wealre,ady have one fer South Hinneapolisand the no.rthwestsuburbanarea. Al1dho.pefully by the end of the year we'll have one for the west suburban area and for North Minneapolis. So that's thetelephene part efit. The part that rthink was mere the reason why I was invited to come to. this meeting today wastne other major component efo.ur program and that is to assist with community planning on how we can make that system stronger in communities. We don't look at the Senier Answer Line ,these sIx numbers that are available as the be all and end all to getting people linked up with services because people are always going to want to call their churches. Tnereare alWaYS)901ng to be people that want to call their local service providers and we want local people to have that knowledgeo.fthe, service. We want to make them aware to look at those services and to befamiliar.with those services so people aren't getting to a crisis pointhy the time they're actually gettin9the services that they need . We want to ,we're doi ng a lot right now .with training. Training volunteers who. are taking calls at different organizations. . Staff people. We're doing a lot with, we've done some stuff with churches because churches are such a vital part efpeople's e, -- Senior Commission Meeting August 16, 1991 ~ Page 9 lives and they don't see themselves as formal information and referral' providers and they're kind of'getting into that nitch because a lot of .people do come to them about whether it's their parent or spouse or themselves, if they need services. So we're doing a lot of work with some of the churches. We're also trying to work with local community groups such as yours. I've done quite a bit in some of the other areas of the County and we've done some discussions and some special projects at looking at how we can modify a system in the local community because your ,community doesn't have the same needs as North Minneapolis does. And North Minneapolis doesn't have the same needs as South Minneapolis or the northwest suburban area or the Hassen-Hanover area. Each area has it's own specific personality and their own specific needs. And what I heard from Barbara and Sharmin was that you're looking at developing some sort of a directory. Some way that you can get some focus and have something that's handy for people so they can understand in a very comprehensive way that these are the services that are available to them. So what I'm here to tell you today basically is that we do have a program that is here in your community to assist and support programs like this. I'm excited to hear that there are people in a community that self propelled,are seeing a need for this because a lot of times, as r said, people don't see the need until it's too late. And I'm excited to hear that people have been discussing this and seeing that they need to work on this. The service system has gotten very big in the last 10 years and that's sort of a plus and minus. ... There's a lot more available to help people now but it's also a lot more ., complicated and it's sort of gotten to be too big for itself in some ways. And so it's great to see people working on ways to tighten that up a little bit. Some of the things that I wanted to let you know is that with our program we're looking in collaboration with First Call for Help, if you're familiar with them. They have a computerized resource file of the services in the Metro area and one of the things we had talked about. Sharmin and I were talking yesterday on the phone and we were talking a little bit about how we could work with First Call for Help maybe to help pullout some of the resources that serve your area. If you wanted us to help with any of that part of it. I'm not in any community, including yours to take over any project or to direct something like that but if you do want some support from a program that's specifically designed to be working on information and referral and building community resources, I wanted to just let you know I'd be happy to do what r can to help and support you. First call for help, for those of you who might not be familiar with it, it's based out of the United Way building in downtown Minneapolis and they have this computerized resource file. A lot of people see it as being an emergency line and that's partly their fault because, or they see it as being partly their fault because in the way it's been marketed and the way the name sounds kind of like an urgent sort of thing but a lot of the information that they have in there is recreation type information and all sorts of broad services. In our senior answer line sites, each of these . local network sites, we have the information in the computer that just relates to older adults and that is, and it's just the non-profit .. organizations and that's over 600 right there. So that just is quite an .. indication of how big the whole system is. But yeah, First Call for Help realizes that more people see them as being an emergency line. And they also realize that when their downtown and they get a call from someone in Eden Prairie, if somebody's saying well just hop on the bus and go down to, they have to, it makes more sense to have something a little bit more e Senior Commission Meeting August 16, 1991 ~ Page 10 localized so it's somebody that realizes that in transportation in Eden Prairie isn't the same as transportation downtown Minneapolis. Yo~ know you don'.t just hopon.a bus at every corner and go somewhere. But weare using them and a real benefit to their program is that they update the information on each program every 6. months so every 2 months at each. of our sites, we're getting updated information about each of the different programs and we're also adding to that program that they have. Bragg: I just want to say the reason this gray sheet is going around is that about a year ago JoAnn Kvern who is sitting out here. Just came a while ago, sent Barbara and myself to go to that meeting at Senior Resources and we didn't get back but we got on the mailing list. And it has been very helpful. Julie has done a lot of work on this computerized line and so we're very, very pleased that she herself could come. Julie Bentz: On, thank you. Bragg: Are there any questions you want to ask of Julie? Krauss: Just a technical one. 8eing mostly in Carver County, we're still eligible to do that? Okay. I think Sharmin and I probably would like to get you on the phone and figure out ways we can get something up and running pretty quickly and how that works. It Julie 8entz: Sure. I'd be happy to get together. ,As I said, each community has their own deal and for the Answer Line sites per se; we have a whole community planning process of selecting a site that would be the most appropriate for being the Answer Line for that particular area but I'd be happy to talk with you about that. Bragg: We're just new. Reach out to us too. Anybody questions? If not, keep us on that mailing list. e Julie Bentz: Yes I wil1 and we're going to be sending versions of this flyer in the very near future. Actually within t.he next couple of weeks and you'll probably be seeing, it was in the Star and Tribune a little while ago. The beginning of July when ~e first started and we're going to be starting to promote that a little bit more and with the public service announcements for the Answer Line part of it but don't ever hesitate to give me a call if there's something with the planning because we've done a lot of creative things in each of the communities. And I say it's creative because each of the communities has really tailored ""hat they need to their own community. I don't see myself as being a . driving force of actually making something happen. It really does need to come from local communities because you all know what you need in your community far more than 1 do. But I am more than happy, that's part of my goal and part of my mission and why I'm here so put me to work if there's anything I can do. I'll leave also, sometimes people aren't familiar with Senior Resources as an ,agency and so I thought I'd bring these if you want to take a look at them so you know who I'm representing as an agency. Okay? Bragg: Well thank you very much. We appreciate your coming. It, Senicr Commission Meeting August 16,1991 - Page 11 A. PRESENTATION.BY .:rACK ANDERSON.ARCHITECT. s;. PRESENTATION BY BEN WITHHART AN030ANN KVERN (SENIOR SERVICES). Krauss: At our last meeting we talked about in very preliminary terms about the possibility of using the sp'ace back here for senior programmi ng. I think we tried to emphasize to you that if we managed to bring this off, it's probably not big enough to be the ultimate space that you're. looking for in the city. That it's a long term process. That there are a lot of groups that ,have to pull together to make this kind of a thing happen. That it has to be a financially responsible type of program. Ultimately we have to convince the City Council and possibly the HRA that it's worthwhile supporting. We also have to work with the Chanhassen Senior Club as well and along that line r got a call from Marion Stoltz. r wrote the letter that you saw and Marion seems very excited about working with the Senior Commission on the Senior Club's use of this space. I guess a lot of . questions remain unanswered and they're going to remain unanswered for a long time as to who does what and how is it organized and all that but Mar ion is interested in havi ng some of us come to t.hei r next meeti n9 and update them on what's happening which r thought was kind of interesting because they've never invited us before. I know it's often viewed as an imposition to take some of their time for this sort of stuff but Marion seems very excited about it. Heinlein: And she is. me. yes'terday. She was very helpful in . - Krauss: Well what we've done since the last meeting is I've had some discussions with the City Manager on possible financing strategies. The Mayor and I have talked about it some. We did bring in Jack Anderson who is here. today who is the architect who worked on City Hall expansion to see is this really reality. Is this possible to do? What kind of space do we. wind up with? What sort of provisions do we think we need in there and then to sketch up some ideas to bring to you and get some feedback. They're very preliminary. They're far from being complete but we wanted to get the ball rolling. We also met with JoAnn Kvern and Ben Withhart from Senior Community Services. The reason we met with them is while, as I interpret your desires, there's a need to get a space for Chanhassen Senior~ to play their cards in but there's also a need for a space to do much more. r realized that as the City Planner here, it got much more beyond what I . how to provide. We want to depend on people who have the professional expertise to do that. Now Ben and JoAnn of course operate South Shore Senior Center and other senior centers as well and the thinking that we had is we wanted to brooch the idea to them. Is it possible that we could get some parttime assistance initially in programing out of here so we can offer more. Clearly it's not a full scale senior center but we'd like to get the ball rolling and offer a wider range of things for seniors. If we have the space, we want to use it. I've also talked to Todd and Jerry from our Recreation Department and I think you've met them both before. They're very interested in working in expanding their area to working with senior programming as L-Jell and r know Todd's done some calling to other of his fellow 'recreation directors to see what they are doing in terms of senior e Senior Commission Meeting August 16, 1991 - Page 12 programming and I've asked him to come today so he can be involved in this and will be involved in this on an ongoing basis. With that I'll get out of the way. I'd like to reverse the program a little bit and have Jack Anderson give an overview first of all of the space and what kinds of things we're looking at. I know the Mayor's got to leave early and I'd like him to take a look at that as well if we can and then we'll have JoAnn describe some of the programming things and Todd, if you're going to throw in at that point. Jack? Jack Anderson: Sure. Thank you. What Paul is passing out is actually the scheme A and 8: What! have to present to you today is actually first all I'd like to go over the existing site out here and the existing building. Then we'll move into sohemes A and 8 and as Paul mentioned they're very preliminary. They're just kind of a first rUll. The space got it's limitations from a size standpoint and also some design . considerations from the way we originally designed this addition that I'll review with you. And then finally I'd like to go over a prelim,inary cost estimate that we have pulled together regarding these schemes. And if you have questions along the way, feel 'free to interject. Mayor Chmiel: Just tell us what the square footage is within particular area? It Jack Anderson: On the second board I've got that. I'll get to that in a second. This first of all is the existing site and the City Hall, the original building right through here and then the courtyard addition and the public safety wing right there. The total square footage of the building is 19,375 square feet. Over in this footprint here we have about 29,035 total on each of these in these footprints. The access to the area that we're considering. This is the lower level access right here. There's an existing door here so it comes off the sidewalk and through here into that area. Parking, we're on Coulter Drive here as far as street access. We have lower level parking over here and an existing upper level parking right here and then upper level parking on this side of the building. And there's potential for on street parking along Coulter here~ Total parking is 80 and that presents a little bit of a problem. As we. finish out the space I'm going to be meeting with staff about some of the options there. We're a little bit light on actual spaces for what the total finished out areas would all require throughout the entire buiiding. The dotted area here is, in the future the City Hall is designed for a ' mirror of this side so what you're seeing here in this dotted area is the mirror of the other side. This would be the last addition to the City Hall. Any questions on that? Okay. I'll move on to the existing site or existing floorplan. The council chambers which we're in right now is back over here. The library is this area. This is the original library area right there and then this is the expansion area. Total area of the library is 3,077 square feet and of course the access is back here. The space that we're looking at is on this side in which I've dark. The sort of area from right here, the block of area just along in this area that I've just outlined is approximately 1,500 square feet and of course there's additional area through corridors in here and then there's the stair area here of about 128 square feet. We do have the stair that comes down from Public Safety up above and mechanical is here. In the mechanical room there is space for a room for a future furnace to heat this area up here. . e Senior Commission Meeting August 16,1991 - Page 13 e And then there's electrical and telephone up here and then this is city and library storage in that area. This access or exit from the library is required by Code. This is a required exit. They have an exit out here an .exit t.hrough here. Emergency exit. We did plan for, the original concepts here when the thing.was put together was that there'd be a ring of offices around here, back through here and then a couple restrooms right in here. Just like the ones right up above and a corridor would come through there. That was the original concept. This stair provided access then if Publ ic Safety would grow top to bottom. .So that gives you kind of some of the, and then of course this. shows if it begins to, as the addition begins to reflect that side. Future additions would come on and have this canopy and this would be anentryway. Okay. Then I'll move on to the schemes here which you have before you. The space is rather limiting in the sense .of size. We've got some existing conditions through the corridor through the mechanical/electrical storage through there so we've got kind of a long narrow space is what it amounts to and we tried to keep it as efficient and functional for what we felt you could get the best use out of it. In Scheme A we added a, we pulled out a vestibule which would mirror the other side of City Hall and also create a canopy to give you a nice identity in your entrance. So the vestibule, you'd come in and of course you have coats in that area. You come into a reception area here. Small office and a restroom. What we've done here is we pulled the stair out. We don't need the stair from a coat standpoint for the people upstairs. It's really more of a convenience thing. aut by pulling the stair out, we still need to get a second means of egress out of your space. Out of this space and that would be through here. You can't use this because it's going the wrong way. The doors are swinging the wrong way. In exiting they have to swing the direction of the travel of exit. So that's hence what this is. Office, reception, rest rooms and then the open area here. What you can see in the other scheme here is we're theorizing of approximately 45 to 50 people would be able to set up and use that space comfortably. Kitchen area would be right off of that in this scheme. And in this activity area, it's approximately 13 x 15. Of course you've got plenty of light through here. There's a lot of windows so it would be a light, airy, open space. With the city doing the landscaping out front, you'd actually have 'a very nice view out of there. Any questions on this scheme? On scheme A. Bragg: 1 was going ,to ask about the open area that you had visioned for talks and crafts or even for eating. For being able to dining. Congregate dining. Jack Anderson: The kitchen would be more of a limited kitchen. It wouldn't be like a commercial kitchen so you could use it for dining in the sense of a catered type thing. For that type of use. If we get into a commercial kitchen we run into a whole raft of other code issues. The cost l.<Jill really start escalating. Keep it at a minimum I think for right now. - Howard: I have a question for Paul. If in the future the senior center expands into the library, then does this part also remain senior center? Krauss: Well actually, there's a lot of different scen,arios for what might happen in the future. We don't know if, let's assume the best of all Senior Commission Meeting August 16, 1991 - Page 14 e," possible worlds in 5 or 6 years we have a free standing or full service senior center. Okay? It can be in lots of different places. It can either be, and Jack's looked at it preliminarily. It can either be an expansion of the library space if we. move, there's talk about the library moving down to the Pauly/Pony/Pryzmus block. It can be a free standing structure someplace . I.don"t think thatanybody's prepared to accept in concept to make any commitments on what's 90ing to happen in the future. Howard: MY only thought was if.eventually we would have the front part and something else, the back could revert back to City Hall? Krauss: No, if that was. the case, you"d need all the room. Howard: Oh. I was only going to suggest that an activity room and kitchen. e Heinlein: What happens if we'd have to .share? Krauss: Let me offer you a little overview too of how we came up with kind of the space breakdown that we came up with thus far. Of. course we're here and we'll go to the $enibr Club too to get more comments on that but we knew that the Senior Club had about 50 people. Is that about right and we wanted to make sure that there was enough space for tables so they could do their activity. We also had a meeting with JoAnn Kvern and Ben Withhart and we said, what do you: need to make these things functional? out of that we sort of figured we needed, well ideally we needed a vestibule area so 'if there was an airlock and! cold air wasn"t coming in. We needed some sort of an office area where who's ever was doing the programming or who's ever watching over the room or whatever, can work out of. We have like a senior contact person in the city. We have a volunteer working and that's where they'd work out of. Lots of variety of things. We also thought that we needed another space where we could break up into smaller groups. We're looking to design the most ft.exibt.e space possible because honestly there may well be times in the evenings, we don't have enough meeting rooms in the city. We may have a neighborhood group that wants to use a meeting space and if it's open, maybe that's a good place for it to go. Bragg: How many times a week would the card club be in there using it? Heinlein: Well that was one of the questions yesterday and I said well , it all depends upon what we come up with. I.said there are people who would like to come in more times during the week than just on Thursday to play cards. There's some that would like to do possibly craft work or. something else or jus.t come in and socialize with people .their age you know. There's a lot of them around. St. John: Well there would be a schedule so they would know what was going on. . .Krauss: And that's one of the reasons we asked Todd and Jerry to be here because they do all the scheduling for all the recreational facilities so they have some of the expertise in juggling spaces as much as possible. And JoAnn and Ben as well because they have some idea about what other kinds of programming can be offered. 1 mean it may be that the tables will e Senior August be rolled up and there will be a low impact aerobics class or there may be somebody coming in from the bank to. talk about financial planning. I mean there's lot of different uses to put this to and that's a big part of this program. They don't just need the space. We need the concept to be flushed out. Heinlein: Of. course trying to getting. That was my idea from the start. That we have something else. I think the fact that I'm from someplace else they think I'm push something that I don't know. That's the feeling Krauss: I don't want to step on toes with the Senior Club and 1 want to have the opportunity to go talk to them. At this point I don't know if the Chanhassen Senior Club, the Chanhassen Senior Club is certainly going to have a space in whatever room is done. If they want it, we want it to meet their needs on it. I want to go talk to them about it. On the other hand, you're looking at getting tlJe kernel rolling here for a senior center and I'm not sure that Chanhassen Senior .Club is the senior center management group or just one of the more important groups that we make space for and we provide time for. . e Heinlein: ...for years to corne when you will have a center. I said .right now we take what we can get. That's my feeling. Just so long as we have the space to do it in and do what we can do. I can't see them expecting a whole lot. This big gripe about the money that goes to South Shore. They don't understand it. I don't know why they don't. You can explain your head off and they do not take it. It's amazing. If you get in there and talk to them, yeah. Krauss: Well, I've got to tell you. If I get invited to their meeting next month I'm going to bring a couple of you with me. Merman: What we're really mostly interested in over there is to have a place now more or less because not to wait for years in advance because we're all getting older over there. We'd like to enjoy a little bit more freedom from having to give up the area that we do have because the school always needs that particular area for some .recreation that we cannot meet. We are not allowed to use that kitchen, only during the summer vacation and stuff like that. That's really what they're interested. And they particularly are interested in nothing but cards at the present time. I'm sure if we can get more people in over there, I'm sure that there will be people in that .will be more capable of going into your crafts and all or that sort of thing~ We used to do that over there. And as Emma can say, I've been over there oh 10-15 years myself in the center and I have been on the Board and one o.f the officers for a good many years and that's really what they would like. Nothing in the future. They would like someplace notoJ because it is noisey over there. The acoustics is bad and when the children are being let out of school and so on and so forth, it does get pretty noisey. Merman: Well that's what we that they talk about it, not you know. It seems like every time mean whenever they get any flack - Kubitz: Well that's exactly what we're working on. e Senior Commission Meeting August 16,.1991 - Page 16 back from, not just Selda. I mean and Emma. Or just myself, they all get up kind of in arms about it because they think all they do is talk. They don't do nothing. That's why I am active over in South Shore is because I want to do something else besides just playing cards. I want to be able to volunteer more. JoAnn Kvern: Merman single handedly started the 500 card group at South Shore that is composed of many people from the Chanhassen area. She started with two tables and she's built it up to nine. Single haTldedlybut she cannot get those people ,those people. They are very interested in cards. e" Jack Anderson: Maybe I can finish out my Scheme B. hit on was that this space here does offer potential for future expansion. It's highly unlikely, this is kind of brainstorming here but it's highly unlikely that the library would want to expand further this way. The library space tends to want to be square and so forth. It's a long narrow space...so this space could potentially open up to be entirely used by the seniors. That will actually access both sides... And to answer your question, I guess that's something as far as which space for future growth, since these things were so in an early stage, that is a good question as to maybe this should be reversed with that. That is certainly possibility to reverse the kitchen and activity room because of the nature of the kitchen being a little more permanent. . Therefore it would be lined up closer to the center as you expand that way. That's a thought that's certainly a possibility. We haven't looked at what kind of plan this would culminate in but it's a good question. Mayor Chmiel: We presently have where you have the kitchen now, we presently have water pipes available in that" location? Jack Anderson: This, of course therestrooms were actually planned right here. Right at this box. There is plumbing along this wall here. Plumbing and all what you've seen over there. As we take out these .stairs, it does involve some cost to get the plumbing back into there and it will involve some cost to get the plumbing back over here. We have some saw cutting on the floor to accomplish it in both schemes. A little less in this scheme but we basically have one sink here So it wouldn't be. St. John: What about putting it to that activity area? Jack Anderson: The kitchen? St. John: Yeah. Jack Anderson: The kitchen would, yeah going over there would still involve but there is not plumbing in that area. Plumbing is basically coming along this wall so we would have some saw cutting in the floor. e 8ragg: You do have room enough for wheelchairs in the bathrooms don't Jack Anderson: Yes. These would be accessible, you know handicap. 8ragg: 8arrier free. Senior Commission Meeting August 16, 1991 - Page 17 e .Jack Anderson: Barrier free, yes. They would behaving to meet the,code. They'd have like one water facet and one lav in each on~ so they'd b~ big enough as you open it up to pull in a wheelchair. On scheme B we fold in, as Paul mentioned, we looked at we needed some sort of airlock here so we made an narrow. We used the existing entry and then make a narrow vestibule right inside of that. Then have coats, small office and reception area and then we have the kitchen. Slightly smaller kitchen here ne~t to the restrooms. The open area is also smaller. Pulling this out is a nice feature to this plan because it does cost money. It's back but it does give you in limited space, more space than the old scenario. The activity room here is about 12 x 13, a smaller space and of course the open are,a is slightly smaller also. . Bragg: Well Rome wasn't built in a day but that looks awfully Howard: What's the difference in money between the two plans? .Jack Anderson: Okay, I'll go over that. e Mayor Chmiel: Getting palpitations~ Krauss: Before .Jack gives dollars, I should say the dollars are quite as I just told the Mayor about it before the meeting. It did make him shudder a little bit~ . Heinlein: Should he leave the room? Krauss: Keep in mind that if this idea is worth pursuing, down and put together a financial feasibility of the thing. We have a couple of sources of funds. You know we do get about $40,000.00 a year of block grant money. We do use $7,000.00 of that as our share of South Shore's operating expenses but we do have an ability to kick in some dollars into that. With the City Manager, we've talked about and this has been brought up I think to the HRA on a preliminary basis but not formally in any way certainly, that there's a possibility of using sbme tax increment money. I think also the Mayor's got some ideas we'd sure want pursue about using, going out. Once a plan is agreed to, trying to get volunteer help in the community. You know we have people like, and I'll just pull a name out of the hat. I don't know if they're willing to do it but you've got companies like Merit Cooling and Heating are in town and maybe they'd volunteer, to do the HVAC or we can use the city crew to excavate out a footing. There's lot of ways to pare that down and .Jack's estimates are preliminary and you've got to take it with a big grain of salt. e .Jack. Anderson: Yeah. The more unknown or the earlier in estimating, .these numbers I'm going to give you, it's a good thing Don has his appointment after the meeting. What I'Ve taken is sort of a total project approach here so it includes construction cost and it includes everything from equipment. The equipment you're going to need for the kitchen. You know you're going to need some equipment for that. Some signage. You're going to need some signage on the exterior and so forth. I included architectural and engineering fees. Included a $10,000.00 furniture allowance and so there are some allowance~ built in here. The total Senior Commission Meeting August 16, 1991 - Page 18 e estimated for Scheme A cost would Heinlein: Can't we get furniture donated? Start pushing. It's too bad we don't have furnIture stores in town. Mayor Chmiel: We have one. Heinlein: Oh yeah. An expensive one you mean. 8ragg: I think it would be interesting to hear from Emma and Jo Ann because the South Shore started out with two school rooms. Two classrooms that were opened up and they saw to it that that was gradually built up and it was a very work.able center but tiny. And they offered all that a good center should have. I think when I came there I know they had these tables. You bought them second hand from a school that didn't need them anymore. And secondhand kitchen equipment wasn't it? St. John: The Minnetonka School. They have an auction,every rid of the things that. . St. john: Yeah. JoAnn and 1 went down to S. Leasens and looked equipment they had and got that. We did get some money from the donated and bought a stainless steel table things we had to have and we were in one room and it was very cozy and we offered some programs and i.t worked out fine. -- Krauss: Again, Jack's just trying to take the best crack then we have numbers to start working with. Also I think higher cost estimate first~ - Jack Anderson: Yeah, the cost for Scheme 8 which would not include of cours~ this outer element here. And this outer element is actually something that of course is really part of the City Hall master plan so it's not like it's goIng to eventually go In there so you know. Then there's some miscellaneous space through here that I think really.should be finished out so I did include some monies for that. One thing too I'd just like to mention is 1 took a middle of the road sort of, you know a little bit of a middle of the road. I didn't take sort of a bare bones approach through here which is something we, depending on budget and availability of monies and so forth, we can certainly take a look at that too. Scheme B would be a cost, estimated cost range of $130,000.00 to $155,000.00. So you can see that .it's roughly $30,000.00 total for that to be added'on there. The areas that we've talked that you can see Some definite savings in as far as some of the things Don as mentioning that you just sort of eluded to with furniture, I would think would be the furniture, equipment. There might be local companies. I know working in Savage on another type of facility where they're.looking at some local companies in Savage to sort of donate at cost some things. You know some equipment for their . facilities. That kind of an approach can sometimes work quite nicely so you can get nice new stuff but you get it at cost. And for things like if there's in the industrial park companies that make microwaves or that kind of thing. you may be able to get some help that way. Another thing is the e City has on some public jobs, as you had public works has had the public. works department do the excavation and so forth. Excavation and backfill and I'm sure that would probably talk them into that kind of thing and I dicln#t figure...there#s some potential for that so there's some waYS to help cut corners. Senior Commission Meeting August 16, 1991 - Page 19 Mayor Chmiel: J Jack, you mentioned the fact that there is also room for an additional furnace there. My understanding, when we put the addition onto the existing building, the HVAC would accommodate all those basic needs right now. What would that additional space be for that furnace. Are you more or less talking with the proposed addition, if and when that time ever comes to balance out from one side to the other or what was the reason for it? e Jack Anderson: Okay, the existing furnace was put in to accommodate the upper level.. The air conditioning and the lower level is accommodated, that's why the empty space. The lower level now,well the lower le~el was to be used with the additional unit. This lower level. We were able to tie off of that and heat the, tie off the one that's in there now andhe~t this expansion area for the library. The library expanded this way.. .. We were able to do that. I've talked to a.mechanical engineer on the project and he did not think that there was enough. It gets into some fine tuning with calculations. I figured it as if we would'have a new condensing unit forafr condition and we'd have a furnace. It maybe under further study we can use what's down there. I kind of doubt it because the space here would be pretty heavily, potentially 50 people in there would be pretty heavily used for a heat standpoint to keep cool. I don't think Don that there would be enough in the existing unit. We did size it enough to heat it from a standpoint of keeping it so it doesn't freeze up in the winter. And there are just a few additional costs like reproduction type costs if itsoes out for bidding. Telephone, security. If a soils report is needed, which I don't think, that would be an extra cost but those should be fairly minor. Anymore questions? Krauss: If that's it with Jack, again this was a preliminary cut. our imaginations to figure out what might be needed there. We did talk to JoAnn and Sen and get their's. If I do go speak to the Senior CI~b neit month, we'll take these copies along and talk to them about it. This is the preliminary cut. I mean again, remember you have to go.back to last month and we said there's a lot of~steps we need to touch base with before we think we have a proposal to carry forward. We believe, at least I'm becoming more convinced that architecturally that~space is useable. I think I'd likeJoAnnina minute to comment upon what kinds ofthinSsmight be programmed into this at the outset. ...Sut now. we've done a couple> things . We've got the ~pace kind of conceptually clapped .out. We have ballpark numbers that the City Manager and Mayor. .and I can sit down with and start seeing how do we make this feasible. We can also start working with other people in the community to put together the groups to get the support to do this. With that I guess maybe it would be a good time to have JoAnn talk about programming and what ~orts of things might be accommodated ina space Ii kethat. . Bragg: Thank you very much. It's encouraging and it's exciting. Commission Meeting 16, 1991- Page 20 e JoAnn Kvern: Thanks for having me. I apologize that Ben Withhart was not able to be here today. Ben Withhart is the Executive Director of Senior Community Services and that's the United Way Agency that I work for. It does sound expensive doesn't it? When I sit there hearing that I think, you know if you're going to commit that kind of expense to a space and you certainly want to have lots of opportunities available for a wide range of people in that space. The longer I work in this field, the more I realize that when we talk about programming for senior citizens, we're really talking about programming for people who are from 60 years old to sometimes 100 years old. And a program that is appropriate for a 60 year old is certainly not appropriate for a person who's 100 years old and vice versa. I think it's wonderful that you are living in a city that seems to be very interested in providing a variety of programs for your retired citizens. When I listened to Julie talk about the information and referral program, that concept of levels of degree of need really hit me because even in an information ~nd referral network, you can have someone like Betty who is very capable of picking up the phone and calling a variety of phone numbers to get the services that she needs~ On the other hand, there may be someone who is not capable of doing that. They can maybe pick up the phone one time and then if they don't get that service, become frustrated and don't know where to turn to and then a whole other program is needed for that person and tbat's called counseling case management. So just having an information and referral line is not going to satisfy the needs of the age range of your citizens. So it's a true combination. When'I think about having staff from the Park and Rec come to this meeting and talk about what they can do, there again you're speaking about levels. It's easy to set up an exercise program. If you can hire the leader and you have money to publicize but one exercise program that's good for a 60 year old will not be good for an 80 year old. These levels have to constantly be thought about when you're programming in a senior program. One of the things that senior community services really stresses, and we certainly stress it within our staff, is that we are not enablers. We do not come in and take a hold of a person's hand and lead them and guide them. Rather we say join hands with us and you help us develop what you need. And so in putting together a program of exercise let's say, at the South Shore Center we use the over 50 and fit exercise program that has as it's leader a person who's 55 or 60. It's very, very important that any program that you develop for your retirees has a strong volunteer component and has the input from those volunteeis as to.what they want. I brought along with me the goals for the South Shore Senior Center and these goals were developed by the Advisory committee at the center and they really do speak to the activities that go on at the center. I was at a meeting in Long Lake the other day and one of our staff just got her masters in geriatrics and she had done a lot of reading on senior centers. Also she did a survey at that center about why do people come to a center. And both in the survey and in her readings the main reason that people were coming to centers was for socialization.. Now you have to remember that a center isn't for every age level and the reason for a center differs according to your age. A 60 or 65 year old who's married and has their childien aiound them does not probably need a lot of socialization. A 90 year old who's lost their spouse and who.'s children have moved out of the area desparately needs socialization. But why would a 65 year old come to a center then or a 70 year old? They would come for the volunteer work. For the sense of self esteem that they've lost, or maybe they've lost in not working any longer e e Senior Commission Meeting August 16, ,1991- Page 21 e because ,that's what our society va'lues. And so they can come then and they can become involved and give back to the community just exactly what the Mayor was talking about. It's a wonderful idea. For you ~s a commission to work on developing volunteer opportunities in this community. Wonderful because there you will utilize the. talents of the newly retired and of the older people who are still able to volunteer and I think Merman spoke about the Senior Club here in Chanhassenand how they no longer can do crafts. Why not? Because they're aging. It would be interesting to know wha:tthe average age is of the people who go to the Senior Club. ! Merman: I think the youngest is about 72. JoAnn Kvern: Okay. And the oldest is? Merman: 95. e JoAnn Kvern: Okay. And so for some people the time never comes where all they want to do is play cards. But for some people that time does come and who are we to say that's not valuable. It's extre~ely valuable. I've always said I wish I love to play cards because when we're working with older people, the happiest older people who can't do anything else really can enjoy that game. The things that come with it. So I guess I could sit here and list all kinds of things that could go on at a center but most of you on the commission know those things because you've been involved. We do a lot of things that enable peopie to socialize. A lot of things that are educational. A lot of things that have to do with health. We bring in health screening. We have exercise classes. We really do try to provide a val'" iety of opportunities in volunteer ism from people who sit on ,the advisory board who help plan programs to the person who comes once a month and helps in the dining. We have our center participate in a lot of community events. We use retirees to lead classes. We'Te having a man today who was the Art Director of Honeywell fOT 30 years who is now retired who asked me if he thought it'd be okay if he tried to teach a 'class in calligraphy. Did I think it would be okay? I think it's wonderful. So this man is going to be able to offer that to the community. I do think that you can try to do things only with volunteers but a viable program needs somebody that the volunteers can look toward for counsel, for guidance and to blame. Right? What's the term, the ball has to stop someplace and a good place is with the staff person. So I think that's about all I wanted to say. Do you have any questions? I think your space could be very workable. Certainly we've made it work at South ShoTe. We used Community Development Block Grant money for some of the furnishings of that space. The stove, the convection oven and so on. We used the School District for some of the furniture. We used and asked the six communities for theiT support afteT the Title III funding left but I'm j~st thrilled, especially at the idea of expanding the volunteer opportunities in this community and trying to get your retirees to take an active role. I think that's a marvelous idea. And it would be certainly something that a coordinator .of the center would work with the City and the commission and the seniors on because that's one of the things we try to do now at South Shore. Is develop volunteer opportunities. . St. John: And if this goes through, I hope we have a coordinator as good as JoAnn. Senior Commission Meeting August 16, 1991 - Page 22 e Krauss: Well we've asked JoAnn and Ben to put together some proposals as to what does. it involve. What sort of financial support is necessary for it. What levels of support do we need at. this time. My feeling right now is it's kind of tough to envision having a full time staff. We just don't have the facilities to warrant that so if we worked out an arrangement where we had volunteers on the site and we had somebody from an organization like Senior Services and we had some of our city staff, it sounds like we could get a fairly well rounded use of that space. There's a lot happening. We told you we'd try to get the ball rolling and JoAnn and Ben have been~very helpful with that. 8ragg: Well thank you JoAnn. Krauss: Todd Hoffman's our Recreation Director and I've been talking .to him as well along these lines. I~think Todd has~ couple comments. He's been doing some research into recreational support of seniOr centers as well. e Hoffman: . Thank you. That was an excellent presentation JoAnn. I too believe that some sort of coordinator is vastly important in order to Juggle the day to day activities. Make the phone calls, the contacts. Organize all the loose ends and put that together to make that space valuable. I'm here just to say that our department is available to be involved in this process.We'llevolve.alongwith you along with the Planning staff and the other peoplewhoarelnvolved in this. entIre process as this goes about. The Park and Recreation Department in the past has not. beeriheavily .involved with programs simply because we do not have the space. As an alternate what we've done is worked with the people like JoAnnKvern and the other people at the Chaska and MinnetonkaCommunity Services to go ahead and try to help them publicize those activities to Chanhassen residents so they can make use of the activities and facilfties which are in our surrounding areas. So that's been our involvementt<:> date. With this type of structure actually potentially becomi.ngareality, it becomes much more exciting and we'll work much harder in that regard. As Paul has eluded to I have tal ked to many of the Directors in the other cities, Lakeville, up in Fridley, in discussing what type of activities and programming they're doing. How they have come about reaching the reality of their centers and we fi nd out thesalrie type of situation. It'sa planning process. We're in that first initial stage here and typically what I find it's been a year and a half to 2 years of planning prior to becoming a reality. So it's an excitIng thing to become involved with and I'm just hereto lend our support from our staffing level and toass1st as commission and then as well as Paul and the other people on the planning staff in that regard. One others1de note which is an exciting opportunity as some of you may know we have the planning for the construction of the .. Lake Ann community center, community building which is a picnic/recreation 'shelter. The lower level will have concession areas, bathrooms and the upper level will bea picnic shelter. It's worked in other communities where that concession is operated by a senior citizen group in the community. It's a source of involvement. It's a source of socialization. Of taking on a part time job and then as well a souT"ceof income for that group to use in their other activities. So it's something to keep in the back of our minds as that evolves and as this group grows, we'll make that offer. We' 11 continue to talk to the commission and see if they would be e e interested in that type of activity. .to hire seasonal help to operate the concession building basically from Memorial weekend to Labor Day weekend and pay an operator herself if the group was willing to do that on a full time basis as we become large enough to handle that type of operation. It would be something that could become a reality. Great. . Senior Commission Meeting August 16, 1991 - Page 23 8ragg: I was going to ask you to be sure that you look through what Jane had printed up for us. It's Very sophisticated program here and it's gone on for a longtime in cities a lot larger but when you look at It,gee that's a wonderful operating system. But if you've noticed they ask yoU to contribute and people are leaving money from their retirement funds and things like that to it but! thank you very much Jane. I thought this was a very good thing to keep and certainly, do you have a copy for Paul? 8ragg: For Todd I mean. Hoffman: We have a copy. Hoffman: And as all programmers do, we have a thick file of activity brochures. The programs are similar in all communities. They evolve with their particular uniqueness for each different community but it's certainly exciting. You need the facility to start from ground zero and t.hat's where we're at and we're happy to be involved. Thank you . e Bragg: Thank you. Is there anything that you'd like to see appear on the agenda for next month that we haven't talked about? We're certainly really getting into this. I've missed so many meetings that it's kind of exciting to be here today and see how much has been done. Does anybody have anything in particular they want. 8i11ison: I think we're moving along very nicely. Since we've a place to be. That was the big thing. I'm real excited. Howard: 1 think it might <be helpful if everyone were to make a list of all the volunteer activities they think are present that the Mayor was talking about. If each of us were to send 'in a list, Sharmin could pick the most and best"of it. 8ragg: Yeah, the start up ones. Give them a number and then get going. Is that what. you're saying? Howard: Yeah. Heinlein: Do you mean... . 8ragg: No, jobs that you think seniors could do and sort of what you'd like to see start first. He actually kind of tipped his hand when he said that there was a need for patrolling around. As he was talking I was thinking of people I knew that might fit into that and I have a next door neighbor wno's about 55 and tnrough.health reasons he couldn't keep up wit his work. I thought he probably wouldn't really like to come where people are so much older but he could do this. .. Ride around in . a car arid keep track of that so for every job there's probably a persontha,twould really commission Meeting 16, 1991 - Page 24 e relate to that. I like your idea of, let's do a little homework and we can come next time~ith that. AI-Jaff: So you don't want me to? 8ragg: No, set up an agenda b~t that's something I think we as a group can agree on that that's something we'd like to work on. 8111i80n moved, st. John seconded to adjourn the meeting. All voted in favor and the motion carried. The meeting was adjourned at 11:10 a.m.. Submitted by Paul Krauss Planning Director Prepared by Nann Opheim e .'