Aging and Disability Commission - Minutes

Meeting date: 
Tuesday, May 21, 2019

TOWN OF SIMSBURY

AGING AND DISABILITY COMMISSION –REGULAR MEETING MINUTES

MAY 21, 2019

SUBJECT TO APPROVAL

 

The regular meeting of the Aging and Disability Commission was held at 7:00 p.m. on May 21, 2019, in the Hartford Room of The Village at McLean Care, 75 Great Pond, Simsbury.

 

PRESENT

Jan Beatty, Victor Bible, Anne Erickson, Sandee Fleet, Mike Jennings, Marvin Koff, Edward LaMontagne, Mark Orenstein, and Kate Robbins

 

EXCUSED

Lorraine Doonan, Joy Himmelfarb, Shannon Knall, Susan Krinsky, Cheryl Lauben, Diana Yeisley, Arlene Zappile, Susan Ray (Library), Kathleen Marschall (Senior Center Coordinator), and Cheryl Cook (Board of Selectman Liaison)

 

CALL TO ORDER

The meeting was called to order by Edward J. LaMontagne, Chairman, at 7:02 p.m.

 

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

The Pledge was not recited as there was no flag present in the meeting room.

 

PUBLIC AUDIENCE

None held.

 

ACCEPTANCE OF MINUTES - Regular Meeting of April 16, 2019

The minutes were approved without correction.

 

BOS LIAISON REPORT

Selectwoman Cook was absent so there was no report.

 

SENIOR CENTER REPORT

Senior Center Director Ms. Marschall was absent so there was no report.

 

PROGRAM REPORTS

  • Spring “Souper Tuesday” Event was held May 14.  Mr. LaMontagne said that forty people attended and listened to guitar music. The Lion’s Club hosted.
  • Picnic in the Park: No update as Ms. Yeisley was absent.

OLD BUSINESS

  • Age Friendly Community Update: Noting that it might be a good model, Mr. LaMontagne shared a poster with 10 tips for interacting with aging adults that Hawaii provides to local businesses. The information gathering continues with the hope of having the town team and plan in place by the fall.
  • Legal Guidelines for Aging Well Seminar: Mr. Bible noted and thanked the speaker Claudia Englisby for an excellent program on May 16, Mr. Orenstein, who recorded the seminar for SCTV, and Dr. Koff and Mr. Lamontagne who attended, along with 10 community members. Mr. LaMontagne will send a thank-you note to the speaker from the Commission. He also thanked Ms. Robbins for getting advance notices out.  He said that the fall seminar is open for consideration. Mr. LaMontagne thanked Mr. Bible and Ms. Robbins for their work on the seminar.
  • Loan Locker Update: As previously noted, Mr. LaMontagne said that the town will provide liability insurance. He reiterated that although the Rotary Club cannot undertake the Loan Locker as a project, they did allocate $500 for start-up costs. He learned recently that Anthology does not want to open the Loan Locker until they have an occupancy permit, which will happen in September. If the space does not become available, there is a possibility that McLean could host the Loan Locker. The Loan Locker will be administered under the aegis of the Aging and Disability Commission, and the town will set up a separate account for it. He noted that he hopes the Loan Locker will open in the fall.
  • SMPAC Accessibility: Mr. LaMontagne noted that the meeting with the Performing Arts Center group was cancelled and rescheduled for June 3.
  • Commissioner Surveys Results: Mr. LaMontagne provided a four-page summary of the surveys and asked the commissioners to review for discussion at the June meeting.

 

NEW BUSINESS

  • SEPTO First Responder Event: On June 5th SEPTO is holding a panel event of first responders and parents at the library and Mr. LaMontagne has appointed Shannon Knall as our representative on the panel.
  • StoryWalk-ADA: Mr. LaMontagne passed around an information sheet about what they are.  Ms. Erickson, a member of the Simsbury Library Board, said she would ask about when and where they will be installed and whether they will be ADA accessible.
  • Handicapped Parking Awareness Month:  On May 29th the Board of Selectmen will make the proclamation that June will be Handicapped Parking Awareness month.
  • Valley Press Article: Mr. LaMontagne shared an article from April 19, 2019, with photos from the Sensory Spring Fling and praised Ms. Yeisley for organizing it.
  • Other: Ms. Robbins asked if there was any news about the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving grant; Mr. LaMontagne did not know of any.

 

ADJOURNMENT

There being no further business a request to adjourn the meeting was made. The meeting was adjourned at 7:50 pm.

 

NEXT MEETING: Tuesday, June 18, 2019, 7:00 p.m., at McLean’s Hartford Room at The Village.

 

Submitted by,

Jan Beatty

Secretary