HomeMy WebLinkAboutSSMinutes11102011West University Senior Services Board Meeting November 10, 2011
Present: John Neighbors (Chair), Virginia Lootens, Sarah Ballanfant, Lyndon McKnight, Joe Mitchell, Selby
Clark, George Baker, Michelle Moore, Janet Vrancken, Pieter Vrancken. Absent: Chuck Guffey, Stan
McCandless, Mary Ryerson. Staff: Toby Brooks. Guests: Councilwoman Joan Johnson, Jean Dawson.
The Meeting was called to order at 2:01PM. The Minutes of the previous meeting were approved.
Activities (Toby Brooks) Yoga & Kayaking are being added to the activities, also trips to State Parks. A
class on aging & driving safety is being held to-day. A second Water Aerobics Class will be added in
January. The Volunteer Celebration Lunch will be held at 11:30 on Tuesday November 29"'.
APAC (Virginia Lootens) The Area Agency on Aging (AAA) reported as follows: 1)Open enrolment for
Medicare is ongoing; benefits counseling is available at AAA: Ph. 832-393-4301; 2) Emergency Response
Program is approved for 12 months to those elders who live alone and are registered with AAA; Budget
cuts amounted to between 9 & 12% and consequently the management of benefits is being handled on a
6 month (staggered) basis. The HoME project has raised $15,000 for the Thanksgiving Meal Program.
This will provide 3,000 meals for seniors. The project qualified for a matching grant which will probably
allow the goal of 4,000 meals to be reached. Donations for over $750 were received during the meeting.
Additional information can be obtained from Timothy Stewart at the Jewish Community Center. It was
suggested that in future plans be developed for a "Meals on Wheels" fundraiser to consolidate funding
requests to one event. The speaker was Steve Wood, a representative of Sight into Sound - which
provides reading assistance programs for the visually impaired and also helps dyslexics. There are 200
volunteers in the organization. A jogging trail for the visually impaired is available at Bayland Park. The
next meeting will be the Holiday Party, December 1, 2011 at 9:OOAM.
(George Baker mentioned a Scout project at the Arboretum which provides glasses to show what it is like
to be visually impaired) (Selby Clark gave some information about the workings of the meal distribution
for Thanksgiving)
Council (Joan Johnson) The meeting of 10/24 authorized West U Parks Fund expenditures for Judson
Park improvements. These are funds raised by Friends of West University Place. Council approved the
Employee Benefits Trust Amendments to include appointing City Council Members to the Board of
Trustees. Council approved the recommended Fee Schedule; the 2012 Budget and the 2012 Tax Rate
(which stays at .37411) all the foregoing based on the first and final reading. Council approved a
resolution appointing additional members to the Friends of West U Board. The meeting of November 7
was a Joint Public Hearing with the Zoning and Planning Commission regarding the Town Center Retail
District Zoning. This was for Zoning only and did not include any action on the physical Town Center.
Several citizens spoke in favor of the proposed zoning changes. Council approved appointment of Ed
Heathcott as the City of West University Place representative to the Board of Directors of the Harris
County Appraisal District. Council also approved the Interlocal Agreement with City of Houston for use of
Houston's Public Safety Radio System.
Good Neighbor Team (Michelle Moore) Mary Lee Gray & Dorothy Zinc have resigned and were
recognized with a farewell gift of a book and an orchid. There have been scams involving phony
repairmen calling on seniors. West U Public Works Department identifies all its staff with badges and it is
felt that GNT volunteers who call on seniors should be similarly identified. Selby Clark offered to laminate
badges for GNT volunteers. The number of seniors (defined as over 85 or disabled or living alone) has
increased from 134 to 168 over the past year. Becky Arnold (new GNT chairwoman) is looking for
additional volunteers - preferably younger "stay-at-home" Moms - to help with poinsettia deliveries and
frequent phone contact. This need will be mentioned in the next edition of City Currents. Next Meeting is
scheduled for Thursday November17 at 2PM.
PARD (Toby Brooks) The lighting times have been changed following the change in hour. Purchase
orders have been issued for Judson Park. Tree lighting will take place at 6:30PM on December 5"' (1't
Monday) with 3 choirs and John Pickle as MC.
New Business Crisis Center for Houston will hold a talk by Daniel Heller on suicide prevention on
December 8"' at 3PM. More info from dannyCa crisishotline.org Jean Dawson raised the absence of life
guards at the Rec Center pool. In view of the likely cost Toby Brooks suggested that intending swimmers
should partner with a friend and that this be made a requirement of the Center. Brett Hall has resigned
and is moving to Colorado. Meeting adjourned at 2:59 PM