Minutes
Council On Aging · from the Town's website · 3 pages · 68 KB
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MEETING MINUTES WINTHROP COUNCIL ON AGING Date: Thursday, March 14, 2024 Time: 10:30 AM Location: Robert A. DeLeo Senior Center 35 Harvard Street, Winthrop, MA 02152 Present: Kathy Dixon, Director, Council on Aging Alice Haskell, Chair Linda Cronin Kathy Driscoll Cynthia Huff Heather Martin Absent: Mary Vitale Call to order at 10:35 AM by Alice Haskell, Chair, Council on Aging I. Approval of Minutes A Motion to approve the Minutes of the February 8, 2024, meeting was made by Cynthia Huff and seconded by Linda Cronin and Heather Martin. Minutes were approved. II. Announcements There were no new announcements presented. III. Director’s Comments A. Kathy Dixon reported that van ridership has been increasing since the implementation of the free rides within the Town of Winthrop program. She reported that Monday seems to be the least busy day in terms of ridership. B. Kathy Dixon reported that the MBTA Senior Pass Program is off to a very successful start. Kathy Driscoll indicated that she had received her new pass just three days after having her application submitted through this Senior Center program. Kathy Dixon reported that 16 people have signed up for our next session. This program will be offered twice a month. C. Kathy Dixon reported that our St. Patrick’s Day luncheon party was a great success. She said that she has received a lot of very positive feedback on this event. Alice Haskell asked if there could be a procedure to deter people from being no-shows for events such as this after they have signed up to attend; Kathy Dixon indicated there was really nothing that could be done about this. Alice Haskell made a suggestion regarding the placement of tables for events such as this in order to facilitate easier movement, and we will be aware of this for future events. Kathy Dixon suggested that keeping chairs pulled out from the tables rather than pushed in while being set up could ensure we had enough room for people to move about easily. D. Kathy Dixon reported that she had received many compliments from attendees of the Police Department Awards Ceremony held at the Senior Center on March 12 as to how nice and well-kept-up the Senior Center always is. E. Kathy Dixon reported that the $2 cost for the Grab and Go Lunches provided by Mystic Valley Elder Services is currently not mandatory, and there has been no word yet on whether this cost will eventually become mandatory. She indicated that most lunch recipients do pay the $2 cost. F. There was a discussion on various modes of transport that could enable more people to come to the Senior Center, i.e. the van, the Ride, local cab, etc. Alice Haskell indicated that she has a meeting scheduled with the owner of Winthrop Taxi to discuss possible options for services for seniors. Kathy Dixon requested that Alice let her know of the outcome of her meeting. Linda Cronin mentioned that The Ride now has a new program in conjunction with Lyft and Uber. G. Kathy Dixon reported that the Tax Lottery applications are available now. This program will allow participants to volunteer in a town office and receive a $750 reduction on their property taxes. She indicated that we would be able to place 35 people. She has asked Town Department Heads what they would need in a Tax Lottery participant, and she will try to provide them with the best candidate for the jobs they are offering. H. Kathy Dixon reported that the Mystic Valley Elder Services Emergency Closet donation drive is in progress this month and next month. Items that they are looking for are new sheets, towels, toothbrushes, etc. I. Kathy Dixon reported that our Medical Pedicures program has been very successful and that appointments for this service are currently booked until August. J. Linda Cronin reported that she had just had a recent home consultation with Oakley Home Access, a home safety services company who participated in our Health Fair and who also recently held an informational session at the Senior Center. She reported that she was very impressed with their services. She informed the Council that during a home consult, an Oakley consultant will make recommendations regarding safety modifications and will contract with an outside company to do the necessary work. IV. Adjournment There being no further business, a Motion to adjourn was made by Cynthia Huff and seconded by Linda Cronin. The meeting was adjourned at 11:53 PM. Our next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, April 11, 2024. Respectfully Submitted Kathy Driscoll, Secretary, Winthrop Council on Aging Adopted by the Board at the meeting of April 11, 2024 ___________________________________ Alice Haskell, Chair Winthrop Council on Aging