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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2009-08-04 Regular Meeting GRAPEVINE SENIOR CITIZENS ADVISORY BOARD MEETING AGENDA (ppTuesday, August 4, 2009 — 3:30 PM Grapevine Senior Activities Center 421 Church Street Grapevine, TX 76051 817-410-8130 1. Call to Order 2. Welcome Guests 3. Consideration of minutes for April 7, 2009 meeting 4. Citizen Requests 5. New Business a. Senior Service Alliance Chamber Group update-Tena Burrell b. Housing Authority update — Joetta King c. GRACE update— Pat Frosch d. Senior Activities Center update 6. Adjourn IF YOU PLAN TO ATTEND THIS PUBLIC MEETING AND YOU HAVE A DISABILITY THAT REQUIRES SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS AT THE MEETING, PLEASE CONTACT THE SENIOR ACTIVITIES CENTER AT 817-410-8130, AT LEAST 24 HOURS IN ADVANCE. REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS WILL BE MADE TO ASSIST YOUR NEEDS. IN ACCORDANCE WITH TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE, CHAPTER 551.001 et seq, ACTS OF THE 1993 TEXAS LEGISLATURE, THE BOARD MEETING AGENDA, WAS PREPARED AND POSTED ON THIS, THE 31st OF July 2009 AT 3:00 PM. Kaye Grayson, Director Grapevine Senior Activities Center • GRAPEVINE SENIOR CITIZENS ADVISORY BOARD Minutes of Tuesday, August 4, 2009 meeting Grapevine Senior Activities Center 421 Church Street Grapevine, TX 76051 817-410-8130 1. Call to Order The Grapevine Senior Citizens Advisory Board met at 3:30 PM on August 4, 2009 at the Grapevine Senior Activities Center. The following members were present: Tena Burrell — Co-Chairperson Pam Price, Secretary Paul Ernst R. Bruce Walters Joetta King — Ex-officio, Housing Authority (dell Bowker— Ex-officio, GRACE Dorothy Kritz— Ex-officio, Grapevine Senior Activities Center Others present: Kaye Grayson, SAC Director Roy Stewart— City Council Member Liaison Those Not Present Dick Guckel — Chairperson Carey Miller Chris Smith — Recreation Superintendent— Parks & Recreation 2. Welcome Guests Annie Delbridge, a participant at the Grapevine Senior Activities Center (SAC) 3. Consideration of minutes for April 7, 2009 meeting The minutes of the April 7 meeting were approved as written. 4. Citizen Requests Annie Delbridge voiced her concerns regarding the computer classes offered at the SAC stating that those who ride the SAC bus are not able to participate in the program because they cannot arrive at the Center by the 9:00 AM starting time. She wondered if the classes could begin at 9:30 to accommodate those students. She also voiced her concern that there are no computers in the Center for use by non-computer class persons who use the Center. Center Director, Kaye Grayson, stated that there is a computer in the SAC library that is available for participants to use most of the time except during tax season (February through mid April) and that the budget request for Page 1 of 4 (.9 this year had included two computers for such use (as the two that are available at the Grapevine Community Activities Center), but with budget cuts, they were not able to be purchased. Annie was asked to meet with Kaye and Ken Anderson, coordinator of the Computer Lab, to voice her suggestions and concerns regarding the use of the computers and lab. The next item of concern was the need for more activities that could be provided at the Center. Again, Annie was encouraged to put her list of concerns in writing and meet with Kaye Grayson and Dorothy Kritz, the committee representative on the Board. The proper procedure for any such actions would be for Annie to meet with these people and address her concerns and then let the Board members bring forth these concerns at the next Board meeting in October. 5. New Business a. Housing Authority update — Joetta King The Housing Authority has accepted a bid from Sundown Construction (Abilene, TX) for the replacement of windows in all the housing units and the office for$165,792.50. Ten vendors submitted bids, and this bid was $30,000 less than the other vendors. Work has commenced. Board member Roy Stewart asked Joetta about the amount listed and why it differed from the $149,905.00 quoted in the April 7th minutes as part of the stimulus funds they would receive to cover replacing windows, flooring and cabinets in the units. Joetta said that the smaller figure was an estimate and that the Housing Authority had hoped that the amount would cover the costs of the all items Cp„ mentioned, but that was not possible. The $149,905.00 was increased by nearly $14,000.00 to the total of$165,792.50 quoted and would cover only the replacement of the windows. GHA decided to participate in the Grapevine Crime Free Multi-Housing Program under the direction of Officer Jason Keller. This is part of a National campaign to keep apartment complexes as crime free as possible. It in no way implies that the HA is free of any crime. It simply means that crime will not be tolerated in the community. One benefit is that the HA will have a contact at the police department that will provide information (criminal background checks of all residents and employees seventeen years of age & older) on applicants as well as people currently receiving assistance. The manager agrees to serve appropriate eviction notices based upon police- generated reports, and to cooperate with the Grapevine Police Department in all legitimate investigations and service of warrants on the property. Currently there are no vacancies with over 40 on the waiting list. There are currently 80 vouchers (Section 8 Program) in use with the average cost per unit at $506. Keep Grapevine Beautiful, Mary Jo Tellin, supervised 40 Sabre participants in volunteer projects at the 98 units which included landscape improvements for residents and the Housing Authority Office, replacing clotheslines, adding water hose racks to units, and clearing brush on the fence lines of the property. Grapevine c Botanical Gardens Horticulturist (Lisa Adams Grove) and two Grapevine Garden Club members (Joetta King and Suzi Guckel) assisted with the landscape improvements. Page 2 of 4 b. GRACE update — Idell Bowker (dell Bowker, Program Assistant at GRACE who works with Pat Frosch, reported that the GRACE Food Pantry provided $40,000 worth of food for 314 families. The food in the Pantry is purchased based on vouchers given out according to the number of members in the family. At times bakery items are donated to the Pantry and distributed free of charge. Those with babies or elderly people in need of diapers or adult Depends are given an additional $15 voucher. Families can place up to six food order per year. The initial number of 4 visits was increased to five times previously. They must show that they are residents of Grapevine by having a copy of their home or apartment lease on file at GRACE. Residence verification is updated on a regular basis. The communities of Grapevine, Southlake, and Colleyville have generously helped to maintain supplies at GRACE. As the beginning of school approaches, helping area students is the current priority. Then helping GRACE clients during the upcoming holiday season follows. Flyers have been given out at the various apartment complexes that have been part of GRACE's summer meal program. The commodities program provides 100 low income seniors with assistance with their utility bills. The Tarrant County SUAP Program allows participates to have assistance with payments on their utility bills (Electric, Gas, Water) three times during the months between January and August. There has been an increase of 30% of clients needing assistance. Clients who once needed help back as far as 2003 are coming back to GRACE for help. Last year persons with disabilities under 60 years old were able to get assistance. The Women's Division of the Chamber of Commerce in Grapevine has projects to assist GRACE. August 1 there was a SeniorFest dinner and dance; there were 268 seniors participating in the evening event. Military veterans were honored at SeniorFest. August 19th the Women's Division will hand out backpacks and school supplies. As of this date 230 students have signed up for this program; the Women's Division has expanded its program to provide for over 600 students. So many students were helped last year that this year, they will move the distribution station out of the SAC to the Community Activities Center (CAC). (dell reported that the Medical Clinic is running strong with volunteer doctors and nurses helping GRACE with this program. Sometimes unforeseen problems result in their having to close the clinic because medical personnel have had to cancel their work with the clinic. One fulltime nurse has stopped assisting as she now teaches at a college. She still volunteers whenever possible. c. Senior Activities Center update - Dorothy Kritz and Kaye Grayson Dorothy Kritz— Ex-officio, Grapevine Senior Activities Center (SAC) stated that our Center is one of the best in this area. With the difficult economic times we are currently tor experiencing, we cannot ask our City to do much more at this time. Page 3 of 4 (40, Dorothy mentioned that the last item of concern addressed to the Board was the need for yarn for the group who knits items for newborn babies at area hospitals. This need was met by various members of our community. Kaye Grayson, SAC Director, said that the City currently has a freeze on hiring employees. The Center lost one employee who has not been replaced. On Friday, July 31, a bus trip to the Old Red Courthouse Museum in downtown Dallas was attended by a full busload of seniors. d. Senior Service Alliance/Chamber of Commerce Group update - Tena Burrell Tena Burrell told the Board that she is currently working with the Chamber of Commerce and business members in a program called Senior Service Alliance (SSA). The benefactor of this program is GRACE. The goal is to provide more transportation opportunities for seniors who need rides to and from hospitals and medical visits. This program includes the already existing SeniorMovers, but the SSA group wants to expand it to offer better service. The goal for this program is to network with the Chamber and business members and create an Awareness/Education Team that would serve to inform the community about these services being offered. They chose GRACE as their community outreach vehicle and when asked, GRACE personnel voiced a need for more transportation encompassing a 25-mile radius to help seniors with their medical transportation needs. As the program evolves, the goal is to expand and meet other needs of the seniors. Grapevine seniors 55 years and older would benefit from the program. The program will be advertised in the Chamber of Commerce's newsletter. North Richland Hills, Southlake, and Keller have programs but they serve only their communities. Northeast Transportation Service (NETS) which is operated by the Red Cross serves many communities in Northeast Tarrant County but not all of them. 6. Adjourn Teena moved that the meeting be adjourned; the motion was seconded by Joetta King. The meeting adjourned at 4:25 pm. Respectfully submitted, Pam Price, Secretary Minutes approved by the Board on C.p day of (14;t14(A) , 2009. tkilor Page 4 of 4