Loading...
Senior Citizen 2023/05/16MINUTES SENIOR CITIZEN COMMISSION May 18, 2023 COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: STAFF PRESENT: Janet Brown, Chair Brian Chwan, Community Services Superintendent Denise Barnes, Vice -Chair Maureen Richardson, Community Services Supervisor Kandee Beas Beth Lapkowski, Administrative Assistant Frances Noteboom Victor "Vic" Real, Chair COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: Steve Brio (Excused) AGENDA ACTION TAKEN 1. CALL TO ORDER: Chair Brown called the meeting to order at 2:02 p.m. 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Chair Brown led the Commission in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. 3. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES: Chair Brown presented the minutes of the March 16, 2023, meeting. Commissioner Barnes made a motion for approval of the minutes, seconded by Commissioner Noteboom; minutes were approved unanimously. 4. SCHEDULED PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: a. Dignity Memorial — Susan Papri & Renay Teper — Susan Papri, Dignity Memorial Community Relations Director, provided her background working with seniors and presented information relating to "planning your last party." She discussed both the financial and emotional aspects and many options that can be included. Renay Taper, Pre -Planning Advisor, discussed options that area available and explained that mortuaries and cemeteries are separate, and the pricing can vary by location. 5. UNSCHEDULED PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: None. 6. NEW BUSINESS: A. Website Upgrades/Discussion: Brian Chwan provided an update on the website for Active Older Adult programs. He met with Commissioner Brio who will be bringing information back at a future meeting. Brian and Maureen Richardson also met with the City's webmaster to begin working on including additional programming information. B. Commission Meeting Frequency: Chair Brown made a motion to meet 10 times per year, with July and December dark, seconded by Vice -Chair Brown. Commissioner Real stated he will have a conflict some months due to other commitments. Motion carried unanimously. C. City of Anaheim Strategic Plan for Active Older Adults: Vice -Chair Barnes stated that she thought the City did have plans to work on a strategic plan in 2020 and asked if that was moving forward. Brian Chwan stated that he was not aware of a plan being worked on at this time, but he will do some research and report back. Vice -Chair Barnes stated that the Governor had written a declaration in 2019 that every city should have a strategic plan for seniors, then that would be presented to the county, and they share it with the state. Chair Brown stated that she believes that the City collaborated with the Office on Aging for a plan that incorporates Anaheim, but she thinks Senior Citizen Commission May 18, 2023 Page 2 AGENDA ACTION TAKEN that the City of Anaheim is large enough to have a plan of their own. Brian Chwan stated that a good starting point would be to discuss this with your Council Member, and perhaps officially ask City Council via a letter to authorize a strategic plan. There would be steps that need to be taken to prepare for that, such as public hearings and funding authorization. Vice -Chair Barnes made a motion for the Senior Citizen Commission to write a letter to City Council recommending that the City move forward with a Strategic Plan for older adults in Anaheim; second by Commissioner Beas. Motion approved with all ayes. UNFINISHED BUSINESS: A. Final Draft Letter to City Council: Brian Chwan presented the final version of the letter and stated that after the Commissioners sign, he will get Commissioner Brio's signature on it before it is forwarded. Chair Brown asked if the commissioners think the letter should be read aloud to the City Council; Vice -Chair Barnes stated that at the Office on Aging, they attended in person and read it aloud at the meeting. Chair Brown asked for direction regarding presenting the letter to City Council. Brian indicated he will run the letter through the Community Services Director to make a recommendation to City Council, but the Commissioners can decide when they wish to go to a City Council meeting. 7. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS: A. In response to a request by Vice -Chair Barnes at the last meeting, Brian Chwan provided a list of providers that assisted in senior support services during COVID. He stated they discussed possibly sending a thank -you letter to them from the Commission. Vice -Chair Barnes will bring thank -you cards for the agencies to the next meeting. B. Commissioner Real shared an Orange County Register article from February 2023 discussing the need for more caregivers. She stated that the Biden administration has brought forward legislation to pay caregivers more. She thanked Commissioner Real for bringing the article to their attention. C. Vice -Chair Barnes reported that the Anaheim Senior Citizen Club provided a calendar for the coming year, and she suggested that commissioners attend when they are available. Brian Chwan reminded them that they would need to conform to the Brown Act. Maureen Richardson stated that the calendar was meant to be a planning tool and should be kept confidential since it contains information beyond the open meeting dates. D. Maureen Reported that the Boutique and Health Fair was held on April 29 with over 60 vendors and approximately 575 attendees. Commissioner Noteboom asked about being reminded of these type of events, and Vice -Chair Barnes suggested that if Commissioners signed up for the Courier, they would see all of the activities in there. E. Vice -Chair Barnes stated the Senior Citizen Safety Net program was just funded again, and she encouraged everyone to get an Emergency Card with all their medical information that is very helpful in emergencies. They are available through the Office on Aging. She also shared an informational magazine that is provided by the Southern California Office on Aging. Commissioner Noteboom thanked her for sharing that information. F. Vice -Chair Barnes suggested inviting Irene Rose to come to the next meeting to present information on the Anaheim Senior Citizens Club. Maureen suggested allowing a substitute board member to attend if she is too busy. 8. ADJOURNMENT: Chair Brown adjourned the meeting at 3:13 p.m. NEXT MEETING: The next meeting will be held on Thursday, June 15, 2023, at 2:00 p.m.