HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-05-14 Council on Aging Minutes
Department of Elder Services Kathy Shelp, Director
North Andover Council on Aging
North Andover Senior Center
May 14, 2024 @ 9:00 A.M.
Minutes
Attendance:
Members Present: David VanArsdale {Chair}, Lucius Michel {Vice-Chair}, Quentara Costa
{Secretary}, Maria Rosati, Patricia Riley, Priscilla Raposo, Jennifer Abou-ezzi, Dr. Harry
Kaloustian, Joan Thompson, George Kangos, Allen Naffah, Remo Zimbaldi
Absent: Eileen Elliot
Others Present: Kathy Shelp, Director of Elder Services; Cahla Ahlstrom, Outreach Manager,
Guest Speaker Christina Minicucci, Development Director of MeVa Transit and Elizabeth
Maldari, Regional Mobility Planner, Merrimack Valley Planning Commission
Call to order: 9:00 AM
Roll call by Dave VanArsdale
Minutes: April 2024. Motion to approve minutes by Jennifer, seconded by Maria. Unanimously
agreed.
General Discussion:
Express interest to Quentara if any interest in running for chair, vice chair or secretary.
Those with expiring terms may choose to continue their service on the board. Patricia,
Jennifer, Maria and Remo have all agreed to serve another term, which will start 6/30/24.
This means we currently have a full board.
Luke and Harry may revisit their RMV initiatives in terms of requirements for senior
license renewal.
There has been no progress on various proposed legislation that the advocacy committee
is following and supporting. We have a separate document detailing and tracking these
various legislations.
MeVa Transportation, Guest Speaker Christina Minicucci and Elizabeth Maldari
Free local bus service for anyone, typically run every 30-min to scheduled stops
o Applied for a grant to bring service to the NA Senior Center and to the train,
pending approval.
o If it’s not approved, likely to be added to the route in their next fiscal year.
Free minibus service for seniors, need to prove age 60+ or disability
o Minibus by reservation
o They can be used for any purpose, it does not need to be medical related.
Mon, Tues, Thurs they go to Boston for doctor’s appointments.
North Andover Elder Services 481 Sutton Street North Andover MA 01845
978.688.9560 www.northandoverma.gov kshelp@northandoverma.gov
Veteran services as well that bring you to the VA on specific days.
Federally and state funded, union service.
Air conditioned and Heated
They also show people the bus and minibus and do a “test” ride just so everyone is very
comfortable using the bus in terms of knowing the route, pressing stop buttons,
navigating the entrance/exit, etc. Test runs with the bus will be done at COAs. Test runs
for minibus can be done on request during the application process.
Elizabeth Maldari speaks on Vision Zero initiative that focuses on creating a safety action
plan. They are looking for community input. They are very interested in the opinions and
safety of vulnerable users (bikers, walkers, seniors, disabled). A way to express this is to
participate in Let’s Walk & Roll happening June 1 10-12pm. mvpc.org/vision-zero
Update from Kathy Shelp:
Parking for Conference on Aging worked out well.
Cost to center itself was minimal, about $700. The rest came from sponsors, etc.
They may discontinue mailings to also save on cost in the future based on registration
findings.
Next year they may relocate vendors to a tented outdoor area to free up space for traffic.
Overall, considered a great success:
o Vast majority of people reported learning something new.
o A good amount of people reported being at the senior center for the first time,
so the event was a good draw to get exposure to new participants.
o 518 units of service provided with the capacity for 540, event was close to
being at full capacity.
o 240 registrations
Needs assessment passed out. At some point soon there will be a presentation on the
material and we’ll fold this into the strategic plan.
NEET service for voluntary medical transport for COAs is a much needed and utilized
service. A grant program which materially funds NEET has changed hands, and a
stipulation in how grant money can be spent meant NEET was disqualified from
receiving it. It’s a concerning situation that Kathy and her team will keep an eye on to see
how this may change the availability of the service.
Friends of the Library had a successful book sale at the senior center. A few little things
may need to adjust if done again in the future but overall it went very well.
Adjournment at 9:55 A.M. Joan motion to adjourn, seconded by Maria. Unanimously agreed.
Respectfully submitted,
Quentara Costa, Secretary