Montpelier Senior Activity Center Advisory Council

1 Montpelier Senior Activity Center Board Meeting, July 15, 2014 Minutes Meeting called to order by Chair: Tina Muncy at 9:35 am. Members present: Chair: Tina Muncy, Jane Osgatharp, Sylvia Kingsbury, Sue Stukey, Fran Krushenick, Liz Dodd, Whitney Dall, Janet Ressler, Susan Torchia; MSAC Director: Janna Clar and guests: Janet Clark and Assistant City Manager, Jessie Baker. 1. Previous meeting minutes were read and approved with minor amendment and corrections. 2. Check In: Members were asked to give responses to two questions: 1. What was their most recent place of employment? 2. What did they like most about the MSAC? Responses were rich and varied. 10:00 am: Members were asked to list two specific goals for the MSAC. This will help us understand why we do what we do and how do decide as we regulate budget/expenses. a. Expand Classes and activities outside our walls. b. Work with other groups and agencies. c. Be financially solvent, in good shape. d. Start an endowment and independent, “Friends of the MSAC” e. Increase public funding/and support from surrounding towns. f. Lower class fees; should be affordable, sustainable and offer realistic choices. g. More one-day classes. h. Get grants to support dementia programs. i. Increase public funds, increase café activities. j. More Board Development k. Pool activities improved, increased (?) l. Well run Senior Center: clear policy for all events/ happenings. Clear, understandable budgeting with no surprises. Continued outreach-not always about $. Director present in the community. Report out to surrounding towns. Clarify role of Advisory Board. More training? m. Offer a large variety of classes for the old elderly with transport. n. Increased transport options, decreasing barriers to participation. o. Expand communal meals to 3 X a week, (M, W, F) p. More programs for younger members, (starting after 5:30pm). Members were asked to think how we could consolidate our goals. This will help inform our planning and decisions regarding the budget for next year. Four main goals were mentioned by more than one member and therefore consolidated as follows: 1. Maintain good financial practices  2 Increase public funding Set up an organization for fund raising and Friends of MSAC account 2. Maintain a Senior Center that is affordable and sustainable with low class and membership fees 3. Expand off site classes and activates 4. Investigate and support transportation options giving access to the Senior Center 3. Municipal City Budget Process: Jessie Baker, Assistant City Manager a. Fiscal Year 2015 (FY15) begins July 1, 2014 – June 30, 2015 b. Fiscal Year 2016 (FY16) begins July 1, 2015 – June 30, 2016 FY 16 City Budget Process begins September 2014. a. City Policy Makers (City Council) Discuss: Emerging issues Hold an October Goal Setting Session (with the City Manager), sometimes prescriptive, sometimes general. b. October/November 2014: City Implementers (City Manager and Department Heads) work to create a budget which meets those goals or “policy targets.” c. December 2014: City Manager presents Budget to the City Council for discussion d. OUR deadline will be October/November (timeline TBD in September) for a “reasonable budget” which Janna sends to the City Manager’s office who review it and ask for adjustments. We can cut expense, or raise funds. We do our own fundraising. (Janna officially reports to the Assistant City Manager and the MSAC Advisory Board.) e. December and January 2015: The Council conducts public hearings, and confers about the Budget. f. The Council Budget is presented on Town Meeting Day. g. The Proposed Budget is set in January 2015 (one half year in advance of the Fiscal year start). 4. MSAC Process a. Any increase in our funding comes during the fiscal year to make up for city “level funding” the MSAC. We write grants, may raise fees and/or ask for increased contributions. b. Concern: Our Endowment is dwindling. Where should income from the Jackman bequest be directed? c. What is the City oversight? The City Finance director does monthly reports to department heads, reviewed if issues arise. Council can weigh in. There are multiple Departmental “lines” of expense and income which City Managers can shift during the year. There are monthly and quarterly reports on the budget and quarterly reports on performance measures.  3 Concerns/Questions: a. Members of the board expressed concern regarding our debt service (??) and feel we need a “Bequest Committee”. This appears to be a matter for our Fund Raising Committee to consider. b. Can we put money in a separate fund outside city accounts? The City Council would decide if it is okay. Janna has done some research and will meet with the city financial team. c. The “Friends of the MSAC” organization would not hold the “fund” but raise money for it. The Fund (as currently envisioned) might be held by the Vermont Community Fund or other options. We would draw a percentage regularly. d. The Corry Fund is doing fine. The endowment has diminished. The Fund Raising Committee will report out to the Board. e. Budget for FY 15 is clearer as we now have experience with the Feast Program and the Condo expenses. The 58 Barre Street Condo Association Board of Directors oversees the relationship and budget. Jo Ann Troiano is Condo Board Chair and also Exec Director of Montpelier Housing Authority. Justin and Theresa are managing Feast and Just Basics. f. Money Concerns: Can we trust the neighboring towns to increase their donations? We should always have a contingency plan. Most other Senior Centers are NOT municipal agencies but rather private non-profits. Contingencies for this year might include: Cutting programs we subsidize heavily, Reducing hours of classes, Reducing staff hours, Reducing energy use. Fund Raising takes time and energy. We can raise $ if we commit enough of both. We are pursuing grants. FR events are being streamlined, and we are building knowledge of how the money flows. MSAC is doing very well!! Many attendees, more $, numbers are growing. Question: Do we need to do this?? In Prior years no fundraising was needed…now much more is needed. 5. Recreation Center/MSAC Issue: Jessie Baker Rec. Center is under the School budget, MSAC is not. There is a potential idea of combining the MSAC, Rec Center, Parks, Facilities and Cemetery Departments. Rationale that we provide similar services, classes, outreach, etc. Perhaps “Lifelong Education”. The City could combine ground maintenance, etc… Will not be happening this year…perhaps mid-year in FY16? Lots of discussion still needed. 50/50 chance now. Schools would have to relinquish the Rec. Dept. Bigger challenge will be staff. Now, staff is all hired for specific tasks…no savings or integration likely until staff changes happen. Don’t want to lose expertise of current staff, or close feeling. How would we benefit? Expertise in senior and rec programs. Don’t want to dilute. Can be combined more efficiently, streamlined process if we are together. Can we get more $ together? Could be more specialization for department heads and staff 6. Budget Re-visited: “Colored Version”  4 a. FY 14: Projected Final Version…a few items still outstanding. All Program revenues now in one year. We are waiting for details from Sandy Gallup, Finance Director at the city regarding final salary expenses…with James leaving, Dan coming, etc. Many actual end-of-year expenses very close. Summer is a slow time, in revenue and classes. 500 members have renewed so far. Reviewed figures. Concern with how we support the Feast Program. Issues of income from Supporting Towns discussed. City Council would like more equity of support from supporting towns, but there is resistance in some of the towns. Better chance of getting increased contributions from the towns rather than increased membership and class fees. (Fire and Police get significant grants to help support them.) There are apparently no supporting town public funds for other municipal departments. Questions and Concerns: a. Do we record who wasn’t able to get in to classes? Yes, from the waiting list. b. Issue of Transportation: Is this an issue? Can we charge a fee to bring people here? Yes, but expenses will increase as well. It would not be a “nominal fee”…might have to charge too much. Is it worth subsidizing? We need to research funding from: Medicare? Medicaid? Janna will meet with GMTA staff later this summer. Partnering with health care providers seems like a good idea. We need to be cautious about our reputation of being “elitist”. Perhaps this would be a “reasonable loss”? c. Feast Program: City was concerned at first. Now? City Council generally thinks it’s a great asset. Appropriated year-end money, but will continue to level fund it in FY15. The City always needs to know if there is a big expense coming! The Non-resident Issue continues to be raised. We are not a “core” program, so the Council’s good opinion is important to have. Question: Is the Senior Center liable for Feast losses? This was Fy14 MOU language, each supporting the other. Now, we have no mutual obligation in the FY15 MOU. See Handout “G”, Janna’s responses to Janet Clarke’s concerns. We never use our own money to finance their shortfalls. Shortfalls are occurring because they have served more meals than anticipated. The cost of meals is set in annual contract between Good Taste and JBI and focused on healthy food with fresh vegetables, etc. There are only 28 customers for Meals on Wheels. Just Basics is coming to our next meeting to discuss the process and funding, a collaborative effort between: Good Taste/JBI/City. 7. Next meeting: September 11, 2014 at MSAC, 1:30-4:00 pm. (with Just Basics and the Condo Association) Agenda: “What’s Next?” “How can we pay for ourselves?” “What do we feel about this?” Additional Financial Questions…Finance Committee meets August 19. Budget needs to be drafted in October and completed by December. Exact timeline will come out in Fall after Council discusses. Meeting adjourned at 12:25 pm. Respectfully submitted, Sue Stukey, Secretary August 29, 2014