 Okay. Welcome to the town of Amherst Council on Aging meeting today and pursuant to Governor Baker's March 12, 2020 order suspending certain provisions of the open meeting law. GLC 30A subsection 18. This meeting of the Council on Aging is being conducted by a remote participation. So I am going to do a roll call check right now. And I will call you by your last last name and you just this is a great opportunity for you to check to see if your your video or audio is working properly, just to remind you to unmute when you want to speak when you want to say that you are present. Okay, Greg Baskham. Dirk's. Okay, coffler. Neil. Here. I can tell you that Yvette is here. I've asked her to hear. Oh, there we are. Okay. Thank you. Excellent. Okay. Rector is here. Smith Crooks. I'm here. Mila Monta Mayor. I'm here. And Chad Fuller. Yeah. Okay. Great. All right. Thanks everyone. Okay. Just again, just remember to mute or unmute. Sometimes I will if I can't hear you or Mary Beth can't hear you. We may just touch our ear to let you know that you need to unmute. So we can hear your voices. You can also raise your hand if you are comfortable with that as an option. I'm just raising her hand. All right. Oh, I just want to introduce myself. That's all. Oh, wonderful. Oh, Karen. Thank you. You're here. Lovely. Thank you. Yes, we do have some guests with us Karen. Yeah, raining. And also joining us is Liz Welsh. Thank you. Yes, great. Okay. Any other guests? Yes, we have Richard Yerga with us. Yes, Richard. Thank you. So Karen Rainan is the senior health services nurse and Liz Welsh is a representative from Amherst neighbors. She was formerly the president and now she has another role. I think Yerga represents the friends of the Amherst senior center, just for people who might be viewing this. And at around 920 we'll have another guest joining us. And I'm a dragon from the Department of Health. Okay, so let's see here. So I call this meeting to order and I invite anyone in the public is now welcome to make a comment or express their views up to three minutes. If you wish to speak, use the raise hand icon on the lower part of your screen or dial star nine if you are on the phone. And Liz Welsh has her hand raised. I don't know if there's anything that she wants to address at this time. I just wanted to do a quick little message and invitation that we have a couple of events coming up that you all may be interested in two that go together very nicely. One is creating your age in place plan that is being led by someone named Janet Bunce. And that will be very informative and helpful I think. And it goes it's coupled nicely with one a couple weeks later called making yours and an age friendly home. So just things that you can do both of those are kind of anticipatory. Janet works a lot with people who come to her in the midst of a bump in the road and so part of hers and part of the second one is to help people anticipate before a crisis. And the other event I just want to give a nice little plug to is political in nature which some of our events are, and it is titled challenges to democracy and the rule of law. That's being led by Austin Sarah who teaches at Amherst College. So that is also extremely timely. Anyway, just check out our if you can always get in touch with any one of us or you can go to Amherst neighbors.org. If you know people who are interested, anybody is welcome. If anybody needs help signing up. We also can help you with that process. Thank you. Thanks so much Liz for sharing that with this. So, okay, so as a launchpad for our meeting. Mary Beth is going to boot up a song. Nice. Okay. Just give me a moment. I'm hoping you are all seeing this. Yes. Yeah. Okay. Pat, this is it right. You bet you bet. This is a request of the chair so I just want to make sure I do this right in combination with my artistic I just wanted to get away from seeking myself. We also have with us Mindy Dom so I just want to I'm going to just jump her into the group here. Wonderful. And Mindy I'm going to ask you to unmute just to say hi. And a moment. No, I asked, there we go. Mindy, do you want to check in and just say hi? Introduce yourself. Looks like no. So, just letting y'all know. Okay, well, we'll welcome Mindy. We're so glad that you're joining us and that you're, you're alive and well. So, okay. So we're just going, we have a full agenda. And we'll, we'll keep marching through it as we, we go. So, first, first item is, is updates and looking ahead from Mary Beth. Do you want to say, say, say a few things, critical things. Sure. Yeah. Well, a couple of things I just as a matter of sort of bookkeeping with all of you. I hope you have received an email via Pat on a conflict of interest law and both a certificate you have to complete by February 5 indicating that you received some printed materials about conflict of interest. And also that there is an online training that you have to perform. And that has to be completed by April 5. So just wanted to make sure, and if anybody did not receive that please just check in with me offline via email and I'll make sure that you get that information because it's just critical to our work. We will at 920 so I'm sort of stalling if you're sensing that in the next four minutes. Emma Dragon will be joining us as our health director to give us some information around vaccines and what's happening. I will tell you that the primary issue that's really concerning seniors in in great, great number is the rollout of vaccines to seniors presently I'm sure many of you are aware we are running a first responders clinic this past week here at the bank center. It's gone tremendously well. And I can, I can just report and I think the council would want to know that I literally receive hundreds of phone calls daily from seniors, all day long, all the lines are ringing, can I book my appointment for a vaccine right now. People are extremely anxious about it around what is the information and the timing of it. And so I'm going to just leave the details of that to Emma to sort of fill in around when that we can expect that would be coming but it is the lead concern and a very, very grave concern for seniors across the board in our community. I just never experienced the volume of calls that we're getting right now. So I just would want you to have that awareness for you. I do have really great news. Another high profile service that we perform is that we partner with AARP for the tax service. And it has gone back and forth as you know over the past few months, whether they would be whether AARP was going to perform it, whether there would be adequate volunteers in our Amherst area because many of course as you understand are older adults who perform this service as volunteers and they have in some measure chosen to make sure that they were safe and have declined to participate. But I am happy to say that we are going to be partnering with the Hadley Senior Center. So Haley Wood, there's the director, and we are going to be rolling out a program where the taxes will be performed at the Hadley Senior Center curbside. So what we anticipate and what we are working with AARP to create is a system by which we will have one day a week for Amherst residents. So it will be a much smaller number than when we hosted them here and we had multiple days. So we will not be able to serve the broad number that we did formally, but it's the best that we can do during the pandemic. And the tax volunteers will be working inside the Hadley Senior Center, distanced and spaced and separated in different rooms. Individuals who will be signing up for an appointment, you would drive to the Hadley Senior Center at 8.30 in the morning. You will drop your packet of information off at 8.30 in the morning. They will then take it inside and the tax volunteers will work on it. And then you must pick it up at one o'clock the same day. So people also must be available by phone all day long during their appointment from 8.30 to one. So that if an individual has any questions that they would be able to. I realize I realized I had taken myself off video. Sorry folks. If somebody has questions and they often do about, you know, a detail that you are available. So that's what we will be doing. We will be working our day. It looks to be will be Fridays. And it will not be starting until at least mid-February. So AARP has pushed back the timeframe several times due to the spread of COVID. Initially we were looking at February 1st, but actually January, then it went to February 1st. Now it has to be some day after February 15th. So that's what I am anticipating. We will be sending out the materials. I don't have all of the information yet from our volunteer team around the packets and that. But what I anticipate is probably announcing that February 1 is the likely date that we'll begin to accept phone appointments for Amherst residents to do it. So we can look forward to that opportunity because that's a, I have to say that's probably my number two issue for individuals because they're always nervous about filing the taxes on time. And just with regard to our operation, I'm just bringing to your attention that we have in the town buildings, we have depopulated. And here's Emma Dragon. So I'm going to turn it over to her because she is live coming to us. She ran up from the vaccine clinic and so her time is really precious. And I just want to give her the opportunity to give us the update. Thank you. Hello, everybody. I'm so happy to be here. Thank you for including me in your meeting. I know I'm really excited for the things to come. We are, yes, we're having our first responder clinic downstairs, which the, I think the continual rollout of the vaccine can be cumbersome and complicated and there's all these phases and steps and where do I fit in and I think all of us are having those questions. And I know that even yesterday afternoon, they had an update for it as well, even further to go through the intricacies of when can people get the vaccine. So right now we are in phase one, step three of the rollout, which is the first responders. And there's six steps in phase one, and then we move to phase two, which is 75 and older people with two plus co co morbidities, meaning if you have high blood pressure or diabetes. And then people who also live in public and private low income and affordable housing, as well as those great school teachers and adults over 65. What I do know is that yesterday, the state did include people who live in private housing settings that are 75 and older at the end of phase one distribution. So not right now, even though I know we're all excited to jump in line and get it as soon as we can, but not quite yet. So that phase comes up. We will certainly get the word out there. I know Mary Beth is great about communication with all of her team and all of her great community stakeholders, all of you guys, and some more to come with that. So here at the health department we have been working so hard preparing for this moment. I just started here in November 2. So, Mary Beth, I know for me it feels already like I've been here for a couple years with all the great stuff we've done. So really trying to lean forward, prepare for this vaccine rollout and us as a local health department, many local health departments and boards of health don't have the capacity and opportunity to be able to do this for at the local level with vaccine clinics. We are very unique in the way that Julie Fetterman, my predecessor, was able to get this department set up. And Jennifer Brown, the public health nurse, I don't know where I would be without her. She is my two hands on the wheel compass. You know, we are really a team. Nancy Schroeder, our assistant is fantastic and brings such a great institutional knowledge with her in terms of the town. And I'm just really excited to be here and all the great things that we're going to do right now during our COVID response, but even beyond that. And once this is all over, I know that there's great things that we can do so I can take some questions if people wanted, had some questions I could talk forever but you don't want to hear me blabber blabber all day long. I have one question. Yeah, thank you so much for that Rector and hello and welcome. I guess the core question is this what is the best single source of information on the vaccine because I know it's a changing landscape. Yeah, and we different sites every day but can you recommend to us the best single source of information on where to get how and when to get the vaccine. So that would be through the mass dot gov website with when can I get my COVID vaccine on that link they are updating it at a minimum every Tuesday and Thursday. But I think they've been updating it every day. And they have these great timelines. Let me see if I can, I have a million things open on my screen but let's see if I can share my screen for a moment. Can everybody see it. Yes. You're so nimble. Okay. Well, thank you for that my kids don't think I'm nimble but you know, I'll take the compliment. So, this is a great visual that the state just came out with I believe they just posted it yesterday to help us all have a sense in terms of where are we with the roll out in Massachusetts. So here we can see that we are here in week two of January, and that COVID facing health care workers are long term health care workers. We've just started our first responders and as well as our congregate care settings, meaning our shelters and our corrections facilities. And still in phase one roll out we have those home based health care workers to come in about two weeks, if not sooner, and then non COVID facing health care workers meaning health care workers that are not knowingly taking care of sick, infectious patients with COVID, like if you were to go to the dermatology office or another specialist that you might see. And then they're starting to have all of these different tiles with lots of information for those specific groups. So that's coming out as well. So really this mass.gov website up here, where if you just were to type into Google Massachusetts, when can I get my COVID vaccine and click on it this this is where it would come up to. Great thing and, you know, even myself I use this as a brief reference for when we get calls and questions about for people asking when they're going to get the vaccine because it changes so quickly. So even I use it as a reference. Yeah, this is Tim Neal. What is the status of the supply in the state do we have any issues with that. Yeah, I think we are at the. I don't want to say mercy, but we, we are producing the vaccine right it's up to the companies Moderna and Pfizer right now. Certainly Moderna is based out of Massachusetts which I think is in our favor, but we are not just competing for ourselves in Massachusetts it's throughout the United States and around the world for people that are trying to get the vaccine. I know, and it's coming out in what I would call batches, meaning groups of it, not all kind of being seamlessly going out at the same time consistently. So, I think that right now, the amount of vaccine is, we're reaching the end of that, the one batch, meaning that I know that base date ran out of vaccine for their health care workers on Monday but they were expecting a new shipment yesterday. So I think we are starting to reach a part of the story if you will where it might be kind of on and off with vaccine distribution. I see two other hands. I see a Rosemary and Karen so Rosemary go ahead. Well, am I answered my question about which type of vaccine. And I wonder is AstraZeneca coming through at all or are we just using Moderna and Pfizer. Yeah, so I think as AstraZeneca comes along, they're going to be weaved in here. But right now we have the Moderna vaccine on the community level. And really that Pfizer vaccine because of the ultra low storage requirements are being held in the hospital based systems. Thank you, Karen. Just wanted to two things and I just wanted to say thank you for all that you've been doing already since you came, you're peddling so fast. So thank you so much. So I was just a little confused. If our information, you know that we're getting through the news feed in terms of saying now people 65 and over can get the vaccine. How is that just to, if you can clear that up a little bit compared to what like the you just showed us from Massachusetts. So that's the CDC recommendations for it and I think what we all have to remember is there's different information for different steps right so the federal information that's coming out is different than many of this, the state recommendations for right now, Massachusetts is a little different with the rollout. So people should really be focusing on the messaging from the mass.gov site for the clear information and how it's going to impact us as Massachusetts residents. But I know that the Department of Public Health is evaluating the information that comes out from the CDC regularly and health and human services so I think more to come with that chapter. Thank you. You're welcome. I'm aware, I see, I see Mila's hand and I'm also aware that Jacqueline had some, some concerns about sanitizing surfaces and public transportation. Why don't we just go to that. Jacqueline, can you speak briefly to that. Yes, yes, and it will be brief because I'm still working at pulling together the resolution. I use the PVTA van services. And for the most part, I would say, I would start out by saying that the drivers wear masks for protection and they have the signs up. To that extent, they are observing what I would assume to be some of the standards for CDC COVID sanitizing. However, a couple of weeks ago, I questioned, especially after I was on the van with, I joined the van with somebody else. And it was not possible for us to be six feet apart. And yet I, you know, I was just biding my time until I was dropped off at my place. And while, while riding, I asked the driver how often do they sanitize the van and between whether it's between passengers and he indicated that they sanitize every day at the end of the day. And it made me a little bit concerned, because I have a number of people in my, in my family circle and extended family circle in other parts of the country who have contracted COVID and have not been as fortunate as some and some other circles to survive it. And he said they do they use some kind of cleaning solution that is so strong that it would be hard for the people to, to endure it. And I that still make me concerned because between between passengers I think that there should be something that could at least give us an illusion of something being sanitized. And so it means, while the service is overall good, I think there's some concerns that need to be addressed. And if there is some way for them to be able to sanitize between passengers, especially. Emma, do you want to speak to that. And I'm afraid I regret that that's going to have to be our last question. Yeah, I know that the PVTA and other private agencies are doing really fairly well at sanitizing and cleaning. I think one of the challenges like you said Jacqueline is that the products that are approved to clean with against infections and viruses are very strong chemicals and do have a lot of off gassing and can be pretty caustic. So that's one of the challenges. I think one of the recommendations that I would say to do is make sure that even if we can't make sure that the bus is 100% clean because I don't know if that's realistic because of the cleaning materials, even though I know that all of us would love to have that in gold standard. Certainly I can reach out to the PVTA and hear their practices a little bit better, but would be to have your own hand sanitizer on you and really make sure that you are being keeping good hand hygiene with anything that you're touching if you are on the PVT one or another bus. Thank you so much, Emma for your work and you're making room for us and you're welcome at any time. No, thank you so much for having me. All right, thank you. You're welcome. Emma, can I just ask one thing before you go is that you could just make mention of the COVID testing site that's been established at UMass because I have had a lot of seniors ask about Oh, my God, that they should be accessing and how frequently because the vaccine and the COVID testing go together as a network of safety. That is a great point Mary Beth and I'm so sorry that I forgot to mention that I'm just so thinking about our clinic downstairs so UMass has a terrific asymptomatic testing site at the Mullen Center. You can just sign up online you have to make an appointment before and it takes about five minutes to go through. It's very well operated, very great social distancing. You swab your own nose so no one else has to do it for you and it's really just in the tip of your nostril, and then you put your sample in the tube, and you give it to them and then they email you the results within about 24 hours. And if you were to get a positive result they would call you. Other than that you would get an email and it's a great service it's right next door at UMass at the Mullen Center, and they still have availability I know that they've had availability I think every day very best don't you think. Yeah, but I was just on the site again yesterday. Yeah, yeah, and they you can sign up to get it every once a week for the community members. And they do encourage that because they do say that about 50% of people that become infected with COVID can be asymptomatic. So, it's always good to get that test just for that reassurance I think to. Okay, thanks so much. Great. All right, everybody stay safe and healthy okay. Okay. Thanks. And I'd like to just add that we have a number of seniors who have called me about the COVID testing, and they obviously don't have the ability to go online or to make the appointment. And so we here at the senior center are able to link people up. I've made appointments for individuals. They've been able to have some email so those who don't have email that becomes a little bit more problematic. That the email and the return come would come to our email, and then they'd have to come in and receive that email because it's type of protected information. I'm just letting people know that if you're having trouble and if you are a senior and you need to make that appointment you need assistance. I've walked through this with a number of individuals and they've all said it's been great. I had a 94 year old yesterday said this was so smooth and easy, and it was great. So, please do let people know that we can help them to access that. That's excellent. Thank you. Bye bye. Okay. So, um, okay. I just, I just, Mindy Dom did indicate that, that she wasn't able to speak earlier. So I think she is here on the, on the call and she switched out the technology and she just wanted to, to sort of make a few remarks and I just wanted to acknowledge her attendance so she We welcome her to speak go ahead Mindy. Good morning everybody can you hear me okay. Yes. Oh, I'm so glad my I had to switch technology as Mary Beth said because for some reason my microphone wasn't working on my other one. First of all, I'm so glad to be here and to listen and to learn. And what I learned when I come to these meetings is where I cannot be a great advocate for I mean not that I am a great advocate but where I can really deliver advocacy and so already I have a list going that I'm going to check in with Mary Beth afterwards. I know that the PVTA bought a very special piece of equipment that was very expensive around sanitizing its vehicles at the beginning of the pandemic. But I'm going to check in with them and just see what they do in between trips. I'm also going to check in with how they achieve six feet distance in the vans because I think that is sort of an interesting question to see how they're grappling with that, particularly since since we know that the populations that take the vans are probably the more vulnerable populations for infection. And I also I'm thrilled that Emma was here to talk about vaccination. I can't stress enough that the state is updating these prioritized populations. We frequently not only based on their recognition of oops we forgot this or advocacy from some groups, but based on the CDC's recommendations. So it's quite possible Mary Beth that we might see on the state website change today, because it's Thursday to include the 65 and older. And especially because we're taking our lead on who should get vaccinated from the CDC, although the state is in control of the prioritization of that and what the populations are. I will, I mean, am I maybe can't say this and maybe I shouldn't say this but in terms of the in response to the supply question. It's really a fault of this administration that we don't have a regular consistent adequate supply of the vaccine. There's already been information that you know the Trump administration refused to order an additional millions of doses when they had an opportunity I don't want to blame the companies on this. The companies actually were sort of begging the administration to put in their order so they could put vaccine aside for the United States that they weren't getting those orders. But hopefully that changes this coming Wednesday. And I am really hopeful that with the new administration, there will be, and who's already said, we're our priority is to get as much vaccine out there as possible, that they will invoke the National Production Act and other levers that they have at their disposal to get the manufacturer and the supply up. But I also want to remind folks that in order to really do this mass vaccination supply is part of it and supply also doesn't only include vaccines it also includes syringes, and it also includes vaccinators we need a workforce, and we need settings. So there's a whole logistic piece that I also am hopeful that a new administration is going to be much more involved in much more engaged with and be able to really sort of roll out in a very planned coordinated effective way. So I hate to say let's wait till Wednesday but I think a shift in administration will shift the federal commitment around vaccine in a different way that will be helpful to the state. I also want to say that if people think that they represent or they know people who represent a particular population that's not prioritized that they think should be. There's an email address on that website that people should write to they can also and you know let my office know we're forwarding those questions to the state. But I do think there's a little bit of we got to wait online. Hopefully seniors are not going to wait longer than anybody, you know, that are going to be in the front of the line. But for most people in the state who are not over the age of 75 at this point. I think it's, we're going to have to wait but thankfully we're not waiting without any prevention available. We have masks we have social distancing. We have a whole lot of steps that we can take avoiding large crowds that are available to us so we're not completely vulnerable and I really want to stress that that prevention is actually here to bridge the gap to vaccination. I love that Mary Beth you brought up the UMass site. That site is continuing four days a week until January 21 and then it will be reduced but still available. So it's not being eliminated just because students are coming back. They'll still be community testing the buy appointment part of that site is really important, because it not only allows them to know how many people to expect. But importantly, it keeps the crowds down. So it keeps the potential for infection low. And that's going to be really critical, especially as that site opens up to do more things whether it's campus testing and vaccination. This week I believe that site is also being enlisted to do first responder vaccination for the region. And many of us in the legislature hope that once first responders are vaccinated that that site will continue to be a regional vaccination site for other populations that hasn't been determined yet, but we're hoping that why start new when you've got something else going. So thank you so much. I don't want to, I could actually talk for the whole morning and I'm not. But I just want to make sure that people know that if you have any questions about what the state's doing what they're not doing please feel free to reach out advocacy for state agencies. My office is working remotely but we are still working. And so if things come up and they involve a state funded program or service, like the PVTA that you'll feel comfortable reaching out and I just want to really shout out all of your efforts and Mary Beth in particular for being a real local hero in terms of trying to figure out how to deliver services to a vulnerable population when all of our usual ways of delivering services are not following public health guidelines. So I thank all of you for your volunteer efforts on this and Mary Beth I am an admirer and a fan. And I want to give you the local medal of honor. I hope that I don't have to wear it or bear it. But one thing I will I will tell you the only the piece of information that I just we share with our regional councils on aging we share with mass council on aging, as well as the executive office of elder affairs that we've been talking about the vaccination process for seniors is that any process that becomes reliant on technology to sign up will fail with our population. And I think that we've seen that during the pandemic that the number of people who can access technology so limits and would create an inequitable access system. So that's just a piece you know we all echo that. You know so I know that we've been able to cobble together appointments for COVID testing for those who want to but many people I know we, we don't catch because they don't have access to technology they don't know how to use it. It's just they or they'll tell me like that's just too overwhelming I don't I'd like buy and I don't want to bother with it. So those other forms that other states are looking at around whether you take parts of the alphabet and say seniors who are A and B come on these days, and and allow more open drive in some kinds of situation are going to be important to that as well as our ability to work with populations that don't speak English so it's just like, you know the work that you, you lay the seeds for with the census and it's going to be people talking to people, because the number one concern and literally I get hundreds of calls like the past couple days, it's been really, I just, I don't know the word it's good it's not overwhelming it's it's appropriate response that individuals and the number one concern is that there will be a vaccination going on and they won't know it. That's the concern they want how will I know when you're doing it. That's, you know, because people people tell me or I have adults children calling me saying, How will I know my mother's 94 I live in New Hampshire she's here she doesn't watch TV she doesn't, you know, the forms of media that you or I might visit she so it's going to be an interesting reach out so I just want that's the only piece of advocacy that that I would like to share. In my following up on that, because what I will do today is I will follow up in two different directions on that one is with the Secretary of Health and Human Services who's taking on this commander well and the other is with my colleague. The chair of the elder services committee or at least was up until January 5 and I think probably still acting that way while our committees get cleaned out, can you give me a sense of what are the alternatives for people who don't rely on the traditional sources of media to find out like what do you reckon what would your recommendation for your population and Amherst be, would you want to make sure that you had people who could go knock on doors phone call. Some of it some of them I know that we're going to have to knock on doors I have people who still just write me letters. They don't, they don't have a phone they don't want to phone. They don't read the newspaper. So some of this is going to be, you know, we have databases we have robo calls, but you know we're going to have to use our flyers, we're going to have to use multiple levels of communicating to reach seniors. So what I'm thinking is not necessarily here today but maybe you and I could also meet with other interested people and we could figure out how I could not just what I can make sure happens on the state end, but how we can mobilize locally I I see a question from Tim and and I just want to also just add to that language communities. It's not clear to me how people who who who don't speak English also learn about these things. So that's just another concern Tim go ahead. The question, does the state have an opinion or policy regarding second doses versus do vaccinating everyone first. At this point, they haven't said that they do you know I think that's going to probably be something that they're going to recommend in the next, I'd say, two weeks. I say that because of the potential for this other strain of the virus being coming down the pike and wanting to make sure that as many people get vaccinated as possible, before we start to see that, or until we start to realize that that strain is in the Commonwealth. So they haven't yet said, first, everybody gets first doses first, but we're hearing that from the incoming administration we're hearing that from other public health people. So I think it's just a matter of time before they say, we're going to use whatever supply we have. I also think that they probably are reluctant to say that until they know there's going to be that second dose. We don't know if they know that's that supply of the second dose is, I think that's what we're waiting for a new administration to say is that go for it because we're going to employ all these other measures to make sure that we have an adequate second dose and three to four weeks. Thank you. So I think right now it's just, you know, three weeks for the Moderna and four weeks for Pfizer and keeping with that track. Thank you for that question. Thank you. Okay, folks moving on. Question to Mary Beth, I wanted to make sure that you, if there are any other other updates and kind of morphing into I think one of the updates has to do with walkability. But before we get into that, if there, if there are any things you anything else you wanted to add about to your update, besides what we've discussed. Yeah, no, I guess it is that we are doing that we're in the planning stages for launching our age friendly dementia friendly effort which the town will be proceeding with will be performing a working group. And then I'll be working with the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission in July through a grant and we will be conducting a large scale survey of all of Amherst seniors and getting a better sense of what the needs are the priorities. I'll be I'll be reading some more information for you about what the age friendly dementia friendly labels mean and what they translate to. But basically if you think of it as the social determinants of health so everything from transportation to the hard scape environment to healthcare to education and culture, looking at what we have here in town both mapping our resources that we have, and then putting forward a plan of how we're going to continue to make it accessible and friendly to individuals who are aging, and also those who might be experiencing dementia and of course, the statistics on dementia are rising, they are anticipating upwards to a 30 to 40% increase due to the isolation due to COVID. And certainly we're seeing that anecdotally amongst our individuals who have sheltered and been vulnerable and unable to leave their homes that even the progression is much greater and more rapid. So we have a lot of work ahead of us, and I will be bringing information at the next meeting but the presentation on age friendly dementia friendly. And then the walkability piece Pat will introduce but I have some really great news around proceeding for a grant that Karen pat and I believe participate in them. Pat, do you mind if I just go ahead and make a quick just going backwards for a second. Mindy I put out to the Emma dragon, just about the possibility I probably should have CC Paul Backelman on it but as an Amherst resident. I was really I was encouraging I think at this time it would be great if maybe if a robo call was sent out again, just to help to lower the anxiety to say we got this. This is the plan. This is the website you can go to but just know that we're, you're not going to miss it, you know, and it's not only for seniors right but for all residents. And I think it would go a long way to send out another robo call because I know it really helped when they did that with the COVID testing so I didn't want to inundate Paul with, you know, with more emails and stuff like I said it did mention to Emma but I know she's also really busy but I thought it would go a long way. I think that's a great idea because I think that at least giving people the website address that they can go and see what the priority is, and that, you know, that there'll be more information coming. I also think I was just going to write to Mary Beth that I would like to know where I can direct seniors to connect to a database that then they that you may be thinking that you're going to tap into use for that senior outreach. And it may be an appropriate thing in the robo call to say if you know a senior who's concerned, please make sure that they are part of the senior outreach or whatever at and then give information because I think the more that we can sort of encourage people to information portals that we know will have the information. Now, the better prepared will be when the, when in the supply comes and when the prioritization gets qualified so I'm, I'm like in the middle of writing an email to Mary Beth saying let's get together but I don't know what where I should tell people to go like if you're using a particular database to do outreach or that you anticipate using or I want to make sure that people know that now's the time to sign up for that database. Right. And, you know, that's a good thing if we're able to do that with people's current addresses phone numbers or however they'd like to be contacted. We'll always be able to get volunteers in Amherst to be able to do the outreach one way or the other I am not. I am not concerned about that I think once people need to be notified. I think it's a good thing to help their neighbors they're, they're, they're sitting on their, you know, my mother had this expression of sitting on their spoke is I'm not really sure like they're eager to help. And I think that doing some of that outreach may be one way to connect them to be able to help with their neighbors, but if we're able to sort of generate this information that here's what you can do now to be prepared to get the information later. I agree. I'll re I'll echo that question. I think before they use the robocall to advertise the free testing site for symptomatic individuals, they might have been reluctant to say yes to that, since they've used it for that purpose they may be open to it. Alright, thank you. Thank you so much for for your ideas and energy around that those issues. Karen and Mary Beth and I have been looking at we actually attended a web webinar on resources available through the Commonwealth. Walkability. It's part of the transportation department of transportation initiative. And as a result of that first of all was a highly informative and energizing workshop, and it got us thinking about all our friends and neighbors who love walking for health for both mental and physical for connection with nature the whole gamut of things that affect and also enrich our community because walkers are quite a very diverse group and and they when when seniors pause sometimes groups of walkers will pause and gather and chat at a local coffee shop and so it's just also great for local businesses as well. One of the things that we're doing in support of this is to try to elevate the presence of seniors and the importance of seniors related to both age friendly and dementia friendly opportunities and brainstorming around what would improve the richness of our town and the health of our fellow citizens and ourselves. So we are we're at the very earliest stages I think of gathering individuals who have an interest who are who have a passion for walking who rock regularly who bring others into it and and and who are excited about thinking about how we could make that experience more vibrant and advise Mary Beth and town grant makers for looking for resources to improve that situation for seniors and so so we're we're on a path for that and I guess what I'm inviting I'm inviting fellow council members to help us in that process of identifying walkers in your community or in your your network of people in town and and so that we you know can can communicate updates and will probably organize we're we haven't discussed this yet but probably organize some sort of information session or let's say brainstorming session on what what sites would work what what what what's better signage could do also say that we have a resource available that I wanted to share with the council members and that is that a woman from who works with the Department of Transportation and also has been involved in many walking projects in Boston she chairs Walk Boston and she and other people from this program are willing to do workshops to let us know what how other towns have acquired money to support projects of better signage of better of safer access routes to walking paths there's just a huge spectrum of possible projects and so why should Karen and Mary Beth and I have all the fun my hope was and my interest is that what I when I'm interested in hearing from the rest of you about is would you be open to or interested in having us listen to representative from walk Boston who is so knowledgeable about what's been done in other communities any thoughts about that or do you want to have anything to add Karen or Mary Beth I just would would like to add that one exercise and walking in particular is incredibly important to the senior population what we know from research is that movement and exercise is the number one way to fend off any kind of dementia and never mind the other ways in which exercise improves overall health and mental health. So that's why movement is very important and critical to what we do in our own mission. Currently, I have been in touch with our town planner about there is one specific grant that is available at this point in time that is referencing the shared streets. We had a number of projects here at the bank center that we wanted to accomplish that were exterior and related to well warned pathways that seniors frequently take to access services and downtown that needed improvement. So I probably almost a year ago I'd gotten some bids and just price those up so that I'd be able to present more knowingly on those. And I'm going to be meeting today at one o'clock with one of the assistant town planners to do a walk around the bangs and in our immediate area around walking trails and loops and seeing what is happening and sort of getting their opinion on some of that. But there's a lot more work to be done, you know, including the walkability study and I know Rosemary is nodding her head because she has been involved in this from the get go she's an avid walker. And so many of you, right, you know, when we were doing our move and groove. Walking is important, whether you're walking to golf, Tim, or whether you're walking, you know, out on a trail like Rosemary does so. And I know Sue goes out on the path there by green leaves because we I recently got in a call about a bridge that had been damaged and so we sent the inspectors out there. And so it's, it is a very broad issue and we're hoping to bring in some more resources and some experts from the state who provide technical assistance for free and some pro bono assistance. And that will also fold in with our age friendly and dementia friendly campaign and effort around accessibility. And so we're hoping to be limited to the downtown. And then Pat also I just want to mention had a colleague, and she, she and her husband have actually mapped out a number of walking routes and graded them by difficulty and terrain has done a tremendous amount of work and so I'm going to be working with her to create some online materials using what she's created and then also having it put into like a booklet form that seniors would have it available and it will include some maps and trails and we're going to be working with some students on that project to just butchress what she's got and we're very excited about that. So, move and groove keep walking and there has been such enthusiasm. I mean, I've just reached out in my own little area network of people at Greenleaves. And my gosh the enthusiasm just blows my hair back. There's just such such great interest in this so my sense is that we can really make some progress in this area for this first round of funding and possibly more. But the key I think is organizing and identifying folks who are passionate about this topic that'll help us in this issue and other issues of importance to seniors in the future. So, the name of the woman from Walk Boston is Leanne Taylor and I was looking through my notes about that and so anyway, there'll be more on that as we move along. I'm looking at our time and I'm looking at our ambitious agenda and I'm saying I'm thinking that we will probably there's a few items that will probably table for next time they're not so time sensitive as some of these other projects. So, Pat I have a comment to make that may be time sensitive. As far as the robocalls are concerned, I think it's important that a lot of attention be paid to the robocalls being spoken slowly and clearly, especially web addresses for everyone, let alone seniors. It seems like everyone younger than us speaks 100 miles an hour today, even people that have some years on them are speaking faster than I can comprehend much of the time so we need to make sure that those robocalls are slow and clear when it comes to that's an excellent point and yeah because otherwise you if you it becomes a source of frustration and it's important information. People are taking the time to reach out to you. You might not get the information that you need in order to be aware of it. I wanted to be another source of frustration. That's for sure. We don't need any more. Thank you. Okay, I see Chad's hand up. Yes. I'm looking. Can you unmute also that some of us don't have phone. You're talking about robocalls. Sure, absolutely. Gotta go by email as well. I think that it's clear that a variety of methods are going to have to be used and so I would echo what Mindy said about, you know, neighbors looking out for neighbors and identifying others who need information particularly and reassurance reassurance as well. Yeah, and I have to think that those systemically hard to reach populations, you know, again and again get overlooked in these, you know, in in these and get being being able to receive information that will help protect health and well being so there's no doubt about that we need to figure out strategies for overcoming obstacles. And I'm hearing some good suggestions from all of you. I'd like to turn next to the updates on our committee structure. And let me just, I sent you some documents, even today. Let me just tell you what my process, our process has been on on this and where we stand. And it's a reminder that we we realized that having five committees on a in a in a group of nine people was perhaps not terribly specific. And so really, I would like to recognize the great help that one of our most seasoned members, Rosemary Koffler has had together, she and I have been noodling together over how we could be leaner and meaner, or maybe leaner and kinder and figuring out how to eliminate the five committee structure and replace it with three, but also to delineate something about the charges of the these committees to give them some direction and some tasks to consider. And she she made and I an important point with and I that I agree with that, that that action groups work with problems that they're always that that they're prioritizing and these are, you know, these these times right now are an example of the need to to be able to be nimble and pivot. And sometimes triage to the most active important activities. So I guess I'm thinking that. And so anyway, they I worked I tried to integrate her thinking about this and my own thinking about this and come up with identifying and naming more simply three committees and coming up with a charge for those committees. So I think my my sense is and I love to hear more feedback from you is that the committee charges themselves, I think, you know, maybe that that's useful as as a working. Let me back up and say that I think that the committee charges are like are inherently fluid are going likely to be fluid they can represent some they the list that I have put are some of those activities that come to mind in this moment and perhaps for the year ahead. I had, but I'm not. I'm, I have a sense that that might change over time. So that might figure that might help us shape what where it is we're going. So I'm looking. And sort of looking at the this working document I want to just call your attention to a couple of things. And then we can open up for more discussion. So there are three core items that I've included one eliminates the five committee structure and replaces it with three of committees, well being program and services and community culture. The second item is encourages every council member to participate in at least one committee. And that really reflects my understanding, and that of the past of the way the council has worked. So that the expectation is that each one of you would serve identify a committee that calls to you, that you have some energy around. And, and I guess what that, you know, what that might mean is that you participate in some way that you need to, to chair it. In fact, it's probably a good idea to bring in other, you know, other leaders that because part of I think what we're trying to do is democratize and enliven the participation of fellow seniors to diversify the participation of fellow seniors. And so it just I think the presence of council members though on the committee does help any committee keep its focus at least that is consistent with the mission of the senior center of senior services and water and also serves for the committee as a source of information that's reliable and factual and, and helps people stay grounded. So, you, we may all want to discuss that further but I want to ask, I'm sort of bluntly asking each of you if you think that that's something that's a reasonable requirement and or expectation of your time and talent and service of that purpose. And finally, um, yeah, the committees should be populated and with individuals committed to becoming involved in some way and helping the committee. They could be part of a working group that could be part of a policy group that could be individuals like who have a special expertise to offer the senior center. So part of what Mary Beth and I constantly talk about is how we can mobilize different people with different kinds of talents and expertise and experience in support of the important activities and programs and services of the of the council itself. And senior services and senior services generally. So, um, yeah, and a component of that would also that we've been discussing is make perhaps, and we're perhaps making a little more of the, I don't know, respecting and maybe elevating people as associate members associate members of the senior center are kind of like super volunteers. They're doing the work that keeps us going. Our council does work that keeps the senior services going and responsive to the communities in which we live. But we cannot do our work alone, obviously. And so, having an associate membership they wouldn't associate members of like anyone of course could attend our meetings and we might well invite them. But they, they're not appointed in the same way that each of us has been appointed. That's the overall plan and I guess maybe that's the best place to start in reviewing this, this working document. Any, any thoughts on any of this. Mila, yeah, I see you. Excuse me. Can you tell us again, the five major committees you have and then you said you want to reduce that to three. Yes. I mean I'm saying yes to quickly because I I don't have. Let me see. Let me just see if I can pull out the original text on that. We had a committee on hold on here. Trying to think of. Excuse me, I do have it on my fingertips. Oh, thank you that's excellent. Thank you, Mary. These in the original bylaws had been transportation. Okay, funding wellness. Highland Valley elder services and the nominating committee. And we had determined that the nominating committee is really not shouldn't be a standing committee anyway it's an ad hoc committee, which is appointed only yet a certain period of time for one month. The funding committee is. I think we determined that also should be not a part of the council since we are not. Well, I won't get into that maybe Tim can talk about that more carefully. What do you say Tim. I'm mute. I agree. Because yeah, it's more appropriate for the friends and others to do the fundraising than us as the pointed members of the town. So getting into all that detail I agree with that. And Highland Valley elder services is also. We have a representative there. Highland Valley. In fact, Pat has graciously volunteered to do that. And that is not really a committee per se. Yeah. Transportation perhaps and wellness are both. And those would be included in the document that we established for well being programs and services and community culture. And then we have three committees to replace what we have now. That doesn't, the reduction to three committees just not reduce. And I see Jacqueline's hand up. Thank you. Can you hear me. Yes. I think this is a good right now. Yeah. Excuse me, we're having trouble hearing you. Can you. I don't know. Hello. Okay. We're getting feedback. Okay. Is this better. Yes. I think this is a good idea. And perhaps we can. We can look at having subcommittees. Or work groups as you suggested. And that, because you've gotten the, the, the basics of what we are looking to be doing. One is look at well being programs and services. And brought in the community. So having subcommittees within committees. The terminal, I would agree. I think I guess one of the things that I'm, I'm learning humbly is that the language matters. And a working group, for example, does not have the requirement to, to establish to, to, to hold public meetings to, you know, because they're still working on problem solving. They're not making a policy recommendations. They're, they're just, they're gathering information and so forth. So the, the, let's just say the paperwork and the complexity in that regard has is reduced. It gives people an opportunity to kind of work through an issue together. And with less sort of, I don't want to call it encumberment. That's not quite fair, but they can, they can spend more of their time and energy less on the mechanics of meeting, of meeting together and setting up public meetings and recording and minutes and all those things and more time focusing on some problem solving so working group is something and Mary Beth could speak to that more subcommittees I think do have obligations to, to hold public meetings they act as, you know, the public bodies and thus are required to, to have post their agenda in advance of, you know, 48 hours before. So that's that distinction is important. And I think, I think, and I'm just expressing myself here on this one that we need to be able to have those energized energized people work who are want to do some really some practical work together to be able not to be encumbered and not to be to be able to focus on that work and to make progress on that. So that's, I hope that's a help those distinctions are helpful. Yes, yes. And I think having laid out the charges and conjunction with that makes it even more helpful. Because in the course of working on committees, one can begin or ones people can begin to see some of the issues that are emerging. And while they have brought charge, they can adapt some particular activities to specific needs. Okay, any other comments from Tim. Okay, I'm unmuted. Thank you. Yeah, for I like these committees and the document a little better than the first time my as you recall from the last meeting. I don't know if it's on the establishes committees and structures like this, I think we need to be clear and we need to be direct so people understand immediately what we're talking about tells the titles the charges and so forth I think is a much better version of that. I appreciate the, the edits. So I have a couple of editorial comments about the document itself, which Well, I think first one well being I think it's well written my on the charge on all of them they start this is online, but they start to explore ways I don't think you need the word to you can just start with explore ways of and then the charge or the second And eliminate the two. That's just as an editorial comment. Now, more substantively, program and services. We mentioned in an earlier discussion today the word accessibility I think that's really important and in a way that's what the program and services. But on the first point we say review study and make recommendations as to for safe reliable transportation and I would just add an accessibility, just as a suggestion so we have it in there so people know that's where one addresses accessibility questions. Absolutely. And accessibility questions I would echo that would would go to really all all our programs. So that would be one. And then the third one, I just don't understand immediately what community culture means. So I would suggest changing that title. And I would change it to this is a suggestion for me to inclusiveness and culture. I don't understand what this whole topic talks about community culture by itself stand alone I just don't understand myself. I don't understand that and one suggestion would to be to just have inclusiveness and culture something like that, more pin points exactly what this committee is supposed to be doing then all the bullet points in the charge. So that's just one suggestion. And then the third related to that, I don't understand the charge. I don't think I don't understand words like achieve a wider wisdom in communities I just don't think people I don't know what that means. So I would, I just don't feel comfortable with wording in that charge I actually like Rosemary's draft. The one that says that her charge was over adults and so on so forth if you have that in front of you so that would be one comment. So those are, I have a couple others but I don't want to dominate here. Some of the specifics but those are, let me start by starting there. Okay. Okay, let's see I see Rosemary's hand and I see Jacqueline's hand, and I see events hand. So, let's see we've heard. If that we haven't heard from you yet so why don't we, why don't you speak up, and I see Chad's hand to. Okay, thank you. I was reviewing your document. I was struck that, well, I was attracted to the second and third parts. I mean, how to include involve community, the seniors, and then I was struck that that if I was doing that. I'm sure I'm not sure but I would imagine others would also be drawn to particular subcommittees. And I also then thought, this is an opportunity for service it looks like it's civic service. And I think it's important that maybe as subcommittee members that we learn something that we didn't work on before perhaps, because it's sort of like preaching to the choir. You know, so that's all I want to say that it would be good to challenge ourselves, maybe by joining a subcommittee that is, it's not something that you would be drawn to to begin with, so civic duty and learning something challenging ourselves. I'm getting feedback. Okay. All right. Thank you, that. Let's see. Chad, we haven't heard from you much yet why don't you go next. Let me put down my hand for. I'm the odd man out. I'm kind of, you know, being maybe the new guy. I take a totally different approach to it. For me, the charge for this group is the Elder Americans Act of 1964. That's, that's what we're about. We can go about that any way we want. We have the constraints of the town being a town, a town entity. You know, we, as you said, we have to have the 24 hour notice on the meetings and all that. But this discussion is talking about how we go about that we can go about that anyway we want that's that's in our power. The committees we can sit around. I mean, I'm involved in another organization that has bifurcated goals there's a socialization isolation reduction type thing, and a service thing, you know, providing a service. We sit around and try to name every service that somebody could need or want we can never come up with that. We have to ask the people what do you need, and then, you know, perform that or give them that. It's the same thing we can sit around and try to come up with all these ideas, but unless we have a strategic plan. You know, a work plan, I mean, the vision and values never change, but down to the next level the mission. Most organizations rewrite a new mission every five years or so. The mission comes from data. Maybe I learned from Mary Beth that there's going to be a survey coming out. Maybe that's something that we want to look at and say what are the needs of Amherst for the elders, you know, how do we supply that what is that. And the committees will flow from that. Yeah, we began with the next level which is what is the mission for the next five years. Then from that comes goals, you know, it just keeps getting down like a like a funnel, what, what are the exact objectives to those goals. You know what's a timeline, and even all the way down to tasks and individual what individuals need so to me, you know the committees come from that that larger plan. Okay, thank, thank you for that. I see Jacqueline. No, she just didn't lower her hand from the last time. Oh, okay. All right. Okay, I see Rosemary and Mila. Go ahead Rosemary. I have a number of comments about the document that you had sent out pad originally and I'm wondering actually if I'm able to share my screen because I put a number of things in red. Let me try that. Okay. Sure. Let me see. Let me see if I can do that. Did that work? No, I guess. Okay. Yeah. I'm in service. That's not the one I wanted to, you know, that might be the one I want to. For instance, I, there was a number in the first well being, I think that you had this goal or chart described in this upper sentence, it should be separate I think. Okay. And I thought this statement was very peculiar. By choice or circumstance, those who are not lonely but happily so I, I don't think that's necessary. Okay. I think that's the one I wanted to share in that statement. And then coming down here, I, I, I agree with Tim totally about this charge is, is vague. I don't know what wider wisdom is and I just had trouble with that. I also had trouble with some of these other statements. They're not clear. They're not simple. They're not easily understood and this acronym, I don't think we should ever use an acronym in a document. Sure. Unless it's been carefully identified or Sure. And I didn't, I apologize for that because I didn't mind. You can see my asterisk I meant to identify that it stands for black indigenous. Yeah, exactly. Not everybody knows that. No, that's right. You're right. It needs that absolutely. Keep going. And for instance, this statement to establish ongoing occasions for white identified people to build multicultural competence, respectful practices as allies and witnesses and interrupters of racist systems seems like a really complicated way of saying something that could be more simple. I would welcome new language on that. Sure. And yeah, to build self and collective advocacy skills among identity groups and to affirm the contributions that seniors make to the well functioning of Amherst. That also seems like it needs more definition to me. Sure. Not a simple statement. It's not. I would sit here and say, well, what exactly does that mean if I'm on that? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. That's fair. I think those are fair, fair comments. And thank you for that. I think I appreciate those. The comments that everyone is making as, you know, welcoming as we're sort of defining what it is, how we want our committees to function. And so I think those are helpful. And I feel like I'm not adequately, I haven't been clear enough myself. And let me let me explain to everyone. Well, at least what what what I'm proposing or what I'm thinking about it really drawn from what what I'm learning about the task of of looking at our current institutions and and definitely not only making them more inclusive but in the process also may helping to support them to be less white centric. I guess that's what I'm trying to say here, and that one of the things that happens in our Congress and in other communities is that that the two things are supported and I'm looking for graceful language to indicate that on one hand and what we what we look for our opportunities for us to to come together as a full community. But there's also some value in specific identity groups like caucuses in Congress, there's a white, there's a black caucus, there is a Latino caucus. Our culture has damaged certain identity and social groups that that that and because, and this is my editorializing because white people continue to do some damage to people of color in our language in our our holding, let's say holding on to power and not and and to the in old ways of that have a have the impact of adversely and disproportionately of impacting people of color that we need. There is work for white people to do. And I wanted to be bold about stating that there is also to recognize. So that's that's kind of one problem to conceptualize, but I do think that doesn't mean that we, we create new ghettos of different groups. So it means that we move that we also create. I guess that the end game if there is one is, is that we come together that we want people to be inclusive, but responsibly so, sensitively so. So we don't crash into each other and inadvertently exclude and and insult and speak ignorantly. So that's, that's what I, I guess what I'm, that's what I'm looking, looking to, to, to do. And so I would welcome. You know, and I'm also, I'm just looking up at the time now because I promised Angela that we would be. She's got another meeting that she that she has to slide into this space. And I want to recognize Sue she's got her hand up as well. Go ahead Sue and unmute okay good. Yeah, that's just to say we in five minutes Angela wants us off. Okay, thank you. All right. So, um, I would say, so here's what I'm going to ask. This is a vitally important conversation and I really want us all together to get this right, and to figure it out. So I'm going to ask anyone who has who could work with me. Call me that sort of thing so that we can polish the these things up. Do so do connect with me. And I think Sue would probably like to hear. And then we'll, and so we'll put that we'll continue this conversation at our next meeting. And I guess, and the next thing I want to just add, and we'll add other topics that we didn't cover today. Those appear in our next meeting. And Sue, would you be looking for a rep would be helpful for you to have an approval of motion for approval of minutes. All right. Okay, thank you for that. Tim. Some changes or additions that I should email to somebody. Okay. It could be, you can either email them to me. Okay. All right, thank you. And Tim, your hand was. Yeah, I was going to just to be formal than I would move that we adopt the meeting. Okay. So I think we have to talk about some changes in the data adaptations from Chad. Assuming they aren't substantive. If they are substantive that we have to talk about, then we shouldn't address, but assuming it's just sort of technical things, then I think we could approve the minutes. Okay. Do I hear a second. Second. Okay. All right. All those in favor. Hi. Hi. Hi. Hi. Jacqueline. All right. All those opposed. I see no opposition. Do we have a, do we have a quorum supporting the minutes? I think we do. Okay. All right. All right. Topics not regional. We'll have to table that. That, that. For next meeting. Do I hear a motion for adjournment? So move. Second. Chad and Tim. Okay. All right. All those in favor. Hi. Thanks everyone for such great thinking and your feedback. It's been really, really helpful. Thank you. All right. All right. All right. All right.