MEMBERS PRESENT:
Mary Barber Ron Barber	Rusty Embrey George Galasso	Louise Gregory Teresa Harn	Terry Maxwell

 

STAFF MEMBERS PRESENT: Jill Hall

The minutes from November 15, 2005 were presented. Ron made a motion to accept the minutes.  Mary seconded the motion.  Motion carried.

TREASURER'S REPORT: A report for the month of December was presented.  Copies will be forwarded to the city's Mayor and Council.  Louise made a motion to accept the treasurer’s report.  George seconded the motion.  Motion carried.
 
STANDING COMMITTEES:

A. Budget: We made $4,490.54 at the Holiday Bazaar.  RSI will pay for the new signs out of the general fund and not from the individual accounts for Bingo, Gift and Bazaar.  At the 6-month point our financial status is where we should be.  In the future Rusty would like an explanation on any bills so that she will know what they are for.  Rusty had someone ask her if they donate a little bit of money at a time and have it eventually added up to $500 could she get a flower on the board.  The board decided that she should save her money and donate it when it adds up to $500.

B. Ways & Means: Louise will send Betty B. a thank you note for all of her hard work for the Holiday Bazaar.   It should be a RSI board member who calls the names of the raffle winners at the Bazaar and the Yard Sale and to call anyone who is not present to notify them of their win.

C. Bingo: We need volunteers for Bingo or it will not run in February.

D. Correspondence/Memorial: No correspondence.  We received a $250 in donations.

E. Gift Shop: In November we made $2,423.84 and paid out $678.43 to consignors and netted $1,634.00.  In December we made $2,140.00 and paid out $727.00 to consignors and netted $1,314.00.  Rusty mentioned that the Holiday Bazaar totals are included in the Gift Shop monthly total.  The Gift Shop made over $900 at the Bazaar.

F. Thrift Shop: The Thrift Shop made $856.85 in November, $599.41 at the Holiday Bazaar and $464.84 for the rest of December.

G. Publicity: No report.

H. Senior Citizens Commission: Connie Farrell has resigned from the commission.  Our annual trip to Annapolis is on January 24, 2006.  The cost is $10 and includes continental breakfast and a box lunch.  The bus leaves the senior center at 7:00am and will return at 4:00pm.  There are speakers for the first 1-½ hours and then you meet with your representatives.  After lunch there is a windup session.  Please see Lorraine Schack if you are interested in attending.  The next commission meeting is on January 19, 2006.

I. Hispanic Services Report: The Hispanic Club did well at the Bazaar.  All proceeds from the craft table went to the Senior Assistance Fund.

J. Asian Services Report: The Chinese Group sold 180 tickets for the raffle.  They donated $300 to the Senior Assistance Fund.   

OLD BUSINESS: Steve Chappell will have his first seminar in May.  It is in conjunction with Older Americans month.  If it is popular then it will be repeated.  Steve had said that he would have meetings with attorneys and CPAs and George will contact him about this.  Most of the board submitted their choices for the Volunteer Gift.  Jill will figure out the top three and then we will vote.  Jill has been meeting with other staff regarding naming rights to rooms and buildings in the city.  There will be two types of naming rights, in recognition and in consideration.  The information has been submitted to Burt Hall and from there it will go to the city’s legal department for further review. 

NEW BUSINESS: Rusty asked for clarification of the elections in May – who is up for re-election and who is not.  Let Jill know if you would like to return to the board this year and she will let the board know at the next meeting who needs to run and who does not.  Chris Klopfer is the new Sports and Exercise Supervisor and asked Rusty to hand out a flyer inviting all the board members to the Softball Pizza Party.  Louise made a motion to increase the amount budgeted to sponsor the softball team from $500 to $600.  Mary seconded the motion.  Motion carried.  Rusty felt that we were losing memberships when longtime members who volunteer move out of the city because it is too expensive to pay $125 each year and too hard to volunteer 100 hours.  We do offer 3-month and 6-month memberships if someone is unable to pay $125 all at once.  Rusty asked if someone could pay $65 and volunteer 50 hours of their time for a membership.  This is not an RSI issue but Jill could present it to the Mayor and Council if the board would like her to do so.  Ron suggested that we always send flowers or a plant whenever a board member is ill or in the hospital.  Louise suggested that it be only for a death.  George felt that it should be on an individual basis.  It was decided that whoever is suggesting that we send flowers email or call the other board members and get their approval before sending flowers or a plant.

STAFF REPORT: We have a new CIP project for the senior center coming up.  The hallways and Carnation Room will be covered with 1/8” drywall and painted with the same paint as in the kitchen.  We will try to get the work done between 10:00pm and 7:00am.  A refrigerator has been purchased for the Arts and Crafts Room.  The Estelle Berberian award forms are available for nominations and need to be back to George by April 3, 2006.  The task force for the future of senior services has been formed and will begin meeting tomorrow and will meet every other week for six weeks.  There is one RSI board member (George Galasso); one Senior Commission member and the other sixteen people are from the general public.  They will be discussing the future of senior services in the next decade.  The budget for FY07 is in the public approval phase.  You can see the division’s entire budget.  Jill has asked for the registration specialist position to be fulltime and for additional money for utility costs.  All extensive overnight trips have been removed.  Karen’s department will run shorter trips of 2 or 3 days.  Chris Klopfer’s position will have more emphasis on personal training and sports and exercise.  We need to replace 50 chairs in the Carnation Room and would like to match the existing chairs.  Louise made a motion to purchase 50 chairs at $11,610.00 for the Carnation Room.  Mary seconded the motion.  Motion carried. 

The meeting was adjourned at 2:50 p.m.  The next meeting is scheduled for February 21, 2006 at 1:00 p.m.