HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes_COA_02.08.2016Minutes of the
Georgetown Commission on Aging
City of Georgetown, Texas
February 8, 2016
The City of Georgetown Commission on Aging met on February 8, 2016 at 6:00 p.m. at the Public Safety
Facility, located at 3500 DB Wood Road, Georgetown, TX 78633.
The City of Georgetown is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If you
require assistance in participating at a public meeting due to a disability, as defined under the ADA, reasonable
assistance, adaptations, or accommodations will be provided upon request. Please contact the City Secretary's
Office, at least four (4) days prior to the scheduled meeting date, at (512) 930-3652 or City Hall at 113 East 8` Street
for additional information; TTY users route through Relay Texas at 711.
Regular Session
(This Regular session may, at any time, be recessed to convene an Executive Session for any purpose authorized by
the Open Meetings Act, Texas Government Code 551.)
A. Call to Order
Tim O'Neill, Chairman of the Board, called the meeting to order at 6:03 p.m. All eight Board
members were present, thus constituting a quorum. Also present were Staff Liaison Fire Chief
John Sullivan and Staff Liaison Office Specialist Linda White.
Statutory Consent Agenda
The Statutory Consent Agenda includes non -controversial and routine items that may be acted upon with one single
vote. An item may be pulled from the Consent Agenda in order that it be discussed and acted upon individually as
part of the Regular Agenda.
B. Consideration and possible action to approve the minutes of the meeting held on January
11, 2016. Virginia Lazenby moved to approve the minutes from the January 11, 2016 meeting,
to include a correction in the spelling of Suzy Pukys' last name. Donna Livingston seconded the
motion, which the Board approved unanimously.
Legislative Regular Agenda
The Commission will individually consider and possibly take action on any or all of the following items:
C. Presentation by City of Georgetown Fire Department discussing Emergency Medical
Services for seniors, and City of Georgetown Police Department discussing the
department's "Take Me Home Program" — Fire Chief John Sullivan and Police Captain
Roland Waits.
Police Captain Waits shared that the "Take Me Home Program" actually began in Florida with
concentration on children. Later the program expanded to include the aging population. The
program has been operational in Georgetown for six years. The Police Department has
partnered with a company that provides a data base program that will incorporate information
provided on children and their parents as well as senior citizens. Officers working in the field
who come in contact with children whose information has been placed into this program are
more knowledgeable of the child, to better assist the children and their parents in times of need.
The same applies in assisting senior citizens. Information forms are available at the Public
Safety
Operations and Training Center as well as at the Georgetown Public Library. The forms gather
information about the children, parents and senior citizens. Completed forms are then submitted
to the Police Department. Captain Waits stressed that all information is kept secured and
confidential. The Police Department updates their information on a yearly basis. The "Take Me
Home Program" has been introduced into various nursing homes, assisted living facilities and
Alzheimer's facilities in Georgetown. Captain Waits shared that the department has been trying
various ways to make this program more knowledgeable to the public but without much success.
The Board provided Captain Waits with some organizations to contact, for instance the
Georgetown Ministerial Association.
Fire Chief John Sullivan spoke regarding the EMS for the City of Georgetown. Chief Sullivan
gave an overview of the City which included demographics of transports pertaining to the
number of calls, hours of calls, days of call, ages, type of call, and general area locations in the
City. There is an increase of falls in the 60 and over age group due to dementia, depression and
drug overdose of their medications. Seven percent of seniors who fall results into a transport.
The EMT's answer a call, arrive at the site, only to determine the call is a much more complex
situation. Chief Sullivan described several programs that the department has already
implemented or will implement in the near future. Smart 911: when a 911 call comes in, the call
will register by the phone number it came in on, and will populate to the Fire Department EMS.
Prescription Take Back: work with the elderly and their prescriptions to take back the
prescriptions no longer in use. Lock Box: boxes located on the premises, keys to the home are
locked inside so that fire/EMS can open to obtain keys to enter the home of the emergency.
Slip -Trip -Fall: firemen/EMS invited into the home to view unsafe areas/items and suggest safer
adjustments. Blood Pressure Check: residents can stop by the fire stations and get blood
pressure checks. Chief Sullivan and staff are trying to be more visible throughout the community-
with
ommunitywith goals in mind to aid residents as they try to live healthier and safer lives.
D. Consideration and possible action to endorse the Georgetown Public Library's grant
application to the Texas State Library and Archives Commission for a Community
Resource Coordinator position to service senior residents of Georgetown — Eric P. Lashley,
Library Services Director. Mr. Lashley explained that the Library is applying for a grant of
$75,000 to hire and equip a Community Resources Coordinator to partner with area nonprofit
organizations to serve seniors, residents with limited mobility, and low income families. The
proposed Community Resources Coordinator would partner with key nonprofit organizations to
guide residents to needed services. The library's facilities could be used to host community
outreach events. Mr. Lashley further explained that one of the mission statements of the Library
is to provide open and equal access to information. As Georgetown residents age, there will be
greater needs in the community for social services and the library is in a unique position to help
provide specialized information to these residents. Applications are due March 1 I'"; projects are
approved and contracts issued during August; projects begin September 10; project ends in
August 2017. If the library is awarded a grant, the possibility exists that the grant could be
received for an additional two years. Gene Jantzen moved to support in principal the
Georgetown Public Library's grant application to the Texas State Library and Archives
Commission for a Community Resource Coordinator position to service senior residents of
Georgetown. Josie Zamora seconded the motion, which the Board approved unanimously.
Upon the Commission's support of the library grant application for a Community Resource
Coordinator position, two slides prepared by Mr. Lashley explaining the grant proposal will be
added to the power point presentation that the Commission on Aging will be presenting during
the City Council Workshop on February 9".
E. Discussion of information included in the presentation to the City Council — Tim O'Neill,
Chairman, Commission on Aging. A few revisions have occurred. The power point
presentation is ready to present to the City Council Workshop on February 9, 2016.
F. Presentation and discussion of the final report of the proposed Southeast Georgetown
Aging Survey — Josephine Zamora, Commission on Aging Board member. Ms. Zamora stated
that the survey questions have been reduced from 92 questions to 41 questions. The Board is
waiting for direction from City Council as to how best to proceed with the survey.
G. Discussion and possible recommendations for revisions to the charge given the Commission
on Aging — Tim O'Neill, Chairman, Commission on Aging. Tabled for a future agenda.
H. Discussion on future agendas and priorities — Tim O'Neill, Chairman, Commission on Aging.
Tabled until the first meeting with the new members.
Adjournment
The next Board meeting will be Monday, March 14, 2016, at 6:00 p.m., at the Public Safety Facility, 3500
DB Wood Road, Georgetown, Texas.
The meeting adjourned at 7:43 p.m. on a motion by Dan Bonner, seconded by Gene Jantzen, which the
Board approved unanimously.
Tim O'Neill
Georgetown
an Patricia Str�ckh
>sion on Aging rgetown Cc
on Aging
