##VIDEO ID:HChModk1nO8## for R Marie can you hear me I can hear you is anyone else on um I have a a couple of people Tony the other new fellows on but I don't think Christopher's opened it up no Chris Chris just did all right can you guys hear us I can hear you there we go yeah okay okay I can see you guys this is Tony can you see me yes you can and we need to um I just lost Vol no yeah you we didn't hear you Nancy whatever you said I got part of it only all I heard was we need to then you were gone okay oh there we go okay we need to promote um uh John or Tony as a member um in order to be a reach a quorum so I'm thinking of a number from one to 10 Tony what number am I thinking of six on what number am I thinking of seven ah actually it was the six okay so Tony's gonna be the lucky person tonight this this is this is a temporary assignment yes right yes just for this meeting for this purpose yeah yeah and uh and also who's that down oh he's gone now was it was oh that was Tim he was from it oh okay all right so um I never know what to do first do we promote Tony first I would yeah we never vote on it we just we just do it just do it no one really knows how it should work is my body okay so so s that the lar gy oh there's Karen fontino oh okay been demoted well I hope you enjoyed that seconds Tony are you talking about me it was it was wonderful for a few minutes we promoted Tony Karen showed up and Tony's back down so I I would feel funny being a member because this is my first meeting so I would feel a little bit uncomfortable anyways ah well Karen is here so she rescued you um so I'm gonna call the meeting to order um it oh and um well I'm going to call the meeting to order what time is it uh 630 and um Jean pra here John Parsons here rosem Marie here and Karen F yes Marilyn yes Nancy here um John S here here and Tony L is here so we have a quorum um let's see Karen uh Panet is not GNA be here tonight she's on vacation and uh Karen Janowski is up in New Hampshire and she's going to join us by Zoom but it will be a little bit later so um so we can move forward so call to order attendance approved minutes let's put that aside for a minute approved minutes and um one of the things we have to do is we have to uh do our annual reorganization which all boards and committees have to do at the beginning of the new fisal year um we're a little late but we aren't alone so um do I have any nominations for chair I nominate Nancy Z if she's willing to stick out I accept it if there's anybody else um I have a sucker for you you're supposed to give her a gabble a gab I've been waiting a while for that yeah well you said that when I said I would volunteer to be on the permanent building committee too um Vice chair do we have any nominations nominate John Parsons if he's willing to do it for another year sure why not okay um um so um for those two I am going to uh yeah anybody do a second John oh I second okay all right any discussion anybody else want to run for any because you can nominate yourself too I know anyone else want to run for one of these spots no no okay um all in favor of chair and vice uh chair uh uh say yay yay yay yay okay so it's you oh oh because we're on Zoom I have to do prto yes and John Parsons yes and Rosemarie yes and Karen fatino yes and Marilyn yes and Nancy yes okay okay now here comes the hard one we need a secretary so um now we could do something sneaky and nominate someone that's not here and you said that verbally well doesn't mean that they accept it they'd have the option of right um otherwise here's my alternative I am going to assign everybody a month and everybody will and it turns out that we go right through June just everybody has to do it one time so um uh does it have to be done tonight or do we wait when we have a full well someone's going to take the minutes tonight so if if people are are are you know challenged as far as using computers and stuff like that do you really think it's a good idea to make them the secretary yes I do so you get a handwritten scroll and you'll accept it yep okay yeah and um and I will show that person how to use the keyboard on their computer to type up the minutes or the Pleasant Street computer if they don't on the the only two days of Pete sakes oh but you'll have a new skill the only um options that are not here are Debbie small Joan Coco and Karen Janowski [Music] um so uh anybody here want to volunteer to take minutes Ken I so I will be there in about five minutes okay um but um you don't what is the what is the role of the person who um does the minutes is that you just have to like be the secretary is just doing the minutes correct and then you type them up you send them to me and then um I send them to uh uh that guy over there Chris and um and he posts them so okay and then you have to do it there's a little box you you check off draft and then when we approve them it goes to uh um accepted so that's that's and you know it they I mean you can go through the minutes and you can see some minutes are very verose and other minutes are pretty uh um uh succinct paired down succinct Nancy Tadros was the queen of succinct she got it down to a Perfecto so well you know what we'll wait till you come and you can think about it okay other otherwise will I am going to just go down the list tonight so we'll wait used to do it just to pitch the job which I did for seven years wow I should get a lot of passes in my opinion but neveress um three more years you get vage Jane was think about that yeah Jane was administrator then and she said keep it to know more than two pages was her advice and it was really you know capturing who was and wasn't there is important capturing motions if they're made is important capturing the result of the motion is important and the rest can be especially now that we're recorded the rest can be largely just you know topics that were discussed yeah but you don't need to get into this one said this and that one said that or any of it and when I used to do it I found doing it during the meetings was really helpful because if I missed something I'd just stop the meeting and say wait what did you say and I'd get it so it was virtually done by the end of the meeting um but that was just when I used to do okay but but my first instinct was to feel like a court recorder and I made this massive long set of minutes for the first one and Jane just gasped and said no it's not meant to be a so anyway we got it down to something pretty simple well then you can always refer it back to the video you miss right I what I did when I took the minutes was I always put a link to the video um so if anybody wanted more information or followup they could just click on the Min the video and watch the details so that's the uh that's the other option well we will so I think I think I should be the secretary okay great thank you thank you second to do a and Associates more than welcome to be secretaries also Oh I thought I thought you had to be a member no well no you don't because I was chair as an associate so there you go I'm just teasing but I would like I would feel better listening to a few meetings and learning people's names and yeah that thing so I will okay that's understandable all right so we have a second all in favor um yes John Parsons yes rosem Marie yes um Karen fatino and um oops M you go yeah yeahor maryn and yes Nancy yes perfect okay still in business still in business um and I will I'll send you the template and everything we can have a com we can chat a little bit about it um meeting dates that was the other thing that we need to do and I put some meeting dates out on little slips of paper but I know we have some people online but these will go on um on our website so we're looking for September September 9th October hey secretary y um October 15 and November November 12th and I believe those are holidays which is why you want to hand that to Karen um in December 9th we have in 2025 January 13th February 10th March 10th April 14th May 12th and June 10th so those will all be posted on the website um I'll send them so we have that so we can check off meeting dates and minutes oh but you know what I would like um if people that are here can just check the information next to your name and make sure that it's accurate and on the back side or the second page of that is we have the reading fair um uh September 8th and we're looking for people willing to work that it's from 12 to 5 so we'll need people to um help organize and get all the stuff ready and um need to get it to wherever our booth is and um then we need people to work it and then we need people to help clean up so think about that you put me down Nancy from 12 to two Okay 12 to two and it's a Sunday it's a Sunday it's Grandparents Day September 8th it's Grand Parents Day yeah that's what my calendar says yeah September 8th know there was such a thing I C has it so [Music] um so that brings us to a select board update of which we have no Representatives here from the select board it's a shame I'm going to have to get on their tail about that um the reading active L uh Living Center committee liaison update that's John this will most likely be his last yeah um we haven't had a meeting since the last uh one of our Council meetings so there's really nothing to report except the same thing the last time we're presenting to the select board on August 20th and yeah that's really about it after that we Sunset maybe we have a pizza party I don't know there's been talk about that I know your meeting is um the Tuesday the 28th I think oh really they said that 28 um oh rec oh they have a meeting yeah they they did set a meeting at least that that's what I I heard when I nor is on recal and she hasn't heard about yeah well I was asking John today um I don't yeah I have recount meeting the 28 that's 6: PM so I don't know if that's true or not but um calendar are you talking the month of August yes yes August August 28th maybe so put a put a question mark there so I I shoot pool yeah things don't get put on the calendar until like the last minute the the com the committee has to uh put it on the it usually gets on the calendar when the um agenda is sent in posted n Nancy yeah excuse this is Tony do you know what the nature of the update will be of the uh on the for the recal meeting I I think it will just be to talk about the presentation on the 20th and then um give everybody a clap on the back and maybe partake in Pizza who knows unless Mark comes up with a reason for yet another extension and doesn't get pummeled out of the room I don't I don't think not once reported that it's like okay tell me what the main duties of recil is or will be and was that organization how abouts go to the website yeah you and I we can have a cup of coffee and I will give you an update on recal okay just quickly tell me what they were formed for what did they do they were formed to look at a uh possibility of a senior center SLC Community Center for reading residents that was their that was their uh that was their um Mission and so where we are with recal sunsetting the as you know from the last what I'm going to do is the permanent building committee update and it's uh um the uh uh an interview committee has been formed we're going to meet on the 13th there were five uh proposals sent in and currently all of the permanent building committee is is reviewing those proposals and um evaluating them according to a form that Jame Wellman has has sent out and then we are all meeting on the 19th and on the 19th the whole permanent building committee are going to select the uh vendors that submitted proposals to uh interview and it may not be all five it may be some it's it will all depend on if if they met the minimum requirements uh in in order to uh have an interview um and then maybe the if we're really lucky the last week in August we might be able to set up interviews it most likely will be in the first to second week of of September and then the the uh a decision to pick a candidate will be made um and hopefully by mid um September we will actually have a project manager on board and at that point the project manager will be able to um get him or herself uh um um familiar with what needs to be done and we're hopefully off and running I also wanted to so so any questions on the permanent building Committee in terms of uh no just want to note it's really exciting that we got pushed from you know approved by select board to go to permanent building committee accepted us it feels like a lot of just dates and things right now it's significant pardon me what was that said something did somebody say something not I okay oh Karen's on Karen's on now Karen Janowski hi Karen um all that sorry that was um noise in my background here hi every oh I think technically for minutes when people come late you're supposed to say so and so arrived at yeah and if they leave early you're supposed to say so and so all right is that what you is that how you what you do on this um yeah that that's a new thing that just kind of got started so what what do you mean here it's has like people checked off and it says late in soon oh yeah I mean I didn't so Karen just arrived and you you arrived five minutes prior just straighten the notes it's not in the attend mute want to speak um never hear them uh yeah we could do that just don't have any background information going on uh um where you are and I think Karen was just logging in so no but Karen would I'm sure will stay on mute yeah and she [Music] is so that's the permanent H hi Karen um that is the uh permanent building committee update and um so as Marilyn said we're moving forward and this is really good and that was I went to the uh Friends meeting this morning and that was what I was trying to convey to them you know when you're not in the throws of it it feels like oh my God we've been doing this forever and yeah we have but this is the furthest we've ever gotten and we all really need to Pat ourselves on the back for for this and Nancy the vendors you were talking about or the applicants those are like the Architects no we already have an architect we have BH plusa they they are the architect this is the um project manager oh that position exclusively so the project manager is going to develop a schedule and um uh set up meetings and whatever else um we we want him or her to do I wanted to mention that I had a meeting with Carlo um Bachi it was very interesting and it was very positive he's you know he's uh he's uh we're we're in a tough situation with kilum and the senior center and the um MBTA communities that's that's not necessarily a cost on our part but it's eating up a lot of time from in from the town's perspective Ive so we talked about the priorities and all that um and one of the things I said to him was why can't we test now we know we need to test we know we have a tester why can't we test and Carlos said he was going to chat with the town manager about it but I haven't heard anything so that would be great if we could get testing out out of the way and whoever it is that they test my understanding is it had to go out to bid which is why we couldn't just do everything with the house doctor um and my no that was the project manager that wasn't the test whatever it's just work has been done the link I shared with you by yeah ston and whatever that company yeah without it's a different type of testing I believe it doesn't it doesn't it doesn't sure we don't recreate off topic we don't know topic not because I just want to make sure they don't repeat the work that's already been done and surprises me that no one ever says the name of that company said that that's what I'm con was it was Western and Samson that did the first testing but it was done years ago and they have to do a different type of testing I understand I just don't want whoever comes in to repeat what I'm quite sure the town's not going to spend money yeah this information this information was put into the bid documents okay excellent so um I don't think there's any danger in that plus the watch I don't think it's years it sounded like they just done anyways do we have a Mystic Valley Elder services update um yes um [Music] so um they're doing an audit there's a lot of stuff about like their internal audit um we talked about um the amount of money that they're going to be getting and so each Elder will be getting like4 more dollars toal for I think it's a total it's a total the town will yeah yes yes yeah sorry um that would be pretty cool though right um and um they talked about the impact um which I just think is fascinating so the that the all the community colleges are free for everyone um now if you don't already have a um a bch Drigger or something like that so they talked about is that official that's official official yeah yeah got appr she signed I think you still have to pay the fees though the community call fees are at Community call I know what stes are significant yeah they're not they're not for associate degree right Associates and they have a lot of certificate programs as well yeah and then Mr the community colleges have certain guidelines to get the tuition free one of them being I believe they have to be 25 years old so it isn't kids coming out of high school and immediately getting free community they removed the 25 year old thing wow this is a new phase of it right within the last couple weeks and so are you saying that they don't have to be 25 correct no kids coming out of high school can go to Community College free correct excellent it's just the tuition though it's not the fees so go out and take a look at the community college and take a look at tuition versus fees and and you'll I mean every little bit helps but it's still pretty expensive bigger than the fees so it's a major thing no the fees are bigger than the tuition but anyways we digress what else do you um so um the last thing is they had to save the date for a fairg giver red carpet event so and they're going to have lots of vendors and demonstrations and live music by the CB band Raffles fun and food um and that's going to be November 14 yeah so registration isn't open yet but I thought that was pretty neat so November 14th is going to be an event yeah for um caregivers at the Mystic Valley it's G to be at anon's of Malden well that's a great that's a good oh is there an RSVP it says details and registration form to follow and this meeting was just Thursday so I haven't gotten yet great should that's nice yeah but that's all um they really talked a lot about their internal audit um this month so doesn't really have a lot to do but that's all all right sounds good um my turn no my turn well I don't know if Nora might just want to say a few things I'm putting you on a spot about the friends yeah the friends and I think it's important that we yeah we met today and we're actually increasing our membership um and increasing Consultants to help advise us on some of our topics but um some of the things we're we're actually working on is Facebook pages is a website how to um donate through the website using you know things besides theno and PayPal um what else you have a a launch party oh yes we're planning hopefully a launch party um at post the new restaurant on Haven Street and that will be invite only um but that would be to introduce um the friends group possibly get donations um what else we're looking at Google workspace to sort of manage our all of our documentation um we're going to be at the running Street the street fair and then you thinking of another open house maybe at the library oh right there's General the new residents open house which now is open I guess any resent um the 22nd of what October and we were going to have a booth there to introduce ourselves so we need volunteers for that again too I did it last year happy to do it if I'm not in a class that night again wait till I get my schedule yeah really of people stopped by and very grateful for the information last year really good stuff um working on brochures oh my God they have a great brochure that Janet the volunteer coordinator at Pleasant Street put together or help to just assist with yeah assist with I know I might might ask her for some um yeah really really really good some big banners you're talking about right having some big banners for the fairs or for outings um just to get we're off topic I think we're getting off topic no we aren't no we aren't and we are allowed to go off topic I'll remind anyone that this thing says oh this is very important yes it is that we we know it's going on in the world in our world of donations are coming in yes um you have a $5,000 donation you got a $1,000 donation and we're getting like $20 um various individuals coming so people are finding the importance in the trees this month excellent so Nora the $5,000 donation is that from a business or an individual it was sort of an um it's an individual I don't know if it's a business but it's more of an individual I guess I'd say they were running they're business people but yeah I know that's quite um generous yeah and uh an Marie's nephew yeah um is helping her the Facebook page is fabulous I've already been on it and commenting um responding to people so so everybody if you're on Facebook you should um like it and follow it and follow it we can't vote on something it's on the agenda so that's it it's exciting news so now you're on Chris get back on time okay all right um really quickly you can see the PSC report um you can see just at the top August um highlights just coming up this month we have a lot of good things numbers for July uh they were really good um uh uh duplicated was 3,70 which is great unduplicated was 532 so we're excited about that um so that was really good um volunteers for the month of July we had 32 volunteers um a total of a 61.5 hours so that was really good coming up at the Street Center um September 16th um they're going to be installing the new projector sound system and everything in the great room um so we will not be having um any activities in the PSC great room that week the week of September 16th so so they can get that whole system in um like I said new screen new projector microphone conferencing system speakers hearing and I believe there some sort of hearing system as well so we're excited to get that system back up and running soon um this uh sometime soon I just we just don't have a date yet um just to give everyone heads up facilities will be rerouting the HVAC exhaust system up in the attic um to uh get it further away from the intake um that's going to be before fall um we're not paying for it that's coming out of facilities or wherever it comes from just so you know our hope is that kind of um so we're hoping that kind of takes care of maybe the smell but it's going to be the next quick next step and then we're going to go from there um so that's coming up hopefully in the next month or two um I don't have a whole lot of detail on everything only because I just got back from vacation and Jenna was out so she and I weren't able to connect today um but I know they had some nursing interviews last week I just don't know the results of them so um I know public Health um you know it's going to be a split between public health and us I just don't have any details but I do know there are some interviews I don't know what the results are yet so um I'll know soon um we're excited we updated our coffee makers I I'm just really excited about this I threw it on there the small things but we have um we we just last Thursday we got two new uh we we got three new commercial coffee makers um one for upstairs and two for downstairs which will just make coffee making much easier which is really nice and the landscape the front beds and some of the other beds um we got the Landscaping done um just a couple weeks ago um which uh it was nice um so and I want to say thank Jean for all her work I know she she and I have been talking about it and kind of get the Landscaping going for months now and um we tried to go one Avenue it just didn't quite work out this on but we're hoping maybe next summer um but I do want to appreciate I appreciate Jan and all Jean PR and all her effort on um the Landscaping with that so thank you Jean for that um that was that um and then lastly really quickly um I just want to do a big shout out to the staff at the Pleasant Street Center um some I I think sometimes they just don't get thanked enough um and I want to just recognize their efforts you know Linda you know we're doing almost a thousand phone calls a month um that come in and Linda Fields most of those and you know the thing is we're not just we're a senior center I mean we yeah folks call and yeah we're trying to do more and more things online but we're always going to have the face tace we're always going to have the phone calls no matter what direction we move in because that's what happens with a senior center um and I want to just like Linda just the sheer amount of phone calls that she you know she's on the phone a class is going and then someone it walks in and starts talking to her at the same time like Linda's just amazing so I just you know I appreciate Linda so much and her ability to run that desk and smile and just have a fantastic attitude so uh thank you Dinda um sorry I'm just going to take a minute I know I got a little extra time now that I'm going quickly um I did that appreciate that but you know Anna with programs Anna's been doing amazing with programs um you know we had a fantastic year I know we went over that last meeting but she is bringing in such good programs Janet has just done a wonderful job with volunteers and just bringing in volunteers and it's in a short period of time so kudos to Janet and volunteers and I have to say Carrie Carrie has been working so hard um and I'm just impressed by how you know the work that car's been doing in taking care of the social services aspect up in the office you know the case manager um and making sure everyone is taken care of you know we like I said um and Joe I'm not going to forget Joe either I mean Joe takes care of Transportation um you know I know if he's going to be out um he he has his routes and everything covered and you know know and I don't even have to ask everything said I already know things to said Joe which is fantastic so I think I that's all the staff and I really appreciate I mean I just realized just coming back today from vacation how well organized and you know run they do um and they have each other's back so it's just they really are an amazing staff and I want everyone to know that and that's why I'm saying it out loud vocally like I'd like to get Chris may I ask this here what's up is it doable where the counsil on agent could recognize them in some way I'll let you guys decide on that that might be we should think of whether we send I don't know prize whatever dessert or something but I think they should be recognized from by the council and agent but you know I'll leave that I don't know what the rules are around all that but I just want to do a shout out to them because they really do the staff works we have gone we have grown so much in the past two years and and we're not just a computer-based people registering online type yeah we'll get there and we'll start doing that but that's not going to stop the phone calls and the people you know people are going to be in person um and it's always going to be a face-to-face type type facility 20 you know five days a week um and kudos to them for all their work on I I just cannot praise the staff enough in what they do so um thank you to the staff um and you know and their support and their organiz just everything they're they're the ones that make the senior center run and Pleasant Street Center run um and like I said I can I can leave and I know they take care of it um you know things pop up last minute and they take care of it um so kudos to all them so thank you for letting me say that I appreciate that um moving on what's I want I want to extend a thank you to you also because you're a blue you hold everybody together in whever is needed you've you've driven the van you've been in the in the kitchen you're downstairs inside outside upside you're in an addict I thing provide the leadership inspires everybody much they're the ones that make it happen though so I appreciate you saying that but they're the ones that I I want to recognize them so it's not about me it's it's them so please please thank them when you see them one suggestion I want to put out there is regarding the Landscaping which was done it was lovely maybe Janna can line up some volunteers to water it and take care of it the ivy that is now closing in on the building that we're going to need patchet to get in and out eventually needs to be pulled off the Ivy's growing everywhere yeah we've been we have been in talks about trying to find some volunteers to help with that front front bed so we'll get there and I'll take a look at the IV tomorrow um I apologize I mean I don't need to apologize but um with I was out last week and Jen and I just didn't connect um I don't have the trust funds or the arpa update not much has changed especially with the trust funds so everything's kind of the same if you have any questions please give us a call happy to discuss it um but we just don't have that tonight um as I was trying to just get caught backed up with everything and um you know so um we don't have that part tonight so thank you all thank you thank you um so so I think this next item too will probably need to be moved to the September agenda which is the whole reimbursement procedures for Council on Aging staff yeah if we could bump that that'd be great we just said Jen and I just haven't had time to it it is the summer we will need if we're going to have some kind of new handout of any kind for the street fair and we can just talk to you CHR about how can we order something if we want I don't how we're going to organize it it's not much time but we'll figure it out it would be nice to a new Choice sounds good um and the other thing from the last meeting we talked about um uh putting the uh attendance at the uh Massachusetts COA conference on the agenda um you forward the thing from them to everyone or just to me it's got all the information about the conference I don't remember make C well we just need to email I don't think I saw that so you didn't get it at all that's not good well I got I know I got it I just didn't know if we send it to the group here well this went to the COA email address yes and Nancy gets those and she forwarded it to me I know because I got it I don't know if everybody got it so everybody needs to get it no the answer is no okay we should because this is how people can click on what's the topics are and when and what dates and how to register that's what happened last year what they did did we not no it didn't even go to us we didn't even have that email last year this time we just took that you can also go to the uh so it's MCA online.com yeah it used to be.org but I think it's Doom now right so MCA online.com if that doesn't work it's.org but we don't want people registering on their own we need to do it through the town to make sure we get it properly handled right but they can look at yeah they can look at the days what's going on exactly it is down on the cave gun in FMA this year yeah so um they try to alternate sites every year a little bit what what is the cost to attend not cheap it's expensive but it's worth it it really is yeah no I was just curious what the overall cost was to attend I want to say that one day was maybe in close to $1,000 last year something like that one day yeah but that's like six presentations right but like like I only selected a couple no that didn't get you off the hook it's either your day or night so the whole day was paid for so oh really that's not the way I read it when I registered not it's not how it worked even when you didn't register it went through Jenna did the registration but um anyway look at it I mean ideally a couple of people at least could go mean things you can do is share the day so if one of you knows there's a morning one you want to go to but not an afternoon someone else they'll let you share your well that's what I think we did you doesn't matter it didn't work out it was last minute it didn't work out it just did these things happen um but anyway um there are ways to man minimize the cost and it would be nice if a couple people could go at least um and those people should have and this got mucked up last year too but I think we're making progress have access to all the presentation materials and stuff and we can share them with everybody whether they're able to go or not for a lot of people it's not convenient if you're working you're obviously you know not going to go racing down to the cape most likely but um anyway it's um so you're suggesting that people from the the Pleasant Street Center go absolutely okay I think I think it's more important that they go than council members go I'd say both so an and I is good an and I do plan on going I've already talked to Anna we plan on typically when it's on the cape we just go for one day just go down and back um and just so everyone knows the daytime only this doesn't include room staying overnight this is just going to the day 2:15 for daytime only Wednesday Thursday uh Friday's a shorter day so I would not recommend going on Friday I think it's a shorter day25 per day okay Friday is 160 days but or dollars but it's only half a day so yeah I think we had four of us last year Karen went I went I know Jenna went um and it was up in Danver so next year it'll be back up in yeah yeah John got his in there for free with negotiating good job good job he had to bring his own sandwich literally they weren't going to feed him but they let him go but anyway it was excellent It's a very very professional what's the date again it's October 23rd through October 25th Wednesday Thursday and Friday at the Secrest Resort in F oh my gosh I know that right on the beach yeah and Carrie stack is the keynote speaker who is a life coach I think something like that so we would most likely do what we did last year which would be to pay for tuition uh not tuition registration um for people that are interested but you know not in terms of travel or hotel or any of that stuff I mean that's I that would be my thing I think that's out of pocket and you can either go for the day or um um spend the money to go so we should probably this thing just says register soon spaces are goinging I don't know what I would say is if folks are interested please reach out to Nancy um just reach out to Nancy if you're interested in going we can just create a list and then we can get it get it going just remember there's a deadline for for registering yeah that's what I was looking for when I printed this out and it doesn't I couldn't find it it just says register soon that's how I wound up with a free thing last year I missed the deadline and I was talking to him about her on the phone and the poor woman took pity on me and said all right I'll give you one day pass for Wow fine um at Falmouth it probably is more attractive to people than Den for anybody that's looking a few days on you know yeah it's attended by hundreds I mean it's a big Prof event it's really I loved it in the state s people um the Secretary of Elder Affairs came and spoke last year at the lunnon and things like that I mean I I said this uh La last meeting I'll say it again in my my years of business I went to a lot of conferences and I never went to one that that was done any better than this and this was done better than most it's it's just very very well done it is and the food was good too all right so Marilyn yes can you find that email that I sent to you that had this that has this yes I found and could you send it out everybody because it's a date related thing it's not contingent upon open meeting laws things like dates and scheduling do not respond just info on and then just let people can let me know if you're interested I will be happy to do that okay okay good alrighty um so the next topic is uh um a visit that a um Chris and Karen and Marilyn went up to North it's two visits yeah two visits went up to North Andover and um they were just going to report out on it today and I can do that and I would encourage anybody that hasn't been to the North Andover Senior Center to go up there walk around and um see what 14 ,000 square feet gives you yes um it's a I would encourage everybody so I turn it over to the three of you um I've typed up my notes I did a brain dump actually took hours I to keep walking away and then I'd remember something else and then try anyway I sent a draft of my brain drump to you into you into you yesterday and please add to it anything last night did you get it let me know if you don't have it I'll resend it it was probably around seven or eight last night it was late in the day um please add to it 9.m I was sleep yeah I know I wasn't expecting feedback before tonight's meeting um so I didn't bring anything to share yet CU it's just my brain dumped so far but uh what I did we did a number of things one is we actually measured remember last month I shared the schematic the drawing and just said oh wow we should see it and then Rosemary unfortunately couldn't come but we'll we'll make another date Rosemary so I'd be happy to go up with you and walk you and anyone else that wants to come with me or meet me there around we've had the director do it a couple of times and I don't want to keep asking her to do the tour but I'm happy to tour at this point um she's incredibly helpful and knowledgeable and really wants to do whatever she can to help us with inform and strategy but um they found when they built that that their participation rate went up think 85% it almost doubled that's what I I remember reading it almost dou and you know we keep getting hit with this question of well you know don't we have time we're not using the Pleasant Street Center or this or that yeah sure so if we have one more class 12 more people could be there that's not the big picture what this is about if if you build a bigger attractive center with appropriate Staffing and all they will come and they're flocking in and they love it and it just shows there's obviously an interest among the 60 plus population also when it's bigger you've got the potential to have a lot more variety in what's offered and diversity and inclusiveness to in topics of different interest um so it's just really exciting to see what they've done the other thing the director did so Chris brought his laser measuring tape and we measured all the rooms so and the director walked us through and some of them she said you know this room's just I wish it were bigger here are things we wish we could do here and we can't it's not big so I want some concrete you know 30 by 60 is going to do it for this and 30 by 40 is not kind of just and we can go see it you know people want to argue about numbers go look at it see for yourself it's a good role model um and she also gave us tons of this worked really well and this works really well so I did a brain dump of all that and then I tried to make sort of a Lessons Learned of things that you know I mean they worked hard on what they did and they had an architect who's very knowledgeable and you know just it's it's hard to think of everything so the time will come God willing when our Architects ready to go to this level and when you think about it anyone architect probably doesn't do very many senior centers you know they apply common sense but there's only it most 340 I think in the state how many of them have done one from scratch not many some so anything that we can know lessons learned from other people in hindsight saying you know we didn't think of it we wish we'd done this I'm trying to get that out of it and it's also an excellent visual of what you can do with 14,000 square feet um things that they didn't realize for example is they still for all the wonders of the place didn't put in a private room to do like shine counseling or foot care with the nurse I mean it's all beautiful glass and inclusive and pretty but who wants their Barefoot out there while everyone's walking down the you know they little things that just didn't get thought of so anything we can learn that can help us be ready out of the gate say while you're at it this is some advice we've had um and it's also a really good way to sort of test out in your mind oh this is what it would look like um it's it's a good way to get perspective on the sides of the rooms what was helpful is they had a couple groups there when we were there um at two they had um they were playing Maron I think it was downstairs in the lobby area um and they had numerous tables set up and it was nice to see you know how the group and what space they were in upstairs um they were playing bridge um and they had four tables in a room um and it was actually too small um you know you all all of us that were there were like all right that's just you you know too small of a space for that many they had I think four tables of four so 16 and it was just way too but they had another you know they had some other groups meeting and the size of the rooms were great um so it really does some perspectives what I didn't realize I know North Reading or Andover has larger population than running does I think they're about 31 oh they they're Senor population their total population is 31,000 but their senior population is under 7,000 they're in the 6 one right now we are currently right just over 7,300 so we actually have more seniors yeah even though they have a larger population which was interesting I thought it I thought they had more seniors um but they don't um so it really did give a good perspective on you know things that you can kind of scratch out even down to the parking lot the director was like they put a lot of time and money into this parking lot I don't know why you know essentially I mean there was Islands everywhere and twist and turns and curbs it wasn't the space it was the design and in landscaping that someone's got to go out and water and just like you know yeah it's pretty but an extra parking space would have made more sense or an extra room on the building would have made more sense went to the cars yes and handicapped spaces are accessible parking spaces they put in but on the side of the building that doesn't have any accessible entryway I mean there are things that just didn't get all the way thought through that you know I think they're probably easy mistakes to make and um easy to poke fun at and retrospect but I'm just trying to come up with checklists on the same mistakes not to make I also printed because people have been asking the layout of the Wilmington Senior Center if anyone's just curious for those of you online I can send it to you but I don't have it online right at the moment but it shows what they have they have even fewer people I think that they have on the order of only 5,000 people age 60 plus so much smaller than what we have um and this is what they're building if you drive by it it's under construction it looks nous it's all on one floor there it's not two far but anyway this too it's just more information about people who are dealing with this who are making things from scratch what what's the thinking um so anyway Karen did you have any um any Impressions when you visited so I was Wow first of all I mean wow um I loved that Chris measured stuff because like even the like the puzzle piece thing like activity that we had on like I am not sure if I'm going to be able to be effective in this because I don't know how big we need things to actually be so to go there and to see that um and to be able to um talk to the people there and you know they're like the toilet seats are too low who gosh you know it was just great to see it was beautiful um and to get the all the but I don't I don't have anything more to add than I think what Marilyn has sent out and when you guys have a chance to look at it and send me edits and it the L something I'm happy to share the written um but anyone who hasn't gone should really go um and again I was I wasn't aware that there was a similar um population and uh PE number of people in our population and level so I just felt like it was it's a really great one to look at now are there are there um architectural designers that will take in the medical needs of the seniors like you said there was no door near the parking I mean you would hope something that and I I kind of knew this before but it's good to you know my experience through all the building projects that I've been involved with over the years you know you do your best on trying to get it right but then once you get it done you know no matter how many people and how many people are focusing on it there's always that I kind of wish we did this differently I kind of wish we did that differently yeah which is kind of why it's kind of nice that um you know maybe you know it's nice to go to the north end over Center um to kind of see okay there's some things that we just wouldn't do now that they kind of they did it and they were like nope not a great idea and it's great and it's probably worth like maybe when Wilmington's done and they're operating um yeah you know seeing if we can't pop over there and being like all right now that it's open you have a bill anything you would do differently exactly um you know and I think that's a very wise way to go about it is be like all right what do you like what what don't you like and hopefully you know hopefully won will open up in time and operate for a little bit and we can kind of get in there get in there before we start to build but my my my question is this what and this just throws me that they wouldn't have a door near handicapped parking so is there someone who is um knowledgeable with the disability acts that could come in and look at a floor plan and any architect should be knowled no I don't I don't agree with that so there's rules to follow practicality as far as being in there so there's a lot of things that I am sure that the Architects are following the rules yeah but then to talk to the people who have toist this is what I'm saying so that's what we that's what I feel like we have to do you know even like their their button their handicap button to get into the place you press it and it's so far away from the door by the time you get over there in a wheelchair Clos on you okay so that's where and going forward we need to and there is and don't get Marilyn wrong Marilyn is right but there is a door over where there's a side door where the handicap spots are it just doesn't have a button they're trying to get people to go through the front door which is great if you can make it work because you want to come you want to keep track of who's coming in now if they start to come in multiple doors you just lose track yeah so there is a door over by the parking and there's ramps and the ways to get up on the sidewalk to get to the front door now can you design it probably a little you probably twak it to make it more access friendly say in error saying that was no door there is there is a door it just doesn't have accessible access but like you said the nursing station someone should have privacy and I think we mentioned it before when we were discussing floor plan layout that there should be a private room for shine M to discuss the clients Etc this is the of glass [Music] F what about the kitchen what about the kitchen area it's lovely it's they said they didn't like they wish they had no refrigerator and so it's I I don't know there's so many things that I feel like there were so many things that were done right and I think we weren't focused on all the right stuff we were focused on like what can we do better you know like the door sizes over there were great and the and the hallway sizes were great and the Gathering area was wonderful and there but we were specifically going there asking for like asking for trouble I guess no I think maybe this is something that we should going forward have a special working group and there's they didn't do anything just so you that the one I mean don't get us wrong they didn't do anything wrong the center's super nice and everything the kitchen's big they but it's also one of those things once you have it and it'll happen to us no exactly hard as we we could work on this 247 and we because our population's different and we do different things you know I guarantee no matter what we'll build it and then we're going to step back and be like wish we did that a little differently but that's like you know that's that's the case in no matter and you know but it's good to see you know okay there are some things we could probably be like all right let's yeah they did it properly but can we improve upon it now that we can they did it it's great exactly how can we improve exactly you'll find North over doesn't have a gym so it's not identical to what we have in mind and we mentioned to it it would be great if you had a gym but it doesn't so we're not functioning without it yeah sure workout rooms you know they have exercise equipment room and then they have like a yoga room or something yes this is a good example though of um um for people that that looking at a grid doesn't do it for them right some people can look at this grid and imagine the building others can't and that's why it's very important that we as Council on Aging members that will be looking because all we'll be looking at is grids so we need to be able to take this grid and inv Vision what it would look like so for people I just point out Karen's had her hand up for a while oh I'm sorry um yeah so for people that um sorry if you're online always feel free to speak up sometimes I do I do I do have a couple questions Nancy about the uh the procedure to dat now you mentioned first of all that the town's already hired an architect ahead of the OPM well well yes I mean yes and we're not it that's the situation that's what it is so so um the architect is hired and the OPM when it when he or she comes in will be working with this architect so how how how does the architect now the architect may have done schematics but they probably haven't done contract uh doents as yet right um they've done some preliminary cost estimates um and it's out there um on the uh um recal website um so I've seen that yeah I've seen that I've seen that material but it it seems in my experience it's say all the way around the OPM comes on first and then you hire the architect no and that's not what happened but we're not revisiting that well Tony you're typically right in all cases we just at the beginning of this there was some things that kind of shifted it for us and now we're getting back on to track the op to get the OPM and everything yeah we were using arpa money and that was kind of time contingent we were trying to capitalize as much as we could we got our cart a little bit ahead of our horse right I mean the thing I would I would thing I would say is that the whole design development is a much bigger piece than the schematics that have already been done yes there's a world there's a world of difference between what you saw and I went through what's online I saw the schematics they look very nice but there's a lot more that you need to know that the architect is knowledgeable of now the permanent billing committee you Nancy are you on that permanent billing committee yes okay so we have representation on that group and I would think when they submit their designs that could be actually brought to the table at this meeting with the rest of the group you are absolutely correct and that's what we've been doing kind of that's been the process all along that the Council on Aging has been uh integrally involved as each piece of the architect's uh uh process has rolled out so um the this group has had the ability to give input going back to schematic designs that's so where the architect is now is that they are going to be doing this more indepth look so that you're absolutely right what what what is there is just kind of some basic ideas it's a cartoon it's a cartoon at this point exactly nice cartoon but it's a cartoon yeah so one of the things that once the OPM gets on is the architect bhna will become back into the picture and start doing the more detailed detailed um so that that is the that is the plan now what I would say is that in the Pro going let's say the way it normally is done you not only want to interview the architect but you want to enview their consult Consultants you want to make sure that they're mechanical and they're electrical and their structural ex engineer you want to you want to kind of vet the whole team not just the architect yeah uh and I also would say in today's today's world you mentioned looking at graphs I would think that the architect could actually develop some 3D models that you could see you could walk through the building yeah and and pick up on some of the things that you saw in Wilmington and North Andover so I would hope that the architect is able to do that I I I think you're going to be very helpful in this process to be able to identify some of the things that the architect um W will be able to do for us so that we're not just looking at a onedimensional piece of paper so exactly exactly yeah but I just wanted to put that on the table as far as yeah what you can expect what you should expect I should say yeah I just wanted to mention wait a minute oh I'm sorry um Karen Karen's had her hand up for yeah thank you um sorry to interrupt everybody but thank you so much um Marilyn Chris Karen for checking it out and giving reporting back to us one of the things I'm wondering about is did the cost discussion come up at all because I'm wondering about um there's a significant difference between what they did for 14,000 and this one from what I recall it was about 14 million was the cost of this did that did they talk about that at all we didn't talk about it we didn't ask we had our hands full with space yeah that's interesting and we should asked our operating cost too like I wonder how much it cost to run that place but we can put together a bunch of she's happy to help us but we should try to make obiously so I suggest we get a working group going to to to look into some of these questions yeah and get the answers prior to everything yeah here's here's my word of caution on this we are um moving forward we have to think about this and this is will be a discussion when the OPM comes in we are we had a like a two-month Hiatus um during uh uh July and August where nothing essentially happened but killum moved on right Full Tilt so we need to think about um what it is that we want to do in terms of timing and how is that going to affect us and where is that going to put us down down the line I that's a a critical part of the conversation so we could have a work group but if the work group isn't going to be able to get this done until October you know is is that acceptable so it's a conversation that we need to have because it's all it's all and I think the OPM once the OPM gets in and and Tony you can correct me if I'm wrong here but I think once the OPM comes in the OPM is going to help be able to help us frame this conversation and and we need to be like we were with recel an intrical part of that discussion and we need to be ready with timelines and the OPM will help with that yeah yeah are you expecting are you expecting the OPM to advance the uh investigation into the contamination on the site um well it needs to be tested and like I said I did meet with the chair of the select board and his kind of off the cuff remark was we can test now let's test we don't need an OP PM for this that's IE Let's test it and um but I the I don't know where the town is in terms of you know are we waiting for the OPM if that's the case it just extends this out even longer and we as Council on Aging can be very verbal about um where we want this to go so so maybe a work group isn't a bad idea but to think about timelines my first timeline would be I want to have a tested ASAP because then if there're are any questions we can be delayed until things are corrected and this before yeah or where do we go from there we moved to the uh Oakland Road Site because then that's going to uh generate additional plans that were to be revised we sorry I'm gonna quickly interrupt are we done with the North and over well because yeah we kind of Step says new senior center community center so we can I just want to make sure we stay on track here one quick thing is the meetings are open with the OPM is what with the um PBC right PBC p permanent building committee permanent building committee meetings are open meetings so it's also a way that we can have a presence and be informed we um and that's what we did with Rec initially if you remember we were there all the time ncy could you send out to the COA the dates of the meetings of the building committee I don't think they're all set yet yeah they aren't set but when you get them so we can y yeah and also it' be good this is stuff that we can all sign up for I'm just trying to reduce the administrative work on Nancy and I know I get a lot of it too anything we can sort of take charge of on our owns and make use of what TOS get Avail because let everybody and if you don't know how to do it you need to set up um your announcements from the town website so whenever a uh uh a meeting is posted by Chris I get an announcement whenever a um a CBC meeting I get an announcement and it's generated from the website okay so we set it yeah but in terms of having an overall map yet that that would be great um but uh but in terms of uh um picking up we we did as Chris said kind of moved Beyond um the Andover discussion and now kind of moved into some of the things that the project manager is going to do but what I kind of also hear this group saying is m maybe we need to have like a regroup um to to work some of this out I I don't know is that is that kind of what I'm hearing um I'm seeing it as more um as educating ourselves I know I've learned a tremendous amount from going up to North and over twice and when we do get to the point that however the OPM structures it I feel much better position to know that I'm making an informed decision so I honestly see these trips to a large extent as doing that see I liked what Tony brought up as far as the process of how this goes I still have a lot of concern I want this site tested sooner than later well we don't we first of all we don't drive the project we're not driving it and we can remember for a while we wrote letters up the wazu to recal and select board and and we could start doing that again and that makes our our voice heard and maybe we want to you know say something about the testing I don't know we're we're kind of off topic here but I I don't I don't think it would be I think it would be best even though I'm anxious and others are anxious about what they're going to find I think you should wait for the OPM that's job I mean a lot of a lot of this what we're talking about is going to be with the permanent building committee and you know OPM and permanent building committee yeah so what what else were you gonna say Tony no that was it I don't if the OPM sounds like it's going to be hired in short order right uh could be anywhere from mid worst case scenario would be the end of September in my view all right so well that's probably one of the first that's probably one of the first assignments for them and I I I assume the town has finances to pay the the OPM yes do the testing so so I I so if they have that they have that I would just have the OPM that'd be one of the first things they should get involved [Music] can I say something yeah hello I think OPM can address any of those questions that have been brought up by Tony they shouldn't be the OPM they wouldn't be qualified to be the OPM yeah exactly so um uh you know we'll we'll um so I I think we're kind of in a holding pattern if if you take um uh Marilyn's uh thoughts on this and the feedback from um Chris and Karen go up to Andover it only takes a Andover North Andover it only takes a couple hours and just walk around you don't even have to like talk to anybody you just walk around but see what these places look like and and again I'm happy to go up and give anyone who wants them or anyone who needs a ride I'm be happy to do that we just just let me know and we'll find some common time make best use but right should we move on to the next yeah Tony just one last thought through this discussion uh Nancy you may have some questions that you may want to ask the OPM when you interview them because you know number of points that were brought up here and again it might have some bearing on who you select if you have any if anybody in this room has questions we're we're putting questions together um now so if anybody wants to shoot me an email with with questions that you think should be asked of the uh uh OPM please send them to me okay we can we can do that okay excuse me yeah oh but wait wait a minute I'm sorry uh Karen did did we kind of cut you off or okay just wanted to know if we asked about money we money right rosarie I'm curious if when you went to North the endover if anybody asked about the cost of the facility that was built did the cost overrun the amount of money they they money we didn't get into it there was no discussion about that I'm quite sure you can go on their website or something yeah yeah or we can she is so willing to come she'll come to a meeting here she's just she is she's a real Dynamo yeah she's wonderful so nothing newsman said about North and over in the last 10 minutes all right let's move the last section all right so um what we need to think about we did all those open houses and now we need to think about what is it that we are going to do between now and uh you know for the next two months three months six months eight months and I put together um a outline I don't know if people printed it out or not do you have a a copy um and I and Chris did send it out so everybody should have an online copy of this um but I went back and looked at do you remember we had um we had a huge brainstorming session and then we had this yellow sticky exercise that we did and we came up with all kinds of ideas of what it is that we could do and we picked three or four of them open houses letters to the editor um um those were the those were the two big figgies that I remember oh our video and um all of the posters that we we had exhibits at the library so we had very specific kinds of Outreach we put the calendar on the reading Network yeah um so we had some very uh specific Outreach activities but now we need to start that again so I went through that list and I tried to pick out um the really high level projects that that that we could do and it came up we came up with 10 um we need a website and perhaps even a Facebook page I don't know if we need a Facebook page but we definitely need a way website um the second Outreach activity might be monthly mailings to Target groups with customized messages and if you're at all involved in in the political campaigns in this fall there are um all kinds of postcard uh and letter writing campaigns that are happening and we can Target those to specific groups on the um uh using our census data we talked about lawn signs and bumper stickers um we talked about public comment at every select board meeting someone stands up and says don't forget about the senior center community center um we need an inexpensive flyer perhaps with a QR code to our video to a website that we're going to develop that we can just have at the ready and not have to come before the Council on Aging and approve it we need to have it ready to go um maybe what we want to think about is creating an a movable exhibit with our poster boards that we already have I I know that Marilyn and Chris have talked about maybe putting those poster boards up at the Pleasant Street Center maybe um going up the stairwell and maybe we do that for two or three weeks and and get some feedback from people I was thinking the dollar store those windows are pathetic I know you think good idea you know maybe maybe we can hang our posters up at the dollar store maybe there's a nice blank wall at the library where we can hang our posters up we've got the information now we need to get it out um maybe uh create an update a bulletin board at the Pleasant Street Center they there's a a bulletin board down in the computer room maybe we can use that and is there a place where we could put it in the great room and we could have things like you know uh uh um postcard writing session September 10th meet here and we'd have everything ready to go for them so we need to we could think about something like that we need to recruit active volunteers for all of these items um how about once that room is set up with the new TV and the audio that we try to encourage all the town boards and committees to meet at the Pleasant Street Center at least once over the course of the next six months so they can experience you know what what what it is what what it is and they can you know walk upstairs and look around and then events you know like with the reading street fair the open house at the library but in order to do any of these things we need a lead because it's not going to happen Karen was the lead on open houses and Marilyn and Karen Janowski were the lead on letters to the editor um and this uh um we we need people other than us because we're not going to be able to do this and um but to get it started I I think it is going to be a lead from the Council on Aging for one or more of these activities unless you have a best friend that is trying to get involved and that's what the friends are doing they're pulling people in and they're getting them involved so it's not just relying on the five members of the original Friends board but they're pulling people in so um so if we think that some of these things are worth and then what we need to do once we or simultaneously we need to put a calendar together when when are these going to be done when would we put out the when would we put out the lawn signs when would we put out bumper stickers when would we do the mailings how much would they cost so in order and we did all that back when we had the open houses and the exhibits and and we did the video and we did the video we need to do it again okay suggestion Nancy so I'm going to be quiet and um what what do people think can we pull this off I think we can pull it off but I think we need to start right at the senior center we need to start promoting and asking for help yes and we need to do it when there's a luncheon meeting one or two of us get up like you had mentioned and say okay we need a new Senior Center who's helping and we need to know now otherwise it's not going to happen for another 15 years I I I agree but I have to no I'm not going to be a naysayer yes that's a good idea no go ahead you think they're not going to respond well for the small group that's come to the once a month um um updates for a new Senior Center uh no interest I don't know what do you think Rosemary John you're there they tend to go they have lot they have ideas but then I say Ah that's a great idea can you head that up and and put some letters together and we'll get it out and we'll help and blah blah blah and and it's a small group of maybe five or six people who tend to pop in and out but they're they're not working so I think it's a good idea I like Jean's idea yeah but what I'm a little conc concerned about is you don't want I think we need to get organized first yeah because you don't want to go there and be like oh we're looking for people they're gonna be like for what and when oh no I yeah you have to be specific so let's be very specific what I would say is let's make sure we get the leads to these things get all these things organized and once these things are organized on the calendar I think that's when a good point is to go and be like all right we're looking for some people who could maybe want to volun help with well for instance if I did the uh the lawn signs I want five people to help me when we have to distribute of meat and decide what we're doing for verbage you know test so things like that can I bring up the elephant in the room yeah so I think this is an excellent what you've put together is really excellent my the elephant in the room is is how do we convince people with the cost and what impact do we have about reducing the cost we have heard the objections people are in agreement that we need a new Senior Center we need it renovated but there's real push back on the cost that has been projected of 28 to 30 million and so I think that's the elephant in the room that we have to talk about how do we I I mean does anyone else see that as an elephant in the room I do you Karen we had brought this up at one of the recal meetings that they need to start marketing what the town is not going to be incurring for debt going forward and how we're going to manage this for 2025 because everyone is thinking this is an an addition to what the town EXP ansers are and if they don't start marketing when I say marketing it's marketing to the residents that are all in fear of their tax increases but if they start to Market it and say okay it's going to be 20 million so we can break it down it might be coming to $3 a day added on to your taxes and that's we and I agree with you we have to start with the dollar to get the people relax yeah I would also caution in terms of talking about the cost in terms of the senior center having to reduce the cost I would like to see kilum step forward and reduce some of their cost and um I think that um the you know there needs to be a meeting of the minds here so when kilum is talking about a full-size gym like the high school gym you know that is and that is going to increase the cost and right now they have four um building plans with some cost estimates and they have a meeting um and I would encourage everybody to go it's tonight I think no no no there's K has a meeting tonight here at Town Hall yeah but but this is the I mean the advantage that the school has from the selling standpoint and I don't know what the Chris what the the current percentag is is it 50% state funded um no 30 well you got to be careful about this is it it's a percentage I'm not sure what the percentage is but it's not a percentage of the entire project it's it's it's a it's a percentage of certain parts of their project if they meet that criteria right right so we got make we got to make sure now something I'm gonna throw this out there you know um Rec's presenting to the SLU board next Tuesday evening right and to be honest I mean a lot of this stuff in this conversation's really good but I'm kind of curious to see what direction and what happens after next Tuesday because the select board will be the next step in this process so I I just want to you know and maybe they'll be like yes we're on board we want to do this let's go forward I I mean they may not say that Tuesday we don't know but we're going to know by next COA meeting kind of what's going to probably be happening so I just want to you know are you sure that's the case because the the recal is just my understanding it's there we worked for two years and this is our summary but there's not a decision to be made yet I mean the decision was send it to it's going to be made Tuesday but shortly after shortly afterwards it will be made and this after they get feedback from building committee right not necessarily no this would be to put the um um the senior center on the warrant but they don't know what for to meeting anything until the building committee does its thing well the building committee is not going to be the one I mean the OPM working with the architect yeah in in our situation that's that's going to be that's going to be the the cost the the perent building but it but going back to what Chris said that's absolutely first the select board has to agree that they're going to put it on the warrant then the warrant will go War we're talking nov then the warrant will go to the town meeting the November warrant it could oh okay oh well it's got to be like September 20th or something like that that the warrant closes but which town meeting are we talking about the it could be November or it could be spring I'm so I guess what I'm saying is what if the SLU board doesn't put it on put it on where are we right everything has said that I've heard and I'm not privy to all is thinking by any means but what he's said when I've heard him is he thinks it's unlikely we could do it more likely April and that but don't know and this is why that goes so they might not do anything right now that doesn't mean they're not going to want to do it we don't know go like this this and this is my concern is we're talking about money how much it's going to cost if they say okay we're going forward what happens with the testing is that going to add on to the building cost well the the question I I I had I could not find it when I look through the materials online is it is if there's a budgetary breakdown of the budget I mean all I see is a number you know 28,000 or 22,000 there's no I don't know if that includes saw costs I don't know if it includes Furnishings I don't know if it includes site development and it it's hard to really to know what that number represents and and if someone in the town has done that that's fine uh but there's a lot of questions what the number includes I I think maybe it's not posted we need to go through our files but there was a very detailed um cost estimate that included soft costs and um all all the things as opposed to just one price right I mean you you have to deal with you have to deal with a contingency uh I believe the site requires a significant amount of utility work right yeah so those costs in there are not and they did have them in they did yeah so I we need to find you the more detailed report if it's not posted well I I think it'd be good because I think you stop throwing numbers out first of all 28 to 30 million is is a lot of money but then then then you find out that you've got X Y and Z to add in exactly you're not going to get it you're not going to get that money it's you're going to go you you're gonna go to the well once and can I just asked a question well I just have well disturbing everybody here B you said the architect is BHA is that the name BH plus a BH what B plus a the plus sign is an and sign yeah I Al it's a plus and they they in the area Nancy are they what are they in this Boston yeah Boston I just want to look them up yeah they were um there was a uh interview committee much like what's happening with the OPM um with questions and it was rated and uh so um um so just to get back sorry I want to make sure we watch our time and get back on track and you know we keep deviating a little bit and I know well Chris can I just stop you for this is very important well I I agree and and so I respectfully ask you not to keep referring to the time and getting on back because all of the things that we're talking about are very important and are part of the discussion and it might seem like we wander but we are not wandering we are moving forward with the discussion so I would ask I I apologize being new I'm probably asking more questions no and and that's that's your that's your prerogative I mean that's what you should be doing because you're asking a lot of good questions that you have a skill set for that many of us sitting around this table do not have that skill set so I'm glad you're here quick quick question where we do have new members on the Council on Aging and the questions have been valid with the architect do you think as a COA group we could just have the architect come in and do a special meeting with us so we all cuz things seem to be Here There and Everywhere just to kind in reinforce well funny you should say that I I can I can ask I can ask maybe in a different way okay um but I was asking for that during that Hiatus during the summer where so I was asking for that but basically I was told oh we have to wait for the OPM to come in and I mean to me that just seems um like you're dragging out a timeline we've got the architect the architect actually has some very detailed um um projections and they're for tasks that the architect needs to do and basically when the OPM comes in the opm's going to meet with the architect and say what do you need right so you know a lot of those dates um maybe he can't put maybe they can't put actual dates on it yet but he certainly the tasks are all laid out and they're all laid out in um things that I would willing to do a special meeting if it's going to help clarify questions that we all individually have if we ask the architect to do a a special meeting it would probably cut back what he could do otherwise because he's only got so much money in his contract that he's going to do I don't think there's a chance they would do a special meeting just for us and they charge heftily well if they if he was going to do a meeting we could maybe be invited and involved but I don't think there's a chance they would do one just for us I I think one of the reasons that we are where we are is because we have asked for things that are not reasonable we have asked for things that are unreasonable and we've pushed the needle forward so that might be true John but it doesn't hurt to ask oh no it doesn't hurt to ask but I think the chances are exceptionally slim but they could bring other people to the meeting too know yeah just against some experience if you tell an architect you have 30 million he's going to spend 35 so you might want to when you structure the numbers have a very large contingency so they they added 20% contingency into the 28 to 30 which is yeah yeah there's two kind of there's a couple different kinds of contingency one is construction contingency and the other is when they're developing the costs for it and I would think I would hold a little bit that at Bay when dealing with them uh just because they want to they want to do something nice and they don't care what it cost yeah the the only um they that bhna is not doing the construction part of it that the the what bhna is committed for once this all starts up again is the schematic design so they're going to finish the schematic design piece and then the town can either choose to continue with bhna or they can go out to bid for another architect so okay so so to pull it back to this um thinking about like what Chris said and what Karen said I feel like we need to make sure we know where the town is going and then we need to think about what what our message is because if we put up blonde signs and bumper stickers that says new Senior Center and people just get angry when they see that that's not going to be a good thing I feel like we need to have like a campaign moving forward like a like a slogan and and and and information and you know I'm not sure if we're ready for this just yet but this is rolled into it can be rolled into a campaign in other words you still have to have absolutely yeah but I feel like we need to there's more we need to do more work before we output we need to pull in and come up with ideas before we pull up like throw ideas out there we need to get organized we need to I think we need to be or more organized and more people helping but I think we're at a standstill in one aspect of it because we don't have a dollar amount of what it's actually going to be estimated to cost but there are if it does go to town meeting in November there are a lot of town Mee meaning people that don't even think a senior center is needed so I think by getting a signage out there with a just a general text new Senor Center needed in Reading period That's a marketing tool I mean to make people so I'm not I'm not certain I understand what you're talking about and for me we already know we need a new Senior Center we have the we have all of the data um yes we need a campaign um these were ways that we were going to get the word out so we could build a campaign around this and maybe the maybe the the the we get website and maybe we do monthly mailings and maybe the mailings start with Whispers guess what's coming guess what's coming you know so those are the kind of details that I think we need to go back I just I we don't have a lot of time so we don't you know we I'm I'm concerned with with the residents with the tax dollar I I think the school can killum school is overtaking what the seniors need and not that schools aren't important I'm all for new schools and education but the people are only hearing the new killum school dollar amount so I think we need to be proactive and making them know that a new Senior Center is also needed and how we go about it is questionable and it's hard because we also don't have the dates you know we don't have the OPM we don't exactly know when the um select board is is going to make a decision but that Karen if you could maybe you could just write up what you're envisioning and um um I had in I've had a similar conversation to my mind I come from marketing milon 18 different careers one of them was International marketing for many years and what I feel we would benefit from having is a really clear what I call a value proposition if you do this the community will have this that it doesn't know and it's much more than just a building that doesn't stink it's much much more it's the community will have a resource that's serving this portion of the population which everything research says we know exists and evidence we have from other communities that suddenly double the participation rate shows it exists when you start these things so col board know that information have the select board go to North and over that I would can't we can only control what we can control it would be great if you two could get together because to me what you're talking about is what goes on the front of this so this is this is the nuts and bolts this is what we need to do and you want something on the front of this that is your the value proposition or the we also need the consequences it's the thing that the League of Women Voters will do when it goes to the town saying yes means the town's going to get this and saying no means the town's not and what the consequences are and I don't have a I have a mushy vision of that but not something concise and I I think we that we need to be able to say this is fine if you want to say it's too much but you realize this means okay can I um ah Rosemarie my my thought is uh we need to get something visually like a video in front of the citizens of read and in front of the uh meeting members they need to see the crowded rooms they need to see what about our video that we have yeah yeah we have a video but again not not people that took that took three months yeah and it was a very nice video but but the place was cleaned up it was made to look pristine you look at that video say no they don't need a new Senior Center it looks great and it was empty it was empty there wasn't people no back and watch it we did the we did the St Patrick's Day it wasn't now my other thought do you think excuse me ask one second what as a resident maybe it's time but we think about going to the select board meeting and speak for two minutes as a resident what I would like that's one of the that's that's what's on here you're on recording but people need to visually see how crowded the rooms are and people are in it but there's no space there's no people know Rosemary the people that are down there know it and they still don't talking about the general population because eventually the town meeting members have to vote on this they have to see how crowded we are so how are you proposing that that be done I I think the classes should be videoed the rooms should be videoed with people in it and and we did how we did that but how how are we gonna get that video out there I mean the video that we have didn't get out there to the Y Community it's like not on channel five maybe someone needs to call the ey team and get them in there and get Chronicle to do a half hour Chronicle to do a half an hour it it's just a small piece of the puzzle but somebody mentioned the chronicle if I could talk to someone at the chronicle I'd say come down there and take a picture when the podiatrist is there come down there when you take take a picture or when the nurse is there doing the the um the blood pressure checks stop showing the lunch and learns and the pizza parties and the dances and all that because people read look at the chronicle and say oh these people are having a great time down there they don't realize what else is going ONN can you can you reach out to the chronicle and find someone and give them give them the times and make sure that the person who's having his I can I can do I can I can go make a pain in myself over there okay good I meant the half hour Chronicle televis about the chronicle television Ken I'm just wondering what what are we hoping to accomplish now um because this could go on another two hours so what are we hoping to accomplish now and I'm I'm also leaning towards what Chris had mentioned earlier the uh this is going to be discussed next week at the select board let's get a sense of what they're saying what they're hearing from their constituents and then revisit this again and really come together with a plan that would because otherwise we could be here another two hours definitely I was just looking at the clock thinking the exact same thing so um I I would suggest that we as many of us as possible go to the select board meeting I'm G to have ask Chris if he would post a meeting for us for the select board meeting the kilum meeting which is this week and it's the the 14th it's a Wednesday night that's where they're going to present all four ideas with cost I would encourage all Council on Aging members to go to that meeting is that a zoom also N I don't know and there's a fincom meeting coming up and I would encourage all Council and aging members to go to the fincom meeting so these are all things that are coming up that if if we aren't there then we are not front and center in terms of um a a 60 plus new Senior Center killum is but we are not Nancy what's what is the cost of killing huge it's like 100 billion ions or Millions about $135 million minus whatever we get from this state and they're putting a lot of things in that are not going to be covered by the state $135 million for elementary school yes I don't know the exact figure I'm throwing that out kindergarten is gonna be the townwide kindergarten is going to be a kill him yeah that's awful lot of money no kidding so I would encourage everybody to um um to go to and then we're g we're gonna end this Chris I was at 7 o'clock at the reading public library on the 14th tillum Public School building committee is going to present their four ideas and I think it includes costs um you say that date again 14 14 14 Wednesday August the 14th yeah yes and the fincom meeting is on the 21st at August in August the 21st at 7 o'clock p.m. at Town Hall I would encourage people to go to that and I would encourage people to use the twom minute public time to say when are you going to hold another town Forum um they did that in the spring they need to do it again and they need to they need to bring the discussion into it so these are two upcoming meetings that really need to be um we need to be there I really don't know the price so of kill him so you must have a rough idea editor that we all approve but I never submitted um which is basically we need more space and goes through bullet points on here's what we don't have um I was going to preface it with sort of tonight you're going to be hearing the summary of recal all of which started with you know earlier studies well you can so we'll put that on the agenda for the next meeting well no she's got minutes SEL board I was going to read it there okay yes okay I just want to make I'll tomorrow no next the 20th the 20th that's for thing so I'm gonna I'm meetings the 14th the 20th and the 21st meetings um for the uh Council on Aging you know if you can go you can go the reason that we're going to have a meeting cuz if we have a quorum then we're in trouble so maybe just three of us go I don't know but those are three very important meetings but Nancy you what even though you're on a board if I were to go and say I'm on a council and aging board but I'm here as a resident only and speak is that considered if more people there is a meeting very good I don't know no it it it's I said it very good point well that's what I'm saying the question is asked a lot there's also you itance of something is is a I would go and I'm going as a resident I understand but the appearance has that you were on the committee so anyways there are going to be three um meetings posted in the next two weeks if people can come they can come if you can't you can't but they're but they're they're critical in terms of we need to visibly be out there and Karen I'm just going to round this off back to your point about cost it is it is critical and it's critical that the kilum cost and the senior center cost and Community preservation cost whatever are are are done collaborative and that's got to be one of our messages it's a collaborative effort and you know too bad for killum and Kum um I just I think will realize that the senior center cost is is part of the package when this goes in front of the voters and we need to figure out how we can make make that happen in a palatable way and a collaborative way it's it's been many it's been many years since I was involved in a couple of school building projects but I I would be curious to know what the typical Elementary School cost is at this point in time and you know if they could if they could take 10% of their Fe their cost out of this building you'd have you'd be a third of the way through so we will see you at the killer meeting Wednesday night I'm down I'm down the I'm down the cape I mentioned that to you you on Zoom but you know it's gonna be zoomed do we do we have any does the OPM have any sense as to what the going rate is for an elementary school because we don't have we don't have an OPM no but the OPM no but the town has an OPM for the school oh the school oh the school I'm sure it does um the kilum building committee has a has a great website if you haven't seen that with a lot of information that might be out there it might not well I just you know $135 million is a lot for elementary school I I don't know if it's 100 no I I heard I heard 100 so the 135 could be minus the 35 from the state well but it's not 30 it's 30% so of approved costs so but anyways we will know Wednesday night so with that do I have and then once we have all those facted together and um uh Marilyn and Karen are gonna brainstorm this uh idea timeline timeline no it's not a timeline you're it's a values or whatever it is and we will bring that all together together again with some specific ideas of what can be done and in the meantime if people can start thinking about their friends and who can help with this that's going to be critical because we can't do it all we can't so do I have a motion to adjourn I make a motioning it all in favor [Music] Ros Marie yes it was JT and um John Parson yes and Marilyn should have said no and uh Karen fatino and um Jean PR and sees him like yes so until we meet again which is September 9th Maybe by then will have an OPM be nice Marilyn would you give Christopher a copy of that layout of the north OVA location it I have it here for me oh yeah can you make a we'll email it out no here that's that's that's Wilmington oh I'm sorry um we'll email the floor plans out okay thank you good night he e