President Wendel Thompson called the regular meeting of the Residents’ Council [the Council] to order at 7:00 pm on February 5, 2019. The January 7, 2019 minutes were approved as distributed.

47 association members attended. Visitors included residents, Naomi McAfee and Charles Denton, members of the Board of Directors, and Nathan Blumberg, Associate Executive Director.  The Council observed a moment of silence for those who have passed away.

Wendel called on the following officers and committee chairs for reports; the text of those reports appears following the formal minutes:

• Anne Erfle, Vice President
• Sherry Stewart, Secretary
• Jack Murnane, Treasurer
• Jean Eichenlaub, Chair of the Benevolent Care Committee
• Walt Howe, Chair of the Communications Committee
• Bill Tilles, Chair of the Conservation Committee
• Bob Caulfield, Chair of the Dining Committee
• Gil Fisher, Chair of the Finance Committee
• Ted Durr, Chair of the Grounds Committee
• Louise Dempsey, Chair of the Health Services Committee
• Diane Lyons, Chair of the Housekeeping Committee
• Seldra Funk, Chair of the Legislative/Political Committee
• Jackie Graham, Chair of the Maintenance & Engineering Committee
• Sam Cushman, Chair of the Resident Life Committee
• Janet Allan, Chair of the Safety & Security Committee
• Hope Tillman, Co-Chair of the Nominating and Elections Committee

UNFINISHED BUSINESS: None

NEW BUSINESS: None

Nathan Blumberg then presented “Words from Management” which appear below for those residents interested in reading the full text of the message.

President Thompson adjourned the formal meeting at 7:50 p.m.

Sherry Stewart, Residents’ Council Secretary
Hope Tillman, Residents’ Council Assistant Secretary

REPORTS—EXECUTIVE TEAM

ANNOUNCEMENTS/ PRESIDENT’S REPORT (Wendel Thompson):

Mission Moments: A spunky little 100-year-old senior, Catherine (Cass) Brusini, has been quietly doing good deeds for years.  Weekly, she walks from her apartment to Continuing Care with her little bag of treasures.  Cass has been responsible for the bingo at Continuing Care.  Not only does she work with the bingo games, she makes sure there are adequate prizes for winners. Cass generously supplies all the prizes at her own expense. Truly Cass is an example of respect and caring for residents, who have moved from independent living to continuing care. Her quiet manner makes her a “secret angel” to many Charlestown residents.

Martin (Marty) Tewksbury has been recognized by Sherry Stewart, Phyl Lansing and Bill Tilles.  Marty has been the driving force for getting the Treasure Sale to recycle more.  On days when boxes are unpacked, he made sure that the Treasure Sale had BIG bins for recycling and SMALL containers for trash:  accenting visually what was being done.  He also supplied a box labeled Soft Plastic so plastic bags could be stored and taken to the Giant for recycling.  Once the Sale was open, Marty had boxes around with notes above them clearly labeled indicating recycling during the Sale and, as importantly, at the end of the Sale when everyone is tired and a deluge of empty boxes suddenly appears.

The Plastic Bag initiative Marty created makes it possible for you to bring your plastic bags to the laundry rooms for deposit in the boxes there. Volunteers take them to the Giant for recycling. Michael Fischer reports this recycling program has been adopted by other Erickson communities.  Recycling is not the only thing Marty does.  He is on the Sluggers Soft Ball team and when not able to play due to health problems, he is there to cheer on the team.

As one can see, leadership is a quality that Marty clearly demonstrates. When the Nature Trail Committee required a new chair, he stepped up to run the meetings and took over the leadership of the newly formed Nature Festival.  He is a member of the Invasive Plants Crew, and cochairman of the Putterland Fund Raiser.  If that is not enough, he also has been instrumental in helping to set up Fruits of Our Labor.  Truly, Marty unselfishly uses his energies to help our community in many ways.

The Mission Moment’s Committee welcomes submissions.  Forms are at all lobby front desks and on the CCI and My EricksonMy Erickson is a resident portal. It is provided by Erickson Corporate and is managed by Charlestown staff, mainly Community Resources. See Portal. READ MORE websites.

Announcements: We have lots of building going on and I want to highlight some of it. Nathan Blumberg has a video on Wilton Overlook that is available on My Erickson web site with the latest view of Wilton Overlook. He shows us the rooms with accompanying large bathrooms and tells us signaling for help will send the signal directly to your attendant. The other rebuilding project is putting a new roof on the St. Charles building. It is an enthralling sight to see workers walking around on top of that building with their security rope trailing behind—I wonder what the rope is attached to and how far someone might fall before the rope plays out. They walk on the sloped roof. I did see a worker slip. They carry 20-foot pieces of metal roof removed by a hammer that hits the roof and a moment later hear the sound. Thankfully there was no wind which would have made carrying these large pieces very dangerous. Two cranes are used to move material back and forth. Workers appear to be laying down insulation and then asphalt tiles over the insulation after they remove the metal roof. They work in the cold and snow.

I have one announcement. The Council is providing an ELLIC class about the work of the Residents’ Council on February 13. If you want to know more about what the Council does and especially, if you are considering running for the Council this year, this would be a good place to test your expectations against the experience of the Council members who will be there.

VICE PRESIDENT’S REPORT (Anne Erfle):

There are two items to report:

FIRST:  Every year the Resident Advisory Councils (RACs) of 5 Erickson retirement communities hold a 1-day meeting, and this year it will take place on 4/17/19 at Oak Crest.  The meeting will provide us an opportunity to listen and interact with several major players who have a great say in the Erickson policies that will define the future of our communities in the 21st century and what role the RACs will play.  The three topics for discussion will be Information Technology, Health Services, and Finance and the Economy. (As you know, the Charlestown council suggested some topics for the meeting, but they were not adopted.)  We will send council members additional information on the agenda soon and will prepare a Sunburst article to inform residents.

SECOND:  In its 10/12/18 meeting the council approved a motion that the council take up the issue of gun presence at Charlestown.  Consideration of this mandate has been underway in our work sessions and in the Safety and Security Committee.  We have decided to hold a forum at 10:00 AM on March 13 in the Auditorium, which will provide residents with information on MD gun laws and on policies pertaining to guns in Charlestown and other retirement communities.  Thereafter, we plan to survey resident views on gun policies and gun safety.  We will let you know additional details at a later date.

SECRETARY’S REPORT (Sherry Stewart):

At the January 14, 2019 Work Session, the following issues were raised:

Seldra Funk will notify Nathan Blumberg when politicians are expected to appear on campus so that all are aware. Other groups such as the Progressives and MaCCRA need to do the same.

Clara Parker invited Wendel Thompson, Anne Erfle, Bob Caulfield, and Sam Cushman to join the Resident Experience/Satisfaction Focus Group as Council representatives; Jean Eichenlaub and Steve Harders are already members of the group. They will meet with the 80-member Leadership Team on February 21 to formulate action items coming out of the Holleran survey.

Lois Kimber has agreed to serve as the Chair of the Staff Appreciation Committee for this year. Ed Piechowiak will continue as a committee member.

Mental and emotional health issues still remain. Clara is going to lay out an administration campaign in the February Sunburst. Each month there should be a focus on a particular subject. Our committees may then follow up on some of the issues once we learn about her campaign.

TREASURER’S REPORT (Jack Murnane):

During the month of January, no checks were written, and no deposits were made to the Resident’s Council bank account.

At the end of the month of December, the book balance amounted to $ 2,942.84 and the bank balance amounted to $ 2,942.84.  There was no difference from the previous month.

REPORTS—COMMITTEES

BENEVOLENT CARE (Jean Eichenlaub, Chair):

The committee did not meet in January.  The next meeting will be Feb 27 2pm CTS 116.

COMMUNICATIONS (Walt Howe, Chair):

The Communications Committee met on January 28^th at 2pm in CTS Classroom 116. 13 members were present. The announced purpose of the meeting was to review the status of Wi-FiWi-Fi is a family of wireless network protocols based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, which are commonly used for wireless networking and allow nearby devices to exchange data by radio waves. Wireless local area networks (WLAN) are widely used in the world to link laptop computers, tablet co... READ MORE at Charlestown with Hans Keller, Erickson Living’s Chief Information Officer. Hans Keller had a conflict and was unable to attend, but he held a brief discussion with Chair Walt Howe prior to the meeting, which was shared with the meeting attendees. Hans Keller plans to attend next month’s Communications Committee meeting, and residents are invited to attend to discuss problems with Wi-Fi, and what needs to be done to improve it. Hans stressed the importance of communicating problems to IT support, since many problems can be solved, if they know about them. The system capacity is very good, if it is set up right, he says. The next meeting will be February 25^th at 2pm in CTS 116. Please consider attending if you would like to share in the Wi-Fi discussion.

The Website Subcommittee met the hour before with Chair, Hope Tillman and 10 members and continued a systematic review of the Residents’ Council website’s purpose and structure. They also reviewed the current ELLIC classes on the two websites, the RC website and the Erickson website, and plans to repeat the classes later.  The Website Subcommittee next meets on March 25^th at 1pm in CTS 116.

CONSERVATION (Bill Tilles, Chair):

Attendance: Five members of the Committee, and Michelle Fenn (Housekeeping Supervisor, Erickson).

The committee reviewed the Recycling and Trash Monthly Statistics for the month of December 2018. The totals for trash and recycling were about the same as the monthly average for the first four months of this fiscal year.

A major part of our recycling awareness effort is placing the tri-fold bulletin board in key locations so residents can see what can be recycled and what cannot. It is usually placed outside one of the restaurants. A second tri-fold board is planned to make the information available to more residents.

The plastic bag collection project for which containers have been placed in the laundry rooms continues to go well. Residents have been depositing their plastic bags gotten primarily from restaurant carry-out or grocery shopping into the containers so they can be returned to the grocery chain stores. Thanks go to the resident volunteers who take the contents of the boxes back to the stores. This initiative, which was started by Marty Tewksbury and Michelle Fenn, has been adopted by the other Erickson Communities.

Two signs will be posted above the plastic bag recycling containers in the laundry rooms. These are planned for the end of February. One will list the kinds of soft plastic that can be placed in the containers and the other sign will list the kinds of soft plastic that cannot be placed in the containers. These signs should help clear up any confusion about the issue.

An article is appearing in the February Sunburst that talks about the various conservation efforts undertaken by our committee.

The next meeting of the Conservation Committee will be at 2:00 pm on Tuesday, February 19, 2019 in HR 142.

DINING SERVICES (Bob Caulfield, Chair):

The Dining Committee met on January 21, 2019 with Ken Zahn representing Charlestown management. He provided us with an operational update for the Dining area of the Holleran survey results. The survey showed improvements in every area (cleanliness of the dining areas, variety of menu selections, service in dining areas, and quality of food). Overall dining experience at Charlestown went from 73.8% in 2016, to 75.9% in 2017, to 80.5% in 2018. We ranked #7 in dining across all Erickson communities, up from #18, and #1 in dining among the 3 Erickson communities in Maryland.

We were encouraged to attend the dining town hall in the auditorium on January 25 at 11:00 am.

Dietary Focus Group – The committee met on Friday, January 4, 2019, with 12 residents present and Chef Victor Cirricione representing Dining Services.

The resources at the local grocery stores and others were reviewed.  There were numerous printed resources available at this meeting, as well.  The app FODMAP was explained by Steve Schimpff.  The app addresses gluten, oligys, sugars and other components in food sources and helps the user plan menus and food selection.

Chef Victor updated the group on the new menus, Martin Luther King’s Birthday menu, and the Chesapeake and Conference Center renovations which are expected to last until May. He said that they serve over 3300 meals per day.

Atrium – Greg Mazzeo, General Manager, welcomed Cynthia Porcher, Assistant General Manager. He explained the Winter Bar menu and then reported to the 20 residents present that the Winter Menu would start on January 7 and the specials would begin on Monday, January 14. The Black Swan pub area will offer an abbreviated menu as well as the weekly specials.

Greg also presented info about the Chef’s Table menu which will feature Chef Kevin in the Gallery on Friday, January 25 at 6:00.

Chesapeake/Shortline – Committee met with 4 staff members and 36 residents on January 14.

The Shortline menu will have 14 additional items starting January 22.  There will be expanded selection at the Sautee and Pizza station (2 additional pizzas).  Donuts will be available every Sunday. Chesapeake closure to begin 1/23/2019. 160 seats will be available across the aisle during renovations.

Resident Volunteers who can help when the weather is bad can sign up with their venue manager.

Comments from residents included: 1) need help for residents who are unable to carry food to table during buffets, 2) food runner should not leave the table until they are sure the meal was delivered as ordered and bus the dishes if they can, 3) can Signature Dining menus be rotated every 2 months instead of 3 months?

A focus group is planned to get inputs for the Bistro menu.

Fireside – FIRESIDE – 01/08/2019

A new dietician has started in Continuing Care.

We look to have approximately 10 scholars from the Fireside.

Creighton stressed the importance of attending the menu focus groups; the more people the better the results.

Refectory/Terrace – The coffee was held on1/10/19 with John Christian presiding in Chris Mitchell’s vacation absence. Chef Sean, Ken Zahn, and 13 residents attended.

New menus are out for 4-week cycle. Menu books have been updated for new menus. We want to emphasize that the chef’s specials are NOT leftovers but are ways for the chef to show creativity.

ELLIC tour of Refectory kitchen is slated for May 30, 2019,

Residents comments included 1) someone needs to walk the buffet line periodically to make sure spoons/ladles/etc. are reachable and clean, 2) There are continuing empty tray problems. For examples, pork ran out by 5:45pm and we were told it would be up shortly. It got there at closing time at 6:30pm, 3) cooking certain foods at the action station may require a vent to keep the smells from permeating everything, and 4) who has the say on coming renovations? For example, the Shortline showed three types of chairs for residents to vote on, but the one chosen wasn’t even shown as one of those three.

Chairman’s Comments – The Charlestown dining experience was, is, and always will be a work in progress. How can we help? Management tells us to tell them how they are doing. Let’s tell them with positive reinforcement. Use the comment cards and ask others to do the same. Come to the monthly Dining Town Hall meetings and the Coffees with the Managers. If there is a problem while you are dining, talk to a manager then, not later.

The next Dining Committee meeting will be in Brookside 1 on February 18, 2019 at 2:00pm.

FINANCE (Gil Fisher, Chair):

The Finance Committee met on January 29 with Pam Stiner, Finance Director, and Eric Schwab, Assistant Finance Director. Charlestown Chief Executive Clara Parker also attended.

Pam presented a year-end report on Occupancy Rates and Financial Reports that also covered specifics from November and December. Occupancy Rates for the year were 98.1 percent for independent living, 97.5 percent for assisted living, 99.2 percent for memory care, and 89.8 percent for skilled nursing care. Pam noted the improvement of the skilled nursing numbers from the previous year. Also Pam pointed out that Charlestown’s occupancy rates are at the top for Erickson Communities.

Looking at the unaudited financial reports for the year, total operating revenue exceeded budget projections by over $1.76 million. Operating expenses were $235,000 under budget projections.  A number of things went very well for the year, including about $500,000 savings in utility bills after correction of problems with Baltimore’s billing of water bills. As Pam said, “Charlestown had a great year.”

Turning to restricted funds, the November benevolent care expenditures were high because of a one-time cost; December’s expenditures were back to about $88,000.  It appears that monthly expenditures will stabilize at around $100,000 monthly.

Pam also reviewed the Charlestown capital budget for 2019. The budget includes $27.2 million in total with Wilton Overlook comprising about $16 million. Overall there are a large number of projects related to infrastructure which will easily consume the balance of the capital budget.

The Committee discussed how it will approach formulating budget suggestions to management for 2020. In the 2019 budget process, most of the Residents’ Council’s suggestions related to infrastructure. It is likely that the emphasis for 2020 will be on ideas to reduce expenditures. You will hear more about this at our February work session.

The next meeting will be on February 26 at 9 am in Brookside 2 Classroom.

GROUNDS (Ted Durr, Chair):

The Grounds Committee met on Tuesday, January 22, 2019 with Ted Durr presiding.  In attendance also were 7 members and Ryan Truitt and Kevin Crawford.

A new form entitled Grounds Auditors Report was presented; it was decided that we should bring our reports to each monthly meeting unless we see a need to report a more urgent matter sooner by putting it in Ted’s cubby (HV 419).

It was reported that the Residents’ Council will meet with the DMW Co. which is the company involved in the lake project.  Nathan Blumberg also is to have said that the administration will work with the Residents’ Council.  Under consideration is tamping down gravel, etc. or possibilities of parking for the bus.  Ted would like a study to be done to make Lake Charles into a real lake by incorporating Herbert’s Run; another is dredging.  Kevin said ADA compliance is one goal, and more power is definitely needed.

Nature Fest – Betty Caldwell has been asked to give a 10-minute lecture on her nature photographs at three times during this event.

Lucy asked about patios, one of the subjects on the Grounds Auditors Report.  The response was that it is a touchy subject.  Also, bird feeders should be 30’ from any building.

The spring walk will be scheduled at another meeting. The next meeting will be February 26 at 10:00 am.

HEALTH SERVICES (Louise Dempsey, Chair):

The Health Committee met on January 8, 2019 with 11 members and 7 guests.

Members of the Al Anon group here at Charlestown attended our meeting and presented information about Al Anon. They explained that is a support group for those whose lives have been negatively impacted by an alcoholic and not for alcoholics themselves. They meet weekly at 8 am in CTS 116. It is important to understand that alcoholism is a medical condition and not a moral issue.

An AA group for alcoholics has recently been activated at Charlestown. This group is limited to those who are addicted or have a problem with alcohol. If you have a desire to quit drinking, perhaps they can help. They meet in the Jeremiah Room of Pastoral Services every Saturday at 10am. For more information, call 410-314-2529. There will be a program offered in March by the regional AA group.

Dr. Pelczar explained that Maryland has had minimal cases of the flu as of this date. However, other parts of the country have had outbreaks and so far, 97% of the flu cases have been Flu A or H1N1 with the balance being Flu B or H1N3. There have been 13 pediatric deaths from the flu nationwide as of our meeting date. He reminds us that it is still very early in the flu season.

We have not had outbreaks of the flu here to date. However, the Medical Center has treated many residents for upper respiratory infections. It is important to be diligent about hand washing. If you become ill, seek treatment, and stay home while ill. The Food and Drug Administration approved a new drug (Xofluza) for the treatment of acute uncomplicated influenza who have been symptomatic for no more than 48 hours.

Prevnar is the pneumonia vaccine currently recommended and is available through the Medical Center.

If you are taking the recalled blood pressure medication Losartan, manufactured by Torrent, you should return the bottle to the Pharmacy and the medication will be replaced by a different manufacturer.

Residents are encouraged to schedule a Medicare covered Wellness Visit once a year.

The next Dedicated Collection Day for residents and staff is scheduled for January 14 from 1-3pm.

A resident complained she couldn’t eat in the dining rooms because of her health issues. It was suggested that she speak with the manager and/or chef in the dining room where she eats. It was also suggested that she attend the Dietary Focus group.

The Council President, Vice-President, and Health Committee Chair recently met with a resident who felt that mental and emotional resources were not made available to her when her husband transitioned from Independent Living to Continuing Care. Administration is planning a campaign to deal with these issues.

RG: Wilton Overlook is expected to open in June 2019.

Caton Woods: Name badges will be made and distributed to residents.

Next meeting will be February 12th at 11am in BR CR 2.

HOUSEKEEPING (Diane Lyons, Chair):

The meeting was held on Friday, January 18, 2019.   Five members and Earl Shaw attended.

Committee members gave reports on repairs and carpet stains they had noted.

Earl Shaw provided a lot of information to clarify some of our comments.  Harbor View area will be getting a new floor tech.  Don, a long-time worker, has moved to a new job.

Harbor View loading dock has a problem with residents using it as a quick exit and leaving the door open.  This allows vermin to enter.  The dock area is pressure washed and cleaned weekly.

Carpet Cleaning rotates doing 2 floors nightly – first using encapsulation, a foam cleaner that turns to crystals and can be vacuumed away.  Once a month the liquid extraction method is used.   Wood laminate floors are mopped daily with “V-pads” to prevent damage from salt tracked in.  No polish.

He gave an update on the roofing replacement starting with St. Charles, then Brookside, Herbert’s Run, etc.

They are investigating the water drips from ceiling in pool area.  Suspect condensation. Bldg. 1, 4^th floor, everyone being moved out for complete renovation.  The large Skylight will also be examined.

Next Meeting is Friday, February 15, 2019, 2 pm, HR142.

LEGISLATIVE/POLITICAL (Seldra Funk, Chair):

The legislative/political committee met on January 9 at 10:00 at BR-1.  A listing of elected officials was approved and has been forwarded for posting and distribution.  A draft letter was prepared by the committee, regarding the need for an additional voting ballot scanner for the Charlestown precinct.  After final approval by members, the draft will be forwarded to the Residents’ Association for their review and decision on mailing the letter to Baltimore County elected officials and to the county Board of Elections. Legislation was reviewed during the meeting which will be of interest to residents.  These bills will be tracked by the committee as they are introduced.  A bus trip to Annapolis for MaCCRA DAY will be held on Wednesday, February 6th.  A speaker at the meeting provided information about the various functions of the Maryland State Central Committees.

Our next committee meeting will be held on Wednesday, February 13, at 10:00 in BR-1.

MAINTENANCE & ENGINEERING (Jackie Graham, Chair):

The committee met on January 22^nd with General Services’ Kevin Crawford and Don Hoffman and 8 members present.

General Services Update:

. Repairs to Shuffle Board Court have been completed

. Handicap stalls in Brookside and Fireside area ladies’ rooms have been repaired.

. Damaged wall near elevator, on Mainstreet, has been repaired.

Items to be addressed:

Lighting in pool area, latch to Terrace Patio door, bldg. 2 elevator level, water pressure in men’s shower in pool area, Cross Creek roofing run-off, various repairs through Brookside and exit and exterior lighting along Mainstreet.

Issues from Resident questions from last month’s meeting:

Issue #! External Lighting

Outside lighting around bldgs. 8/9, the Square parking lot and outer road to gatehouse not shutting off at sun-up or coming on too early during the summer months.

Answer: These areas are controlled by the same photo cell. Adjustments have been made and lighting will be monitored.

Issue #2 Call Button at Charlestown Square

Resident unable to re-enter building due to location of call button

Answer: The call button location is not ADA compliant. The Contractor has been notified. The call button will be reinstalled at the compliant height. As a result of the concern, all call buttons have been checked and four more are being fixed.

Next meeting, Tuesday-February 26^th 2pm GS Conf. Rm.

RESIDENT LIFE (Sam Cushman, Chair):

Six members were present at the January 16^th meeting, along with four visitors.  The meeting evolved according to the reports of the various subcommittees.

Pet Lovers:  Donna Seely reported that a search is on to find someone to co-chair the committee with long-serving current chair Fran Ashby.  Efforts are also underway to stabilize the system of community representatives which is crucial in maintaining an updated inventory of pets, and communicating between the Pet Lovers monthly meetings and the bulk of the pet owners who do not participate in the monthly meetings.  Management of pet-related complaints is a continuing issue to be addressed in part in the context of complaint management at the Residents’ Council level.

Values and Harmonious Living:  Mission Moments chaired by Pat Kasuda, and the Eating Together Group chaired by Phyl Lansing and Bernice de Bels are major activities of this subcommittee.  Efforts continue to publicize these activities including articles in the Sunburst and through recognition at the Residents’ Council meeting.  A list of participants in the Eating Together Group is available.  Various groups at Charlestown continue to promote Values and Harmonious Living including the Multi-racial Discussion Group, the LBGTQ+ Discussion Group, and the Journal Club/Discussion Group.  Pollination is currently addressing the ageism issue in two consecutive programs.

Birthday Angels:  Eugenia High reported that new cards are in the works.  They were shared with the committee and they are fantastic!

Welcome Cards:  Rose Sands remains the management coordinator of this Resident Life activity.

Transportation:  Sam Cushman reported information coming from Mary Jo Warthen regarding Transportation subcommittee activities.  Little progress has been made in implementing some proposed revisions in the Charlestown transportation system as administrative review is in process.

EMV’s:  Sam Cushman led a brief discussion of the many issues related to problems with EMV usage including prevention of the numerous recent accidents, some with injuries; training; and assigning responsibility. How to manage the EMV’s is the fundamental problem.

Firearms:  The Resident Life Committee is collaborating extensively with the Safety and Security Committee on the firearms policy at Charlestown.  An information forum is planned for the Charlestown Community to be followed by a questionnaire regarding resident’s views.  Efforts continue to find out about the policies of other retirement communities in Maryland and elsewhere.  The firearm and ammunition return program was briefly discussed, but no data are available.

Mental Health:  The mental health of residents at Charlestown continues to be an important topic of discussion at the levels of both the Resident Life Committee and the Resident’s Council.

Our next meeting is scheduled for February 20 at 2:00 pm in HR142.

SAFETY & SECURITY (Janet Allan, Chair):

The Committee met on Tuesday, January 9^th with 5 members; 2 guests and Reyn Giese, Assistant General Services Director.

A draft copy of a skit for this Committee to be shown on 972 was reviewed and discussed with several suggestions having been made.

A Gun Law Forum is being planned for our Community.  A coordination meeting with a Representative of the Baltimore Co. Police Dept. is being planned for early February.

Channel 972 is showing an article on off-campus gun sell-back options for Residents.

Reyn Giese gave a presentation on what Residents should do in the case of a fire, how Standard and Emergency Elevators function and are used in an emergency, and how an SES Unit will respond in the event of an emergency in Buildings 4 & 5.  Proper use and care of pendants was also discussed.  A copy of this presentation was given to the Committee for its use in disseminating this information to the Community.

The Security and Emergency Services Managers are planning a series of “Coffee Breaks with Residents”.  These will be held on a quarterly basis with a change of venue for each event.  The first Coffee Break is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 22^nd, at 9:00 AM.  The time for future events can be changed to be the most convenient for the Residents.

The next meeting will be on Feb. 12^th at 1:00 PM in Brookside No 1.

NOMINATING & ELECTIONS (Hope Tillman and Walt Howe, Co-Chairs):

The committee for the 2019 election held its first meeting. Members are Hope Tillman, Co-Chair, Walt Howe, Co-Chair, Janet Allan, Bob Caulfield, Bernice DeBels, Pat Kasuda, Phyl Lansing, and Bill Tilles.  The Committee is actively seeking candidates and encourages interested residents to nominate themselves or nominate others they recommend. For those who wish to learn more, the ELLIC class on the Resident Council which Wendel Thompson mentioned in his announcements is a great way to learn more about the work of the Residents’ Council.

WORDS FROM MANAGEMENT (Nathan Blumberg):

The first Chef’s Table sponsored by the Atrium was held at the Gallery. 25 residents attended.

There will be 46 scholar candidates this year, the largest group in many years.

The treat of the quarter will be distributed next week and will have a Valentine theme.

General Services is working with the DMW to do a presentation about their findings for Lake Charles before the end of the month.

The St. Charles roof is 50% complete.

The Chesapeake/Conference Center project has begun. Temporarily the Chesapeake is serving dinner across the hall from the restaurant.  Construction will begin next week.

General Services did a great job clearing snow.

The February Sunburst contains the Administration article about “Embracing Wellness.”  Additional elements will be rolled out in coming months.  This will be an Erickson enterprise initiative.