President Wendel Thompson called the regular meeting of the Residents’ Council [the Council] to order at 7:00 pm on April 2, 2019. The March 5, 2019 minutes were approved as distributed.

59 association members attended. Visitors included residents, Charles Denton, member of the Board of Directors, and Mike Fischer, Director of General Services.  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:

• Wendel Thompson, reporting for the Vice President
• Sherry Stewart, Secretary
• Jack Murnane, Treasurer
• Jean Eichenlaub, Chair of the Benevolent Care Committee
• Sherry Stewart, reporting for 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
• Lois Kimber, Assistant Chair of the Maintenance & Engineering Committee
• Sam Cushman, Chair of the Resident Life Committee
• Janet Allan, Chair of the Safety & Security Committee
• Sherry Stewart reporting for the Nominating and Elections Committee

UNFINISHED BUSINESS: None

NEW BUSINESS: None

Mike Fischer 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 7:55 p.m.

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

REPORTS—EXECUTIVE TEAM

ANNOUNCEMENTS/ PRESIDENT’S REPORT (Wendel Thompson):

Mission Moments: I want to call it a mission moment for St. Patrick’s Day when I came to get my corned beef and cabbage, which I’m told is not eaten in Ireland, and dining services gave me a choice of several Irish beers—free. Wasn’t that thoughtful.

This month, the Mission Moments Committee selected residents whose lives demonstrate several of the Erickson Living Values. The Mission Moments Honorees for this month have demonstrated teamwork, friendliness and enthusiasm, caring and concern, and responsibility.

John Kasuda, a most appreciative resident, recognized Peg Reiber. He writes: “With the recent winter snow storm, my wife and I could not get to our car. However, we do have the ability to start the car from our apartment and frequently do that just to keep it in good running condition in the cold weather. On the evening of the snow and ice storm, I started the car at about 8:30 p.m. Within a matter of minutes, Peg Reiber, a resident living on the sixth floor of Brookside, called to inform us that our car was running, and she was watching from her window to see if there were any footprints or individuals around the car. I informed her that we had started that car but were very grateful for a neighbor who took the time to observe an unusual event and to follow up to assure there was no problem. In doing so, Peg demonstrated Caring, Friendliness, and Responsibility.” She is a lector for Our Lady of the Angels and works diligently for the Treasure Sale in addition to conducting friendly visits to ‘shut in’ residents.

Don Grove, Director of Marketing, writes: “Phyl Lansing had a friend interested in moving to Charlestown. She wanted to visit to see the facility and get a feel for what life was like at Charlestown. Phyl asked her to come for a tour and lunch. Wanting to give her friend diverse opinions, Phyl invited Doris Cooney and Ann Pollitt to join them. The group then grew as Phyl’s friend invited other interested individuals to join her. The ‘dynamic trio’ organized an informal tour for ten guests along with a lunch in the Fireside private dining room. The guests got a firsthand experience of life at Charlestown and left with enthusiasm about becoming future residents. Offering their personal time, these ladies demonstrated Friendliness and Enthusiasm, Excellence and Teamwork.”

Residents can say ‘thank you’ to engaged and caring neighbors by nominating them for a Resident’s Mission Moment. Forms are available at any Charlestown front desk or on MyErickson and the CCI Website.

Announcements: (1) I remind you that we are in the midst of our Scholar Program which provides funds for post high school education. You’ve seen the poster with the pictures of our 44 our scholars. This is an investment in our youth. First we give them a job, then support them in their further education of college or technical school. We can all be proud of the opportunity we are giving to the youth who serve us.

(2) The Council will hold its monthly work session April 8 and will be considering what next steps to take as a Council to follow up on the Friday event of last September. A number of developments have occurred since then. We now have an established AA group that meets weekly here at Charlestown. The Council held a firearms forum that you can watch on 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. The administration has laid out an Embrace Wellness program to better acquaint us with the mental/emotional resources available to us at Charlestown. At the work session, each Council member will be asked to speak to the question of what should we be doing now. After all have spoken, we will assess what to do next.

VICE PRESIDENT’S REPORT (Anne Erfle):

I received one Council Communication Report this month.  The daughter of a Caton Woods resident said that since street parking was removed in front of the building, she had found it almost impossible to find a parking space to visit her mother.

General Services provided the following information: (1) on weekends, guests may park on the street in front of Caton Woods as long as there is not a No Parking sign; (2) when parking in the Charlestown Square lot, she can use the shuttle to Caton Woods; and (3) spaces in the Caton Woods parking lot will be reserved for guests although the date for this change is not now available.  I conveyed this information to the daughter.

SECRETARY’S REPORT (Sherry Stewart):

At the March 11 Work Session, Wendel asked for volunteers to staff the Council Chats tables on April 18 and listed the 9 Council members who are attending the RAC Conference at Oak Crest.

Anne Erfle moved to send a letter, written by Seldra Funk, asking for another scanner to be provided for the Charlestown precinct to shorten the lines. Seconded by Diane. Passed unanimously. (Letters went out March 28 to our representatives and to the MD State Board of Elections.)

Discussion about pet problems. Anonymous letters have been sent to some pet owners.

Discussion about Lake Charles. Council members want to be able to read the report. Ted moved to ask the Administration to send cost figures for the proposed electrical upgrades to Lake Charles in writing. Seconded by Bill Tilles. After discussion, Sherry Stewart moved to table the motion until Wendel and Anne have had a chance to talk to Nathan Blumberg and Mike Fischer about the report and actions that are being planned. Steve Harders seconded. The motion to table passed with 18 Yes votes and 1 No vote.

The Resident Handbook is in the process of being updated. Wendel had already written his portion in October. No dates for when it will be produced. Anne described a revision of the current policy on guns (which is silent on the issue of registration) which will state that Management is not responsible for registration.

TREASURER’S REPORT (Jack Murnane):

During the month of March, a check was issued in the amount of $269.10. No deposits were made. The check was for printing of annual dues materials.

At the end of the month of March, the book balance amounted to $2,403.74 and the bank balance amounted to $2,403.74.  There was no difference.

The collection of the Residents’ Association annual dues is in progress.

REPORTS—COMMITTEES

BENEVOLENT CARE (Jean Eichenlaub, Chair):

The Meeting was held on March 27th. Attendees included Patti Santoni, Emily Fowler and Lisa Zehring from the Philanthropy Department.

Patti gave a review of the March Board Meeting. The board is taking a close look at the usage of Benevolent Care Fund (BCF) and those on spend-down.  At Charlestown only 33% of residents give $1 or more annually to BCF; other Erickson communities report 50 to 60% participation. The goal of this committee is to continue to promote donations to BCF and be ambassadors/myth busters about what BCF is and how it works. We discussed that some residents choose to give to BCF through volunteerism and shopping the Treasure Sale, attending events, etc.

In response to the request that committee members develop some new ideas for increasing donations, we had a good robust discussion around ideas for new ways to generate revenue for BCF.

Emily reported there will be no large Treasure Sale in May; currently we don’t know when the next one will be.    We are having small sales more frequently including Treasures Unlimited (Furniture) and Ladies Boutique to be open on the 1st Saturday of the month and some evenings during the week to encourage working people to come shop. This week the Furniture store was open 5:30-7:30pm for a ½ price sale and netted $1,100.  It’s important we can sell inventory since apartment clean-outs are still occurring.

Patti discussed the Financial Presentation about Tax Laws by Steve Bailey, Estate Attorney and David Campaigne, Financial Wealth consultant.  Great quote by the Founder of Ronald Blue Wealth Management:  “Do your giving while you’re living, so you’re knowing where it’s going”.

Other business included the Memory Walk to take place on April 8th. Twelve residents to be honored.

The Tin Cup Golf Tournament will take place at Rolling Road Country Club on Monday, July 8.  Gala plans are also underway. A save the date announcing both was mailed to vendors in early March.

Next meeting is April 24, 2 pm in CTS 116.

COMMUNICATIONS (Walt Howe, Chair):

The Communications Committee met on March 22nd at 2:00 PM in Charlestown Square classroom 116. Attending the meeting were 14 residents and 5 Erickson staff members.

1. Brian Gentile, IT Regional Manager, provided an update on the ongoing work to solve 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 connection problems at Charlestown. Technical visits to about six resident apartments in the past month have provided a clearer picture of the connectivity problems that exist, and the solutions required going forward. Wi-Fi access is now provided by routers mounted in the wall outside the doors of apartments and access points mounted in the ceilings of hallways and common areas. These are inadequate for many apartments, particularly in larger apartments in St. Charles, Herbert’s Run, and Brookside. There are walls and structures that block signals and produce dead spots, and the dead spots increase the further away you get from the routers. One solution is to provide bridges in apartments, devices that wirelessly relay the signal from the outside routers to farther points in the apartments. These work in some cases, but not in all. Some apartments may require access points moved inside the apartments. An outside contractor has been hired to do the necessary work for apartments with identified problems beginning in April. Now is the time for anyone with unreported Wi-Fri access problems to report them to IT support. We recognize that additional problem apartments will continue to be identified as residents change and devices they use change, too. That will continue indefinitely.
2. To prepare for a planned survey of communications preferences of all residents, a draft questionnaire was passed out for comment and will be discussed at the next meeting.
3. The Website Subcommittee summarized the meeting from the previous hour. Sunburst will be removed from the Resident Website as six months of issues are now available on MyErickson. The hands-on instructions sessions were reviewed, and a larger group session was agreed upon for next year. The Fitness/Health and New Residents sections of the website were reviewed, and changes were recommended.

The Communications Committee will next meet on April 22nd at 2pm in CTS Classroom 116, preceded the hour before by the Website Subcommittee, which will meet next month rather than on Memorial Day.

CONSERVATION (Bill Tilles, Chair):

Attendance at the March meeting included committee members, Michelle Fenn (Housekeeping Supervisor, Erickson) and 1 guest.

The Conservation Committee reviewed the Recycling and Trash Monthly Statistics for February 2019.  It showed that the trash collection was virtually the same as the 2017-2018 monthly average while the recycling was somewhat behind its monthly average. Perhaps because of the short month there wasn’t as much recycling done.

Michelle Fenn reminded the committee that a representative from Waste Management Inc., Charlestown’ trash collection contractor, will make a presentation to the community on April 22 (Earth Day). Residents are urged to attend to get further information on the trash and recycling processes at Charlestown.

Signs in the laundry rooms have been amended to show what types of plastic bags and wrapping paper can and cannot be accepted at grocery store chains. Residents have been taking advantage of the plastic bag service and these additional instructions should be helpful.

Other issues: A resident sent the committee an email and asked the question why cardboard soup containers used for carryout in the dining rooms are not recyclable, but cardboard milk cartons are recyclable. Marty Tewksbury confirmed that this was true. He explained that the reason appears to be related to a difference in the method that is used to make the cardboard suitable for holding liquids and acting as a gas barrier. The method used for milk cartons allows the cardboard to dissolve into a suitable slurry for making recycled paper products. The method used for other containers (like our soup containers), do not. He pointed out that milk cartons have a Recycle label on them.

The Committee spent time reviewing recent news that recycling is becoming more expensive since countries like China, a major importer of the United States’ recyclables, have changed their policy to only accept trash with no more than one/half percent of contamination. As a result, many recycling companies have had to charge more for their services and will have to look for new outlets that will accept our recyclables.

The next meeting of the Conservation Committee will be at 2:00 pm on Tuesday, April 16, 2019 in HR 142.

DINING SERVICES (Bob Caulfield, Chair):

The Dining Committee met on March 18, 2019 with Aida Blanco representing Charlestown management, and 4 guests. We welcomed 2 new members, Elsie Kemp & Cecilia Walsh.

Dietary Focus Group – The Dietary Focus Group met on Friday, March 1st with 9 residents present.  The administration was represented by dieticians Laurie and Miranda.

The usual resources in the local supermarkets and the community were reviewed as well as several news articles regarding food intolerance issues.  Carol Jones who moderates the Megatrends program on Channel 972 with Dr. Steven Schimpff, discussed the recent program on the workings of the kitchens.  The dieticians also presented the information discussed in the recent Dining Services Town Hall, on hydration.  This was followed by an active discussion on what we can do to stay hydrated, including foods and liquids.

Atrium – The Atrium Coffee with the Managers was held on March 4 with 21 people present and Greg Mazzeo representing Management.

Radio Phase 2 started on March 4 with the bartender on the radio with a goal of having a direct way to communicate. The Chef’s Table featuring Chef Kevin was a huge success. The Fireside Chef’s Table is scheduled for May 23.

The Black Swan food service menu is being prepared for submittal to the administration and preparations for Atrium Patio dining opening in late spring (weather permitting).

Chesapeake/Shortline – Committee Members met with the staff (Paul, John, Eric, Chef Dave), Ken, Aida, Chef Victor and approximately 31 residents on March 11. Key topics included:

Chesapeake Bistro Focus group meeting changed to 4/2/2019 at 1:00 pm

Employee Town Hall was held 3/19/2019.

Chesapeake new menu begins on Monday 4/15/2019.  Specials resume 4/22/2019.

Shortline Updates: When selecting food from Action Station – get sides first then proceed to Action Station. Don’t bus tables.  Will be bussed by employees.

Questions and Comments:

The new private dining room will seat 20 residents

Completion of renovations for the Chesapeake is projected to be July

Debunking a rumor – There are no plans to eliminate the Sunday brunch at the Shortline

Condiments are not on tables when sickness alert is issued but they are available when requested.

Fireside – Coffee with the Manager was held on March 3, 2019. We are doing annual compliance training with the staff. Gabe Rivers was promoted to line cook at the Fireside. Our big goal to accomplish in 2019 is consistency in preparation and presentation. The chairs and carpet have been professionally cleaned. Chef Bailey has a draft of the spring menu. He will be hosting the next Chef’s Table on Thursday, May 23. Opening Day celebration will be 4/4. Easter Sunday will feature a special menu. Keep the direct feedback coming as it helps us improve.

Resident Concerns:  When a server or runner says they will get something and be back, they should come back, but they often forget. Creighton reported that radios have been ordered for them so they communicate needs to someone who can bring the item

Refectory/Terrace – Coffee with the Manager was held on March 14 with the manager Chris Mitchell and staff. He said the recent Focus Group was considered highly successful, with good attendance and good input.

Refectory

Chris noted that the radios being used in some venues have been helpful with communications and that the Refectory will be getting them in a couple weeks.

The Refectory Buffet has been having issues lately with running out of food and not being replaced in a timely fashion. There is a need for staff on the buffet line to keep an eye on the quantity of food remaining in a tray and the temperature of the food.

Line cooks on the buffet line are getting special training to increase their knowledge of what the foods on the line are and how they are made.

Terrace Café

The panini machine is still out for repair.

Management additions

Aida Blanco reported several issues:

Sample menu at Bistro was provided.  A Focus Group will be discussing this menu.  Prices will be listed on menu. You can pay for a small meal and not use your meal of the day.  Completely different menu (smaller) and there may be monthly menu changes.  Encourage residents to come to Focus Group meeting.

Sample containers were shown that may be used when foam containers are banned.  Cardboard cups, paper plates, paper straws and microwave safe plastic containers for food.  This will not replace green containers some residents are using now.

A resident with diabetes recently disposed of their needle in a folded dinner napkin which resulted in a server getting stuck.  Residents should report any residents doing this to let the manager know since this is a serious health problem.  It was suggested that this issue should be worked with the Dining Committee and Health Committee so information can be distributed to all residents.

The next Dining Committee meeting will be in Brookside CR1 on April 15, 2019 at 2:00pm.

FINANCE (Gil Fisher, Chair):

The Finance Committee met on March 26 with Pam Stiner, Finance Director and Eric Schwab, Assistant Finance Director.  Fifteen members and one visitor were present.

Pam presented the February Occupancy Rates and Financial Reports.  The occupancy rate for all levels were above budget projections: Indepentdent-98%, Assisted Living 96.6%, Memory Care 100% and Skilled Nursing 88.7%.

The February Financial Report shows total operating revenue exceeding budget projection by $412,000. The increase in skilled nursing occupancy played a role in this.   Operating expenses were under budget projections by $57,000. Our investment income is, at this time, doing quite well.

Turning to restricted funds, 17 residents received assistance in February in benevolent care.  The expenditures of $111,000 were pretty close to last month’s. Scholarship payments YTD were $77,167.

Finally, the Committee inquired about the wages for students.  Pam stated all employees’ compensation is based upon the position, experience and number of years employed.  The students may also receive the scholarship funds. To minimize turn-over and keep good employees, the best compensation package and scheduling is always considered.

The next meeting will be on April 30 at 9 am in Brookside 2 classroom. 

GROUNDS (Ted Durr, Chair):

The Grounds Committee met on Tuesday, March 26, 2019 with Ted Durr presiding.  In attendance also were 8 members, 1 guest, Ryan Truitt, Grounds Supervisor and Kevin Crawford.

Questions which Ted suggested be considered are about how money should be spent in relation to Lake Charles in preparation for Mike Fischer at the May meeting of the Nature Trail Committee.  It seems to be a definite, according to Kevin, that the electric will be updated, and either new fountains or aerators will be installed.  Marty Tewksbury suggested that we decide what should happen next.  John Ogaitis is to present a list of concerns to Mike Fischer.  Ted wants a 4 to 5-year plan of needs and expenditures.  Pat Kasuda suggested that Administration be involved.  Pat also said that Long Term Care, Nature Trail, Black Swan Yacht Club, TWIG and Grounds should be represented to work with Mike Fischer.

Bob Dunker spoke about the need to make the board fence more attractive to incoming residents.

Pat made a motion to work with Mike Fischer to establish a group of stakeholders to work on a plan for the next 5 to 10 years for the lake. (Pat, John, Marty, Ted, Betty Caldwell and Tony Ellis should be included.)   Motion passed.

Nature Festival – Betty Caldwell will give two presentations of her nature photographs followed by Q&A.  The roof garden should be pointed out, perhaps by a sign.

The next meeting will be April 23 at 10 am.

HEALTH SERVICES (Louise Dempsey, Chair):

The Health Committee met on March 12, 2019 with 12 members and 2 guests present.

David Gearing, Director of Continuing Care, attended the meeting. He shared his work history which included an internship at Charlestown ten years ago. He presented detailed and updated information on the current status of Wilton Overlook and anticipated a resident move-in date of mid-June.

Dr. Pelczar explained that currently we are in week 9 of the flu season and the number of flu cases are going down since they peaked at week 7. There have been fewer cases in Maryland this season.

An AA Educational forum is scheduled for March 21^th at 11am in the Auditorium.

The Old/Unused Medication Collection Initiative continues to collect large amounts of unused drugs. Staff members are also encouraged to bring in their old medications.  Announcements will be made at Town Hall meetings. The next scheduled collection date is April 29^th from 1-3 pm at the Fireside, Terrace Cafe, and the Cross Creek areas.

The Nature Festival is scheduled for April 25^th and the Health Services Committee will again participate. Dr. Pelczar recently did an Ellic program on mosquitoes, spiders, and ticks and we will use that topic as our theme for the Nature Festival.

The Regional Erickson RAC meetings will be held on April 17^th at Oak Crest this year and health is again on the agenda. The Chair of Health will be among 9 members participating from Charlestown.

The Council President asked various committees for cost saving ideas for next year’s budget. Two suggestions were offered regarding lights remaining on unnecessarily; i.e., the pool lights are sometimes left on at nighttime, and lights are often left on in apartments at night while they are being renovated.

Renaissance Gardens/Caton Woods (CW):

David Gearing responded to many questions the committee members had with regard to Continuing Care (CC).

The questions included:  Are vaccinations mandatory for staff in CC and what percentage of staff were vaccinated, why has a projector not been not repaired in Caton Woods, has a manicurist been hired, and why can’t a podiatry cart remain in CC instead of needing to be transported each time the podiatrist is there? He discussed the pendants used in CW and how they differ from those in Independent Living pendants. He reported that there have been several upper respiratory cases treated in CC but no flu outbreaks requiring precautions.

David will report back next meeting on any unanswered questions. He expressed a desire to continue attending future meetings.

Bill Miller, a guest representing the Parkinson’s Group, welcomes new members.

The next Health Services meeting will be on April 9^th at 11am in Brookside CR2.

HOUSEKEEPING (Diane Lyons, Chair):

There was no Housekeeping meeting in March.

Next meeting is April 19, 2019,

LEGISLATIVE/POLITICAL (Seldra Funk, Chair):

There was no meeting of the Legislative/Political Committee in March.  The updates to the legislative tracking system for 2019 bills in the General Assembly were handled through e-mails. Videos of the legislative hearings for the bills we are tracking, are now available on ccicharlestown.com. Our committee wants to thank Hope Tillman for her gracious assistance with this computer tracking system.

During March the Legislative/Political Committee had two successful shuttle trips that were available to Charlestown residents.  The first event was the Baltimore County Town Hall with the County Executive and our County Councilman at the UMBC campus on March 6.  Details about the county budget were featured. The second event was the United Seniors of Maryland Forum in Annapolis on March 20. Pros and cons of several of the bills of importance to seniors were discussed at this forum.

The next committee meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 10 at 10:00 in BR-1.

MAINTENANCE & ENGINEERING (Jackie Graham, Chair):

The committee met on Tuesday, March 26^th with General Services’ Kevin Crawford, Jessie Morgan and 7 members.

General Services Update

• Bids are coming in for roofing repairs to Brookside, Herbert’s Run and Cross Creek
• Lighting in Pool Area has been completed
• Cross Creek roofing run-off [deck area] has been addressed and will be monitored
• Repairs to Brookside elevators to begin April 15th with expected completion by June
• Cooling Towers for Brookside, Herbert’s Run and Cross Creek fully installed and operating as of the first of April.

Old/New Business to be addressed:

• Issues concerning the Handicap stalls, in the ladies’ restrooms, are being reviewed
• Various interior repairs, throughout Brookside, to be addressed
• Leaking faucet in Brookside
• Damaged wall in Edgewood
• Door in Bldg. 2 push bar needs repair
• Reprograming elevator doors at the St Charles [reported the doors are closing too quickly]

Next meeting, Tuesday, April 23^rd 2pm in GS Conference Rm.

RESIDENT LIFE (Sam Cushman, Chair):

Four committee members were present on March 20 in HR142, along with one visitor.

PET LOVERS are planning an SPCA week in April.  It will be well publicized.

BIRTHDAY ANGELS are running smoothly.  Two new colorists are working on cards.    Welcome cards are going well also.

EATING TOGETHER GROUPS, and the various inclusion and diversity discussion groups are meeting with good progress.

COMMUNITY VALUES are being noticed more often in residents and suggestions are being forwarded to the committee for recognition.

FIREARMS:  Residents with gun concerns attended a Forum in the auditorium two weeks ago.  They will continue to make their concerns known.  Plans for a follow-up resident survey are under discussion.

TRANSPORTATION:   The committee decided to suspend meetings until June as little change was happening and meetings were considered a waste of time until some changes are proposed.

EMV USERS met to review the rules of the road (no changes) which are covered in the Resident Handbook.  Concern was expressed about lack of Charlestown oversight of these vehicles.  Sam asked Mary Jo to find someone who could call other retirement communities to see how they handle these vehicles.

The next meeting will be held on April 17 at 2:00 pm in HR142.

SAFETY & SECURITY (Janet Allan, Chair):

The Safety and Security met on March 12 with 8 members, 1 guest and Reyn Giese, Assistant General Services Director.

Road way repairs, paving and striping will begin again weather permitting. Most exterior doors now have automatic openers. In the planning stages are the use of new resident and staff badges that would open all doors as well pay for meal items. Additional wiring will be needed at doors to implement the new badge system.

8 EMV users’ meetings are scheduled. In the recent meeting attended by 40 users, civility and vehicle registration were discussed. There will be a May Sunburst article on civility and the use and care of EMVs. For safety in the dining rooms, only servers will be allowed to return EMVs and rollaters to residents.

The next security coffee session with Reyn Giese will be held in the Fireside April 19 at 1:30.

June 2019 is National Safety Month and the Committee and security staff are planning to promote safety in four areas: driving, falls, fire and scams. There will be more information in next month’s report. Security and the S&S Committee will also be developing safety programs to be shown on 972 in the Fall.

The members had a robust discussion about Lake Charles. The lack of an environmental report on the impact of possible development of walkways and other enhancements on the flora and fauna of the lake area was of major concern.  Possible safety concerns were discussed if the Lake is kept open after dusk. The Committee will discuss developing a recommendation about an environmental scan at our next meeting.

The next meeting of the Committee will be on Tuesday, April 9 at 1pm in Brookside Classroom 1.

NOMINATING AND ELECTIONS (Hope Tillman, Co-Chair):

The Nominating and Elections Committee met twice during the past month, March 7 and 21, to identify potential good candidates and to assign candidates to committee members for follow-up. Good progress has been made so far, and recruitment continues. Packets have been sent to approved candidates, and four candidates have returned their signed consent and biographies.  Hope & Walt will send out reminders to candidates to complete their packets.

While the Committee meetings are closed, residents are encouraged to contact any Committee member any time to suggest good candidates. Members of the Committee are Janet Allan, Bernice DeBels, Bob Caulfield, Walt Howe (Co-Chair), Pat Kasuda, Phyl Lansing, Bill Tilles, and Hope Tillman (Co-Chair).

Hope & Walt met with Dan Ricucci at image360 of Arbutus. They have sent a proposal to provide the posters.

The Committee which meets every other week will meet again on April 4 at 3:00 PM at Brookside Classroom 2.

WORDS FROM MANAGEMENT (Mike Fischer):

In response to a question at our last meeting about the lawsuit that was filed, Mike stated that it was filed against Erickson Living and had no impact on Charlestown.

He reported the following:

• Paving has begun, pot holes are being filled in and then the remainder of the campus will be restriped.
• Cross Creek work is going well. A new contractor is being used for the work and Mike is pleased with their results.
• Wilton Overlook looks to be finished soon with move-ins to occur from mid-June through July.
• The Cooling equipment that was installed outside of Cross Creek is getting its final test.
• The St Charles roof will be inspected by a third party. The bids for the replacement of the Herbert’s Run/Brookside/Cross Creek roofs will be carefully reviewed since it represents $1 million.
• The refresh of Building 7-8-9 will be finished by next week.
• The only work being done on Lake Charles this year is upgrading the electricity, replacing the aerators and adding another repeater for use by resident pendants.
• Work on the Brookside elevator will begin by July at the latest and will be completed by September 1.