President Wendel Thompson called the regular meeting of the Residents’ Council [the Council] to order at 7:00 pm July 2, 2018. The June 4, 2019 minutes were approved as distributed.

91 association members attended. Visitors included residents, Naomi McAfee, Charles Denton and Karline Tierney, 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
• Lois Kimber, Assistant Chair of the Maintenance & Engineering Committee
• Sam Cushman, Chair of the Resident Life Committee
• Ken Jarboe, Assistant Chair of the Safety & Security Committee
• Hope Tillman, Co-Chair of the Nominating and Elections Committee

UNFINISHED BUSINESS: At our last meeting, a person reported being told he could not bring his rollator on the bus to the grocery store. We checked with Transportation and were told this refusal was unusual, but there are times when there is no room for another rollator. The “Cadillac” rollators can’t be folded, so they take a lot more room. We try to make use of a rollator unnecessary, substituting a grocery cart for your rollator. When the bus stops at the grocery store, the bus driver will bring you a grocery cart which you can use as a rollator. So think twice before you take your rollator to the grocery store.

NEW BUSINESS:

The Nominating Committee for selecting the slate of 2019-2020 Council officers proposed the following:
President: Anne Erfle
Vice President: Walt Howe
Secretary: Hope Tillman
Treasurer: Bill Tilles

Election of officers by the Residents’ Council will be conducted at the August Council meeting.

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

President Thompson adjourned the formal meeting at 8:00 p.m.

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

REPORTS—EXECUTIVE TEAM

ANNOUNCEMENTS/ PRESIDENT’S REPORT (Wendel Thompson):
Mission Moments: We are honoring one-person tonight who has acted in ways that make this such a great community to live in—Janel Douglass. Janel sought out how she might contribute to her new life here at Charlestown and found the Charlestown Archives. She has organized the multimedia products, photos, posters, club materials and digitized them so they can be easily retrieved and copied. She has found creative ways to raise funds for the technology needed to support this effort. For a fee, an archive volunteer will transfer your family’s homemade videos to DVD. Janel gets excited about helping to make the Archives an enhancement to your life. The Archives are open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from noon to 2:00 pm.  Thank you, Janel, for enriching our life together.

Announcements: (1) The Council has sent a letter to Pam Stiner with the Council suggestions for the budget. The letter included work on the Nature Trail, guard rails along the loop road from Erickson way to the cemetery, railings on the bridge from Brookside to Edgewood, replacement of the Bocce Ball Court, and refinishing the stage floor here in the auditorium. (2) The Council has continued discussions with residents who attended the firearms forum in March. Where these discussions will lead is not yet clear, but the Council thought it important to continue having these discussions. They are taking the place of a survey. (3) Introduction of candidates for election to the Council—Hope Tillman and Walt Howe.

The candidates running for election are:
Jane Amtmann
Ronny Burrell
Anna Marie Ciarrocchi
Dick Crebs
Ronald DeAbreu
Richard Griffith
Eugenia High
Maria “Merci” Izquierdo-Whitaker
Donna J. Martin
Robert O. Pelott
Pat Rudolph
Arlene Saks-Martin
James T. Stadter

The following Council members will be retiring this August:
Wendel Thompson, President
Sherry Stewart, Secretary
Jack Murnane, Treasurer
Gil Fisher, Chair, Finance Committee
Ted Durr, Chair, Grounds Committee
Louise Dempsey, Chair, Health Committee
Diane Lyons, Chair, Housekeeping Committee

VICE PRESIDENT’S REPORT (Anne Erfle):
Nothing to report.

SECRETARY’S REPORT (Sherry Stewart):
At the June 10 Work Session, all agreed to send the budget memo from the Finance Committee as it was presented.

Janet and Sam reported on the additional firearms focus groups that had been held. A total of three have been held already and they are making plans to hold one additional one. They are very willing to meet with other interested groups. Next steps will be decided once the additional focus groups meet.

Anne led a discussion about the Handbook, when it’s distributed to new residents and the importance of residents knowing about various policies here at Charlestown before they enter. A clarification of which parts are “Erickson Living” rules and regulations might be useful. Wendel asked that any ideas we might have about the Handbook be sent to him.

TREASURER’S REPORT (Jack Murnane):
During the month of June, I issued four checks in the amount of $527.95 and received Association dues in the amount of $88.00. The checks were for the Nominating and Election Committee for catering $22.90 and for Candidate Posters $343.00. The other checks were for balloons for the Birthday Angels $62.05 and a Council donation to Scholars’ Fund $100.00.

At the end of the month of June, the book balance amounted to $5,058.39 and the bank balance amounted to $5,158.39.  The difference consists of $100.00 from an issued check not yet cashed by the recipient.

The return of the dues envelopes to express our thanks to those who sent them in, unfortunately, created some confusion and some residents resubmitted the dues. The dues are being returned to the residents with an explanation.

REPORTS—COMMITTEES

BENEVOLENT CARE (Jean Eichenlaub, Chair):
The meeting was held on Wednesday, June 26, with Patti Santoni, Emily Fowler, and Lisa Zehring from Philanthropy.
Benevolent Care month is September. Current Scheduled Events will be:

• September 4^th, Donor Reception
• September 11^th Board of Directors has invited Patti to talk about BCF fundraising strategies
• September 20^th – Patti on 972 Admin Update with Clara
• September 24^th ELLIC talk on BCF Facts vs Fiction. Committee discussed ideas for this year
• September 27^th – Gala

Committee will staff information prize wheel table again in September.

Tin Cup Golf Outing will be held on Monday July 8^th at Rolling Road Country Club. Event is sold out. Goal for this year’s event is $34k.

Gala:  September 27^th.  “A Magical Evening” with Mood Swings Band (same band as last year that got rave reviews), various up-close magic acts, etc.  Need items donated for the Silent Auction.  Ask family and friends. Encourage family and friends to attend. Price has increased by $25.00.

There are ways to get friends and family to make donations, using Amazon Smile, and Facebook (during birthday campaigns using donate button). Patti exploring a letter to all family members explaining BCF and requesting support.

There will be a Fashion show of Ladies Boutique items. Date to be determined.

Discussed ways to better convey purpose of BCF and how to increase donations. Phrases such as “Home for Life”, bridging the gap, emphasis on the positive, and most important “ask”.  Discussed adding the tag line to the current BCF logo to read: “Supporting your home for life.”

Next meeting is July 24^th at 2pm in CTS 116.

COMMUNICATIONS (Walt Howe, Chair):
The Communications Committee met on 24 June in CTS Classroom 116, attended by 20 resident members and 3 Erickson staff. We displayed a summary of the results to date of the ongoing Resident Communications Survey. If you have been meaning to submit your survey, we are still accepting them until July 12.  Erickson staff reported on the ongoing 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 improvements, and encouraged all residents with Wi-Fi problems to report them to the Charlestown ConnectConnect or Charlestown or Erickson Connect Network is the name for the local telephone and Wi-Fi system at Charlestown. READ MORE office. Two residents Wayne Smith and Art Timmons presented the creative work they have been doing on useful information aids for new residents, and they agreed to work together to further develop them for future use. Charlie Eichenlaub updated us on the Evergreen information topics he maintains. He also raised the problem of misinformation circulating by word of mouth on Real ID program, which needs to be corrected with better information. Also discussed was the RC flyer layout on the bulletin boards.

The next meeting will be held on Monday, 22 July at 2 PM in CTS Classroom 116 preceded by the Website Subcommittee meeting the hour before.

CONSERVATION (Bill Tilles, Chair):
In attendance at the June Conservation Committee meeting were three committee members, three guests and Housekeeping Supervisor, Michelle Fenn.

We reviewed the recycling and trash statistics for the month in comparison to the averages for the year. The trash numbers were higher than usual and the committee asked for an explanation. This isn’t to criticize staff performance but to understand if there is something going on that the committee might address.

The new recycling brochure remains in progress. The brochure will include detailed information about the new recyclable carryout containers that Charlestown Dining Services began using this month in keeping with their strong commitment to make all carryout items on campus either recyclable or compostable.

The committee encourages all Charlestown residents who will be using the new campus carry-out items to be conscious of the fact that these new containers are recyclable and to dispose of them as part of the regular recycling pick-up.

The committee discussed areas it should look at as part of its mission in the future. The recycling program functions well and will continue to be a primary area of attention. Other ways for conserving resources are to reuse them, restore them and/or reduce their use. Reuse of products, for example, is exemplified by the Treasure Sale. Although the Conservation Committee has no direct responsibility for the Treasure Sale as such, the benefits from the ‘reuse’ of thousands of items which flow through the Treasure Sale program should be highlighted. The Committee is recommending that the results be mentioned as part of its regular reporting.

The Conservation Committee will not meet in July or August. However, the committee plans to continue collecting the monthly Recycling and Trash Statistics.

As we come to the end of the current year and set plans for the new Conservation Committee for 2019-2020, I want to thank our committee members for all of their contributions this past year. I encourage those residents who are interested in conservation to join the Committee next year and help serve those interests within our Community.

The next meeting of the Conservation Committee will be at 2:00 pm on Tuesday, September 17, 2019 in HR 142.

DINING SERVICES (Bob Caulfield, Chair):
The Dining Services Committee met on June 17, 2019 with Executive Chef Victor Cirrincione representing Charlestown Management, 3 guests, and 11 Dining Committee members.

The various dining committee sub-committees met in June as follows; Atrium 6/3, Dietary focus group 6/7, Chesapeake/Shortline 6/10, Fireside 6/11 and Refectory/Terrace 6/13.  Highlights of those meetings included:

Concerns expressed that the proposed small plate offerings at the new Chesapeake were perceived as being gluten heavy.  The moderator has discussed this with Chef Paul.

Comments were made on inaccuracies on My Nutrition.net and that often the recipe books and the info on the site do not always correspond.

The ongoing challenge remains, the residents must make their special dietary needs known to management and the staff must ensure the information provided in the recipe books and My Nutrition.net is accurate and changed in a timely manner.

The Father’s Day and 4^th of July holiday menus were announced and described.

Dates for the tour, soft openings, and grand opening of the Chesapeake dining room and bar were announced, and subsequently postponed, due to inspection problems.  New dates will be July 5^th for the soft opening by invitation only, and July 8^th for the grand opening.

Some additional clarifications: the hours of operation for the Bar will be the same as the main Chesapeake restaurant.  The space by the fireplace will be “spruced up,” brought back to serve as a lounge area, and should be completed by September.  Seating space in the Bar will be 82 people, and at the Chesapeake Dining Room 120 people.  There will be no carry-out service from the Bar.

Beginning in August, 10 to 12 items will be changed monthly across the menu categories in the various a la carte dining rooms.

Chef Bailey and manager Creighton Spencer gave an overview of some of the challenges they face, particularly at this time of the year, with graduations, proms, and vacations taking place.  Then by August/September a significant part of the experienced serving staff will be gone, and immediately replaced by newly trained kids, whom for many will be their first job.  You can recognize them, they all wear a yellow star and have a look of panic on their faces.  This is the time of the year my dear friends when you need to be most patient and kind.

The Terrace served 592 meals at the Memorial Day Picnic.  Comments were highly favorable but a larger entree plastic plate was suggested.

There is a problem in the hiring of bartenders at Charlestown.  Essentially the difficulty is providing a competitive wage, without tipping, and minimal hours worked.

New paper products are gradually replacing Styrofoam containers.

At the June Dining Services meeting the Chair reintroduced an idea and presented a format for a critique to be conducted by the members of the Dining Service Committee.  This suggestion envisions that each committee member would, on occasion, write up their dining experience and share it with management, if appropriate, and with the entire committee on a monthly basis.  The critique format would ask the participant to judge the timeliness of their meal, the presentation, the taste, the temperature, and the nature and efficiency of the hostesses and servers.  We believe the benefit of the exercise will give our committee members an opportunity to participate and evaluate how we “are doing” and give management an additional measurement of their success.  This new initiative is currently in use.

The next Dining Committee Meeting will be in Brookside 1 on July 15, 2019 at 2:00 p.m.

FINANCE (Gil Fisher, Chair):
The Finance Committee met on June 25 with Pam Stiner, Finance Director, and Eric Schwab, Assistant Finance Director. Seventeen committee members and one guest were present.

Eric presented the Occupancy and Financial reports for May. Occupancy rates were over 98 percent for independent living, assisted living, and memory care. The skilled nursing occupancy continues to be in flux because of the transition to Wilton Overlook.

The May total operating revenue exceeded budget projections by $527,000. Operating expenses were slightly higher than budget projections. The expense items included higher than budgeted wages related to the skilled nursing transition; higher supply costs (including purchases of new recyclable materials); and lower contract labor costs because window washing was done in April, not May. For non-operating items, investment income was down because of market conditions for the month, but appears to have come back in June. Eric had no comments on the cash flow or balance sheet.

Turning to restricted funds, in May 19 residents received benevolent care assistance, and these expenditures totaled about $121,000. Pam indicated that the number of residents receiving benevolent care appears likely to remain at this level for the remainder of the year.

Finally, Steve Harders provided a discussion of the complex matter of the ownership of Charlestown Community, Inc. There has been some misunderstanding of the role of Erickson Living Management. Charlestown contracts with Erickson Living to provide management services and there is no ownership role.

The next Committee meeting will be on July 30 at 9 am in Brookside 2 Classroom.

GROUNDS (Ted Durr, Chair):
Ted Durr thanked Kevin Crawford and Ryan Truitt for their work for the committee during the last two years of his chairmanship. He commended the three members with the last name of Dempsey for their service on this committee, and especially Louise Dempsey, Chair of the Health Committee.

Louise Dempsey then delivered the rest of the report at Ted Durr’s request.

 

The Grounds Committee met on Tuesday, June 25, 2019.

Louise reported that the gardens at Park View and Charlestown Square have been skipped for planting of flowering plants. Ryan will point this out to Brightview. (Louise remarked that the plantings were done the following day.) Pat thanked Ryan for moving large pots from RG to Caton Woods.

A dead tree must be marked by Ryan.  Lucy will audit Edgewood/Greentree Court. An assessment of trees on campus is being done.  Ryan’s crew is taking down more ash trees (17).  Planting by Rupert at the Atrium Terrace has been completed.  According to The Baltimore County Environmental Protection and Sustainability trees of concern can be cut down and left in place.  Sidewalks are a concern when not blown off.

Vendors have met and given appraisal of electric for the lake.  Two to three dead trees were pointed out at the lake. Ryan will work on this.

Bert Clegern’s memorial will be comprised of 2 Kwanza cherry trees and a bench placed at the entrance to the old stone bridge.  Posts and roping will be added along the trail to the bridge.  A cherry tree stump is to be carved as a memorial to Bert.  Marty took the bridge sign to be repaired.

Due to continued vandalism and illegal entry by neighborhood children, Pat suggested that we try to work with the neighboring communities where there is no playground or similar outlet for children.  Wendel is to take this idea to the Residents’ Council or Clara and Nathan.

Marty discussed the 7 points in the bucket of wellness.  They are social, occupational, spiritual, environmental, physical, emotional and intellectual.  There was some discussion about listing our priorities.  Pat suggested the Council work with the administration on reviewing the 7-year plan and to include what the plans are to do with the lake.

HEALTH SERVICES (Louise Dempsey, Chair):
The Health Committee met on June 10, 2019 with 9 members and one guest.

Update on Shingles vaccine: The CVS Pharmacist, Jeremy Finck, advised that there is now an adequate supply of the Shingrix vaccine available. The medical Center is recommending that even if you had the older vaccine (Zostavax) that you should now get the new Shingrix. This vaccine requires two doses given 2-6 six months apart. If a resident gets their prescription for the vaccine from a doctor other than the Medical Center, it can be filled at our CVS and the Pharmacist can administer it.

Dr. Pelczar updated the following:
-Flu Season: The CDC reported minimal influenza in the US this year. A final count of 37-43 million cases this season with 530-640 thousand hospitalizations, and 36-51 thousand deaths attributed to the flu.
-Measles: There have been more than a thousand cases reported in 28 states. That is a 300% global increase in the last six months.
-Tick season: Ticks are a serious health risk as they can transmit various diseases. There are two species common in our area and some may be found year round. It is recommended that if you are in wooded areas or tall grasses that you wear long pants and tuck them into your socks. Spraying clothing with Deet is also recommended. An Asian Longhorn tick is causing severe illnesses in India and we are advised to be on the lookout for it. If you see any unusual looking tick, place it in a small plastic bag or jar with alcohol to save it for the Health Dept.

Renaissance Garden/Caton Woods:
David Gearing’s schedule did not permit him to attend the meeting. However, he furnished some updates.

Continuing Care passed their re-survey.
On Monday, June 17^th, the Office of Health Care Quality (OHCQ) will be coming to approve Wilton Overlook. It is still expected that residents will begin moving in on July 8^th.

The Health Committee continues to partner with Security and Emergency Services and the Baltimore County Police Department in holding dedicated Old Medication Collection Days. Our next Collection day for residents and staff is scheduled for Monday, July 29^th from 1-3pm in the Fireside, Terrace, and Cross Creek areas.

Other topics:
-The Residents’ Council was recently invited to meet with Erickson Living’s Owner Jim Davis and his executive team.  Embrace Wellness was on the agenda. Cognitive issues, depression, and fall prevention were some of the topics discussed.

-Pat Kasuda continues to work for Standards of Care for Memory Care.  Although some states have standards of care, Maryland does not. Pat has worked diligently with Maryland Legislators for a very long time in an effort to establish standards in Maryland.

She also regularly attends the Virginia I Jones Alzheimer’s group quarterly meetings and noted the parameters of the group have changed. Members who once maintained their status indefinitely must now re-apply for their positions; other changes will allow them to support legislation. She is putting together information on standards of care and will present the data to that group.

The next Health Services meeting will be on Tuesday, July 9^th at 11am in BS CR2.

HOUSEKEEPING (Diane Lyons, Chair):
The meeting was held on Friday, June 21, 2019.  Three members were in attendance.  Others submitted email reports.  Three prospective candidates for Council also attended.  Housekeeping Dept not represented,

General discussion on the trash situation

• Bags being piled outside on the weekends
• In Caton Ridge trash hidden in stairwell—a continuing problem
• Bldg 9 entrance carpet badly stained from dog urine
• Plant owners discovering their plants taken from the bridges. Signs on the bridge may help.

Reports from the various buildings were noted, mostly areas that need special attention, particularly carpets.

After reports, discussion was held with the three candidates on procedures and general knowledge of this committee. Diane thanked her committee members for their work throughout the year.

Next meeting is July 19, 2 PM in HR142.

LEGISLATIVE/POLITICAL (Seldra Funk, Chair):
On June 12, eleven committee members and three guests attended the Legislative/Political Committee meeting.

Charles Tucker delivered the sad news to the committee that the Board of Elections has turned down our request for a second voting scanner, based on the cost.  A second voting scanner would have shortened the waiting time to vote at our Charlestown precinct.  Therefore, to address this problem, our committee will be devoting much energy in early 2020 to encourage residents to vote by mail or to vote early.  This project will be a joint undertaking with the Charlestown Chapter of the League of Women Voters

The committee reviewed the Iowa Caucus poll results as of June 10 that indicated some shifts in polling had occurred since March 9.

A copy was provided to committee members of the final decisions for all of the 2019 legislative bills tracked by our committee during this year’s General Assembly session.

Because we all have been hearing the word impeachment tossed about, the committee reviewed in a factual, and non-partisan way, the constitutional origin of impeachment, the limited use of the impeachment process throughout the past centuries, and the evolution of impeachment procedures.

On June 26 and June 27, members of the Legislative/Political Committee, and guests, met at the Black Swan to watch the two televised debates with the democratic presidential candidates.

The Committee will sponsor the second round of debates July 30 and 31 in the Black Swan.

Our committee will not meet in July.  Our next meeting will be held August 14 at 10:00 p.m. in Brookside 1.

MAINTENANCE & ENGINEERING (Lois Kimber, Assistant Chair):
The committee met on Tuesday, June 25^th with General Services’ Kevin Crawford, Jesse Morgan, 9 members and 3 guests.

General Services Update:

• Brookside elevator repairs are on schedule for early July
• Hooks for hanging coats or purses will be installed on stall doors in all restrooms

Old/New items discussed

• Various cosmetic issues to be addressed in Edgewood
• Repairs and bulb replacements in bldgs. 1 and 2
• 1 entry, near Erickson statue, key access to be addressed
• 4/5 hallway air conditioner to be adjusted
• Mobility access ramps throughout campus to be reviewed for accessibility and< safety/li>

Our next meeting, Tuesday, July 23^rd at 2pm in GS Conf. Rm.

RESIDENT LIFE (Sam Cushman, Chair):
The Resident Life Committee met on June 19 at 2:00 pm.  Six committee members were present, along with four visitors and an intern representing Mary Evans.

Pet Lovers continue to be concerned with a dog peeing in Bldg. 9 near the ground floor door close to the Auditorium.  Attempts to identify the culprit are ongoing.  The issue of pet offenders is commonplace across the campus and is the subject of virtually every Pet Lovers meeting.  Various solutions have been suggested including installation of cameras.  Anne Erfle, VP of the Council, and Diane Lyons, Chair of Housekeeping Committee, are involved.  Pet Lovers also report they are in negotiations with Paradise Animal Hospital for a dog clinic paralleling the cat clinic which has been such a success.

Another concern is the dumpster in the road between Building 8 and Chapel Court.  Its placement below Arborside and paralleling the Gardens makes it difficult to see cars coming around the curve.  Wendel said it has been there a long time because of continuing renovations in the Bldgs. 7, 8, 9 complex.

Resident Values and Harmonious Living reported that a note from management in the elevators indicated that 450 employees have been cited for Mission Moments.  Resident Mission Moments are continuing, as is the Dining Together program.  Birthday Angels also continue smoothly with much appreciation for the dedicated participants.

Efforts are being made to include more residents in the Diversity and Inclusion Council such that its programs could be sponsored jointly by management and the Residents’’ Council.

An EMV meeting was called, but then adjourned since no one had anything to discuss.

Following the Council-sponsored forum on firearms, three focus groups have been held including 40 to 50 residents. There seems to be an overwhelming interest in having some sort of regulation put in place; a proposal for a canvassing of all residents was even suggested.  Sam reported that a survey had initially been planned following the forum, but was discouraged by management.  More focus groups and further deliberations are underway.

The next meeting of the Resident Life Committee will be held in September.  If any emergency concerns arise, Sam will call a special meeting by E-mail.

SAFETY & SECURITY (Ken Jarboe, Assistant Chair):
The Safety and Security Committee met on June 11 with 10 members, Reyn Giese, Assistant General Services Manager, Craig Nelson, Assistant Security Manager, and 2 resident guests.

Reyn Giese and Craig Nelson reported on the following:

• A General Services Town Hall meeting will be held on June 18, from 11-12 in the Auditorium. The focus will be on explaining the new vehicle decal system for residents, staff and vendors; Frequent Family/Visitor pass and the process for car registration and applying for the Frequent Family/Visitor pass.
• Thefts of objects from shelves outside apartments are a recent and ongoing issue. Residents are urged to not place any valuable items on their shelves.
• Due to recent vandalism, City Lights will be locked from 11pm to 6am.
• On September 25, there will be a Town Hall meeting with representatives of the MVA. Topics to be covered include safe driving habits, what MVA regulations apply to seniors, and how to sign up for the Federally required Real ID.

Resident Parking:
A Brookside Resident described and presented statistics (5 for Brookside versus 18 for Herbert’s Run) on the lack of non-reserved resident parking available for Brookside Residents as compared to those living in Herbert’s Run. General Services was requested to explore ways to increase non-reserved resident parking at Brookside.

National Safety Month:
On June 12th, the S&S Committee and Charlestown Security will sponsor informational tables from 11:30-1pm at Cross Creek, Fireside and Terrace. Informational handouts on falls prevention, fire prevention, distracted driving and avoiding scams as well as Safety First stickers will be available for residents and staff.   Safety posters were placed around campus at the beginning of June.

Resident Safety Programs:
The Committee discussed possible ways to develop a more robust Residents’ Safety Program at Charlestown such as a fall prevention program. Development of such a program should include the Fitness Center, Medical Center, Security Staff, Social Work, Health and Safety& Security Committees, and Resident Support groups such as the Parkinson’s Disease group. A positive first step is Teresa Reymann-Curran’s agreement to convene a Falls Prevention Task Force over the summer.

The next meeting of the Safety and Security Committee meeting will be on September 10, 2019 in Brookside Classroom 1 at 1pm.  There will be no Committee meetings in July and August.

NOMINATING AND ELECTIONS (Hope Tillman, Co-chair)

The Nominating and Elections Committee did not meet in June. However, the Chairs and members were busy with tasks in preparation for the August 7^th election. Ten posters containing photos and bios of the 13 candidates were printed and will be displayed in all dining areas, Caton Woods, Wilton Overlook, and Renaissance Gardens in July.  Election packets were completed and will be distributed to residents.  The election packet will also be available on the Residents’ Council website.

Election Captains for the polling/counting on August 7^th have been selected, and an orientation/update for the Election Captains will be held on August 1^st.  The Committee is arranging for ballot printing and forms for the polling places and counting teams.

There will be no committee meeting in July.

WORDS FROM MANAGEMENT (Nathan Blumberg:
Nathan thanked Wendel and those Council members who are outgoing and offered good luck to this year’s candidates for Residents’ Council.

Last week was Employee Appreciation Week. It is very important to celebrate and thank them for all their excellent service.

Wilton Overlook is on schedule to begin move-ins this coming Monday, July 8.  This afternoon there was a Facebook Live session at 4:00 PM featuring Nathan Blumberg, David Gearing, Franklin Richburg (Overlook Sales), Aida Blanco, and Mike Fischer. The thirteen-minute video showcases a behind the scenes look at Wilton Overlook.

Dining Services – Monthly menu rotation will begin in August. The enterprise plan to enable taking home left overs is being developed.  Chesapeake Bar soft opening by invitation will be this Friday. The bar will be open this weekend. On Monday July 8 the Chesapeake Restaurant will reopen.

General Services – Alex Kareem has been promoted to Assistant Administrator for Home Health. Her Communications role will be filled; in the meantime, Cindy Ripple will handle the communications responsibilities.  The Brookside elevator will be redone in July.  The Brookside – Cross Creek – Herbert’s Run roof will be replaced this summer.   The Erickson Conference Center renovation is just about complete and its ribbon cutting is set for July 12.

The Friends & Family car registration is being implemented to better control parking and to improve the experience for frequent visitors with a $25 decal and card to allow for “EZ-Pass” entry. Residents can continue to have their visitors stop at the gate to enter at no fee.  In future the card will be enabled to do more.   A cubby stuffing is planned to explain the program in more detail. All residents will eventually need to update their current decal at no cost.

Nathan wished the audience a happy July 4^th.