President Walt Howe called the regular meeting of the Residents’ Council [the Council] to order at 7:00 pm on July 6, 2021. The June 4, 2021, minutes were approved as distributed. Sixty-six association members attended. Visitors included Pat Kasuda, a member of the Board of Directors, and Nathan Blumberg, Associate Executive Director. The Council observed a moment of silence for those who have passed away.

Walt gave the President’s report and then called on the following officers and committee chairs for reports; the text of those reports appears following the formal minutes:

• Pat Rudolph, Vice President
• Hope Tillman, Secretary
• Ron DeAbreu, Treasurer
• Jean Eichenlaub, Co-Chair of the Benevolent Care Committee
• David Elder, Co-Chair of the Communications Committee
• Anna Marie Ciarrocchi, Chair of the Conservation Committee
• Bob Caulfield, Co-Chair of the Dining Committee
• Gil Fisher for Gordon Piche, Chair of the Finance Committee
• Mike Rose, Chair of the Grounds Committee
• Merci Izquierdo-Whitaker, Chair of the Health Services Committee
• Pat Payne, Chair of the Legislative/Political Committee
• Jackie Graham, Chair of the Maintenance & Engineering Committee
• Ed Wallace, Chair of the Safety & Security Committee
• Patricia Payne, Chair of the Nominating & Elections Committee

UNFINISHED BUSINESS: None

NEW BUSINESS:

Proposed Change to Guidelines for Political Activity at Charlestown: Pat Payne, Chair, Legislative/Political Committee

The Legislative-Political Committee agreed that the Guidelines had worked well, with one exception. Election posters and related materials are being placed in windows facing public areas and on patios. To address this concern, the committee approved a revision to the existing guidelines and is presenting it to the Council for discussion and vote. This revision removes item #7 of the Guidelines for Political Activity and replaces it with a new item #7 and item #8.

The original Item #7:

7. No political signs or literature may be posted or distributed in public places; however, residents may post political information within their personal space, including apartment doors and shelves with consideration of harmonious living.

is to be deleted and replaced by the following:

The new items #7 and #8

7. No political signs or literature may be posted or distributed in common areas, on exterior windows, and on patio doors.

8. Residents may post political information within their personal space, including apartment doors and shelves with consideration of harmonious living.

A motion was made and seconded to approve the new items #7 and #8 as presented above. The voice vote was unanimous. This proposed change will be sent to the Administration for their consideration.

The Officers’ Nominating Committee announced the slate for officers for 2021-2022

President: Patricia Rudolph
Vice President: Merci Izquierdo-Whitaker
Secretary: Mimi O’Donnell
Treasurer: Ronald DeAbreu

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 the message.

President Howe adjourned the formal meeting at 7:58 pm.

Hope Tillman, Residents’ Council Secretary

REPORTS—EXECUTIVE TEAM

ANNOUNCEMENTS/PRESIDENT’S REPORT (Walt Howe):

Mission Moments
The Mission Moment recognition for this month is different. The Mission Moment committee thinks it is time to highlight all those ANONYMOUS residents who make this a harmonious community. You may have seen these people quietly making a difference in your life or others. They don’t seek fame or fortune; they are simply good neighbors or want to live in social harmony.

It is the person who picks up a candy wrapper that slipped out of someone’s hand. The “dropper” may have mobility issues that make retrieving a candy wrapper from the floor either impossible or painful. Another Anonymous may carry a bag to do a lot of picking up.

How about the mysterious little goodie that is left on someone’s shelf? Or the May Basket from Anonymous? Or the soup that appears when a neighbor down the hall comes back from surgery.

What about the Anonymous, who says thank you when they notice someone doing helpful things for others? That encourages more helpful acts in the future.

The Scholars’ program showed donations of varying amounts made by Anonymous. Other donations carry no recognition at all.

Thanks to the Anonymous person who notices a resident or delivery person who is unsure about navigating the maze of Charlestown halls. It is especially kind if the noticer gives good directions or offers to walk along to the desired destination.

This Mission Moment is to recognize the many Anonymous residents who make Charlestown a great home for all of us. There is no picture to accompany this Mission Moment. But if you look in the mirror, Anonymous may be looking back at you. Thank you!

If you have someone you would like to recognize for a Mission Moment, send information to Phyl Lansing at phyllansing@yahoo.com or via Caton Ridge 403.

PRESIDENT’S REPORT (Walt Howe)
We are now at that time of the year where the Residents’ Council refreshes itself by selecting officers for the coming year and electing new Council members for the coming three years. The Council consists of 21 elected members on staggered terms, so that seven members end their terms each year and seven new ones are elected to replace them.

You will hear tonight the proposed slate of officers for the coming year, nominated from the Council members who are continuing in their terms. The election of officers will take place by the Council at our next meeting here on August 3^rd, the day before the general Council election. Mark your calendar for election day, August 4^th.

There are ten candidates running for the Council vacancies this year, and they will be introduced to you shortly when the Nominating and Elections Committee gives its report. We have posted signs in the restaurants introducing them, and we have distributed information on each of them to your cubbies. You can see their video introductions on Channel 972 repeatedly throughout the month. Their video introductions are also available from 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 in the Community Videos section. The election will be held on August 4^th in your closest restaurant. Please review the candidates, meet and talk with them during the next month, and cast your votes for seven new members on that day. During the year when there are vacancies, those who are not elected are asked to join the Council to fill the vacancies. I encourage the alternates to get involved by joining committees.

Looking ahead a little further, we will hold the Annual Meeting of the Residents Association on Monday, 9 August. It will be held here in the Auditorium at 7 pm, and all residents are invited to attend, see the introduction of the new Council members, the installation of new officers, and give thanks to the outgoing members of the Council. We will also ask you to participate by reviewing and approving an amendment to the Council By-Laws. You will be informed of the proposed changes well in advance. We don’t believe the changes are controversial, but you can decide for yourself when you see them. To make a change, we need a quorum of 75 residents and approval of two-thirds of those voting, so please mark your calendars and plan to attend.

VICE PRESIDENT’S REPORT (Pat Rudolph):
I want to take just a minute to reinforce Walt’s comments on the upcoming Residents’ Council elections.  We are very lucky here at Charlestown that we have an active Residents’ Council.  All of the Erickson communities have an RC, but few are as active and engaged as ours.  We are very happy to have a cordial and effective relationship with the Administration that facilitates communication and problem-solving.  I have been particularly impressed that the RC members are likely to be relatively new residents, as you will see from the slate of candidates.  The Council provides a way for new residents to learn about the community and meet people, and, in turn, the Council benefits from new ideas and new perspectives.  I urge you to review the candidates’ bios, stop and talk to them if you see them in the hall, and vote on August 4^th.;

SECRETARY’S REPORT (Hope Tillman, Secretary, and Mimi O’Donnell, Assistant Secretary):
The Council approved an additional bylaw change to Article V (Officers), Section 3 (Duties of Officers), a. 2., which, in the proposed amended Bylaws, currently reads: “Establish and maintain liaison among members of the Association, committee chairs, and management and staff;” We added “the Charlestown Board of Directors” to this section.  This revision will be included in the bylaws amendments that will be on the August Residents’ Association meeting agenda. Thank you to Pat Kasuda for the suggestion.

There was a discussion at the Work Session about the value of maintaining the Residents’ Council binders at the lobby desks with information about the Residents’ Council. However, few residents have used the binders in the last several years. If no residents are interested, we should discontinue the binders. Please let me know if you would like the Council to maintain the practice of having Residents’ Council binders at the lobby desks.

The Council agreed to give $500 to the library as a one-time donation because of their loss of Treasure Sale support this year.

TREASURER’S REPORT (Ron DeAbreu):
The Council’s account balance at the end of May was $5,537.33.  The Council received no income in June. However, the Council had two major expenditures last month: a one-time donation of $500.00 to Charlestown’s Ruth H. Houck library and a $526.20 payment for the cost of producing 12 posters advertising the candidates for the upcoming 2021 Council elections.  With these expenditures, a total of $1,026.20, the Council’s account balance at the end of June stood at $4,511.13. The Treasurer’s Report was received as presented.

REPORTS—COMMITTEES

BENEVOLENT CARE (Jean Eichenlaub and Eugenia High, Co-Chairs):
The meeting opened with a round of applause – for the first meeting in the open classroom since February 2020.  The Philanthropy Department attended.

The Tin Cup Tournament, rescheduled because of rain damage to the course, was an astounding success.

Friends and Family donation site: Philanthropy is Investigating a site called “Give Smart.” If we have our own website, it would be easy to donate.  The Goal is September 1 – the start of Benevolent Care Month. Patti Santoni will report at the next Board Meeting in July. We hope to have the site, secure and encrypted, up and running by then.

Planned Events include:
Traditional catered event for donors.
September – Telethon, featuring a popular theme, hope to get employees to feature entertainment. Maybe there can be “Watch Parties” so friends gathering can bid for items with some competition.
An incentive for Cars for Care with a TV spot and offer rewards such as Transportation chit, housekeeping appointments, etc.
Captain’s Dinner – A formal dinner for residents who donate $1000 during the period, January through 30 September.

Treasure Sales re-opening plan
They will contact volunteers to see who is still interested and recruit new ones. Volunteers are needed for a Brookside Director, Jewelry Captain, and Clean Out volunteers.

Beginning July 6, families can shop in the stores.

October – mini-sale.  Thursday, residents and employees.  Friday, residents, employees, and families.  Saturday, open to the public – no half-price day.

The Treasure Sale will resume normal operations in February 2022 and have regular sales in May, July, and October.

Discussed POP-UP Sales, such as the Second Hand Rose Flower Sale, other items placed in the display case in Cross Creek.  Maybe expand to other locations.

In July, three quilts made by residents will be raffled off.  On display in the case at the Shortline Café.  Need volunteers to sell tickets from 11-1.

Sea Shells – donated by the family of a deceased resident, along with a $5000 cash donation.  These will be offered for sale.  Emily and Lisa will be identifying them for display – just like the beach shops!

Again, we will try to have Testimonials from family members whose loved one is reliant on Benevolent Care.  Patti will discuss this with Pam Stiner of Finance.  Pam can contact families to ask if they will talk about the importance of this support.

Patti Santoni and Pam Stiner will again give an ELLIC presentation in September.

We are encouraged to explain this special aspect of living at Charlestown to new residents.

The next meeting of the Benevolent Care Committee will be July 27 at 2 pm in Charlestown Square Classroom 116.

COMMUNICATIONS (Dick Crebs and David Elder, Co-Chairs):
The Communications Committee met on June 28th via Zoom. Heather Sheridan and Greg Johnson were the staff in attendance.

Charlie Eichenlaub provided an update on Evergreen topics.

Heather Sheridan invited us to ask her questions of interest.  Updates on the 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 installation were discussed at length. She indicated that the physical installation of the access points was almost complete. The cutover of the access points at Herbert’s Run will begin on June 29, 2021.  They don’t have a date yet for buildings after Herbert’s Run, but they may be able to schedule the next buildings by Thursday, July 1^st. Activation of access points at Edgewood and Greentree Court will follow Herbert’s Run, and residents living there will receive their letters 3-4 days to a week ahead of the installation.

A long discussion was held on the transition of the name of the 1-800-677-0211 Help Desk from Charlestown ConnectConnect or Charlestown or Erickson Connect Network is the name for the local telephone and Wi-Fi system at Charlestown. READ MORE to the Charlestown IT Department Help Desk. Members were interested in a single, consistent name for this point-of-contact across all media.

David Elder asked Heather about the possibility of improving Wi-Fi access to public areas, such as the Channel 972 Studio production area. She indicated this was not in current plans, but she would look into it.

Hope and Walt discussed the need to publicize the Charlestown Residents’ Council Bylaws changes. A quorum of 75 Residents is required for the August 9 Residents’ Association meeting.

A long discussion was held about updates to the Resident Directory. This is related to the work being done by Wayne Smith and the Data Task Force, which will have its final meeting with Erickson staff on June 29, 2021. We asked Gregory Johnson to update us after his 06-30-2021 meeting with Jaclyn Waryasz, Director, IT Systems at Erickson Living.  Charlie Eichenlaub mentioned that Gregory has delegated Angel to update the printed resident directory in real-time and publish it on demand.

The Communications Committee voted to hold our next meeting on July 26 by Zoom, with the Website Committee meeting at 1 pm and The Communications Committee at 2 pm.

CONSERVATION (Anna Marie Ciarrocchi, Chair):
The Committee met with Ms. Michele Fenn.

From the staff, we learned that although we do not save money by recycling, we save our environment, and Erickson Living is committed to that.  We also recycle more than we trash.  Ms. Fenn located a film on recycling which will play on 972.

We have begun an Education/Quality control effort in which volunteers from each building walk around their building to see if anyone Is putting recycling in plastic bags which cannot be recycled.  A sign to educate the resident will be left on their shelf.  We need volunteers for Chapel Court, Parkview, Harbor View, and Arborside.

If residents shred their own documents, they can put the shredded material in a paper bag, staple it shut, and label it as shredded paper.

The committee decided to invite someone from the Erickson sustainability committee to attend our meeting.

Our next meeting will be on July 20, 2021, at 2:00 pm in Brookside.

DINING SERVICES (Bob Caulfield and Ronald MacNab, Co-Chairs):
The Dining Services Committee met on June 21 at 2:00 pm in the Auditorium.  New members of the committee were recognized.

The meeting opened with Ken Zahn explaining the concept of the new Meet-and-Eat tables, which began service in the three dining rooms on Monday, June 21^st.

Each table seats ten residents.  The purpose is to encourage singles, couples, especially new residents to meet and dine with other members of the community who they may not know.  Any person or couple without reservations may be seated at one of these tables.  No more than two people will be seated at a time.  These tables are not for a group of friends to dine together but for convivial folks looking to meet and greet new friends.

Meet and Eat tables will be attended by Dining Committee members and Dining Ambassadors each evening from June 21 thru July 3. There was consensus amongst our group that the “community tables” were a good idea and should be tried.

A Question-and-Answer session was conducted following the discussion of the new community tables.

Our next meeting will be on July 19 at 2:00 in the Auditorium.

FINANCE (Gordon Piche, Chair; presented by Gil Fisher):
The Finance Committee met on June 29, 2021, in Brookside Classroom 1 and by Zoom with Finance Director Pam Stiner.

The Occupancy Data and Financial Package reports for May were presented by Pam Stiner:

Independent Living                 91.6%
Overall CC Occupancy           94.7%The two key numbers continue to be Independent Living at 91.6% and Overall Continuing Care Occupancy at 94.7%. The other continuing care numbers (Assisted Living, Memory Care, and Skilled Nursing) are moving toward normal but are still in flux due to the opening of Wilton Overlook (phase 2) and the continued movement of residents into and between levels of care. To date this year, there have been 91 releases from Independent Living apartments, and about half of them have been to higher levels of care. This has meant more Independent Living apartments being available: in June, there were 18 new settlements of units (17 were in the budget).

June’s Operating Revenue of $7,315,000 was $199,000 above budget and includes the last payment for Care’s Act Federal relief funds. Operating Income was $717,000, which is $153,000 below budget. Operating expenses were $352,000 above budget, still partly attributed to COVID expenses. Nonoperating income for May was negative $900,000 resulting in a decrease in Net Assets of $183,000. Cash flows turned around and decreased by $2,795,000, resulting in $4,204,000 at the end of May. The balance sheet total liabilities and net assets continue to be good.

Regarding Restricted Funds:
Benevolent Care Fund distributed $105,516 for the month of May to 18 residents.
The Scholars Fund Balance is $1,663,779 after an inflow of $179,130.
The Staff Appreciation Fund balance is $16,723 after an inflow of $1,235 from residents.

Discussion Items:

Phyl Lansing raised a question about how residents can help ease the shortage of staff. From a financial perspective, help with increasing occupancy/new residents. Phyl suggested that Walt and Pat might raise this question in their next meeting with Clara.

The committee will meet next on July 27 at 9 am in Brookside Classroom 1.

GROUNDS (Mike Rose, Chair):

The Grounds Committee met via Zoom on Tuesday, June 22, 2021, with Ryan Truitt and Kevin Crawford. The committee thanked the grounds department for the landscaping at Brookside and St. Charles 110.

Steps to the bocce area: an alternative would be to use the parking lot path or create a ramp.

The post at the Butterfly Garden has been fixed.

Edgewood trimming has not been completed.

Regular maintenance of the Memory Walk will include blowing it off after mowing.

The tree at the cemetery will be retrimmed.

Ballfield benches have been ordered. Present ones will be repaired.

Installing a rope on the access to the other end of the trail was dismissed since there should be no entrance from the northwest end of the trail.

Installing a rope to the larger lake pier will be discussed further within the committee.

Kevin will check on the schedule for updating the St. Charles landscaping.

The chipper was used last year so will not be sold.

The bridge is awaiting rock-filled mesh bags before the project can be completed by a vendor.

Three dead trees on the Nature Trail will be removed after approval by Baltimore County.

Pat Kasuda commended the grounds department and reminded the committee that changes, etc., should benefit all and not just a few residents.

The next meeting will be on July 27, 2021, in person at the General Services Conference Room.

Walt Howe added that the bridge is now open so that residents can now walk the length of the Nature Trail.

HEALTH SERVICES (Merci Izquierdo-Whitaker, Chair):
Our Committee met on Tuesday, June 8, 2021, at 11 am via Zoom and in-person with one Administration Staff present.

The Intermissions Program seeks more resident volunteers to help with socialization and activities with participants. The Tuesday and Thursday sessions are at full capacity, and when Friday sessions are filled, other days can be opened. A new Caregiver Support Group has been established and met on June 1^st with 11 caregivers. The group will meet on the 1^st Tuesday of the month; however, the meeting in July will be held on the 2^nd Tuesday. For more information and to sign up for the program, please contact Resident Coordinator Robin Clay.

The Rehab department is developing training material for their therapy staff focused on the development of staff competency in providing cognitive and sensory-based interventions to maximize safety, engagement, and independence for our residents living in memory care and the aquatic-based therapy has restarted, an asset for residents with chronic arthritic conditions. Our Fall Prevention Group will resume activity in the Fall, and the Low Vision Reading Brigade is coordinating efforts with the Volunteer Coordinator.

Our Continuing Care liaisons met with the Caton Woods Council and with the Wilton Overlook Continuing Care Councils at separate meetings in June. Beginning in July, both councils will have a joint meeting.  The Caton Woods Council was attended by fourteen residents and nine staff members. Visitors can now go directly to Caton Woods, though temperate checks and wrist bands are still required. Visitors can now eat in the dining areas, and residents can go outside without their masks. Completion of resident personalized badges has been delayed due to equipment breakdown. Residents must report immediately upon return to Charlestown any accident they may have had while off-campus. There are always at least two nurses on duty. Bathrooms and kitchens are cleaned daily and deep cleaning of rooms monthly. Also, recycling discontinued due to COVID-19 will resume at an undetermined date.  Some residents took their first off-campus bus trip since the pandemic began to tour Annapolis with pizza and beer enjoyed on their return. Many free trips and in-house entertainment will be offered frequently. An independent living resident has bought, planted, and maintained the garden near the patio, which, when ready for harvest, residents and staff are invited to pick what they want.

The Wilton Overlook council meeting was attended by eight residents and four staff. Precautions are slowly being lifted. Continuity of care remains an issue until full staffing is completed. Residents reported that the food was getting better, and some said they would like to do some hunting and fishing. A fishing trip is being planned.

The Computer Literacy Project continues its weekly Saturday Zoom chats and monthly on the 3^rd Wednesday to discussed Wi-Fi issues. When the new Wi-Fi is activated, residents need to call Charlestown Connect Tech Support at 1-800-677-0211 to open a ticket for resolution.

The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, July 13, 2021, at 11 am in Brookside Classroom 2.

HOUSEKEEPING (Betty Elder, Chair):
There was no meeting in June. The next meeting will be on July 16th at 2:00 pm in Charlestown Square Classroom 116 and via Zoom.  

LEGISLATIVE/POLITICAL (Pat Payne, Chair):

The Legislative/Political Committee held its monthly meeting on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, at 10:00 am in Brookside Classroom 1 and hybrid by Zoom. The Chair gave an update on legislation passed by the 2021 Maryland General Assembly tracked by this committee. Of the 54 bills tracked, 16 were passed by both the House and the Senate and sent to the Governor. To date, two of these bills have been vetoed by the Governor.

Some of those present expressed concern about the rainbow flag now located at the entrance to Charlestown in recognition of Pride Month.  After considerable discussion, it was agreed that this concern was best directed to the Charlestown administration and Erickson corporate staff.

In addition, the Committee discussed the section on Window Coverings, page 30, in the 2019-2020 Resident Handbook dealing with mini-blinds, vertical blinds, shades, sheers, or drapes. The revised language was proposed as follows:  There should be no placement of decorations or signage on the exterior windows in order to maintain the aesthetic integrity of the property. After the meeting, concerns were expressed as follows: (1) It is not within the scope of this Committee to suggest language modifications in the Residents’ Handbook and (2) the inclusion of the word “decorations” in the proposed language appears to prohibit Christmas and other holiday decorations. In consultation with Committee members, it was agreed to defer action on any proposed language changes in the Residents’ Handbook until the next meeting of the Committee.

The meeting ended with a brief discussion of the need for legislation to clarify the use of all forms of alcohol by Charlestown residents. It was decided to defer further discussion on this matter until the next meeting of the Committee.

The next meeting of the Legislative-Political Committee will be Wednesday, July 14 at 10:00 am. in Brookside Classroom 1.

MAINTENANCE & ENGINEERING (Jackie Graham, Chair):

The Maintenance & Engineering Committee did not meet in June. The next meeting will be on July 27 at 2:00 pm. in the General Services Conference Room located on the “T” level in Herbert’s Run.

RESIDENT LIFE (Ron Fayer and Cindy McManus, Co-Chairs): 

There was no meeting in June. There will be no meeting in July.

SAFETY & SECURITY (Ed Wallace, Chair):
The Safety & Security Committee met on June 8, 2021, with Craig Nelson attending.

June is National Safety Month.  An article has been published in the Sunburst on safety with specific topics covering falls, medications, financial safety, and fires.

The presence of scams occurring at Charlestown is increasing.  Residents must be aware of this and approach every email with caution, especially those requesting money.  The suggestion was made to create a program on channel 972 that discusses spam.

Pendants were discussed.  Craig Nelson, Charlestown Chief of Security, stated that a third outside sensor had been added to better locate a pendant that has been pushed.  He also stated that pendants would signal when the batteries need to be replaced.

It was suggested that the stairs at Charlestown Square have an additional hand railing added in the center to allow people to use both hands for support.

Plans are underway to have another gun takeback program. It has been two years since the last program.

Craig Nelson stated that groups using the Gallery after 7:00 pm need to notify Security so that the doors can be locked up overnight.  Normally, Security is locking the Gallery doors at 7:00 pm and unlocking the doors at 7:00 am.

A new sub-committee has been formed with Bill Miller as the lead.  One item to be studied is how parking violations are being reported and handled at Charlestown.

The next meeting will be Tuesday, July 13 at 1:00 pm in Brookside Classroom 1.

NOMINATING (Pat Payne, Chair):

The Nominating and Elections Committee is pleased to introduce the 2021 candidates for election to the Residents’ Council, who are here tonight. They are Diana Dunaway, Rosemary Eck, David Elder, Carol Eshelman, Justine Parezo, Sebastian Petix, Mary Lee Seaman, and John Yoder.  John Remias and Louis Nielsen are also candidates who were unable to attend tonight. Thanks to all of you who are willing to run for positions on the Residents’ Council.

There are a total of ten candidates for the seven Council vacancies due to members completing their three-year terms. The election campaign for the Residents’ Council officially begins on July 1, 2021. On this date, candidate packets are placed in resident cubbies at Charlestown and distributed to the residents at Caton Woods and Wilton Overlook. The election takes place on Wednesday, August 4, 2021. The candidates will be introduced at both the July and August 2021 Residents’ Council meetings. Special thanks are due to the members of the Nominating and Elections Committee who recruited these distinguished candidates.  They include Anna Marie Ciarrocchi, Vice-Chair, Joan Green, Pat Kasuda, Diane Lyons, Bill Miller, Sherry Stewart, Wendel Thompson, and Hope Tillman.

WORDS FROM MANAGEMENT (Nathan Blumberg):

Nathan Blumberg welcomed the new residents who were attending their first Residents’ Council meeting and thanked them for helping to improve our occupancy and let them know that they will love living here.

There is good COVID news. As of today, there are zero cases among residents and zero cases among employees.  Since March 6, 2020, when he conducted the first contract tracing, the Charlestown community has been through a lot.

Nathan recognized those who marched in the Catonsville parade and the continuing celebrations of Catonsville fireworks and the holiday brunch.

The Board of Directors will meet with the Residents’ Council on July 28^th. That is a great opportunity for communication between the two groups.

More good news. The Treasure Sales are coming back to Charlestown. Everyone is excited to bring them back. A ‘teaser’ limited sale will occur at the end of this year with the full Treasure Sale schedule in 2022.

Nathan reminded all that this is the time of year with severe weather. He encouraged all residents to stay hydrated and to keep an eye on the skies. Anytime there is a significant problem, Charlestown will use the Swift Alert warning system to contact and advise residents.

Because of the recent survey to obtain resident feedback about the handling of the pandemic, the regular Holleran resident satisfaction survey will be conducted later this year. Charlestown will return to its regular cadence for surveying residents in 2022.

The most critical need currently is recruitment.  Charlestown is laser-focused on using a variety of ways to attract and recruit employees in a variety of occupations. The approach to reaching prospective employees is different for chefs, drivers, health care, etc.

Another area of focus for Administration is improving occupancy which is critical to our community.  Residents are encouraged to refer family and friends.

As we are coming out to the other side of COVID, there is a need to rest and reset for all residents and employees. This has been a war, and it is absolutely critical to really check in with each other as we emerge from the pandemic.

Congratulations to all the candidates running for the Residents’ Council.