President, Pat Rudolph, called the regular meeting of the Residents’ Council [the Council] to order at 7:00 pm on June 7, 2022.  71 Association members attended. All members of the Council, except Rosemary Eck, Sebastian Petix, Mike Rose, and John Yoder were in attendance. Visitors included: 53 residents; Pat Kasuda, Member of the Board; Chandra Kumar, Executive Director; and Don Grove, Associate Executive Director.

The Council observed a moment of silence for those who have passed away in the past month.

Pat explained that this meeting was being conducted via Zoom. Each attendee was asked to give Pat feedback regarding their preferred format (Zoom or In Person).

The minutes of the May 3^rd Residents’ Council meeting, as previously distributed, were approved.

Mission Moments:
Pat presented the following:
Ann Walsh:  It’s the little things that make someone’s day. Sally DiDomenico had a nasty fall and broke her wrist. She discovered at breakfast there was no way she could open a can to feed her beloved cat, Molly. Frantic, she went out into the hall to search for a solution. Her neighbor, Ann Walsh, was glad to help.  They agreed if Sally put a can of cat food on her shelf, Ann would stop by in the morning to open it for her. Sally wishes to recommend Ann for a Mission Moment because Ann has been doing this for a month (as of this writing). She promises to do it while Sally heals. It may not seem like a big thing, but a small gesture like opening a can for a neighbor and her cat, is a huge gift. Ann demonstrates caring, teamwork, and friendliness.

Al Schlueter: He may be in the ninth decade of his life, but Al Schlueter is going strong just like the energizer bunny. Recently, Al invited his niece, who was visiting from Illinois, to breakfast. He not only cooked a gourmet treat, but also greeted her in full chef attire. Al has shared his culinary talents with residents of the second floor in Brookside for their hall parties. He can make a “mean” German Potato Salad. We are fortunate to have Al’s willingness not only to share his cooking skills but also his keen sense of humor. Al lives the Erickson Way daily treating others with respect and caring, being friendly and enthusiastic, taking responsibility in caring for himself and others, and living in the true spirit of teamwork with hall projects. Al is the neighbor everyone wants to have.

If you see or hear of ways residents are living out Mission Moments, contact Phyl Lansing at phyllansing@yahoo.com or 410-536-4466.

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

• Pat Rudolph, President
• Merci Izquierdo-Whitaker, Vice President
• Mimi O’Donnell, Secretary
• Ron DeAbreu, Treasurer
• Eugenia High, Chair of the Benevolent Care Committee
• Dick Crebs or David Elder, Co-Chair of the Communications Committee
• Anna Marie Ciarrocchi, Chair of the Conservation Committee
• Ron MacNab or Mary Lee Seaman, Co-Chair of the Dining Committee
• John Yoder, Chair of the Finance Committee
• Mike Rose, Chair of the Grounds Committee
• Carol Eshelman, Chair of the Health Services Committee
• Sebastian Petix, Chair of the Housekeeping Committee; Assistant Chair
• Pat Payne, Chair of the Legislative/Political Committee
• Gordon Piché, Chair of the Maintenance & Engineering Committee
• Rosemary Eck or John Remias, Co-Chair of the Resident Life Committee
• Justine Parezo, Chair of the Safety & Security Committee
• John Yoder, Chair of the Nominating & Elections Committee

UNFINISHED BUSINESS: None

NEW BUSINESS:

We don’t frequently have new business, but we actually have new business today. Let me know what you think about having this Zoom meeting or would you rather be back in the auditorium?

WORDS FROM MANAGEMENT:
Chandra began by saying that her welcome to Charlestown has been warm and heartwarming.  She is supported by an amazing team and is looking forward to building relationships with everyone. She is making notes about the conversations she is having and the areas upon which she wants to focus to enhance life at Charlestown.

Don Grove started by stating that Chandra’s recent experience was at Greenspring, a community of similar population as Charlestown with a much smaller campus. For Chandra’s first week, many activities have been scheduled including the Softball tournament on June 8th with 3 other Erickson properties, including Greenspring. Then there is the Summer Solstice Celebration on June 10.  This will be a celebration, with lots of activities: music, food trucks, antique cars, and fireworks donated by a resident. One of the reasons to celebrate is getting through the COVID emergency, although we may never get out of it completely. Another reason is to move into Employee Appreciation week.;

Another item of interest to residents included a water outage from Baltimore County to make improvements to Maiden Choice Lane.  The awning project, of special interest to those in patio apartments, is moving ahead.

One of the significant problems now is staffing. We have heard about staffing issues in dining services and housekeeping for some time, there are have openings for nurses, cooks, and utility workers. Human Resources is exploring traditional and innovative sourcing for talent including working with a company to help us with additional marketing in this very tough job market. The vacancy rate is down to 12% against our usual 8% rate. We have continued to look at pay rates, adjusted rates, instituted some sign-on incentives, and introduced referral bonuses for employees who recommend candidates.  Erickson communities are always well ahead of expectations as far as number of staff per resident.  We have high standards we want to make sure that coverage is there 24/7 for everyone.

Ongoing projects include carpet issues. We have contracted with a firm to perform deep steam cleaning and other housekeeping functions until we get to full staffing. The foundation project in Caton Ridge is moving ahead and has required the relocation of some services, rearranging exits, entrances, and parking.

COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS FROM RESIDENTS AND GUESTS:

Veronica Coleman, St. Charles T25, asked several questions: listing the way to get to St. Charles at the fork where Erickson Way goes to the right for Cross Creek, etc.; providing street numbers on directional signs to buildings; and the “Sunburst” flag not being flown at the entrance to Charlestown.  These questions will be given to Maintenance and Engineering for investigation/response.

President Rudolph adjourned the formal meeting at 8:12 p.m.

Mimi O’Donnell,
Residents’ Council Secretary

REPORTS—EXECUTIVE TEAM

ANNOUNCEMENTS/ PRESIDENT’S REPORT (Pat Rudolph): 
Over the last year we have seen a lot of changes at Charlestown. In addition to our new Executive Director, Chandra Kumar, we have welcomed a new Finance Director, Gladstone James and a new General Services Director, Jason Spivey.  We have also seen old friends take on new roles, including Karen Leighton as Residence Service Director, and Don Grove, as Associate Executive Director.  With all of these changes, you might expect our world to be a little uncertain; but in fact, we have been able to tap into the deep well of talent that is represented by the Erickson Senior Living organization.  Now, I know, sometimes residents complain about “corporate” and sometimes they really want to do things the “Charlestown way” rather than “Erickson way.” Nevertheless, in this last year we have been able to replace many of our directors with proven leaders with the experience to make this a smooth transition

Pat introduced Chandra Kumar and asked her to say a few words.

Chandra began by complimenting the Council for including Mission Moments at the meeting by saying that this is a demonstration of how residents take care of each other.  She went on to say that she recognizes there might be some hesitation with the transition from Clara’s tenure to her own, but she is confident that the future will present many opportunities for continuing conversations for the success of Charlestown and the future of all residents.  She said that she has worked well with Residents’ Councils during her years with Erickson and looks forward to getting to meet members of the Council, committees, and all residents in person in the coming days.

Chandra gave attendees a short summary of her work history and her biography. She was born in India and moved with her family to the USA when she was two years old so that her father could complete his master’s degree. She has lived in both Montgomery County (MD) and Fairfax County (VA).  Her husband is a retired engineer, and she has two grown children. She has a large family in the area, including her parents who may, someday, become residents of Charlestown.

She described her experience as an entrepreneur as she owned a small store for 15 years.  She went on to talk about her experience in long-term care and senior services.  She has worked at both Riderwood and Greenspring and is thrilled to now be Executive Director at Charlestown.

VICE PRESIDENT’S REPORT (Merci Izquierdo-Whitaker): 
No formal report but she did thank those who attended the General Services Town Hall and brought issues to her attention.

SECRETARY’S REPORT (Mimi O’Donnell, Secretary, and Diana Dunaway, Assistant Secretary):
No Report

TREASURER’S REPORT (Ron DeAbreu): 
The Residents’ Council account balance at the end of April was $5,429.89. Council’s expenditures for May totaled $522.00. The Council received $1,137.00 in Residents’ Association dues.  That makes the Council’s account balance at the end of May $6,044.89. To date, the Council has received $4,926.00 in Residents’ Association dues from 63% of the households in independent living. Thank you to the residents who have sent in their dues especially those who submitted amounts far in excess of the requested $2.00.

REPORTS—COMMITTEES

BENEVOLENT CARE (Eugenia High, Chair):
Patti Santoni provided an updated report on philanthropy activity.  During the first quarter, $440,860.00 in contributions and realized planned gifts were given to the Benevolent Care Fund. Other additions to the fund included $31,653.00 in sales from the May Treasure Sale and $21,000.00 from the Treasure Stores.

With the increase in the number of individuals requiring Benevolent Care, reality dictates a continued need for fund raising and planned gifts help.  The Tin Cup Golf Open is on June 6, 2022.  The next Treasure Sale is set for July 28^th, 29^th and 30^th.  The theme of the Fall Telethon is “Great American Road Trip”.   Committee members were reminded of the challenge to ask at least one neighbor to consider leaving a planned gift to Benevolent Care.  Although various new fund-raising activities were considered, the focus will be on legacy donations and planned gift giving.

The committee plans to invite Gladstone James, Director of Finance, to the  next meeting to learn more about the Benevolent Care Fund forecasts and the eligibility requirements for recipients of Benevolent Care Funds.

The next meeting is June 22 at 2 pm in CTS 116.

COMMUNICATIONS (David Elder, Co-Chairs): 
Evergreen topics are available on the CCI charlestown.org website. The Computer Literacy Project will focus on its initial mission of assisting Charlestown residents with the adoption of computer technology that enhance communications and socialization.

A lengthy discussion was held on the changes in the editorial direction of the new Sunburst and steps that could be taken to meet the communications needs of Charlestown residents. The effects of power outages on resident communication channels were discussed. Be advised that in the case of a power outage, the 314 landlines may not work. Check CCI Charlestown.org emergency information for details.

New business included reminding all to contact the IT Desk at 1-800-677-0211 if there are outages of MyErickson Wi Fi service. They record and monitor technology, security, and safety concerns. The CCI Charlestown website continues to provide additional resources to Charlestown residents. The need for these efforts is amplified by previously-mentioned changes in the publication of the new Sunburst.  There was an extended conversation on the deficiencies in the system of the in-house Television NetworkA network consists of two or more computers that are linked in order to share resources (such as printers and CDs), exchange files, or allow electronic communications. The computers on a network may be linked through cables, telephone lines, radio waves, satellites, or infrared light beams. See also... READ MORE. This system currently does not have provisions for closed captioning as is being provided during meetings in the Auditorium or Conference Center. Another issue is the inability to provide live feeds to the television channel from meetings in the Auditorium or Conference Center. A survey committee was formed to be led by Walt Howe.

The next meeting of the communications committee will be June 27 at 2:00 pm via Zoom.

CONSERVATION (Anna Marie Ciarrocchi, Chair): 
A flat top for trash is going to be coming to Charlestown once housekeeping has sufficient staff to manage the collection. It will probably be at two different sites on the campus.  The flat bed will be for items that would not be appropriate to donate to the Treasure Sale. The Nature Fair went well, despite some scheduling conflicts. Recycling posters are currently being moved around to the various dining areas. A resident has asked about the resumption of the use of green plastic containers.  The committee encourages the dining committee to restart using green plastic containers for carry out.

ELLIC programs on conservation issues were held in May. It was also noted that, worldwide, only 6% of plastics are being recycled down from 9%. We raised a question about the use of plastic bags at the Treasure Sales and will pursue a resolution.

The next meeting will be on Tuesday, June 21 at 2:00 pm in Brookside Classroom 1.

DINING SERVICES (Ronald MacNab, Co-Chair): 
The Dining Committee met on May 16.  Ken Zahn, Director of Dining Services, was in attendance. The meeting began with an update on each restaurant. The consensus was that things are improving, but there’s still inconsistency in food and service. Student staffing is sufficient, but prom and graduation season in May and June were expected to be problematic. There is still a shortage of help in the kitchens. The point of order tablets are not working as well as planned. This was a big investment, and it appears to be a Wi Fi problem. The IT team is working to find a solution.

A three-person catering department has reopened and is operating on a limited basis opening up for memorials and community functions. Plans for a coffee/breakfast/ice cream bar in the historic district are well underway. Ken is preparing the appropriate paperwork to apply for a permit. Target opening is for the end of July. The bar will operate from 8:00 am to 1:30 pm Monday through Friday with a limited selection of packaged food.

The next meeting of the Dining committee will be on June 20 at 1:30 pm in CTS room 116.

FINANCE (John Yoder, Chair, read by Pat Rudolph):
The occupancy percentage numbers for April remain similar to the previous month, but with increases of several percent in the three skilled nursing areas. Sales activity continued strong and long-term prospects continued to look encouraging. Benevolent care funds supported 21 residents during April, a decrease from 24. During March, there was a brief discussion about developing a series of educational finance seminars for the committee.

The next meeting of the Finance Committee will be on June 28 at 9:00 am in Brookside Classroom 1.

GROUNDS (Mike Rose, Chair): 
No Report

HEALTH SERVICES (Carol Eshelman, Chair): 
The last meeting was held on May, 10^th via Zoom. We had reports from liaisons for outpatient therapy, home health, and continuing care. Several questions were discussed regarding residents who are feeling depressed or lonely and where can they go for help? Other discussions focused on palliative care and on aging in place.  We will have updates in the future.

I want to thank Security personnel, members of this committee, and the Baltimore County Police for the successful medicine take back collection held on May 23^rd. We have had this program for a number of years.  It is a great partnership with the Baltimore County Police and I thank everyone who came out, brought their medicines, and helped us make this a worthwhile service.

The next meeting will be on June 14^th at 11:00 am via Zoom.

HOUSEKEEPING (Betty Elder, Assistant Chair): 
The Housekeeping Committee did not meet in May. However, Committee members submitted building reports to the chairperson as well as to Michelle Fenn.  As we open our campus to new potential residents, there is construction work which brings noise and debris in the hallways. Please continue to submit work orders if you notice issues.

The spring cleanup day has been postponed until CCI housekeeping staff fills its complement of employees. When this event occurs, there will be a place to take many items or trash that you have in your apartment and no longer find suitable for donation to the Treasure Sale. I know Anna Marie mentioned this earlier, but we wanted to also mention it.

Our next meeting is going to be in person on June 20 at 10:00 am in Brookside Classroom 1. Please note that this is a one-time temporary change of date.

LEGISLATIVE/POLITICAL (Pat Payne, Chair): 
We had a special meeting this month in June which was held last night. It was a forum for the candidates for County Council, District 1, Baltimore County. As you know, redistricting has been completed and we have a new district one. We have no incumbent candidates running for the County Council in District 1. We were fortunate last night to have all four of the candidates running for election to the Baltimore County Council participate in the forum. The candidates are: Democrats Pat Young, and Paul Dongarra, and Danielle Nicole Singley, and Republican, Albert Nalley.

It’s amazing the kind of contacts and connections that the candidates have with Charlestown. Delegate Pat Young’s mom worked here for many years. Danielle Nicole Singley worked here as a student, was a beneficiary of the Charlestown Scholars program, and is now committed to work with the aging.

The forum went on for about an hour and a half.  The committee prepared questions and ranked them in priority order so that the most important questions got asked. All of the candidates freely participated.

This was a special meeting for the month of June. We will hold our next regular meeting on July 13 at 10:00 am in Brookside Classroom 1.

MAINTENANCE & ENGINEERING (Gordon Piché, Chair): 
The committee met on May 24 and discussed the following projects scheduled for 2022. Brookside renovations are now under contract and underway. The air conditioning update for Maple Terrace is expected to be finished soon. Action continues on the interior signage updating project. Terrace level awning replacements will be completed this summer. Centerline striping on the roadway and crosswalks from near Caton Woods up to the chapel and down the road to St Charles have been completed. A decision on the interim usage of the Refectory space is in process. The return of the Refectory as a dining facility is expected to be three or more years away. The Herbert’s Run/St. Charles Bridge support foundation needs to be repaired. Many air conditioning bridge units are still not working or are in the process of being repaired by General Services. Caton Ridge building support renovations will take place this summer through the end of the year.

A number of projects are scheduled for 2023. The replacement of the elevator in Charlestown Square has been delayed until 2023. Renovations are expected for Herbert’s Run and the auditorium stage. Scheduled roof replacements for buildings eight and nine have been deferred.

There are items of concern that need attention and new issues. Some of the Erickson Way wooded guide rails are in bad condition. An incremental approach for a replacement is being reviewed. Lighting issues at the crosswalk walk at the east end of Brookside are being reviewed.  A recommendation to build a covered walkway from building one Medical Center entrance to the parking lot is under consideration. There are gutter downspout problems in Brookside and St. Charles. The original buildings are experiencing window and exterior operational issues and need repair.

RESIDENT LIFE (John Remias, Co-Chair): 

At our last May 17 meeting, our guest was Casey Jaekle, Charlestown’s Homecare Administrator. The staff of 90 includes licensed, bonded, and insured individuals who are Practical Nurses and Licensed Aides who are full, part time, or flex staff, filling in as necessary. We were disappointed to hear that Casey is leaving Charlestown soon for a new opportunity.

The time capsule, created in 1983, containing photos, letters, and descriptions of the then current events, will be opened in May, 2023.  A committee will be formed by the administration and will include staff, archives volunteers, members of the Resident Life committee, and the Residents’ Council.  Mary Evans, our staff liaison, shared details of the planning of the Summer Solstice event, which is a community-wide celebration, scheduled for Friday, June 10. A portion of the funds raised will go to the Benevolent Care Fund.

Rosemary Eck, Co-Chair, reported on a controversy surrounding the newly-revised Sunburst. The most contested change is the exclusion of new resident names and names of recently deceased residents. Staff representatives explained that this decision was made by corporate to protect the privacy that’s protected by HIPAA. And until recently, this exclusion was specifically for residents in Caton Woods and Wilton Overlook.  So far, our committee has contacted 16 of the 13 Erickson Senior Living communities. None of them reported changes to their newsletters, which continue to include information about new residents and those who had died during the previous month. We would like to have this policy change as soon as possible.

The next meeting will be on Wednesday, June 15 at 2:00 pm in Brookside Classroom 2.

John Remias, Co-Chair, reported on the last meeting of the Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DIB) subcommittee, held on May 20. The project team was organized to identify all the Charlestown groups and clubs that could have a connection has identified 42 such groups out of the 300+ groups at Charlestown. The next step is to send a message to the leaders of each of these groups to see if they would be partners with the DIB subcommittee for DIB events, presentations, etc. that we plan in the future.

We announced DIB related events for the month of June which include a talk sponsored by the Conservative Voices group on June 16 in the auditorium.  The speaker will be Ruth Roberts. The title of her talk will be, “Bridging Across the Rainbow: Promise, Pride, and Prejudice.” Ruth is a nationally known speaker on a very complicated topic of gender identity issues in a very conservative household. On June 22, the PRIDE+ Allies group groups will present a documentary titled, “My Name is Pauli Murray.”  It is a fascinating movie about a non-binary black lawyer, activist, poet, and Anglican priest who transformed our world.  A PRIDE walk is scheduled for Thursday, June 23. And finally, the PRIDE + Allies group is hosting a reception on the Terrace on June 23.  Mary Evans informed us that the Charlestown administration and Erickson corporate have made a decision to no longer fly banners.  This applies to banners at the entrance to Charlestown.

The next sub-committee meeting will be June 24 at 1:00 pm in Brookside Classroom 1.

SAFETY & SECURITY (Justine Parezo, Chair): 
Our committee did not meet last month. We had planned to have a joint meeting with the employees and Council’s Safety and Security Committees, but due to the numbers of attendees and the goal of meeting each other, the decision was made to postpone the meeting until sometime this fall. I want to mention that we are actively seeking new members.  We are starting a new campaign to encourage everyone to wear emergency pendants because we know that this is really the fastest way to get a response anytime you feel the need for immediate assistance. The campaign will include articles in the Sunburst, postings on bulletin boards and a segment on Channel 972. We also plan to take pictures of residents wearing their pendants to show examples for all residents.

The next meeting of the committee will be on June 14 at 1:00 in Brookside Classroom 2.

NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS (Pat Payne, Co-Chair):
Every year seven members of the Residents’ Council fulfill their terms and leave the council. Then, we elect seven new members to serve on the council. The campaign for election begins July 1 and the election takes place on August 3. Tonight, we introduce the candidates.  The candidates are: Margaret (Peg) Buehlman, Joe (Carl) Carrick, Jim (Fitz) Fitzsimons, Paulette Hammond, Kathie Hendry, Bonnie Lomonaco, Loree Lough, Nancy Meier, and Jean Tribulski.

You will be hearing from them because the campaign begins July 1.  When the posters go up in the dining areas, residents will be able to see their pictures and read their biographies. The election will be held on August 3.  The winners will attend their first meeting in September.