President, Merci Izquierdo-Whitaker, called the regular meeting of the Residents’ Council [the Council] to order at 3:00 pm on Tuesday, April 04, 2023. 83 association members attended including Council members, Pat Kasuda, and members of the Board of Directors. Don Grove, Executive Director, Ken Zahn, Dining Services Director, Craig Nelson, Security Manager, Karen Leighton, Resident Life Director, Jason Spivey, General Services Director and Amber Fisher, CTV Coordinator and Patti Santoni, Philanthropy Director.

The Council observed a moment of silence for those who have passed away.

Previously distributed minutes of the March meeting of the Residents’ Council were approved as presented.

Mission Moment: Preserving the Nature Trail and Surrounding Areas

Ann MacKay nominates Mark Buehlman, MS Engr., REP, and the project members listed in the Nature Trail Engineering Report for Mission Moment recognition. This pulls together persons from the Nature Trail Club, in addition to Conservation, Grounds, and the Maintenance & Engineering Committees. This is a good example of teamwork by residents and Residents’ Council committees.

The 24-page report is an engineering study of the Nature Trail and surrounding areas. The focus is on the drainage and erosion seen on the hillsides and the Nature Trail bed itself. Residents and staff have been aware of the growing problems, but this is the first time an engineering study has been done. Information from Bert Clegern’s 2017 study (“Eco Charlestown”), rainfall, slope, and surfaces were included. Various solutions and cost estimates are found in the Conclusions section of the report. This illustrates the unpaid valuable expertise among the residents resulting in a valuable report that can be used for future planning. It shows the value of responsibility, teamwork, and excellence. Congratulations to all!

The Mission Moment Committee appreciates your recommendations of residents who are using their gifts to make Charlestown a beautiful, harmonious community. Please send your suggestions to Phyl Lansing at CR403.

Old Business

None

EXECUTIVE TEAM REPORTS

Merci Izquierdo-Whitaker, President

Our meetings are recorded for later viewing on channel 972. Some of you do not like to speak in public or to be recorded while speaking , but we still want to hear your thoughts and any questions you may have answered. There are index cards/paper available at the registrations area for any of you that would like to write down questions in advance or to write down any that may come to mind during the meeting. After the committee reports, you will have an opportunity to ask questions or comments; the same will be true after the administration’s update.

March has been a remarkably busy time for the Council. The opportunities for frank and transparent conversations with the Administration and the Board of Trustees have increased. We are grateful for the partnership that we have developed with Don Grove and his administrative team throughout our various meetings. Don Grove, Karen Leighton, and Jason Spivey met with the Council during our March Work Session to review the results of the Holleran Survey. Also in that meeting were BOD Resident Directors Pat Kasuda, Steve Schimpff, and Naomi McAfee.

As I have said, we reviewed the Holleran Survey for Independent Living and Don Grove will speak about that later and what he is going to do about it. Continuing Care is going to be reviewed at the next work session with Leslie Johnson and Pauline Fraser. We also had a chance to meet with the Strategic Planning & Oversight Committee of the Board of Directors having to do with the study that they are doing for the historic district. More on that soon.

You all received a communications survey that was done by the Communications Committee, and unfortunately, it was printed in small print. So, if you need one that you can read, they are available at the front desks. We prefer you do it online and at the very top, it tells you where to go to do so. You can find the survey at CCICharlestown.org, as well as on my Erickson. Thank you, Don, for having it reprinted for people to be able to read it.

Thank you to Rick Jones & TV972 staff for the “We Want You” animated TV AD

John Remias, Vice President

No report

Diana Dunaway, Secretary

No report

Mimi O’Donnell, Treasurer

February 28, 2023, Balance	$8,132.25
Revenue – from Dues Campaign	$1,431.00
Expenses	$  565.15
March 31, 2023, Balance	$8,998.10

 

March Expenses:

Nomination Committee ($13.78) Dues Collection ($33.89) Regional RAC Retreat ($481.47)

Conservation Committee ($36.01)

Narrative Report – The Residents’ Council collects dues in the usual amount of $2.00 (or more) from residents to fund Council activities. As of April 2, 1164, residents have given the Council dues ranging from $1.00 to $100.00. The average dues payment thus far this year is $4.80.

The Council appreciates the generosity of the Charlestown residents.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Benevolent Care, Carol Kefford, Chair

The Benevolent Care Fund Committee did not meet in March, but there are several upcoming events and activities to report.

Upcoming Events

• Next treasure sale is in May
• Our 40th Anniversary Gala “Paint the Town Red will be on September

Ongoing Activities

• As far as previously reported, the philanthropy department is in the process of developing a Strategic Plan for the Benevolent Care Fund.
• The board has hired a consultant, Rebecca Rothby, to work with Patti
• This month we conducted three different focus groups to better understand what motivates people to support benevolent Approximately 25 people participated and gave us valuable feedback.

Hopefully, we’ll see some of you at our next meeting, especially some of you who participated in the focus groups and might be more interested in participating in the network.

Next Meeting will be Wednesday 26, 2023, at 2:00 PM CTS 216

Communications, David Elder, Co-Chair

On-going issues

• Charlie Eichenlaub discussed the Evergreen
• Gregory had Tom Moore provided a live update on the progress on the Channel 972 HD
• The Council Communications Preferences Survey will run throughout the month of The administration has placed this in each of our cubbies. Large Print copies are available at the Front Desks.

New Business

• Upgrading ComcastThe Charlestown Comcast bulk service contract provides basic HD television in the apartments. Address your concerns to General Services. See more information about apartment television and television connections. READ MORE/Xfinity TV services –Residents, when you call Comcast BULK SERVICES @ 1-855-638-2855, please verify with EACH person you speak to that they are with BULK SERVICES.
• The content of the CCI-Charlestown Website TV page has been updated to clarify the Comcast Bulk Services information. This is now available on the CCI-Charlestown website at: CCI-Charlestown.org/resident-activities/tv-books-movies/tv/television- and-television-connections/.
• If there are other Comcast/Xfinity questions that we cannot answer, we can refer them to Jason Spivey as our point of contact.

Website Committee Report

• At the ESL Tech Zoom meeting with Tech Residents from other Erickson communities: Hope Tillman demonstrated Eagles Trace (Texas) 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 their MyErickson under the Staff Directory it includes all staff from all departments, including pictures, contact information, bios, along with a Contact Me button for all Staff whom residents interact with. Mary Evans will bring the topic to the Charlestown MyErickson team meeting and report back.
• Google Group for Communications. The Communications Committee has started a Google group, CCI-Communications @ googlegroups.com, to share breaking news for those residents who are signed up to it and to have discussions of topics of interest to residents. To sign up, contact Hope Tillman: hope@hopetillman.com
• Direct links into inner pages of MyErickson are now working well from the CCI- Charlestown Website.
• Recent updates to org include the following:

The 40th anniversary logo now appears on the front page of the website. The Council Legislative & Political Committee page tracking bills of interest to Charlestown residents is now updated to show the current status of the bills. The Transportation/Shuttle page shows a list of Alternate Transportation Options developed by the Transportation Department and sent to CCICharlestown.org by the Council Resident Life Committee.

• Technology Assistance Day was held on Monday, March 20^th. in the Chesapeake Dining Room. Over 80+ Charlestown residents.  This Event was successful and is to be repeated quarterly.
• A request was made for residents to consider running for the Residents’
• Plans are moving forward to include a hybrid Communications /Website Committee meeting in April.
• Emily Fowler has requested that residents aware of apartment move-outs contact Philanthropy for help with contributions and the removal of unwanted household items.

The next Communications Committee meeting will be April 24, 2023, at 2:00 in CST 116 and Hybrid by ZOOM at 2 PM.

Conservation, Mark Buehlman, Chair

Before I get started, I wanted to thank everyone for choosing the Nature Trail Study as this month’s Mission Moment. My wife, Peg, and I are grateful to be living here in Charlestown. And one of the major reasons is community. People work together to make the place most of us enjoy even better. While I was the author of the Report, it was a collaborative effort. Many Council Committees and Charlestown Clubs were involved in its development. I am especially grateful to the Administration, especially Jason Spivey and his General Services Team, for being so open and receptive.

We spent much of the March meeting planning and preparing for the upcoming Annual Nature Fest. It will be Friday, April 14th, from 11 am-2 pm. Everyone is invited to attend. Our committee will have a display board highlighting the Nature Trail Engineering Study, along with a hard copy of the Final Report. A second display board will focus on erosion and runoff problems and controls. Marty Tewksbury will have his usual excellent display on acceptable and unacceptable recycling items, and there will be a fourth exhibit on pending Maryland environmental legislation.

We will also have significant involvement in supporting the April Regional Advisory Council Annual Retreat, which has a sustainability theme. We will be moderating the morning panel discussion, and many Council Members are hosting tables for the afternoon roundtable topics. During these discussions we hope to gather ideas and suggestions from other Erickson Communities that will help us plan our future agenda.

Our April speaker will be Rick Galliher, who will discuss OZZIE reusables as a viable and cheaper alternative to single use food ware. I know this is a topic many of us are interested in and everyone is welcome.

Our next meeting is Tuesday, April 18th, 2023, at 2:00 pm in BR1.

Dining Services, Mary Lee Seaman, Chair

The Dining Services met on Monday, March 20th with Paul Eidelman, Assistant Director of Dining Services. The next dining services communication event is on Wednesday, April 5th at all restaurants. Paul encouraged sub-committee chairs to meet with the GM and Ex Chef from their respective restaurants.

The Holleran Survey indicated concerns regarding the variety of menu items, quality of food, and hospitality, dining services will be focusing on improving these areas. They are looking at changing menus more frequently, currently 40-50% of items are changed monthly. They are redesigning the expeditor position including accountability. New equipment has been installed to improve the temperature of food. Vegetables will be cooked to order to ensure proper temperature. All dining service staff are undergoing continuing training and a certification program is being established for line staff.

Other items of note:

• Meet & Eat tables are being discontinued as of April The emphasis will be on a “Joiner Program.”
• The Small Plates at the Chesapeake reopens on April
• The issue with the Tablets continues; however, they will be fixed This issue is across the enterprise and is being corrected community by community.
• The Charlestown Spice Blend should roll out in

Upcoming Events:;

• Restaurant Open House: Wednesday, April 5th at 2:00 pm.
• Dining Services Town Hall: May 3rd at 2:00 m. in the Auditorium
• Dietary Focus Group: 2nd Thursday of each month at 9:00 m. in CTS 116 Next Meeting will be Monday April 17, 2023, at 1:30 PM CTS 216

Finance Committee, John Yoder, Chair

The Finance Committee met on March 28, 2023, at 9:00. Highlights of the meeting include:

• John reported briefly on the conference call he convenes quarterly with counterparts across the Erickson Communities. Structural and financial particulars vary greatly but they share common concerns including cost containment and maintaining affordability, achieving, or maintaining optimum occupancy levels and managing BCF funds. Charlestown is in the “middle of the pack” on many of these measures.
• February report was generally positive:
• Billed occupancy for both IL and CC were above budget at 1% and 98.3% respectively
• Cash flow and cash on hand continue to exceed minimum requirements by a generous margin.
• Year-to-date: there have been 29 settlements and 23 releases — a net gain of 6

• Repair work on Caton Ridge will push the CapEx expenditures over the budgeted amount. The full costs of the required repairs are not yet known.
• There were 15 residents receiving BCF funds in Thirty-two are in spend-down and 9 are pending.
• The Committee calls attention to the upcoming PNC sponsored workshop on Cyber Security: April 27 at 10:00 AM. It is a critically important subject and attendance is strongly encouraged.

The next meeting of the Committee will be March 28 at 9:00 in Brookside #1.

Grounds Committee, Mike Rose, Chair

Topics discussed were:

• Tree mulching
• Removal of diseased boxwoods at WO and replacement with disease-free evergreens
• Raised garden beds
• Newly repaired sidewalk at Arborside
• Pet damage
• Road paving
• Sidewalk surface adjustment to level them out
• Removal of dead ash trees on the Nature Trail
• Repair of bridge footers
• Possible use of solar panels at Charlestown

Next Meeting: Tuesday, March 28, 2023, at 11:00 am in Brookside Classroom 1

Health Services, James Fitzsimmons, Co-Chair

No meeting held

Next Meeting: Tuesday, April 11, 2023, 11:00 am in Brookside Classroom 1

Housekeeping, Sebastian Petix, Chair

No Report

Next quarterly meeting will be April 17 at 10 AM in Brookside classroom 1

Legislative/Political, Pat Payne, Chair

Good afternoon, Charles Town. My name is Pat Payne. I am co-chair of the Legislative/Political Committee along with Paulette Hammond. This committee’s most active time of year is during the months the Md General Assembly is in Session. The 2023 General Assembly Session is underway in Annapolis from January 11 to April 10, 2023.

This is the first session of the General Assembly with our new governor Wes Moore. We are at a particularly busy time because the end of the session is Monday April10th at midnight. That means there is going to be a busy weekend in Annapolis this year.

The Committee has been tracking legislation in key areas of interest to residents of Charlestown. You can find a list of these bills on the Charlestown Residents’ website. This year we tracked 47 pieces of legislation.

A key date in the General Assembly session is the crossover date. A piece of legislation has not moved from one house to another by that date has little chance of passing. Of the 47 bills we are tracking, only 18 made the crossover date. These 18 bills have a good chance of passing the Legislature.

Bills that did not make crossover include tax credits for long-term care premiums and tax credits for caregivers. Also not making the crossover date was the authorizing legislation for ranked choice voting in Montgomery County. The task force on emergency room waiting times did not make the crossover date either. Nor did the entire package of bills that the Maryland Continuing Care Residents Association (MaCCRA) had supported.

Bills that did reach the opposite chamber include the task force on regional water governance, The Child Victims act of 2023 has passed the legislature and is awaiting the Governor’s signature. This legislation removes the statute of limitations for victims of child abuse.

At the end of the session every year, the Legislative/Political Committee has a Zoom call with our entire delegation to discuss the General Assembly Session. Soon we will be announcing a zoom call date with our delegation. Del. Eric Ebersole is inviting the delegation that represents our district 44A as well as the legislative delegation from 44B.

We will be sending out a notice letting every know when that Zoom call will take place. All residents are welcome to join us on that call.

In addition, we will be holding a “Meet & Greet” with all our local elected officials in the fall. That way, you can actually shake the hand of your legislator and get to know what they look like.

Next meeting Wednesday, April 12, Brookside Classroom 1 at 10:00 am

Maintenance/Engineering, Gordon Piche’, Chair

Our committee met on Tuesday, March 28th at 2pm, in the General Services’ Conference Room with Jason Spivey, General Services’ Kevin Crawford, Chris Caldwell, Don Hoffman and Jason Dennis.

PROJECTS SCHEDULED FOR 2023 – Renovations planned for Herbert’s Run will start soon. Action is moving forward for some key locations on the interior signage updating project. Nearly all the black top A/C bridge units are still not working. Caton Ridge building renovations will be completed this summer. A replacement elevator for Chapel Court will be done this year. The repair is moving forward on the St, Charles to Herbert’s Run Bridge support washout.

ITEMS OF CONCERN THAT NEED ATTENTION AND NEW ISSUES – The roadway woodguard rails that are in bad condition will be replaced this year. A new lighting pole is being considered for the crosswalk at the East end of Brookside. The gutter downspout at The ST. Charles is scheduled to be repaired. A repair is underway for the high noise level of an A/C unit in Courtyard Crossing. A covered walkway for Building 1 at the medical center exit is now part of the Historic District Study. The Red Rope “gate” at the Edgewood/Auditorium stairway cannot be changed.

PROJECTS SCHEDULED FOR NEXT YEAR 2024 – The replacement elevator for Charlestown Square is delayed. The extent of renovations for the Auditorium Stage have not been developed. Roof replacements for Buildings 8 (Arborside) and 9 (Green Tree Court) have been deferred.

Next scheduled mtg April 25, 2023, at 2 pm in the General Services Conference Room

Resident Life, Joe Carrick, Co-Chair

40th Anniversary: Each month during this 40th Anniversary Year clubs/groups are honored for their longevity – March was the Librarians.

• Sunday evening Bingo is moving to the Fireside restaurant on April Saturday bingo is still in the Refectory.
• There is still time to sign up for the AARP Tax Assistance
• Continuing Care is again open and would like to have Independent Living residents visit them to share their hobbies such as photography, arts & craft, history buffs, etc. Pet visits are also welcome. There was a discussion at the meeting about IL residents not being able to use their meal of the day plan at the Continuing Care dining room. This matter was looked into by the Council. The outcome is that you can use your meal at continuing care.
• Since April is National Volunteer month if you have not yet done so, please complete the volunteer survey you received in March so the volunteer coordinator can match your interest and skills with a vast array of volunteer opportunities.
• The Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging Subcommittee held another successful Tapestry program last week under the leadership of Moffett Churn and Audrey About 140 residents attended this event. Plans are being made to now take the Tapestry conversation to our Continuing Care residents. DIB is also planning a program on the topic of Seniors Ageism. Ann MacKay will be heading up this effort.

Safety and Security, Justine Parezo, Chair

We are part of the Fall Prevention Group, and that group will be working with Dr. Steve Schimpff, who is the new Resident Director of the Board, to encourage the Medical Center here and Erickson Living to increase their emphasis on fall prevention. As you know, our Security Department here has a particularly good record of responding when there is a fall. They are knowledgeable and very skilled. We have been lucky to have them looking out for us. At the same time, we would like to see more emphasis on the wellness aspect of preventing falls from happening, since falls are the number one cause of injuries for elderly people.

We had a table at the Wellness Expo, which was a great opportunity to chat with people and find out whether they wear their safety pendants, and if not why. One of the things that I heard over and over, “Oh yeah, I have got one. It is upstairs somewhere. I do not need it.” If you are not using it, it is not helpful. We really want people to get to the point where when you walk out your door, you feel naked, if you are not wearing your pendant.

We are going to try to get some information from those of you who do use your pendants regularly, as to what techniques you use to help you remember to have that pendant on when you leave your apartment. Craig Nelson from security has told us over and over, we should wear them all the time, even when we are in our apartments because if something happened in your living room, you might not be able to get to the cord in the bathroom. But we are particularly interested in seeing people use them outside and I heard some great ideas that people have. Some people have hooks right by the doors or people put them right on their doorknobs. So, we will be trying to share that information with you. We did get 10 more people to sign up for pendants at the expo and one of them was lucky and won a $50 Amazon gift card.

At our request Craig Nelson has agreed to help get a social worker to come to our committee to speak with us about suicide prevention and suicide ideation. This will be for our information, but also a chance to explore whether or not there is any role that the Safety and Security Committee might have in helping our professional staff promote suicide prevention.

Our member who attends the Baltimore County police and community meetings, once again was reassured by our county police that we live in a safe area. Some of you may have heard about a shooting about a month ago, not too far from here. Some people were concerned. It turned out to be a domestic incident. In no way were we in any danger. We are just a stone’s throw away from a police department precinct building, which also makes this a safe area.

Our next meeting will be April the 11th at one o’clock in Brookside Classroom 1. Next Meeting: Tuesday, April 11, 2023, at 1:00 PM Brookside Classroom 1

COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS FROM RESIDENTS AND GUESTS:

Merci introduced Don Grove, Charlestown Executive Director, who gave an administration update.

Don started by thanking the Council for allowing him to talk with us and to thank the council for working with him and the Erickson administrative staff to share information and to resolve issues and concerns. He said he plans to continue the interaction. He encouraged residents to consider running for Council vacancies and to know that you are going to help make a difference in the community.

Don began the administrative update portion of the program by discussing the work being done to develop action plans to address the findings of the Holleran Survey. Draft plans have been shared with the Residents’ Council members and will be shared with residents at an upcoming town hall as soon as a system to measure results is finalized. Don went on to say that some changes are already happening as a result of the Survey.

One area we definitely identified an opportunity for improvement is the dining area. A letter will be delivered to residents this week to let you know that we are taking the issues seriously and future letters will follow to let you know what we are working on.

• We are focusing on the quality of the dining experience which includes
• The variety of offerings is another expressed We plan to expand offerings, but we need further definitions of what residents really mean in this area. We think one of the issues is healthier choices.
• Another area is the feedback process. We will still have comment cards but we are developing a program that allows you to give immediate feedback so we can address issues sooner.
• Staff training is also in the works Other Updates:
• Based on resident feedback, in the coming year, Erickson is focusing on developing a staff directory for all sites
• Improvements are being made to MyErickson to make it easier to use and to update information is a timelier fashion.
• We are upgrading to HDTV this
• By the end of March, we had 45 settlements, which is three ahead of plan. We are averaging 15 reservations a We had 168 people at the Expo and sold a one- bedroom Brighton that had been on the market for 500 days.
• There is a referral Fiesta coming up April It is an easy way to introduce someone to the community, so I encourage you to invite a friend or relative.
• We are adding artwork to the CVS wall in Charlestown Plans are posted tomorrow for your review and vote.
• Monday we are starting paving of the four lanes that come in at the gate
• An update is due to the residents of Caton We are waiting for feedback from the engineer regarding what is going on and a timeline for completion.
• As you are aware, we lost a tree this past weekend and we had to cut down some trees over the course of the past year. We are planning an Arbor Day event for April 28 at 1:30 in the memory walk area by the gatehouse. We will be planting trees all around campus to make up for those we had to cut down.
• To celebrate opening day at the ballpark we are asking everyone, including employees, to wear orange and there will be some specials in the dining room.

When Don finished his update, Merci asked for questions.

• Mike Rose, BR-601, stated that he did not have a question but that he wanted to relate an incident that reminded him of the value of having a pendant. He and his wife were getting off the elevator and found a man lying in a pool of He had fallen on his walker. Mike pressed his pendant and two minutes later Security was there to assist the man. Please keep your pendant with you.
• Veronica Coleman, ST-T25, asked it benevolent care was available for people in independent living. The answer is yes.
• Mimi O’Donnell, EW-210, asked Don if he would like to comment on the fact that 35^th annual Scholars Program is going on right now. Don pointed out that donation forms have been put in resident’s cubies and are available from the front desks and from Philanthropy, but he encouraged residents to donate online to reduce the workload for Philanthropy.
• Sondra Tucker, PV-121, pointed out that Bocce Ball season has started and that there is no easy way for residents with disabilities to watch the games. Don said that access to the courts is part of the planned improvements to the grounds. Because of the historic nature of the property, they are working with the Historical Society to determine what can be done but something will be done this year.

As there were no further questions, President Merci Izquierdo-Whitaker adjourned the meeting at 4:15 pm

Respectfully submitted, Diana Dunaway
Residents’ Council Secretary

 

President, Merci Izquierdo-Whitaker, called the regular meeting of the Residents’ Council [the Council] to order at 3:00 pm on Tuesday, May 2, 2023. 88 association members attended including Council members, Pat Kasuda and Naomi McAfee, Resident Director on the Board of Directors and ex-officio Director, respectively. Also, Executive Director Don Grove, Associate Executive Director Leslie Johnson, Dining Services Director Ken Zahn, Assistant General Services Director Jason Dennis, Philanthropy Director Patti Santoni, Medical Center Administrator Dean Crawford, Communications Manager Greg Johnson, Channel 972 staff Tom Moore and Amber Fisher.

 

The Council observed a moment of silence for those who have passed away.

 

Previously distributed minutes of the March meeting of the Residents’ Council were approved as presented.

 

 

Old Business

None

 

 

EXECUTIVE TEAM REPORTS

Merci Izquierdo-Whitaker, President

First, I would like to congratulate Leslie Johnson, our new Associate Executive Director. Leslie, would you like to stand up please?

 

Kudos to Tom Moore, Amber Fisher, and Kevin Hartka for facilitating the HD upgrade to 971 & 972 while stopping numerous events throughout Charleston and TV daily productions. They really work hard.

 

The President and the Vice President met with the Board of Directors Resident Life Committee and we review the plans for the continuing care Holleran Survey. If you missed the town hall, or Don’s, Leslie’s, and Pauline Frazier’s talk about this on Monday’s administration update, both were recorded, and they are posted on my Erickson videos if you’d like to hear what went on.

 

The Residents’ Council hosted a retreat for regional resident advisory councils from five Erickson Living communities with 54 attendees on April the 19th. It was very successful. It has been recorded and will be posted on ccicharlestown.org and on MyErickson probably in June because the TV staff is really busy with the 40th anniversary. So be patient, they will be there. It

 

was really, really good. A lot of information for us to consider.

 

The communication survey results compiled as of the moment I wrote this; we had received 539 replies. I understand from Hope and Walt that we have up to 550 now and still some are coming in. You do have an extension until May the fifth, Friday, to complete it so please do so; because the more we know how you’d like to be communicated to the better it is for us. We are very surprised that some people ask what the Residents’ Council is; things like that. So really, we need to know how to communicate better with you.

 

And last but not least, I am looking for volunteers for the Low Vision Reading Brigade that I lead to help those people that have problems reading or seeing. I would like to have you contact me. One-on-one meetings are scheduled with this person and on your own time, however, is decided between them and yourselves how best to help each other. So, if you are interested in that please see me after the meeting.

 

 

John Remias, Vice President

I bring to you a report from the Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Joint Council.

First, let me tell you a little bit about this Joint Council. We are a group of six staff and six residents who cover a whole range of diversities. We range in age from the mid-20s to the 80s. We represent mixed genders. We represent multiple cultures. We are mixed race. We represent several religions. We have among us people with disabilities.

What’s our MISSION? It is to CREATE AND PRESERVE A DIVERSE AND HARMONIOUS COMMUNITY OF RESIDENTS AND EMPLOYEES WHERE ALL FEEL SAFE, VALUED AND WELCOME!!

So, our plan is to offer programs and events in the future to carry out this mission. To highlight our diversities. To encourage inclusion. To strengthen the sense of belonging.

Next week, at the Passion Walk, (hold up the Passion Walk flyer) we plan to introduce ourselves to our community.

Next to support those of us – residents and staff – of different sexual orientations we have now begun planning a Pride Walk on Friday, June 23.

With enthusiasm, we are off and running.

 

 

 

Diana Dunaway, Secretary

No report

 

 

Mimi O’Donnell, Treasurer

 

Treasurer’s Report –May 2, 2023

 

March 31, 2023, Balance	$8,998.10
Revenue – from Dues Campaign	$ 681.00
Expenses April 30, 2023, Balance	$ (316.47) $9,249.96
April Expenses: Regional RAC Retreat                                                            ($261.48)) Safety Committee                                                                  ($ 54.99)

 

Narrative Report: The Council’s account balance at the end of March was $8,998.10 During the month of April, the revenue was $ 681.00. Expenses in April totaled $316.47 The account balance as of April 30, 2023, was $9,249.96

The Residents’ Council collects dues in the usual amount of $2.00 (or more) from residents to fund Council activities. As of May, residents have given the Council dues ranging from $1.00 to

$100.00. The Council appreciates the generosity of the Charlestown residents.

 

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Benevolent Care, Carol Kefford, Chair

Most of the discussion centered on the report of the Planned Giving consultant Rebecca Rothey which will be presented to the Foundation Board at their meeting at 5PM this evening. The consultant was contracted by the Foundation Board to review current planned giving strategies and offer ways to support the efforts.

As a part of the consultant’s review, Focus Groups were convened (along with a Planned Giving Subcommittee which included residents Carol Kefford, Stephanie DeAbreu and Rosemary Eck who facilitated the 3 Focus Group meetings. The goal was to get resident feedback as to why they support Benevolent Care and impressions on certain tag lines, key phrases. Results to be shared with the committee once the Foundation Board has reviewed and made their recommendations.

 

Additional conversation focused on communication on campus and how to reach out to residents who have not given to Benevolent Care (for example – residents who do not watch the scroll on channel 972, etc.). Carol is looking for volunteers to help coordinate outreach to encourage residents to learn more about planned giving to Benevolent Care.

 

Upcoming events:

• Treasure Sale —May 4-6 – Come Shop and invite family and friends to join!!!
• Passion Walk — May 10^th at 12:00 starting near Chapel to encourage people to identify causes they are passionate There will be tables for various organizations such as Alzheimer’s, American Cancer Society, etc. set up along the walk route. (This event is coordinated by Community Resources and Corporate – not Philanthropy).

 

• Gala is set for Friday, September 22^nd. A Band has been booked and is a resident’s daughter’s 17-piece Big Band. Plans are well underway for invitations, etc.

 

There will not be a meeting in May. June meeting is June 28^th at 2pm in CTS 116

 

Communications, Larry Taylor, Co-Chair

• The Communications Committee held its first ever Hybrid/ZOOM
• Use of the Online Work Order System presented by Gregory Johnson
• Discussion of Sunburst Distribution Issues
• Voice over 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 discussed in light of Sunsetting of Verizon
• Evergreen topics
• Comcast TV Service High-Definition upgrade for 971 972
• Tom Moore suggested re-booting set top boxes to restore
• Communications Committee Survey reminder, Results to be
• Staff directory updates were
• CCI-Communications Google Group for current news
• Website updates were

 

The next Communications Committee meeting will be May26 2023, at 2:00 in CST 116 and Hybrid by ZOOM at 2 PM.

 

Conservation, Mark Buehlman Chair

April was a busy month for our committee. We had four informational displays at the recent Nature Fest, which gained a lot of interest.

We also had significant involvement in the April Regional Advisory Council Annual Retreat, which had a sustainability theme. We moderated the morning panel discussion, and many Committee Members hosted roundtable discussions in the afternoon. We will use some of the sustainability ideas we heard from other Erickson Communities as springboards for future projects.

Our April speaker was Rick Galliher, who discussed OZZIE reusables as a practical and cheaper alternative to single use food ware. As an example, he discussed a CCRC in Gaithersburg that introduced this product, and despite the first cost, saved approximately $1,000,000 annually. We will be getting our notes and samples of the product to Ken Zahn, our Director of Dining Services.

Our May speaker will be Mike Rose, Chair of the Grounds Committee. Our next meeting is Tuesday, May 16th, 2023, at 2:00 pm in BR1.

 

Dining Services, Mary Lee Seaman, Chair

 

The Dining Services Committee met on Monday, April 17^th with Ken Zahn, Director of Dining Services.

Overall dining experience has improved, there are still issues with inaccuracy in carry out and delivery meals. Information on MyNutrition is more accurate but would like to be able to have the information on weekly specials included. The Dietary Focus group continues to meet on the first Thursday of the month, since Mary Evans began including information about this group, attendance has increased.

• Small Plates opened on April 13^th and was a rousing The current small plate menu will be in place through June and then will change every other month
• Nutrition Guides – Starting in May Nutritional Guides will be located at the Delivery & Carry Out area at each restaurant. The guides will include the Heart Healthy and the Carb Counter menu information along with the complete information that is on
• Focus Group – Dining Services is going to hold a focus group on menu
• Dining Town Hall – Wednesday, May 3, 2023, 2:00 m., Auditorium
• Open House – Wednesday, June 7, 2023, 2:00 m., All Restaurants

Next Dining Services Committee Meeting – Monday, May 15, 2023, 1:30 p.m., CTS 116

 

 

Finance Committee, Pat Rudolph, Acting Co-Chair

The Finance Committee met on Tuesday, April 25^th at 9:00 a.m. in Brookside Classroom 1. John Yoder presided.

The occupancy rates for March were high. Independent living at 94% is very good. Assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing are essentially full. Sales continues to work hard to fill up Independent Living. Year-to-date, Independent Living had 45 settlements and 41 releases so we’re gradually catching up.

In March and year-to-date, we had higher income and lower expenses than budgeted. Operating income in March was $1.5. million dollars and year-to-date operating income was $4 million. That income over and above operating expenses is needed to for such capital expenditures as the Caton Ridge foundation, the refreshing of Herbert’s Run and the repositioning in the historic district.

In March, there were 14 people on benevolent care compared to 24 a year ago. The current number, 14, is probably low. We’re anticipating that the more reasonable expected number would be somewhere between 18 and 20.

On May 16, the Finance Department will offer a class on the Charlestown Residence and Care Agreement including the differences between the 90% and 100% contracts. Gladstone James, Director of Finance, will be leading that discussion. Based on the questions that he gets;

 

Gladstone expressed the belief that many people don’t have a clear understanding of the agreement that they signed. This would be a great time to have your questions answered.

The next meeting of the Finance Committee is Tuesday May 30. At 9am in Brookside 1

 

 

 

Grounds Committee, Mike Rose, Chair

The Grounds Committee met on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, with Mike Rose presiding. The staff members present were Kevin Crawford, Jason Spivey, and Cortney Baker.

Topics covered were:

• Again, it was mentioned that diseased boxwood bushes at WO need to be removed and replaced with an evergreen not subject to disease. Now that the warranty has expired, we are free to make changes in plant material according to Kevin.
• Moving the unsightly dumpster on Erickson Way is a concern and Mike Rose will ask about it.
• Raising the patio at BR T03 is the solution for the water
• Building 8’s problems will be remedied by putting in a shallow trench and adding grass
• New sod is being installed next to the sidewalk around the chapel
• Two fountains are up and running on Lake Charles and a third is to be added to keep away algae.
• Benches are to be leveled on Erickson
• Currently the grounds crew has 1-1/2 to 2 full-time employees out of 4
• In celebration of Arbor Day, some shrubs and trees will be added/replaced. Fringe trees will be put in at Herbert’s Run. Shrubs at the bocce court will be replaced.
• THE OLD PROBLEM OF DEER WAS ONCE AGAIN ON THE THE CONSENSUS WAS THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUALLY CULL THE HERD.
• THERE WERE COMPLAINTS OF OVER-PRUNING, STANDING WATER, TOO MUCH
• THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THE TRIPPING HAZARD PLACES IN THE SIDEWALK ARE BEING TAKEN CARE OF.

Next Meeting: Tuesday, May 23, 2023, at 11:00 am in Brookside Classroom 1

 

 

Health Services, James Fitzsimmons, Co-Chair

The Medication Disposal event was held on April 10 and a large number of drugs were turned in for disposal. Unfortunately, some people are still putting needles, syringes, and other sharps in the bags with the pills. Please call Housekeeping for a disposal container that will be delivered to your door and when notified they will pick up the container.

Dean Crawford, Medical Practice Administrator, spoke to some of the Committee’s concerns.

 

Charlestown has no control over the time of day a resident is discharged from one of the hospitals. It is strictly under their control.

Discharge instructions and prescriptions are sent to Charlestown with the resident and can also be accessed through the computer system. Charlestown’s policy is that a returning resident will be contacted within 48 hours. The rationale for the 48 hours is that if someone is discharged over a weekend. The usual response during the week is 24 hours. If the resident is determined to be at risk the Security Department is notified, and a report is sent to Risk ConnectConnect or Charlestown or Erickson Connect Network is the name for the local telephone and Wi-Fi system at Charlestown. READ MORE.

The medical Department requests If you are admitted to a hospital from off the Charlestown campus or for a procedure or for elective surgery, please notify Charlestown and let the hospital know that you are a Charlestown resident

Some other topics covered by Mr. Crawford were that contracts have been signed with Ascension St. Agnes for the following doctors:

• Cardiology- Steven Plantholt and Fred Kuhn
• Orthopedics- John Antoniades and William Kang
• Pain Specialist- Sundrum Chettiar

 

Mr. Crawford also announced that no masks are required in the Medical Center unless you are symptomatic and also that COVID signs will no longer be posted on doors. He also asked that we remind residents to please schedule and keep your annual wellness visits.

The next Health Services meeting will be held Tuesday, May 9, 2023, at 11:00 am in BR 1.

 

 

 

Housekeeping, Sebastian Petix, Chair

The Housekeeping Committee met for the quarterly meeting on April 17 at 10 AM. There were 12 in attendance including management represented by Michelle Feen, Melvin Bonaparte, new supervisor and Jason Spivey, director of General Services. Committee members expressed specific concerns which were addressed directly by management. All residents are encouraged to report issues regarding cleanliness and aesthetic issues via CCIWORKORDERS@ERICKSON.COM. This can now be done through the My Erickson.

The committee expressed pleasure with the response form management to work orders. Next in person meeting will be June 19 at 10 AM in Brookside 1.

 

Legislative/Political, Pat Payne, Chair

Hi, I’m Paulette Hammond. I’m co-chair of the political legislative committee with Pat Payne. We had a meeting on April 12. Fourteen members and one new person showed up. The Maryland General Assembly ended at Sine Dei on Monday, April 10. A lot of people there went

 

right on vacation to wind down; I’m so glad that they had a chance to rest. It was a very hectic session, but extremely productive. There are a lot of bills that were sent to the governor and are going to be signed into law. Pat Payne will put that on our website. You can also check for yourself on the mgaleg.maryland.gov website if you’re interested in a particular bill.

 

We are going to have a Zoom call with our Charlestown legislative delegation on Wednesday, June 7 at 7pm. Attending will be Pat Young, our District 1 council member, as well as our Senator, Charles Sydnor and three Delegates, the one from our District 44A, Eric Ebersole, as well as the two from 44B, Alethia McCaskill and Sheila Ruth. All three of them are really working for us, so it’s good to include them as well. And finally, I’m going to set up an in-person Meet and Greet with all of these representatives sometime in September. It will most likely be held in the conference center in the afternoon.

 

Our next meeting is Wednesday, May 10 at 10 o’clock in Brookside Classroom 1.

 

 

Maintenance/Engineering, Gordon Piche’

Our committee met on Tuesday, April 25th at 2pm, in the General Services’ Conference Room with General Services’ Kevin Crawford, Chris Caldwell, Don Hoffman and Jason Dennis. Also in attendance was the Council Vice President.

PROJECTS SCHEDULED FOR 2023: Renovations planned for Herbert’s Run are underway. Action does not appear to be moving forward for some key locations on the interior signage updating project. Nearly all the black top A/C bridge units are still not working. All the silver top bridge A/C units are set, running and some are locked. Caton Ridge building renovations will be completed this fall. A replacement elevator for Chapel Court will be done later this year. The repair project for the ST Charles to Herbert’s Run Bridge support washout awaits County approval.

ITEMS OF CONCERN THAT NEED ATTENDTION AND NEW ISSUES: Many of the roadway wood

guard rails will be replaced this year. New lighting at the crosswalk at the East end of Brookside will be installed on the current light pole. The roof level gutter downspout problem at The ST. Charles has been repaired. The water leak in Harbor View flooded apartments on the 3^rd, 2^nd, and 1^st floors due to a brake in the loop line of a heat pump.

PROJECTS SCHEDULED FOR NEXT YEAR 2024:The replacement elevator for Charlestown Square is delayed. The extent of renovations for the Auditorium Stage have not been developed. Roof replacements for Buildings 8 (Arborside) and 9 (Green Tree Court) have been deferred.

Next scheduled mtg May 23, 2023, at 2pm in the General Services Conference Room

 

Resident Life, Nancy Meier, Co-Chair

Mary Evans talked to the 40^th Anniversary celebration activities which all residents are encouraged to attend. The calendar is now in the May Sunburst

 

Denise Puckett followed-up on volunteering at Caton Woods. So far, only the photography and quilting groups have responded with proposed projects. She reiterated her request for more Independent Living volunteers to share their talents with the Continuing Care residents who are our neighbors and friends. Contact Denise if you have any ideas for volunteering. The issue of the locked entrance to the building making entry difficult arose again. Denise took the action to talk with management on this issue.

 

Ellie DiPietro is the volunteer manager of the projects Friendly Visitors for Independent Living and 60 Minutes for continuing care. She has been doing this for 9 years. Ellie receives a weekly list of new residents and has a team of volunteers throughout the campus. They initially send welcoming letters to new residents and follow up at 1 week and 4-8 weeks. Ellie elevates issues identified by the team for resolution. Ellie mentioned a concern related to residents whose primary language is not English. They wished to be in contact with others of the same background. Another challenge regards deaf or speech impaired residents.

 

Moffett Churn from the Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging subcommittee talked about the latest two Tapestry events. In the future they are looking for tapestry events for smaller or neighborhood groups and at Caton Woods. The next Tapestry event is planned for September. The DIB subcommittee also will begin a new initiative on ageism and ableism in July.

 

 

Safety and Security, Justine Parezo, Chair

Last month was Fraud Prevention Month, so at our last meeting our scam experts, Ed Appel and Craig from Security updated us on what they knew about scams. Scams continue to proliferate, including the “Your grandchild is in danger” scam. Romance scams are also big right now.

Individuals are asked to send online boyfriends or girlfriends’ money so that they can travel to meet their love-interest in person.

Our Security Department continues to keep their ears and eyes open to the occurrence of such scams. They also have enlisted the help of our in-house bank to alert them of any suspicious withdrawals in an attempt to head off unwarranted losses by residents.

I would like to remind you of the red flags that indicate you are being targeted by a scammer and share some tips on keeping yourself safe.

• You are contacted unexpectedly and told to act Do not let anyone push you beyond your comfort level.
• You are asked to pay in an unusual Don’t help a ne’er-do-well cover their tracks with gift cards.

 

• You are asked to provide personal Your date of birth or social security number is not owed to anyone you do not know.
• You are offered a free product or anything else that seems too good to be true—it probably is.

Be aware that you are part of a very vulnerable population. Our sleep cycles might be disjointed; we have suffered many relationship losses; and our love of family and friends is unbounded. Avoid late night purchases and do not send money to anyone you have not met in person. By the way, if you have not already recycled last month’s AARP, give it a look. It contains their 2023 fraud survival guide.

Next Meeting: Tuesday, May 9, 2023, 1:00 PM Brookside Classroom 1.

 

 

 

 

COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS FROM RESIDENTS AND GUESTS:

At the conclusion of the committee reports, Merci asked if anyone had questions for council chairs. The following comments were made:

• Someone asked who should be notified if you go to the The answer is the medical center
• Rosemary Erdman, ST-503, commented that Gordon Piche said the gutter repair work was completed, but outside her apartment the gutter still needed to be The matter was referred to Jason Spivey for further action.
• PNC did a cybersecurity presentation last week that will be re-run on 972 at two and seven for the rest of the week. Residents were encouraged to watch it.

 

Merci introduced Don Grove, Charlestown Executive Director, who gave an administration update. Don started his presentation by introducing the new Associate Executive Director, Leslie Johnson. Leslie is still Director of Nursing until a replacement is found but has also started in her new role.

 

Next, he commented that he was pleased that we have 14 candidates for the Council next year and praised the council’s work such as the focus groups on the plans for the historic area, feedback on the survey action plan, the joint DIB committee, Benevolent Care Strategic Plan, and the communications survey.

 

Don mentioned that dining would be a big focus area this year and said the administration’s big focus is making sure that we’re making progress in the areas we told you we make progress. He commented that It’s wonderful to hear the feedback specifically on the tapas bar at Chesapeake,

 

There’ll be a letter coming this week with regard to the new comment card program concerning dining to start May 15th. There are paper copies available, but the real change is based on a QR bar code system. Each table will have a QR code that provides access to an online comment system using a smart phone that will allow instant feedback.

 

The next discussion was about the water issues that have been happening and water

mitigation. Don is working with the maintenance team on options to look at two things: ”How do we stop these issues from happening? And then, if it does happen, how do we minimize and make sure we can react as quickly as possible to turn water off and make that happen”

 

CDC has recommended a second COVID booster for those that are ages 65 and older. Flu shots and COVID booster can be given concurrently so the plan is to have a clinic this fall to handle both.

 

Occupancy numbers are high in all areas. There were 17 settlements in the month of April, 13 reservations and 24 people joining the priority list.

 

There are several celebrations planned for this month. John Erickson will be in town and there will be a couple of opportunities to hear him speak. Nurses’ week is from May 6 through 12. Several activities are planned including a tea for all nurses. Don asked that if you see one of our caregivers, please thank them for their service and remember our scholars.

 

At the conclusion of Don’s update, Merci asked for questions.

 

In discussing the Hollern Survey Action Plan, Don stated that one goal was to make the plan measurable. A resident commented that he really appreciated the fact that the word measurable was included and asked that residents be advised on how those efforts progress during the year. Don stated that this would be done

 

Regarding the water issue, another resident thanked Don for making the water issue a priority. Sebastian Petix asked about Charlestown’s responsibility for water damage. Don explained that Charlestown is responsible for repairing the damage to the apartment but damage to personal property should be covered under the resident’s apartment insurance policy.

 

Veronica Coleman asked for clarification about the request for residents to notify the medical center about hospital discharges in the middle of the night. Don explained that the hospital is supposed to notify the medical center of discharges so Charlestown can follow up with the residents. However, discharges in the middle of the night are not reported until the next day. Therefore, the request for notification.

 

Pat Rudolph asked if there have been any results with the ongoing issue of the trash at Parkview. Instead of putting trash out on trash pickup dates, some residents have been putting their trash in the outside garbage cans. This causes an unsightly, smelly mess and attracts critters. Don referred the question to Jason Dennis, General Services

 

As there were no further questions, President Merci Izquierdo-Whitaker adjourned the meeting at 4:06 pm

 

Respectfully submitted, Diana Dunaway

Residents’ Council Secretary