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Oshkosh Committee on Aging Minutes
October 6, 2005
Attendance
: Corky Abraham; Claude Benedict; Dr. Jean Caudle; Kristin Cimera;
Jerry Konrad; Kara Klein; Joan Rogers and Mae Ziebell. Special Guest Mark
Huddleston of the City Transportation Department. Excused members included:
Donna Altepeter; Ann Jungwirth and Ernie Kandler. Staff were Sue Kreibich,
Aging Services Manager; Leigh Stelter and Bobbie Luft, Office Assistant.
Corky Abraham called the meeting to order at 8:00 a.m. M/S/C, (Konrad;
Cimera) approval of agenda and minutes.
Aging Services Manager:
Sue Kreibich will be writing a grant for the
development coordinator position for three years. This would be working with the
Community Endowment Fund to build the account. The intent is that within a few
years, interest generated from the Endowment Fund would pay for the position.
The Badger Band fund-raiser will be held in early April. Another fund-raiser will
be a Walk-Run to be held May 24, 2006, the same day as National Senior Health
and Fitness Day. Sue intends to have the Center begin having an annual Fund
Appeal to those people served through the Center. Mona Walker is hosting a
program about Living Transitions. The lady who wrote a step by step guide to
making later life moves does presentations. Sue shared that bringing this
woman to Oshkosh might be something that the Committee on Aging might want
to sponsor with funding coming privately.
Correspondence:
Sue passed out handouts to those present on the history of
the Older Americans Act.
Housing Directory:
No Report
Board of Directors:
The strategic plan has been approved and the Master Plan
will be completed by June 2006. The goal then will be to keep the plan up to
date. Dick Kempinger from the facilities committee is looking into the condition of
our buildings. Mr. Kempinger believed the Annex, as we know it now, would
have at least another 30 years left of use. The Center has been re-accredited for
another five years; after the re-accreditation the visiting team shared that they
believe there is not sufficient staff to accomplish current programs and services.
Chairman:
Corky offered to give a presentation on how Nursing Home budgets
are affected by the Governors veto to increase Medicaid. Since 1999, forty-one
nursing homes have closed. He shared that in one community of 12,000 two
hundred, seventy-five people lost jobs to a Nursing Home being closed. Sue
Kreibich will compose a letter that Corky will sign coming from the Oshkosh
Committee on Aging that will go to all Winnebago County Board members. It will
address the Committees’ request that the County continues to consider funding
Aging services and specifically that the Committee believes that the County
needs to continue serving older adults through a County run Nursing Home.
CWAG:
No Report
Winnebago County Commission on Aging:
Dr. Jean Caudle stated that the
Commission met at the Pickett Community Center. She commented that it is a
very fine place and has similar programs to ours. They enjoyed a nice dinner
while there. That Center provides service for 7,000 people and they too, rent out
their building.
Senior Shuttle:
Mark Huddleston, City Transportation Director, announced that
as of October 15 the Senior Shuttle will no longer be running. There was an
expectancy of 150 riders per day and the highest the rider-ship ever reached was
under 100. Mr. Huddleston does understand the need for senior transportation
and is working on other means to handle the situation of losing the senior shuttle.
Rides can’t be limited to seniors or funding will be eliminated. Mark is possibly
thinking of running a smaller bus with different daily schedules and trying to
reach most senior housing. The costs of Dial-a-ride are getting out of control.
Currently 70% of rides are ADA where riders contribute $1 each way. The
budget amount for this is being drained. In 1992, rider costs were $1.80, $2.30
and $2.80. As of today, rider cost is $1 for ADA and $4 for regular dial-a-ride.
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Oshkosh is ranked 3 for giving a large number of rides, this comes after
Madison and Milwaukee. Mark asked Committee opinion on making the
requirements for use of ADA stricter. ADA is for riders who cannot utilize the City
Bus system. Mark is studying various ways of making the overall Dial-A-Ride
program more affordable to seniors and stay within budgeted amounts.
Transportation will be asking for an increase of 32% in its budget for 2006.
Service to the Senior Center is around 6-7 rides per day. Mark said that the City
Bus can’t stop at both Center facilities due to a time constraint. Kristen Cimera
suggested having bus service to Main Facility Monday through Friday and
service to the Annex on Saturdays. The regular bus will start coming to the Main
Facility October 15. Mark will continue to keep the Committee informed.
Member Comments:
Dr. Jean Caudle expressed her gratitude towards Sue
Kreibich for her work on behalf of seniors. The holiday breakfast meeting will
discuss the strategic plan. Best wishes to Mae Ziebell as she has retired from
the Committee on Aging. Thanks to Mae for many years of service! Mary
Schmidt from Representative Petri’s office will be the November guest speaker.
Respectfully Submitted,
Bobbie Jo Luft, Office Assistant
Oshkosh Seniors Center