Council on Aging Holds January Meeting

The Holliston Council on Aging held its January meeting on Wednesday, January 11, 2023.  Chair Yvette Cain convened the meeting at 2:00pm, with the reading of the guidelines for holding public meetings with remote members participation.

After taking a roll call attendance, the Council began its monthly agenda with the approval of the minutes of the December 2022, meeting.

(L – R) Coordinator Melicia DaCosta, Janet Alexander, Peter Eagan, Director Lisa Borchetta, Carmen Chiango, and Kathy Anguish

Under the heading of Communications:

  • Outreach and Transportation Coordinator Melicia DaCosta shared:
    • Requests for transportation are up this month
    • Two drivers are away (Admin Asst. Debbie Dupuis was not at the meeting as she was filling in for one of the regular van drivers.)
    • Fuel assistance calls are still coming in – Ms. DaCosta completes the online application with the requester’s input.
    • AARP Tax Prep slots are almost all taken
    • The Valentine’s Luncheon (Feb 15th) is almost all filled
  • Director Lisa Borchetta shared:
    • The UMass Senior Survey results were presented to the Select Board at the January 9th meeting. (The entire presentation is available here -> UMass Senior Survey PresentationA public presentation of the survey data will be held at the Senior Center on January 17, 2023, at 11:00 am.  Please call the Sr. Ctr. to make reservations to attend -> 508.429.0622Special thanks to the Holliston Dept of Public Works for the care and attention the Sr. Ctr. has received making it safe whenever icy conditions are present.Recently met with the Town’s cleaning contractor to refocus cleaning at the Sr. Ctr.The Survey data reinforce future ideas / plans and present some challenges as the Council on Aging provides services for citizens in four different decades with very different realities.The Habitat for Humanity (HfH)  partnership with the Council on Aging is still accepting applications from citizens.  The local HfH Director indicated that would be able to help support individual projects that exceed the local maximum grant ($20,000).
    • A total of $1,065 was requested from the Senior Support Foundation (SSF) to cover the costs of upcoming activities.

Next up was action of two monetary items: SSF request and the proposed CoA FY 24 budget.  The Council unanimously approved the SSF request for $1,065.

Director Borchetta presented the proposed FY 24 budget explaining the rationale for each line item.  In consultation with Town Administrator Travis Ahern, adjustments were made in the Personal Services area to bring salaries more in line with the current market level.

The Council unanimously approved the proposed $283,736 FY 24 CoA budget as presented.

The next meeting of the CoA will be on February 8, 2023, at 2:00pm.  On that agenda will be a presentation of the Senior Survey data by the UMass Center for Social & Demographic Research on Aging Gerontology Institute and a discussion of publishing of the Senior Center Newsletter.

The meeting adjourned at 3:12pm.

Chris Cain

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