Meeting Minutes – September 19, 2012
Colorado SILC
Courtyard Marriott, Glenwood Springs
September 19, 2012
9:00 a.m. – 4:10 p.m.
(approved 11/12/12)
Members present: Debbie Petersen, Julia Beems, Anna French, Buna Dahal, Martha Mason, Hope Krause, Joe Anzures, Sue Fager
Excused absence: Chris Roe, Larry Williams
DVR staff: Rob Buzogany
Guests: Dave Schaad, FEMA
Staff: Judy Neal
Call to Order and Introductions:
Julia Beems, Chair, called the meeting to order and welcomed everyone.
Approval of Minutes:
Debbie Petersen made a motion to accept the minutes of the May meeting. Buna Dahal seconded, and the minutes were approved as written.
DVR Report:
Sue Fager reported that the ACCIL has created a subcommittee to meet with her and Rob Buzogany to discuss contracts and outcome measures. Sue would like time at our next meeting to talk about some new RSA guidance concerning program accountability. She and Rob have requested a technical assistance meeting with RSA in Washington D.C. They have not received a response. She told the SILC that DCIL has submitted its first repayment installment, and they are still working on their corrective action plan. There has also been a name change, but she wasn’t sure of the new name. DCIL will also be leaving the Aurora office soon and are looking for a new location.
SILC Coordinator Report:
Judy Neal spoke briefly about the benefits of the monthly Region 8 phone calls. Recent topics have included information gathering for SPILs, the pros and cons of being a 501c3, and how catchment areas are determined in other states. She also announced that there are three nominations for the IL Staff ad hoc committee.
ACCIL Report:
Martha Mason, in Larry William’s absence, gave a report about the ACCIL’s retreat in Glenwood Springs. Topics included contracts, contingencies, legislative advocacy, and catchment areas. No official documentation explaining the division of counties into catchment areas can be found. The group is trying to look at their territories in a way that makes the most sense for serving consumers. With several centers dealing with financial and staff issues, other centers have been taking up the slack without compensation. The ACCIL also made some tough decisions based on their reduced budget, due to centers that have been unable to pay their share. Both the lobbyist and part-time staff positions were retained, but hours have been cut.
SRC Report:
Buna Dahal reported on her first SRC meeting. She enjoyed the presentation by Elaine Deschmidt who is working on DVR’s state plan. Buna recommended that Elaine join the SILC’s SPIL Committee. Buna is hoping to become a member of the SRC’s employment committee.
Financial Report:
Joe Anzures reported that, since this was the first full meeting of this fiscal year, the SILC’s only expenses have been conference calls and the Smooth as SILC registration fee. He has developed a forecasting spreadsheet that he plans to use to keep SILC expenditures on track. Joe also suggested that an ad hoc committee be formed to determine the start-up costs for establishing a new CIL. Although we toss around the $500, 000 figure, we are doing it with no data. This will be discussed at the Executive Committee meeting.
Emergency Preparedness Presentation
David Schaad, FEMA Representative for Region 8, talked about the inclusion of people with disabilities in emergency planning. He urged SILC members to find out about their local Emergency Operations Plans (EOP) and get involved. He gave permission to send his PowerPoint presentation to SILC members, as long as we do not share it with others. The presentation contains links to online information for further reading.
Public Comment:
Although the public comment segment of the agenda had been extended and publicized, no comments with given. The SILC held two public forums on Tuesday, September 18 and gathered information from consumers, advocates, and agencies in the Glenwood Springs area.
Committee Reports:
Membership: Several potential candidates for membership have been identified. Judy is working on a “pre-application” document that will describe the membership process and provide information about the SILC. She talked about the difficulty of renewing members such as Hope who had been appointed twice, but not served six full years. Hope thinks that her term expires in 2013, not 2012. Sue will check with the Boards and Commissions office to verify.
Public Policy: Although Buna set up a meeting for the third Wednesday of the month, several members were out of town or in other meetings. The next meeting is scheduled for 15. Buna expects the committee will continue with the issues of community transition.
SPIL: The SPIL committee has met twice since the May SILC meeting, primarily focusing on survey questions and other methods of gathering data. As the new chair, Anna French is reviewing the committee minutes from last fiscal year. The next SPIL Committee meeting is on Tuesday October 8 due to the Columbus Day holiday. Members wishing to take the SPIL survey, or distribute it via email to their Colorado distribution lists, may use or send out the following message:
Colorado’s Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC) is gathering information for the development of the State Plan for Independent Living that will be submitted on June 30, 2013. Your responses to our survey questions will help us understand the needs and concerns of the disability community. Please use the link below to access our survey. All responses are confidential.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CO_SPIL
Center Spotlight:
Linda Taylor, Executive Director of Center for Independence in Grand Junction, was unable to attend the meeting. She furnished the SILC with her center’s new informational DVD. The SILC viewed part of the video. It can be seen in its entirety on CFI’s website www.cfigj.org.
Old Business: Julia told the SILC that a new banner was not ordered from last year’s budget because the studio that created the artwork has gone out of business. She has an estimate for the new artwork, but needs to locate suitable photographs for use on the banner.
New Business: Julia announced that October was Disability Awareness Months, as well as the official month for employment, history, and other disability issues. She reminded the SILC that the Colorado Advisory Council for People with Disabilities can relay information directly to the governor, so we should make our minutes and issue briefs available to the Council.
Outgoing Chair Presentation
Debbie Petersen was presented with an engraved award in recognition of her dedication and service to the SILC. Debbie has served a full six years on the SILC and has been Secretary, and has twice been Chair Elect, and Chair. Debbie told the SILC that her time with us has been a valuable experience and one that she will always treasure. She hopes to stay active with the SILC by participating in the Public Policy and Youth Committees.
Hope Krause was also recognized for her contribution to the SILC. She was given a certificate of appreciation.
SILC Basics:
Judy conducted an activity to determine members’ unanswered questions about SILC Operations. The information gathered will be used in the updating of the SILC Operations Guide.
Adjourn: A motion to adjourn was made by Anna and seconded by Hope. The meeting was adjourned at 4:10 p.m.