Minutes for April 7, 2005

Meeting Location: Four Points Sheraton Midway

Present: Lois Johnson, Karen Larson, Mark Eggen, Bryan Jensen, Ann Zick, Roseann Faber, Roberta Cich, Chuk Hamilton, Linda Lingen, William Bauer, Bradley Westerlund, Larry Lura, Mary Pennington, Don Westergard,Phyllis Coppess, Gloria Lafriniere, David Hancox.

Absent:  Sharon Johnson (excused), Barbara Chromy (excused).

Guest: Lyle Lundquist.

Call to Order, Introductions

The April 7, 2005 meeting of the Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC) was called to order at 9:00 a.m. by Lois Johnson, chairperson. Introductions followed.

Approval of February Minutes and April Agenda

Lois Johnson called for revisions to the February 10, 2005 meeting minutes. Ann Zick moved, Roseann Faber seconded, that the February minutes be approved as written. The motion carried.

Lois Johnson called for amendments to the April agenda. Ann Zick requested a discussion on internet access. Bryan Jensen requested time to report on the recent accessibility conference he attended as the SILC's representative. The revised agenda was approved by consensus.

State Services for the Blind Update

Charles "Chuk" Hamilton, SSB director, stated that he was pleased to be an ex officio member of the SILC, and that he looked forward to the council's selection of the next SILC representative to serve on the State Rehabilitation Council for the Blind. In terms of SSB, Hamilton reported that the program is "alive and well." It's not generally recognized that a majority of SSB's consumers are elderly, and SSB has an unclassified opening for an outreach coordinator to expand the agency's outreach efforts to older blind Minnesotans. Legislatively, RSB , IL and SSB are not anticipating budget cuts; however, the State senate's position is to cut about fourteen-million dollars from the budget; however, some programs will be excluded from these cuts.

Lois Johnson thanked Charles Hamilton for attending this meeting, and commented that the SILC's representative on the SRCB would be selected once Roseann Faber's replacement is appointed.

State Rehabilitation Council for the Blind Update

Roseann Faber announced that the next SRCB meeting will be held this evening; thus, there were no updates.

Developmental Disabilities Council Update

Ann Zick reported that there were recently some new appointees to the DD Council. There was a presentation at the last meeting on the Home Care work-plan. DD Council members provided feedback on this plan, which included several DD Council members' concerns; e.g., empirical data on the number of individuals allegedly defrauding the system was not provided, and it very well may be that only a handful of individuals are harming the entire program.

CIL Update

David Hancox reported the Centers are doing well statewide. The second round of the housing study was recently completed; i.e., the study was conducted in five additional counties.

Nursing home relocations are continuing. The "language bill" passed in both the house and the senate. SF 984, or the Minnesotans with Disabilities Act, which is a multifaceted bill, passed through government operations; however, consumer choice in case management services verses union jobs may be a barrier to this bill, and there may be a limit established as to the number of services that can be contracted. It is not anticipated that all of the various sections of this bill will pass, and The CCD will set priorities for this bill.

HF 1771 and SF 1660 is a transportation-related bill which would provide subsidized rural transportation services. The bill includes $1.1 million to study rural transportation needs.

The Centers are coordinating a series of one-day forums as a follow-up to December 2004's Olmstead conference. The CMS grant will provide stipends.

A discussion on proposed Metro Mobility cuts followed. Under consideration is a ten percent cut, which would reduce Metro Mobility's service-area and limit services to only to those mandated by the ADA . Nearly twenty-five percent of the rides provided by Metro Mobility are employment-related. One out of three riders has no alternative source of transportation. A ten percent reduction in state dollars would eliminate 50,000 rides annually. All of this would result in saving $1.5 million. SILC members were encouraged to contact their legislators.

State Rehabilitation Council Update

Lois Johnson reported that the last SRC meeting was held at the Metro CIL. Presentations covering the Disability Linkage Line, Camp Courage , and block grants were provided.

State Council on Disability Update

Don Westergard reported that efforts to establish a commission for Olmstead implementation and nursing home relocation has been revised to a work group. The MN Housing Finance Agency, DHS and MN SCOD will be jointly responsible for the work group.

Westergard commented on the anticipated cuts to Metro Mobility. He discussed ADA requirements for fixed-route systems. The legislature is, according to Westergard, beginning to recognize that should funding for transportation services be reduced, some former tax-payers could become tax-users. One option under consideration is an increase in the gas tax, which would be dedicated to transportation services for people with disabilities; however, Governor Pawlenty has indicated that he would not consider an increase in the gas tax to be a viable option.

121 Project Update

Gloria Lafriniere reported that the White Earth 121 project continues to "plug along." She is contacting legislators on several issues concerning people with disabilities.

Several SSB personnel will be coming to the White Earth 121 Project office to network.

"Angles on Accessibility" Workshop

Bryan Jensen reported that this workshop focused on fair housing and how to expand accessibility in established buildings. Architects too often place accessibility design on a separate page as opposed to simply integrating access features into the blueprints; i.e., architects design the building, and then create a separate plan for access.

Committee Reports

It was reported that Advocacy and Education requires additional time for committee meetings. Linda Lingen recommended that the Centers' training in IL philosophy should be included on the SILC web-site. It was asked that every SILC member research what organizations in his/her area are providing services to minority populations. Every SILC member should then schedule meetings with these organizations and invite a representative from the nearest CIL. Once identified, these organizations serving minority populations should be added to the SILC web-site.

Progress on the SPIL's Advocacy and Education objectives was summarized. As to the fact sheets, these documents should also be included on the SILC web-site. It was noted that the SILC does not have an official representative on the CCD; however, David Hancox participates on the CCD as the CIL representative.

The agenda for the May 12-13 out-state meeting is finalized. Half of the first day will be dedicated to barriers to Hispanic outreach, and the second half to reasonable accommodations. The SILC will be staying at the Best Western Townhouse in Grand Forks.

Lois Johnson, SPIL Committee chair, reported that the CIL monitoring and on-site compliance review schedule for FFY 2005 has been set. The SILC's annual consumer forums, which are conducted in conjunction with the Centers, must next be scheduled. It was determined that the SILC conduct these forums, when possible, in the Centers' satellite offices. William Bauer will contact the following Centers to discuss this matter: Freedom Center , Fergus Falls satellite; CILNM, Duluth satellite; SMILES New Ulm satellite; SEMCIL, Waseca satellite. SILC representatives to attend these forums, provide an introduction, chair the forums, and ensure that minutes are taken are: Bryan Jensen, Duluth ; Phyllis Coppess, Waseca; Ann Zick, Fergus Falls ; and Lois Johnson, New Ulm.

State Services for the Blind IL Services for Seniors

Lyle Lundquist; supervisor, SSB Senior Services Unit; discussed SSB's IL services provided to people over the age of fifty-five who are blind or visually impaired. In fact, the SSU works with any blind/visually impaired adult who does not have an employment goal; however, approximately ninety-five percent of the SSU's consumers are fifty-five or older. The program receives Title VII "Older Blind" funds, which are approximately $500,000 annually, with an additional $60,000 serving any age. The SSU's annual budget is roughly two-million dollars, which includes approximately $1.4 million from the state. It was noted that Minnesota gets more state dollars for the SSU's program than any other state in the nation. It was also noted that the average age of the SSU's consumers is eighty years.

The SSU has twelve counselors statewide. Metro area counselors serve nine counties, and five of the twelve counselors serve these nine counties. The SSU serves approximately 2000 people annually, but many of the people who could benefit from these services are not reached, which is why an outreach coordinator is being sought.

Counselors first conduct a needs assessment; needs frequently begin with low-vision work, which is generally done by counselors. Needs also include an assessment of cooking, travel and other daily living skills. The SSU works closely with SSB's Communications Center to facilitate the provision of information, which is a key loss associated with blindness/visual impairments. A discussion followed on macular degeneration; this is a progressive condition that generally does not lead to total blindness. SSB must report to Driver's Safety the names of those consumers who are legally blind. In response to a question, the provision of services is not income based. Services are provided in group settings, or one-on-one. Some of the SSU's services are provided by vendors.

A discussion of various eye conditions followed. The presentation was concluded with questions and answers.

Visitor Comments

There were no visitor comments.

Internet Access

A SILC member stated that her ISP monthly bills were paid by another council on which she served. In that she was no longer serving on this council, she requested the SILC to begin reimbursing her for her $19.95 monthly ISP bill. Phyllis Coppess moved, Mark Eggen seconded, that the SILC reimburse this member for her $19.95 ISP costs. There was no discussion, and the motion carried with Ann Zick abstaining. The council member was reminded to submit documentation to verify these charges on a monthly basis.

Issues, Announcements, Correspondence

Mary Pennington announced that comments regarding the proposed state cuts to and potential rate increases by Metro Mobility can be e-mailed to: data.center@metc.state.mn.us

You can also telephone your comments at (651) 602-1500; TTY (651) 291-0904. Comments will be accepted until May 1, 2005.

Bryan Jensen discussed having a SILC representative on the CCD. William Bauer will check whether one must be appointed by the governor to become a voting member of the CCD. Jensen also announced that he and others in Duluth are advocating for a prohibition on blocking ramps and curb cuts.

Ann Zick announced that she will attempt to attend the AT Expo 2005 in Fargo. The date is April 14, and registration is free. The expo is sponsored by Job services North Dakota , Freedom CIL, et al.

William Bauer reminded council members to notify Brad Westerlund or him no later than the Monday preceding any SILC meeting if you are unable to attend, or will not be staying for lunch. A reminder to notify either Brad or Bill regarding a council member's planned/known absence will be added to the top of each meeting's agenda.

Next Meeting, Adjournment

The next meeting will be held on May 12-13, 2005 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Best Western Townhouse, Grand Forks. A brief business meeting will be held on the twelfth from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. to afford SILC members sufficient travel time for their return trips on the thirteenth. The April 7, 2005 meeting adjourned at 2:30 p.m.