Minutes for February 10, 2005

Meeting Location: Four Points Sheraton Midway

Present: Lois Johnson, Karen Larson, Mark Eggen, Bryan Jensen, Mary Pennington, Phyllis Coppess, Sharon Johnson, David Hancox, Barbara Chromy, Roberta Cich, Larry Lura, Ann Zick, Roseann Faber, Linda Lingen, William Bauer, Bradley Westerlund, Gloria Lafriniere, Mary O'Hara-Anderson.

Absent: All voting members were present.

Guest: Cara Ruff.

Call to Order, Introductions: The February 10, 2005 meeting of the Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC) was called to order by chairperson Lois Johnson at 9:00 a.m. Introductions of SILC members and the guest followed.

Approval of January Minutes and February Agenda: Lois Johnson asked if there were any requests for revisions to the January 13, 2005 minutes. It was asked that Ann Zick's name be added to January's appointments to the Advocacy and Education Committee and SPIL Committee. Under the "CIL Report," the legislature, during this session, will likely restore twenty percent of the State IL funds lost in 2003-2004. Mark Eggen moved, Larry Lura seconded, that the minutes be approved as revised. The motion carried.

Lois Johnson called for additions to the February agenda. Bryan Jensen requested a discussion on the closure of RSA regional offices. Mark Eggen moved, Phyllis Coppess seconded, that the February agenda be approved as revised. The motion carried.

Appointment of Advocacy and Education Committee Chair: Sharon Johnson respectfully declined her in absentia appointment to serve as the chair of the Advocacy and Education Committee due to her SILC term ending as of 01/03/05. She stated that, until the new appointments are made, she would like to serve on the Finance Committee. Lois Johnson appointed Linda Lingen to serve as the Advocacy and Education Committee's chair.

Centers for Independent Living Report: David Hancox reported that there is a bill (HR 487) being heard in committee this morning regarding the modernization of disability-related language in existing and future statutes. The push behind this bill is to first recognize people, not their disabilities, and will require the utilization of "people first" language in all Minnesota statutes. A number of organizations have been involved in this bill including the DD Council and CILs. This bill is not necessarily a matter of political correctness; rather, the motivation behind the bill is to create a dignified recognition of people with disabilities. SILC members were urged to contact their legislators to offer their support of this bill.

At the Federal level, House File 27, the Job Training Improvement Act, includes language related to CILs; e.g., the addition of nursing home relocation as the fifth CIL core-service. There are several subtle revisions regarding the duties and responsibilities of all SILCs under Section 705 of the Act.

One of the requirements under the MOU is to pursue active working relationships with RAMS and VR counselors. The Metro CIL has prepared a training schedule, and will be meeting with VR personnel to provide IL orientation training in all ten of the Minneapolis-St. Paul WFCs. It was reported that ILICIL and CILNM have also developed training schedules. It is to be hoped that this will assist in removing numerous VR consumers from waiting lists.

Developmental Disabilities Council Report: Mary O'Hara-Anderson reported on the February 2, 2005 meeting of the Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities. She discussed the Department of Administration's, the DD Council's and other organizations efforts regarding HR 487, or the "People First" bill.

Ms. O’Hara-Anderson summarized Colleen Wieck's (DD Council executive director) trip to Washington, D.C. As a result of this trip, it was determined that Minnesota's DD Council continues to focus on Federal mandates and results.

The e-learning course, "Partners in Education," is being promoted in the "Wrights Law" online newsletter. More than 5,000 web page visits were made to this course in the month of January.

The e-learning course, " Making Your Case," has been converted to a web- based format; the course can now be accessed directly from the web-site.

The " Partners in Employment" e-learning course is also being converted to a web- based format; that process should be completed the end of February or early March.

More than 700 agencies and organizations were reached during the month of December as part of the DD Council’s web-site marketing strategies.

The DD Council’s web-site has been revamped. More than 1,000 top news articles and stories from "Inclusion Daily Express" and a Minnesota Resource Guide have been added to the web-site.

State Rehabilitation Council for the Blind Report: Roseann Faber reported that the SRCB last met on February 5, 2005. The SRCB's new chairperson is Jennifer Dunnam. Rebecca Kragness is the SRCB's new vice chair.

The work plan outline for the remainder of 2005 was reviewed. SRCB members were also provided an in-depth report from the Communication Center. Efforts are still underway to implement all of the Communication Center's "Twenty-first Century" revisions. Chuk Hamilton discussed the planned closure of all RSA regional offices.

There is proposed legislation requiring a repository for electronic materials, and what universities must do to get accessible materials to people in a timely manner. The Communications Center would become the repository for post-secondary education.

State Rehabilitation Council Report: Lois Johnson reported that the most recent meeting of the SRC was held on January twenty-sixth. The SRC will be provided a Part B Medicaid update during the March meeting. Bonnie Elsey has been invited to the February meeting, and the SRC will conduct the March meeting at Metro CIL.

It was reported that VR is receiving approximately 500 new applications per month, and is removing approximately 900 people from the Category I waiting list per month. The hope is to begin serving some of the other categories at some point.

WIA Plus Reauthorization has been introduced in the Senate. It appears that VR's budget will be flat-funded. It also appears that there will be cuts in MAEPD; but beginning in March, one may be allowed to work until the age of seventy-two and remain on MAEPD. Business Services Initiatives were also flat-funded; however, forty individuals will be trained to determine small business owners' needs, and to instruct small business owners on the utilization of DEED's various resources and services. There will be a regional VR meeting in Chicago on June 1-2.

The SRC is working on the VR program's state plan and, to date, all recommendations made by the SRC have been included in this plan.

State Council on Disability: There was no representative from the SCOD present.

White Earth 121 Project Report: Gloria Lafriniere reported that placements are difficult, and transportation remains a major barrier to employment. Many people with mental health disabilities are turning to the 121 Project. She stated that truancy is an issue with many transition-aged students with disabilities, and there is a concern that some schools's administrators and/or boards may be misinterpreting truancy laws. Throughout the various school systems, students have three minutes to get from one classroom to the next, and this may prove difficult or impossible for many students with disabilities. Ms. Lafriniere stated that she has found no resolution to this truancy issue through meeting one-on-one with several school boards. Options continues to serve as a resource. Discussion followed.

FFY 2004 704 Parts I and II Reports: William Bauer reported that the 2004 reports were submitted; both electronically and via the USPS; to Region V RSA, RSA Central, and ILRU on January 26, 2005 -- five days prior to the deadline. He provided an overview of the FFY 2004statewide IL data, and thanked the CILs' managers and staff, and the SILS counselors for their outstanding efforts during a challenging year. Discussion followed.

Internet Access: The reimbursement of ISP charges for one SILC member unable to fit this expense into the household budget was begun by providing the rural providers available and the various monthly costs. The consensus was that an ISP called "RRC" was suitable as to cost and services; specifically, Twenty dollars per month, no limits on usage, and no additional charges for technical support. Mark Eggen moved, Roseann Faber seconded, that the SILC reimburse this council member's RCC twenty dollars per month charge for internet service. Discussion followed. The motion carried with Phyllis Coppess, Ann Zick and Karen Larson abstaining.

Update on "People First" Bill: David Hancox returned from the State Capitol to report that the bill unanimously passed in the house committee. Two self-advocates and Cara Ruff provided testimony. The bill will be heard in the senate on Monday (February 14) at noon.

It was noted that at least one representative wants this "People First" bill to stand alone and not be rolled into an omnibus bill. The bill's supporters want two messages to come across: This bill is not about changing definitions (at this time); rather, it's about changing identifiers, and second, this bill should stand alone.

It was announced that the "Green Book" is ready for distribution. The "Green Book" is a directory of legislators' committee assignments. To request a copy, phone (651) 296-2146, or order on-line at www.minnesota@state.mn.us.

Committee Reports: Karen Larson reported that the finance committee provided orientation training to new finance committee members. The required documentation for the two FFY 2005 nursing home relocation grants; each in the amount of $32,500; has been received and reviewed by William Bauer. DEED contracts with Metro CIL and ILICIL are being finalized. The finance committee's activities are presently in accordance with the SPIL's objectives.

Linda Lingen reported that the advocacy and education committee's April SILC meeting training topic will be SSB's "Senior Program." An alternative training topic for April is Hmong culture. Planning for the out-state training session in May continues to focus on strategies for negotiating reasonable accommodations with employers. Linda Lingen will contact Randy Sorensen, Options' E.D., for his assistance regarding reasonable accommodations and outreach to the Latino/Hispanic community. Ms. Lingen asked council members either to e-mail her (linda.lingen@state.mn.us) or telephone her (651.642.0504 or 800.652.9000) with any thoughts or suggestions regarding the May 12-13 training. She next stated that the attainment of SPIL goal two's objectives will require a group of council members. It was suggested that the advocacy and education committee contact MCIL and other Centers to obtain copies of existing fact sheets, which could be reviewed and edited, as required, to meet the needs of the SPIL's objectives. David Hancox stated that he would bring copies of his fact sheets to the next (April 7) SILC meeting.

Lois Johnson reported for the SPIL committee. William Bauer will be developing the schedule for the FFY 2005 on-site compliance reviews and monitorings. Lois Johnson will be contacting the Centers to determine who is interested in hosting the FFY 2005 consumer forums.

Closure of RSA Regional Offices: Bryan Jensen expressed his concerns regarding the proposed closure of all RSA regional offices. It was the consensus that the regional offices are a valuable resource for information and technical assistance. Concerned individuals should contact their Congressional Representatives and Senators to express their opinions on this matter. The bottom-line is these closures are presently under consideration, and not a done-deal.

Announcements, Issues, Correspondence: Lois Johnson asked whether the letter to the NGA was drafted and sent. Bryan Jensen and David Hancox stated that they would complete the draft and submit it to William Bauer by February eleventh.

Bryan Jensen announced that there will be an "Angles on Accessibility" conference in Minneapolis on March fourth. The agenda includes an overview of disability rights, and resolutions to common design errors. There is no registration fee for this conference. He asked if he could attend this conference as a representative of the SILC. He requested travel reimbursement, hotel accommodations and meals. David Hancox moved, Karen Larson seconded, that the SILC provide mileage reimbursement, one night's hotel accommodations, and state rates for meals to Bryan Jensen for his participation in this conference. Discussion followed. The motion carried with Bryan Jensen abstaining. Brad Westerlund will make all necessary arrangements.

Mark Eggen and Mary Pennington announced that ACT is conducting a youth leadership training on April 15-16 at the Riverfront Radisson, Minneapolis. The registration fee is $60 per person and hotel accommodations are $89 per night. David Hancox moved, Karen Larson seconded, that the SILC pay Mr. Eggen's and Ms. Pennington's registration fees, one night's hotel accommodations, and meals at state rates for them to participate in the youth leadership conference. Discussion followed, and William Bauer will contact Mary Kay Kennedy at ACT to acquire an e-copy of ACT's youth Leadership curriculum. The motion carried with Mark Eggen, Mary Pennington and Phyllis Coppess abstaining.

Bryan Jensen, Mark Eggen and Mary Pennington will report to the SILC on these two conferences.

Gloria Lafriniere announced that there will be an American Indian Mental Health conference on June 15-17at the Black Bear Casino Hotel. Ms. Lafriniere will check into scholarships in the event any SILC member or members wish to attend. She will report her findings during the April SILC meeting.

It was reported that April fifth is the CCD's "Lobby Day." Generally, the morning is spent on instruction, and visits with senators and representatives are conducted in the afternoon. Registration materials will be sent to William Bauer for formatting and distribution to interested SILC members.

The practice of not taping SILC meetings was raised as an issue. William Bauer questioned the need for this, since he never reviewed the tapes when all SILC meetings were audio taped in years past; he added that no SILC member ever asked to review the tapes when the meetings were recorded. Bryan Jensen moved, Karen Larson seconded, that arrangements be made to audio tape future SILC meetings. Discussion followed until David Hancox called the question, which carried. The motion was defeated.

Next Meeting, Adjournment: The next regular SILC meeting will be held on April seventh from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Four Points Sheraton Midway. The February tenth meeting adjourned at 2:30 p.m.