Aging Advisory Board Minutes 031213

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ORANGE COUNTY ADVISORY BOARD ON AGING Minutes March 12, 2013 PRESENT: Leo Allison, Heather Altman, Virginia Brown, Alex Castro, Ed Flowers, Dan Hatley, Lozenzo Mejia, Thelma Perkins, Jeane Suddarth, Richard White Excused: Donna Prather STAFF: Kathie Kearns, Janice Tyler The meeting was called to order at the Central Orange Senior Center. The minutes of the February 12 meeting were approved following the motion made by Dan Hatley and the second by Leo Allision. Department Director Janice Tyler announced that the RSVP fundraiser held on March 2 was a success, the Aging Transitions Resource and Benefits Manager position has been filled, and the Fifth Annual Resource Fair is being planned for May 8 at University Mall. She also announced that committee has been formed to explore options for outreaching to the non-heterosexual older adult community. She distributed the non-profit agency funding applications to those Advisory Board members who volunteered to serve on the review committee that will meet the following day. Ms. Tyler announced that the Department’s Orange County budget request for FY 13-14 includes $12,000 for temporary personnel funding for Senior Center evening and weekend hours. These funds will replace the funding that the Friends organizations have been providing in recent years. Ed Flowers asked about room rentals at the Centers. Ms. Tyler summarized the County Facility Use policy. She also reported that initial reports on the effect of sequestration on Older Americans Act funding predicted a 5.1% reduction; more recent estimates are as much as 12%. Ms. Tyler distributed new census data recently made available by Triangle J Area Agency on Aging. Orange County’s older adult population with incomes below the poverty level is projected to increase by 68% in the upcoming year. Discussion followed on the factors that brought about this dramatic increase. The NC Division of Aging will be asked to further analyze this data. Orange County will gradually receive a greater proportion of the available federal and state funding based upon this census data. Ms.Tyler reported that the increase in the Homestead Exemption Act, recommended by this Advisory Board, was debated at the Orange County Legislative Breakfast held the previous day. Terri Buckner, project manager for the UNC GigU Initiative, asked the Advisory Board for recommendations for this project as reviewed at the previous week’s meeting attended by several members. The need to get seniors comfortable with using technology is a high priority with few options available in southern Orange County and fewer in northern Orange. One recommendation is to include