3:30-4:30pm Zoom
Attendees:
Polly Shaw
Barbara Reinertsen
Roberta Jordan
Marla Davis
Doreen Fournier
Allison Hepler
Joel Merry
Tommy Davis
Karin Sadtler
Jim Peavey
Michele Melanson
Deirda Murphy
Janet Persen
1. TRANSPORTATION:
Jim & Karin shared an update on the current situation and collaboration with People Plus (PP):
Georgetown has contributed $500 to PP every year for the past years. Georgetown currently has 5 drivers, 3 riders. All know each other and it is little work to coordinate the rides. The program has been promoted in town for years and there are only a few riders.
Arrowsic, currently has 2 drivers, no riders.
Bath: PP’s VTN has 3-4 registered drivers (incl 2 from Arrowsic), and about 4 regular riders, frequency about once a week.
Woolwich has 1 occasional rider, who is served by an Arrowsic driver.
Program is not active in Phippsburg, and West Bath.
Police Chief Andrew Booth at Bath PD has been and continues to offer generously new drivers’ background checks to all communities.
Deirdra, Michele, Jim and Karin met with Stacy Edgerton-Frizzle and Lynne Smith, the program coordinator, from PP. PP asked for an $750 increase for Georgetown and a contribution for the region. Regional Group AFCLK has not contributed financially to VTN in the past. The program is currently small. PP has not actively promoted the program in the Bath region. Our communities are not part of PP’s catchment area.
Discussion went to a Q & A process. Many questions were raised and discussed. A need assessment was suggested since survey results are from 2018/19. Technology might help reduce the load. Administrative tasks and interactions with riders are estimated to take about an hour per ride. Some volunteer transportation programs conduct initial in person assessments to better understand an individual’s needs and better serve them.
A couple of members met with Mary Beth Paquette, fellow at UMaine Center on Aging, about Maine’s vol. transportation programs in age-friendly orgs. AARP offers free use of assistedrides.com software. (Still need more info on that). AARP also offers free umbrella insurance for drivers in age-friendly community orgs. Maureen Booth in Bowdoinham spoke to Karin about their “Rides in neighbors’ cars” program. They have two coordinators and use Google voice, email transcript of ride request. Questions included whether we needed to understand better how these programs work. Our limited capacity, specifically finding enough volunteer drivers and coordinators for each community and the region to meet the expected demand, represents the main challenge.
Our group wants to formalize the agreement between AFCLK/Georgetown and PP with an offer for their services, under the umbrella of the AFCLK. We are prepared to make a financial offer that would include all 6 towns of $1000 from AFCLK (TRIAD funds) and $ 500 from Georgetown.
Could we transition over the next 12 months or so, to a new system operated by our consortium of towns, using the AARP liability insurance umbrella and the automated system for managing rides?
For each town to participate, we think they would need to commit to providing one or more drivers and a volunteer to share the load of administration. A transportation subcommittee is needed to work out the details. Joel Merry offered to support such a group.
The majority voted to contribute $1000 from TRIAD funds and add to Georgetown’s $500 for a total of $1500 for 2024 to continue the partnership with PP.
2. APRIL 11, 2024, TOWN HALL FORUM
Trends on Aging with Mary Lou Ciolfi and Patricia Oh.
Deirda updated the group as to what has been done and what needs to be done, asking members to invite their local leaders. A list of invitees, an email template and flyer has been emailed to everyone.
Additional ideas for invitees:
Kim Watson, Mid Coast Senior Health, Melissa Fochesato, Director Community Health; Amanda McDaniel-Main Street Bath; EMS, Health Officers
NEW BUSINESS:
Deidra invited Elizabeth Manning to join the committee, she works at the Patten Free Library.
mtg adjourned: 16:30
NEXT MTG 3/14/2024 in person PLACE TBA