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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1994-09-06 Council on Aging Summary COUNCIL ON AGING September 6, 1994 ***MEETING*** Senior Center Joanna Hollier - Chairperson ROLL CALL: Members present: Joanna Hollier, Al Pease, Georgetta Funk, Sam Huddleston, Pauline Gross, Roger Meeks, Lucille Billings, Loretta Breeden Members absent: Gene Seay Also present: Pat Porter, Senior Director; Loretta Harvey, Admin. Assistant NEW BUSINESS: Joanna Hollier said the meeting had been called to discuss the salad bar issue. Pat Porter reported that there are some seniors who are eating soup and salad bar and then taking home their hot meals to eat later. To address this issue Pat had published an article in the news letter which upset some people at the Center. The salad bar was added to compliment the meal, but because people have been abusing the salad bar meal costs are rising. The suggested contribution for meals is presently $2.50, the funding is not adequate to provide two meals a day. The center is required by the Older Alaskans Commission (OAC) to provide 1/3 of the daily nutritional needs for each person served. Pat said if the problem continued they might have to eliminate the salad bar or increase the suggest meal contribution. Porter had contacted the OAC regarding this problem and received a letter which she read into the record (attached). The letter explained the OAC meal requirements and the daily recommended portions. By providing additional choices to the basic menu, such as salad bars, the meals costs are increased. The conclusion from the letter~ was that "If the salad/soup bar is going to drive your meal costs up to the point you. cannot serve as many meals, you will have to choose between finding new' funds to pay for it or cutting back on the choice." Council on Aging September 6, 1994 Page 1 Porter contacted the Palmer Center, where they also provide a salad/soup bar. At that Center no one is allowed to take food home. This has help to keep their cost down. Porter said the Kenai Center could go to such a policy, and that seniors can also request half portions, if they wish to fill up on soup and/or salad. Funding has been reduced for the Senior program and further cuts are anticipated. While the suggested meal contribution is $2.50 some seniors do not pay this amount. The home delivery seniors average a contribution of about $.73 per meal. The meal budget is figured six months ahead of time, costs can rise dramatically from the time the budget is figured and the time the actual meals are served. Porter asked the Commission to help her find a solution which would serve the needs of the seniors, yet keep meal costs down. Loretta Breeden asked if the Center felt they could afford to offer a salad/soup bar when they incorporated the bar into the lunch program? Also, she asked if there was a lot of waste? Pat Porter responded that at the time the salad/soup bar was introduced the center could afford it. They could continue it, if people would not take advantage of the program by filling up on salad/soup and taking home the main meal. The Center is just not funded to provide two meals per day. Any surplus food left from the meal program is frozen into individual serving dishes and used for the home served seniors, so there is virtually no waste. Loretta Breeden asked if the Center could request a larger donation for salad/soup? Porter said it would be hard to monitor who had paid for what. Breeden suggest the center charge $2.50 for salad/soup or the meal. People who want salad would be given a pink ticket and those who wanted the main entree would receive a blue ticket. She agreed with Porter that something had to be done to prevent people from abusing the system. Roger Meeks felt that $2.50 was high for a salad/soup bar. He did however feel an additional charge could be added to those who wanted both salad/soup bar and the meal. MOTION: LORETTA BREEDEN MOVED TO SET THE SUGGESTED CONTRIBUTION AT $2.50 FOR SALAD/SOUP BAR AND ISSUE A PINK TICKET FOR THAT PORTION AND ALSO CHARGE $2.50 FOR THE MAIN MEAL WITH A BLUE TICKET ISSUED FOR THAT PORTION. ROGER MEEKS SECONDED. Council on Aging September 6, 1994 Page 2 Sylvia Johnson said she would rather see the meal raised and let people choose what they want. Not make it either salad/soup or the meal. Lu¢ille Billings suggested the salad be served with the meal as the kitchen could control the portions. VOTE: YES=I NO=7 MOTION FAILED. MOTION' ROGER MEEKS MOVED TO SERVE THE SALAD ON THE PLATE AND RAISE THE SUGGESTED DONATION TO $3.00 PER MEAL. PAULINE GROSS SECONDED. Roger Meeks said it was hard enough to plan for meals with the present system. Also, all other centers presently suggest a $3.00 donation and he felt all the centers should be consistent with this suggested donation amount. Loretta Breeden asked Pat Porter what she would like to see happen? Porter said she would like to not have people take advantage of the salad/soup bar and then take meals home with them. Loretta Breeden agreed and felt the center should institute a policy of no meals leaving the dining room. Porter said if people would just eat either soup/salad or the meal the $2.50 suggested donation would be adequate. VOTE: YES--5 NO--2 MOTION PASSED. Joanna Hollier reiterated that the center would return to the old system salad with the meal and increase the suggested donation to $3.00. of serving the Loretta Breeden suggested that a survey be mailed to meal patrons, whether they wished to keep the salad/soup bar and whether the $2.50 suggested donation was adequate. Porter stated that $2.50 is not enough the present way. Another way the problem might be solved is to just put out one salad. If people take too much, peer pressure would probably take care of that problem. Porter felt a survey was a good suggestion. She said she would put together a survey, with Board concurrence, and publish it in the next newsletter. Council on Aging September 6, 1994 Page 3 MOTION AND VOTE: ROGER MEEKS MOVED FOR RECONSIDERATION OF PREVIOUS MOTION SO PAT PORTER CAN TAKE A STRAW POLL OF MEMBERS WHO EAT AT THE CENTER. AT THE NEXT MEETING THE COUNCIL WILL CONSIDER A NEW MOTION OR INSTITUTE THE PRESENT MOTION. JOANNA HOLLIER SECONDED. MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. Sam Huddleston felt the group had gotten away from the original purpose the meeting was called for, which is the problem of taking meals home, or not. Loretta Breeden suggested that until the motion is reconsidered the salad/soup bar remain with one soup, one salad and a sign "one trip please". Pat Porter said she would develop a survey and institute the one soup, one salad, one trip policy until a final decision can be made. Sam Huddleston moved to adjourn at approximately 11'21 a.m. adjourned. The meeting was Respectfully submitted, Administrative Assistant Council on Aging September 6, 1994 Page 4