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Home My WebLink About2001-03-12 Council on Aging PacketCOUNCIL ON AGING March 12, 2001 10:00am Call Meeting to Order Agenda Approval Minutes from Prior Meeting Scheduled Public Comment: Old Business: 1. Assisted Living Proposal 2. Senior Computer Lab New Business: .... :::::::::::::::::::::::::: ........................ .... =========================== ================================ -:::...:: ======================= 1. Election of Officers 2. Rising Meal Costs 3. Sister Senior Center Persons Wanting to be Heard: COUNCIL ON AGING 11:00 A.M. NOVEMBER ?, ~000 KENAI SENIOR CENTER ITEM 1: CALL TO ORDER & ROLL CALL Chairman Jones called the meeting to order at 11'00 a.m. and the roll was taken as follows: Present: Hollier, Jones, Enfield, Nelson, Fields, and Wilson Absent' Huddleston, Jurgensen, and Meeks Others Present: Councilwoman Porter; City Clerk Freas; Senior Director. Kelso; Alaska Housing Finance Steve Ashman; Bonnie duliussen; Kenaitze Indian Tribe; Pauline Spaulding; Kathleen Ethier; Sylvia ,Johnson ITEM 2: AGENDA APPROVAL ITEM 3: APPROVAL OF MINUTES -- September 14, 2000 MOTION: Member Hollier MOVED to approve the agenda and minutes of the September 14, 2000 Council on Aging meeting as presented and Member Enfield SECONDED the motion. There were no objections. SO ORDERED.. ITEM 4: SCHEDULED PUBLIC COMMENT 4-a. Steve Ashman, Alaska Housing Finance Corporation -- It was explained Mr. Ashman had been invited to speak to the membership regarding funding available for assisted living facilities. COUNCIL ON AGING MEETING NOVEMBER 7, 2000 PAGE 1 Ashman reported two $25,000 grants had been received from the Kenai/Soldoma area to research the feasibility of building assisted living facilities. Both found them not to be feasible for senior assisted living. He also indicated they have available yearly grants to non-profits and local governments to investigate feasibility for development of senior housing. This year the grants were for $20,000 and--they received lots of inquiry and several applications, including Sterling, Nikiski and Cooper Landing Senior Centers and Heritage Place. Ashman explained he hoped they would look at the market and pool their money to research the whole area for all types of senior housing (both independent and assisted living). Ashman explained the applications are made available in August of each year with the deadline in November. Grant awards are then made in January. Of the eleven grant applications received statewide, seven were not responsive. He indicated that if those non-responsive applications could not be made responsive, through corrections, etc., applications may be available again in January. He noted he would contact Kelso ff the application period is reopened. Ashman also explained, of the senior housing facilities within the state, only those in Petersburg, Kenai, Barrow and Valdez are owned by the municipality and all were built before 1987 when the funding was a direct appropriation from the state. AHFC now requests their grant funds through the Governor's budget from the Legislature. Discussion followed at which time the following items were noted' · The average monthly cost for assisted living facilities is $2,800 to $3,200 and of that, some of the costs may be paid through Medicaid. COUNCIL ON AGING MEETING NOVEMBER 7, 2000 PAGE 2 · Costs for independent living, assisted living, or skilled care fac/lities can vary greatly because of the level of care given at each facility. However, compared to a nursing home facility, assisted living facility costs are much lower. · Grants are available through AHFC for planning/design which could be acquired by the city to use for developing a 20-unit addition to the Senior Center and of the units, some could be designed for both assisted and independent living. Then the units could be used for independent living as a back-up plan for use of the facility. · Lots of desire exists to have an assisted living facility in Kenai, but not to have an assisted living facility hooked onto a nursing home. · If the city applied for a building grant, it could fund the upfront predevelopment costs that are reimbursable. Applications will come available next August and grant decisions are made in December. Grant funds would then be available in duly 1, 2002. The City could receive much higher scores (on grant applications} ff a new facility is added to an existing facility. · Because there is no debt to retire with the present Kenai senior housing, the monthly rental rate of the apartments is minimal. If a loan is received for new apartments, the rental rates for those apartments could be approximately $1,000. · The only restrictions AHFC places on their loans for senior housing is that it must be accessible and no one under 60 years of age may reside in the unit. Also, the mortgage must be paid and they need to be designed/available in concurrence with the Fair Housing Act. *It was noted after the meeting that it would be possible to pool grant funds that could be available to the city and other sources such as the Kenaitze Tribe and that ff any AHFC moneY was used, there could be no restrictions as far as ethnicity. COUNCIL ON AGING MEETING NOVEMBER 7, 2000 PAGE 3 ITEM 5: OLD BUSINESS 5-a. Central Area Rural Transit System (CARTS} -- Kelso reported the CARTS program was up and running and they had $50.00 ride coupons for sale. ITEM 6: NEW BUSINESS 6-a. Thanksgiving -- Kelso announced she was looking for volunteers to help with the Unocal Thanksgiving dinner, as well as baking turkeys for the Center's ThankSgiving potluck. Those interested should contact her. ITEM 7: PERSONS WAITING TO BE HEARD -- None. ITEM 8: ADJOURNMENT MOTION: Member Hollier MOVED to adjourn the meeting. objections. SO ORDERED. There were no The meeting adjourned at approximately 12'00 Noon. Minutes transcribed and prepared by' , Carol L. Freas, City Clerk COUNCIL ON AGING MEETING NOVEMBER 7, 2000 PAGE 4