Chairman Favorite called to order the Nutrition Sub-Committee meeting of the Commission on Aging at 9:00 a.m., on Febrary 21, 2008, at the Vilas County Courthouse, Conference Room #2 in Eagle River, Wisconsin.

Present: The following persons were present: Stephen Favorite, Betty Hansen, Betty Gussick, Donna Rollmann, Dennis Nielsen, Sandy Mutter, Penny LaFata, Karen Stanton, Verdelle Mauthe, Sue Geffers and Janell Keeter from the Northern Area Agency on Aging. Staff present were Interim Director Greg Schiek and Susan Richmond. Members excused were Mary Peterson, Carolyn Kneip and Fred Radtke.

Approve Agenda: Nielsen moved and Rollmann seconded the motion to approve the Agenda as mailed, which order may be changed at the discretion of the Chair. Carried.

Agenda Item #5 Meal Site Participation

The meeting started by each site manager giving their reports.

LaFata, representing Eagle River, started by saying that they have started to use their new packaging system for home delivered meals. They have been a few problems but they are working through them. Stanton stated that their numbers are down from 2006. She also made some suggestions for the food. There are two dishes that they absolutely do not like at the Center and asked if Oneida Village could remove them from their list. She also requested that they have more soups in the winter. Richmond stated that she would call Oneida Village and discuss the possible changes.
Mauthe, representing St. Germain, stated that they are also using the new system and had just one problem with about 6 of the containers not meeting standards. Richmond stated to keep track of the dysfunctional containers and when we re-order she will try to get a credit for these. Otherwise Mauthe reports there are no complaints with their site, everything is going smoothly.
Mutter, representing Phelps, stated they are up to about 14 home delivered meals a day and their congregate meals are averaging about 10 a day. She would like to get more people into their site from the senior apartments. She also suggested that she would like to hang a few flyers in the windows of a few businesses in the area.

Discussion was held on how we could get the people from the apartments moving more. Nielsen stated they have the same problem in the St. Germain Housing. The people just do not want to come out for the meals. Richmond stated we had done a survey about a year ago to see if we could get the meals served right out of the St. Germain Housing and they refused, wanted nothing to do with it.

Richmond gave the report from Williams, representing Land O’Lakes, who was not able to be present for the meeting. Williams states that everything is going fine with their site. They are up to about 15-20 people at the congregate site and 3-5 home delivered meals a day. Their participants are like “family”. One gentlemen bought roses for the ladies for Valentines Day and lottery tickets for the men. The food has been good and she mentioned that the participants really appreciated the “free day” that the Commission on Aging approved for the end of last year.
Geffers, representing Boulder Junction, gave some suggestions to the other site managers of things that have worked well with her participants. She distributed a photo album that she made of her participants that is kept at the site for people to look through. She also writes down their birthdates and gives them to Channel 12 to be announced and they get a free coupon for ice cream. Their site also holds an annual picnic and try to put on “little parties” around the different holidays. So far this month they have served 459 people. She proceeded to discuss some of the problems that she is experiencing at her site also. She said that she has had some difficulty dealing with the owner of the Boulder Beer Bar.

1. He is encouraging “to-go meals” for people that are not just sick, but that would like to take a meal home for later. Richmond stated this is against State policy.

2. The owner has been rude and demanding toward the site manager and her helpers. He will not allow bus tubs and a garbage container to be placed out in the restaurant area so that all participants could scrap their dishes and clean up after themselves. He wants them to be served in a restaurant fashion and is not encouraging user participation as required of senior dining sites.

3. Geffer’s assistant typed up the menu so it was easier to read for the seniors and the owner refuses to let them have the typewritten menu up there. He states only his menu will be posted.

4. The owner has served outdated milk and has told Geffers that he will not throw that away and that the milk is good for another 7-10 days after the expiration date. Richmond stated that posted in our Policy and Procedures Manual from the State that we are NOT to serve expired food.

Geffers did make a few suggestions that she feels would be very helpful to her as a site manager. She asked that there be two people from each table to get up and serve the meals to their respective tables and in turn also clean up their tables. It would be helpful to have the bus tubs and garbage out so that the participants can scrap their plates.

Schiek stated that The Lakeland Times did call and he tried to put a positive spin on our program. Schiek stated that the owner was out of line when he attended our Commission Meeting and tried to tell us how to operate our Budget.

The Committee decided that Schiek, Richmond and Nielsen should attend the nutrition site on Wednesday, February 27, and meet with the owner to discuss the violations in the policy and try to come to an agreement. The Nutrition Sub-Committee will meet again in a month to review the situation. Schiek stated that if necessary, and we are hoping it does not come to that, we can give him a 30 days termination notice if he is not willing to comply with the regulations.

Agenda Item #4 2008 Nutrition Budget

Favorite asked Richmond how the budget looked for 2008 for the nutrition program. Richmond replied that it is really too early to determine if we will run out of money. We usually will look at the Budget in June to see where we are at. Richmond also stated that the letter from Pam VanKampen, Nutrition Specialists with the Northern Area Agency on Aging gave some good statistics on our budget and how much we would spend out if the meals keep increasing from Boulder Junction area.

Richmond showed the Committee a “revised” Donation Sheet that the sites could use that showed the actual cost of the meal and what the suggested donation is asking participants to please be generous with their donations. Favorite suggested that Richmond include the word “minimum” before suggested donation so people understand that they can donate more if possible. Richmond will get these out to the different sites and hopefully that will make a difference in donations.

It was also discussed that we would hold off on the “free days” (pending the approval of the full Commission Meeting in March) for now just to see how our budget is doing with the increase in meals.

It was determined that we would meet again on March 27, 2008, at 9:00 a.m. to see if the problems experienced with the Boulder Junction site have been resolved and what further action would need to be taken.

Gussick made a motion to adjourn, Rollmann seconded the motion. Carried.

Minutes reflect the recorders notations and are subject to approval by the appropriate board or committee.

Submitted by: Approved by:

Susan Richmond Greg Schiek

Administrative Secretary Interim Director