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Attendance: Sharon Tomah, Steve Hoad (arrives 12:30), David Stockford (arrives 10:55), John Dunleavy, Dennis Fitzgibbons, Mali Daku, Brock McGowan, Gayle Shaw and Jillian McLaughlin (interpreters), Alice Johnson, Blair Blaine (via phone)

Sharon Tomah, Vice Chair, called the meeting to order at 10:10 am. Introductions were made.

Additions to Agenda: Chairs report moved to after lunch and discussion of website item added after lunch. A closed executive committee meeting will take place after the regularly scheduled meeting. The topic of this meeting will be regarding pay for the administrative assistant for 2006 and 2007.

Approval of December 15, 2006 meeting minutes: Dennis Fitzgibbons moved to accept the minutes as presented, seconded by John Dunleavy. There was no discussion. The vote in favor was unanimous.

Treasurer’s Report: Sharon Tomah thanked Alice Johnson and Deb Nichols for their efforts in preparing the report. Sharon reported half way into the second quarter the overall budget is where it should be. Accessibility costs are 80% over budget. There is no specific money budgeted for the SPIL work. Dennis Fitzgibbons recommend the treasurer work with whomever necessary to project costs through the end of the year. He said there will be a better sense of where SILC is going to be by June 30th and at that point a better projection can be made. There was a group discussion regarding budget categories and a re-shifting of allocations that had been over- and under-budgeted. John Dunleavy suggested he talk with Dee Nilsen regarding CART and interpreting services. He said these are the most expensive accessibility services and it is possible they could come up with other options to provide this service. Sharon Tomah suggested Alpha One as a conference room for the SPIL as a cost-saving measure instead of the Civic Center. Dennis Fitzgibbons said this is available. John Dunleavy and Dennis Fitzgibbons recommended keeping the budgeted amount for computers and technology to be used in case repairs were necessary. Based on the discussions, Sharon Tomah will work with Alice Johnson and formulate some changes to the budget. Alice Johnson reminded the council that even though the budget is based on the federal year, the contract for SILC is written on the state fiscal year and figures are based on the assumption SILC will receive the same amount of funding as have previously been received. Sharon and Alice Johnson will work on projections and put a budget together relatively soon for July 1st.

New Business:

Nancy Kelly Thank You: Intern Professor from UMO – the letter was passed out and reviewed by the council.

SPIL update: Alice Johnson said a committee is needed to get this up and running. Brock has offered his time, but neither Brock nor Alice is able to lead this committee. Blair Blaine, David Stockford and John Dunleavy will be on the committee. Dennis Fitzgibbons is willing to help move the process through, but cannot be too directly involved in it since he is the director of the CIL. Alice Johnson said Eric Dibner has offered to help as well. A conference call was scheduled for March 2, 2007. Alice will send out the old SPIL to the council. Sharon Tomah said Brock is interested in developing some type of guided questions to help come up with a more concise document in getting information from people. He has already started to work on this.

Old Business:

Leave of Absence policy: Steve Hoad said the policy was emailed to everyone for input and approval. John Dunleavy made a motion that the members of SILC review the policy that Steve sent out and vote by email to approve or deny the leave of absence policy. Dennis Fitzgibbons seconded the motion. There was no discussion. The vote in favor was unanimous.
D & O policy: Sharon Tomah reported the policy is currently active through the Insurance Source of Maine. The cost was $1260.
Update new member orientation: Blair Blaine has done some updating. Alice Johnson suggested Brock McGowan and John Dunleavy work with Blair to get this project done. John Dunleavy gave Brock the present orientation manual on CD. Blair will send her information to Brock. Blair and Brock will plan a meeting and Brock will present the updated manual to the council in a month.

Alice Johnson commented the SPIL is the bigger priority over the orientation manual.

Committee Reports:

A. Membership/Outreach: Dennis Fitzgibbons reported there is a lot of work to do on the membership committee. First priority is to obtain new members. Last fall, Alpha One brought 3 potential new members to the chair’s attention, but this was not followed through. There are 3 potential members sitting in limbo. All have disabilities and all have something to offer to SILC, but 2 have unique challenges and are unable to travel on a regular basis. One potential new member lives in the county and is very active person, and she is not an Alpha One employee. She is a freelance writer and has done a lot of work in Maine for consumers and is very good. The other potential new member is from the Bangor area and unable to travel, does not get accommodated well by public transportation and would need to participate via video phone or phone. The third is a man from Brunswick and he has been involved in advocacy work in personal assistance issues and would be a great asset for the membership as well. SILC needs to discuss these people and get back to them. Blair said she has a person interested in membership that is in the Bangor area. She may not be able to travel every time but could always get on the phone. She said there is also somebody over age 65 through the Eastern Area on Aging that is interested. Blair will connect directly with Dennis. David Stockford moved that SILC approach or appoint the 3 people Dennis has brought forward. Sharon Tomah seconded the motion. Discussion – Sharon Tomah said SILC understands that people need accommodations and SILC will honor their request and work around the needs they have. Alice Johnson said she and Penny Plourde worked on SRC and SILC membership issues and said Penny suggested someone from Maine Cite join the council. Dennis requested Alice send him the folder she and Penny have compiled. The vote was unanimous in favor. Dennis will contact the 3 people as soon as possible.

Dennis Fitzgibbons passed out a handout on which membership seats are represented on the SILC council. Dennis discussed the placement of each council member and where the remaining vacancies were. Sharon Tomah said although she is listed as a provider, she also represents a minority community category. Dennis said other vacancies to be prioritized are cognitive and mental health disability, and also business representation. Blair suggested the importance of adding an elderly person with a disability, as well as a younger person, ages 18 to 24, and a parent of a child with a disability.

Dennis will contact Karl Hall and Matt Bell regarding their expired membership status.

Sharon Tomah thanked Dennis for the progress he has made.

B. Ad Hoc Emergency Preparedness: Steve Hoad passed around a booklet that was in the Bangor Daily News in September. SILC is mentioned on page 9. He said there is a conference on dealing with vulnerable populations being held in April and he hoped someone from this council would participate in it.

C. MORE: John Dunleavy reported there is a new member interested in joining the MORE committee.

D. Evaluation: Sharon Tomah reported on training on March 12 and 14 regarding writing measurable objectives for the SPIL and it is targeted at SILC’s. It is an on-line training and is free. Sharon will get this information out to members.

E. Legislative: Steve Hoad reported the budget is about to hit the table. The Legislative committee at this point is building up a head of steam. Steve asked the council if anyone was interested in joining the committee. Blair has been checking outside of SILC for others who might be interested in serving on this committee, as well. It would introduce new people to SILC.

Steve reported he spoke in favor of one bill on behalf of SILC because it directly involved people with disabilities. The bill was in regard to the addition of commissioners to the board of the Maine Housing Authority. The categories were elderly and low income and he spoke in favor of the addition of commissioners to the bill but also said SILC hoped people with disabilities would be included in the language so that Maine housing might have on its board of commissioners a person with a disability. Steve said bills come up fast and there is no time to discuss position with SILC and to stay on top of it, SILC would have to meet at least every couple weeks. Steve said in order for SILC to be understood as a player in these arenas, SILC needs to look at taking positions on some of these bills. Dennis Fitzgibbons said sometimes it is necessary to react almost instantly with legislative policy issues, and recommended the council allow Steve and Blair and anyone else working on the committee take action without council approval as long as legislative committee communication is happening.

Steve spoke about upcoming legislation regarding service dogs being required to have a certified training. This is very expensive and may eliminate low income people from having a service dog. He will keep the council updated on this matter.

Steve Hoad reported on New England transportation dialogue. A conference is being held in May regarding transportation in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. Each state can send 10 advocates and 10 transportation providers. This conference is being created based upon an event Alpha One hosted in September. Dennis requested someone from SILC provide representation at this conference. Sharon Tomah suggested Dee Nilsen. Dennis requested someone touch base with Dee to see if she is able to attend. Transportation will be provided by DOT. Steve Hoad will send out information to council members regarding the Leave of Absence Policy and also for members to respond if are able to attend the transportation conference.

Other Business:

Mali Daku gave a report on her recent activities. She attended the grant writing conference in Denver, Colorado for Voc Rehab program with the tribe. There has not been anything done in Maine for successful grants for the tribes. Mali said she wants to continue to do this work after she graduates. She said after assessing the needs, it would be better to have all tribes participating. Mali is heading to DC tomorrow to the CANAR conference – this is another Voc Rehab conference. Sharon Tomah said Mali has been doing outreach work for the Penobscot nation, and is raising the flag about the issue of how important it is to empower folks with disabilities in these communities. Mali has done a great job representing us. Alice Johnson will report on Mali’s activities in the State Plan. Sharon said there is a big social event in Bangor on March 31st and all the tribes attend this. Mali is putting a table up for emergency preparedness awareness. Native communities want to be concerned about preparedness for disasters, as well.

Volunteer Hours Tracking Form and Accommodations Form: Sharon Tomah passed out these forms during lunch and spoke about the importance of filling them out. Interns are also expected to fill out these forms. Steve Hoad said it is best to have a request for a reasonable accommodation on file.

Chair’s report: Steve Hoad reported in the past he has written some reports and hoped they have been read. Steve spoke about the amount of time required to be chair of the council and the amount of work that he has had to do to gather SILC resources. Liz Baldwin had 4 drawers of SILC files at her house that needed to be relocated. Steve said he hoped to see real engagement on behalf of council in the future.

Adjournment: Meeting was adjourned at 1:58 pm.

A closed executive session began directly after adjournment. It was determined that Deborah Nichols needed to be treated as an employee rather than a contractor and that information about tax issues needed to be gathered, researched and completed. (amendment by Steve Hoad as approved at April 20 Council meeting.)

Respectfully submitted,

Deborah Nichols
Administrative Assistant

The next meeting is scheduled for March 16, 1-4, executive committee, at the DHHS building, 442 Civic Center Dr., Augusta

Attendance: Russell Anderson, Sharon Tomah, Steve Hoad, John Dunleavy, Mary McKeen, Dennis Fitzgibbons, David Stockford, Interpreters Jillian McLaughlin and Mary Jane Grant, guest Cynthia Booker-Binaler, Intern, Wabanaki Mental Health

The meeting was called to order at 10:16 am by Russell Anderson, Chair. Introductions were made.

Additions to Agenda: Steve Hoad added 2 new business items: All Maine Votes, and Tourettes Syndrome.

Approval of May 19, 2006 minutes: On a motion from Steve Hoad, seconded by Sharon Tomah, the minutes were voted on and accepted as presented. The vote was unanimous.

Russell Anderson expressed a footnote of gratitude to Dennis Fitzgibbons for his May presentation on the history of the disability movement. Sharon Tomah commented the program was excellent and requested this presentation be held annually. Russell Anderson will post the Dennis Fitzgibbon’s Powerpoint presentation on the SILC website.

Chair’s Report: Russell Anderson reported on the status of SILC bank statements. The bank statements are now being received at the correct SILC address in Augusta. Previously, the statements were sent to Bangor. Russell can now monitor and transfer accounts on line, but can only access a 2- month history. Dennis Fitzgibbons commented this is a Treasurer function. Russell said in light of Alice Conway being busy, traveling, and sometimes sick, both Russell and Alice will have access.

Russell reported on the IRS status of Deb Nichols. Because Deb is employed as an administrative assistant for other boards doing similar work like the SILC, the IRS impression is that she is a contractor. The IRS has a form SS-8 to Determine Work Status for Purposes of Federal Employment Taxes and Income Tax Withholding. Deb will fill this out and submit it to the IRS to formally begin this process. Deb became a contractor on January 1, 2006. MEMIC also needs to do an audit from 4/05 – 12/05. Now that Deb is a contractor, SILC does not have to provide worker’s comp coverage, and MEMIC should give a credit back to what has been paid in.

Russell, Alice Conway and Deb will meet with the SILC accountant within the next two weeks. There has been no financial report since election time. Deb has been manually writing checks, and these need to be updated into Quickbooks in order to generate reports. Dennis Fitzgibbons said that while it has been important to have this discussion, in the future this should be discussed at an Executive Committee meeting. It is not a good use of Council time.

Russell reported on new member recruitment letters. He passed out a set of 4 forms: the history of SILC, letter to potential member, application, and directions to meetings. The council reviewed and provided feedback to Russell on how to update the forms. Steve Hoad requested in the future that this become a discussion item on the agenda so the Council has proper time to prepare for this task.

John Dunleavy reported he and Alice Johnson have begun preliminary work on updating the handbook. He suggested a meeting to design an approach on how to handle this. Attendees would be Alice Johnson, John Dunleavy, Russell Anderson and Deb Nichols. Interpreters would need to be scheduled. Steve Hoad reminded the Council the updating of the handbook is a deliverable within the contract.

David Stockford reported on the Maine Transition Network retreat which will be held August 21 and 22 at the Captain AV Nichols Inn in Searsport. This is primarily dealing with youth and their ability to live independe in Maine; a new dynamic that will provide more initiatives. David asked if SILC should become involved with this. Steve Hoad will attend the retreat on behalf of SILC. Steve Hoad said board capacity is an issue. He agreed it was an important topic, but questioned what would SILC do with the information. Russell Anderson said a goal is for SILC at some point in the near future is to begin to monitor and provide input into these topics. Russell talked about the BRS and SRC relationship being a role model for SILC. The SRC provides solid input into state plans and training, and he would like SILC to begin to contribute as well. Russell pointed out this is a difficult challenge for SILC without any full time staff. Dennis Fitzgibbons agreed there have been challenges for SILC, but due in part to not having enough members. Dennis commented on the leadership SILC has demonstrated in emergency preparedness work and said SILC was on the right track. Sharon Tomah agreed that staffing was a challenge. She said SILC may need to move forward with a part time program staff person.

New Business: Steve Hoad reported on All Maine Votes. The Secretary of State is in the process of contracting with a company to provide "accessible" voting equipment. The next step is to begin to prepare voters as well as town clerks on how to use the equipment. Steve encouraged SILC to assist in get out and vote activities. He said it is important for the disabled community not to just vote via absentee ballot, but to be seen within the community. Steve also requested Alpha One become involved. Dennis Fitzgibbons said Alpha One will be involved in this process. David Stockford made a motion that Steve Hoad represent SILC at All Maine Votes activities and meetings, seconded by Dennis Fitzgibbons. The vote in favor was unanimous.

Steve Hoad reported on a group consisting of SILC, Disability Rights Center, Speaking Out For Us, DD Council, Brain Injury Center, and others met yesterday regarding the formulation of a questionnaire to be given to congressmen, gubernatorial candidates, and 35 senate seat candidates. This questionnaire should include questions from SILC. The next meeting is August 2, 2006. Steve requested Council members to send any questions to him before this date.

Steve Hoad reported on a telephone call and an email he received regarding a press release of Senator Paul Davis and his comments regarding Speaker Richardson’s actions and discussions. At a press conference, Senator Davis used a sentence similar to “Speaker Richardson attacks the Bush Administration in such a way that has become a Tourettes Syndrome Democratic Response.” Steve questioned how the community should respond to this statement. He said Tourettes is a serious disability which usually affects children. This comment shows a significant disregard for people with disabilities. Steve created an informative sheet on Tourettes Syndrome and with it another article regarding Senator Davis’ comments. It is posted on the Ability Maine website. Steve encouraged SILC members to read the articles and send comments to the appropriate parties.

Contract Work/Review Deliverables: Russell Anderson provided the Council with the Ryder A document – specifications of work to be performed. The Council discussed each of the 29 initiatives. Many have already been accomplished. Steve Hoad moved to table further work on contract and deliverables in order to make time for a discussion on committee reports. Sharon Tomah seconded the motion. The motion passed with a unanimous vote.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Ad Hoc Emergency Preparedness: Steve Hoad reported he had concerns regarding the change in emergency management directors from Art Cleaves to Charley Jacobs, Acting Director. Charley will only be a “short term” appointment as he does not qualify for the position. Steve is finding communications difficult. Steve is trying to keep SILC in the forefront. He also reported the Adult Mental Health Services has hired a person to coordinate emergency preparedness planning. They had a grant over $300,000 from 03-04-05 to prepare for emergencies. Some of this money has been used to provide trainings for police officers and first responders. Steve has paperwork on these trainings and gave them to Sharon Tomah for her review. Steve commented Sharon has been a helpful member of this committee. Steve and Sharon have worked on the development of a 1-page mission statement of SILC’s position on emergency preparedness. Steve Hoad also reported that he could not give an update on the status of the emergency shelter planning in Portland as the momentum on this project seems to have been dropped since the departure of Art Cleaves. The American Red Cross is having a meeting regarding emergency preparedness in Rockland on July 28, 2006. Russ Anderson will attend on behalf of SILC.

Legislative: Steve Hoad will ask John Hennesey, who works for a lobbying firm, if he will provide a training for SILC. It is important for SILC to come to a consensus as to how to represent itself in legislative matters. MORE: No report.

Membership/Outreach: No report.

Evaluation: Sharon Tomah reported she has been working on obtaining grants and has identified some sources, but SILC needs to define what the funding will be used for. She suggested funds for a part-time program coordinator staff person, or funding for the 2007 forum. This is one of SILC’s deliverables. Steve Hoad said it is difficult to determine what SILC should request money for when he does not know where SILC is financially because there has not been a recent Treasurer’s Report. Sharon also reported on the opportunity for SILC to have an Intern, who would start in September 2006 and work 20 hours per week until May of 2007. Sharon will provide the supervision of the Intern. David Stockford moved to pursue the Internship, seconded by Steve Hoad. The vote in favor was unanimous.

Adjournment: Due to time sensitivities to the interpreters, John Dunleavy requested the meeting be closed at 2:06 pm as the interpreters are hired only through 2:00 pm. He also requested in the future that SILC manage meeting time more effectively as this has been a problem in the past.

Respectfully submitted,
Deborah Nichols
Administrative Assistant

The next full Council meeting will be September September 15, 2006

Attendance: Michelle Eaton and Margaret Haberman, Interpreters; Dennis Fitzgibbons, Steve Hoad, Alice Johnson, Mary McKeen, John Dunleavy, Shari Majeski, CART; Dee Nilsen, Sharon Tomah (via phone-left at 10:45 am), Blair Blaine (via phone), Interns Brock McGowan and Mali Daku (left at 12:20), Penny Plourde (11:25-11:40)

Guests: Nancy Kelly, Professor, University of Maine School of Social Work, Star Perkins from Career Center, Reporter Norm Meldrum

Steve Hoad, Chair, called the meeting to order at 10:17 am.

Introductions were made.

Additions to Agenda: Alice Johnson said Penny Plourde will be joining the meeting at some point. Steve Hoad added the Volunteer Hours Tracking Form review and discussion to New Business and also requested to move the Treasurer’s Report up for discussion after item 3 – Approval of Minutes. Dennis Fitzgibbons moved to accept the additions and changes to the Agenda, Sharon Tomah seconded the motion. There was no discussion. The vote was unanimous.

Approval of October 20, 2006 Annual Meeting Minutes: Dennis Fitzgibbons moved to accept the minutes as presented, seconded by Sharon Tomah. Discussion: none. The vote was unanimous.

The work meeting minutes were reviewed.

Treasurer’s Report: Steve Hoad reported at the Annual Meeting Russell Anderson was elected Treasurer. Russell is not at the meeting today. Russell has asked the Council for a Leave of Absence. There is no current policy for a Leave of Absence. Additionally, Russell’s term has either ended or will end shortly. Alice Johnson commented Russell’s term ended in December 2005. Steve said Russ cannot provide a time when he can rejoin the Council. Steve visited Sharon Tomah in Bangor. Sharon volunteered to move her position from Vice Chair to the Treasurer position due to the obvious need. Steve Hoad opened the floor for nominations for Treasurer. John Dunleavy nominated Sharon Tomah for position of Treasurer. Dennis Fitzgibbons seconded the nomination. Steve Hoad asked for additional nominations. There were none. Steve Hoad asked Sharon Tomah if she accepted the nomination. Sharon accepted. Discussion: none. The vote was unanimous.

Steve Hoad suggested the Council forego the Treasurer’s Report until Sharon has been able to review the report. Sharon Tomah moved to table the Treasurer’s Report until the next meeting, but requested members and guests at the meeting view the available materials. John Dunleavy seconded the motion. The vote was unanimous. Steve Hoad requested that Sharon continue to chair the Evaluation Committee. Sharon agreed.

Chairs Report: Steve Hoad requested that all documents be reviewed via email, including minutes and reports, so there is more time available during meeting time for SILC business. He also requested feedback from Council members through emails. This also creates a written record of SILC work.

Steve Hoad commented it is the Chair’s duty to appoint Committee Chairs. Also, committees are in need of members. It is the Committee Chair’s responsibility to make sure members are participating. The only Committee Chair position which is not open is the Evaluation Committee. Steve has chaired the Emergency Prep Committee and Legislative Committee. Steve would like to continue to Chair the Legislative Committee and be a member on the Emergency Prep Committee. Dennis Fitzgibbons agreed to Chair the Membership Committee. John Dunleavy agreed to continue to serve as Chair for the MORE Committee. The only committee without a Chair is currently the Emergency Prep Committee. Steve Hoad said all committees need members and asked the Council to be mindful of that.

Steve asked for discussion and/or questions regarding rest of his report. Brock asked if interns could serve on committees. Steve answered yes. Brock requested membership on the Emergency Prep Committee. Steve thanked Brock and welcomed him to the Committee. Mali joined the Emergency Prep Committee, as well.

Alice Johnson commented the SILC files and hardware that Alice Conway had possession of are now in her office and some are in Deb’s possession.

New Business:

UMO Internship Program, Professor Nancy Kelly: Steve Hoad welcomed Nancy Kelly and Intern Brock McGowan to the meeting. Steve said the interns will be working hard over their Christmas vacation on duties for SILC. Mali has been researching emergency prep material. Brock has done significant work around finding information about how SILC can interface with disability services with the university system and community colleges. Nancy Kelly thanked the Council for letting her attend the meeting. She explained the School of Social Work at UMO. All of these students in the program need internships. Nancy gave a review of the intern program. It is a service learning program.

Penny Plourde: Penny encouraged the continued movement toward finalization of the end of year reports. She also reported on on-going budget gaps in the state and federal resources the department receives. Penny said as of this morning the department received confirmation that the continuing resolution is moving forward and it will be at the level it was in 2005. She said not to expect cutbacks. Penny also reported the legislative process is beginning today. Part of the Department’s support to the SRC and SILC is to continue to keep SILC legislatively updated. Penny spoke of a couple of specific bills that are being submitted by the legislators – one is to expand the definition of disabled, and another is a direct care worker bill that charges the Department of Human Services and the Department of Labor to examine and be prepared to support the increase of direct care worker’s wages. The Department will be giving an orientation to new legislators regarding appropriate language use and accommodations. Penny is looking forward to reviewing SILC deliverables and goals and also how the Department can continue to support the SILC initiatives. She requested SILC keep on target with the 704 as it is very important. Alice Johnson said a big deliverable for SILC will be putting together the SPIL. Penny also acknowledged the continuing issue of membership. Joe Bouchard is the new appointment person. Vanessa Santorelli is the legislative contact person for the Department. Steve Hoad would like to arrange a meeting regarding legislation in early January. Penny will arrange this. Steve thanked Penny for joining us. Steve asked if the grant for navigators was available and Penny will get this to Steve when she has received it.

Approval for Leave of Absence Form/Policy: Steve Hoad reported there is no opportunity for a member to take a leave of absence in the by laws. An email was sent discussing a leave of absence for board members and the document encouraged all boards to consider a leave of absence policy. The document recommended a leave of up to 6 months. This would temporarily remove person from the board and make it easier to achieve a quorum. The member automatically would return to the council after 6 months. Steve Hoad commented the leave of absence cannot extend the term of office, because that is determined by gubernatorial appointment. Steve talked about reasons for granting a leave of absence: 1) when person requests a leave of absence, either due to stress or illness, or being away, and cannot perform their function as a member; 2) it is really hard to get quorum; and 3) oftentimes a good member on a board needs to step down because too much is going on and with the membership issues we have at SILC, we would hate to loose a good member because we cannot approve a leave of absence. Steve read the form so Blair Blaine could hear it. Steve asked for discussion. Alice Johnson asked after 6 months is up, can there be an additional 6 months. Steve Hoad commented another leave would need to be requested. Dennis Fitzgibbons asked if it was common practice for councils that have been appointed by the governor to have this policy. Steve Hoad said SILC is a self governing non-profit organization and he believes we have to make the decisions to make this council function. SILC can research this. Dennis also commented it may be a private reason for a council member to request a leave, and said a leave request should not come to the full council, but to one council member. The reason for leave may be a private, personal reason and people are entitled to their privacy. It should be an officer or any member of the Executive Committee. Blair Blaine agreed with the concept for a leave of absence. John Dunleavy moved that SILC adopts the form for a leave of absence as it stands for a leave up to 6 months, and that one officer review the reasons for the request bring forward the request to the full council for approval. There was no second to the motion, motion is withdrawn. Blair Blaine moved that a group of several people meet together to bring forth a policy around a leave of absence and that policy be brought to the council for acceptance. There was no second to the motion; motion is withdrawn. Dennis Fitzgibbons moved SILC ask the Chair to deliver a proposed policy addressing a leave of absence at the next full council meeting. Motion was seconded by John Dunleavy. No discussion. Unanimous vote to approve motion.

Approval for Accommodation Request Form: Steve Hoad said there is currently no methodology for SILC members to request accommodations needed to attend a meeting. He said this form is a way we can formalize this and have record so, for example, in his case, Steve requests Braille copies for all documents for meetings. This can be recorded on this form. Steve asked for comments and questions. Alice Johnson thinks it is a great idea and cited an example from this morning; it was not known two people needed to conference call in; arrangements were made, but should know in advance what is needed for each meeting. Steve read the form to Blair Blaine. John Dunleavy moved the Council accept the form as written. Motion was seconded by Dee Nilsen. Discussion – John Dunleavy commented the responsibility will be put back to where it belongs. Steve Hoad said an important piece of this form is where it says approved by chair, so someone has the form on file but someone else has knowledge that it is there. John Dunleavy suggested this be done electronically so it could be summarized on a regular basis and shared with the Executive Committee. The vote was unanimous.

Volunteer Hours Tracking Form: Deb Nichols read the form for the Council. Steve added a section for time spent at SILC meetings. Blair Blaine requested to include travel time as well as time spent. Deb will add this. Blair Blaine moved the form be accepted with one adaptation to include travel time. Dennis Fitzgibbons seconded the motion. The vote was unanimous. The document will be distributed at every meeting.

Posting/determining meeting locations: Steve Hoad suggested meeting locations be posted 30 days prior to each meeting. He asked everyone help Deb and to give her ideas of where to post meetings. Steve Hoad sent out meeting dates a while ago and asked for a motion for approval of the dates. Dennis Fitzgibbons moved to accept the scheduled SILC meetings as proposed. John Dunleavy seconded. Discussion – Alice Johnson mentioned one of those days was Yom Kippur. SILC will reschedule the September SILC meeting at a later meeting. Motion was seconded by John Dunleavy. The vote was unanimous. Locations are scheduled in Augusta for now. The January meeting is at the Career Center in Augusta, the February meeting is at the DHHS building.

D&O Policy Renewal: Steve Hoad reported the bill for the D&O policy renewal has come in the mail. It is for $1,260. Steve has done some research regarding NCIL membership. Part of the opportunity for membership also includes the purchase of D&O insurance. An NCIL membership would cost $143. Steve spoke with Leon Williams who is a representative from BAB, Inc., which is the insurance company which handles D&O insurance for the NCIL membership. Mr. Williams said knowing the SILC budget and current number of operating council members our insurance would be less than $800, which means that we could buy NCIL membership plus D&O insurance for less than the policy SILC has purchased from last year. John Dunleavy asked if the coverage on the two policies were equivalent. Steve Hoad answered he believed the policies are comparable to each other in coverage, but Mr. Williams was mailing the policy binder for review. Alice Johnson asked if there was any difficulty in joining the National Council. Steve answered he was not aware of any. Steve has spoken with John Lancaster, the Director of NCIL and also with Justin Chapel. Dennis Fitzgibbons said John Lancaster has visited Alpha One recently to find out why Alpha One was not a member. Dennis commented until there was a change in the leadership within NCIL, Alpha One would not be a member. It is Alpha One’s opinion that ADAPT has taken over the power structure at NCIL and it is hard to distinguish one from another. ADAPT philosophy is not the Alpha One style. Dennis also felt the cost of membership is prohibitive for Alpha One because it is based on revenue. Steve Hoad commented that is why the SILC cost of membership would be low. Dennis Fitzgibbons moved to renew the D&O Insurance policy. John Dunleavy seconded the motion. The vote was unanimous. Dennis Fitzgibbons made another motion for the Chair to research NCIL membership and D&O coverage with NCIL. John Dunleavy seconded the motion. The vote was unanimous.

Old Business: Due to time constraints, Old Business was not reviewed.

704 Finalization: Alice Johnson stated she completed this document to the best of her ability, except for the categories ‘substantial challenges’ and ‘SPIL updates’. Steve Hoad suggested in ‘SPIL Updates’ to add emergency preparedness. Steve also noted he could not sign the report as Chair because he was not Chair during this period of time, and also requested the removal of his name and contact information under the heading of Executive Director. Steve will assist Alice in obtaining the former Chair’s signature. John Dunleavy suggested no structural changes needed to be made in the SPIL update. Alice Johnson noted the hard work on the Emergency Preparedness Committee and indicated this was a change. Steve Hoad said he would help Alice Johnson with any changes or additions to the document later that afternoon and the document would then be completed. John Dunleavy said Joe Doney informed the SILC to let him know what, if any adjustments needed to be made to this document. Steve Hoad said he is putting together an analysis about this process so the SILC can be better prepared for next year. Steve said he received his Braille copy of the 704 5 weeks late and will address this with Joe Doney, as well.

Committee Reports: Due to time constraints, there were no committee reports.

Reports from Allied Committees: Due to time constraints, there were no reports from allied committees.

Discusssion and Demonstration of accessibility at Career Centers: Star Perkins, Career Center employee, gave a review of the accessible equipment available for use at the Career Center. The purchase of this equipment was in part from the Able ME grant. Star said the accessibility is still a work in progress, but a lot has been accomplished. She suggested Council members and guests look over the equipment if there is time after the meeting. Star said most of the equipment is available statewide at all Career Centers. Star reviewed some of the equipment. JAWS is a screen reading software program, and is available on all of the information center computers. Zoomtext is also available, and enlarges print 26 times. Star said there is not currently an internet presence that people can log onto at home to access the information center. She said they will be piloting a program called Choices. Is a career center in a Box. This is 85 % compatible now, and will be 100% by February. The Career Centers also have a Merlin LCD CCTV in the center which can be used to fill out paper applications. Soon to come is the Complete Reading System 5.1. This is a scanner system for books or documents. For the deaf or hard of hearing, ITY – Interpretype is available at the front desk. This replaces pen and paper. Also, in Augusta there is a videophone to instantly access an interpreter without having to make an appointment. Star commented the videophone in Portland was stolen. Another piece of equipment is the Pocket Talker Pro. This is a small, battery powered unit for people who are hard of hearing, similar to a microphone, and is totally under the individual’s control. Star said it works quite well, and is a very popular piece of equipment. There is also the Personal PA FM Transmitting System, which has microphone and is used to pass around to the speakers to each take turns while speaking. She said this is a good piece of equipment, but can be frustrating when people do not pass the microphone appropriately. A new computer program called Text Help Read and Write Gold is used for people who need help reading and writing, and has a screen reader as well. Star reported on physical accessibility. She said there is a workstation with an electronic control to lower or raise the height. A problem with this is there is no keyboard tray, but they are looking into finding a solution to this. It also has an ergonomic keyboard. A program called Smartnav is available and allows for hands-free mouse and keyboard control by putting a reflective dot on your forehead and by moving the head. However, the dots are missing. John Dunleavy offered help in testing out the videophone and also in resolving the dot issue. John Dunleavy asked what the Polycom is used for. Star said the Polycom and the D link can talk together.

Steve Hoad wished the members and guests a happy holiday and thanked everyone for active participation in this meeting.

The meeting was adjourned at 1:59 pm.

Respectfully submitted,

Deborah Nichols, Administrative Assistant

Attendance: Russell Anderson, Sharon Tomah, Steve Hoad, John Dunleavy, Mary McKeen, Alice Johnson, Dennis Fitzgibbons, interpreters Jillian and Krista.

The meeting was called to order at 10:10 am by Russell Anderson, Chair.
Introductions were made.

Approval of March 17, 2006 minutes: On a motion from Steve Hoad, seconded by Sharon Tomah, the minutes were voted on and accepted as presented. The vote was unanimous.

Chair’s Report: Russell Anderson reported that Blair Blaine is unable to attend the meeting due to an illness that has her in the hospital. A card was passed around for all council members to sign. Sharon Tomah will visit Blair and drop off the card.

Russell said he had been very busy with traveling and with voc rehab work, but is ready to focus on SILC. He reported that there is a long to do list to work on. Deb Nichols and Russell can meet and get loose ends done. Russell spoke about membership. He said the council needs to be aggressive with this and substantial work needs to be done. He also said completion of tasks the council promised to do needs to be reviewed. Much work has been done on emergency preparedness, and Dennis Fitzgibbon’s presentation on the history of independent living is an accomplishment of one goal.

Old business/new business: Alice Johnson reported that she has not seen a financial report, and needs to see one soon. The council needs to be aware of where we are financially in order to do contract work. She reported the invoice from SILC has been submitted, and a check should be received soon. Alice asked about scheduling work meetings and about availability. John Dunleavy suggested an online meeting, pointing out that interpreters would not be needed and would save the council money. Alice Johnson said that the new polycom networking system is being set up and this would be a possibility for meeting in the future. Steve Hoad suggested a phone conference would be a good idea. Sharon Tomah said she liked phone conferencing better because she does not type very fast. Dennis Fitzgibbons said he could be available for one or two meetings in June. Mary McKeen agreed that phone conferencing would be better. Russell Anderson said the next step would be to coordinate with everyone. Russell will do the research. He said the executive committee can work on financial issues and by the first of the week he will contact the committee.

Russell Anderson reported on a survey from Blanck and Associates that is collecting data from the disabled community and will need council help with this. Steve Hoad offered to look at the survey if it was available on-line. Certain surveys are not fully accessible, such as Survey Monkey.

Russell also reported on a letter he received from ADAPT in Austin, Texas. ADAPT is asking for a $20 donation. Dennis Fitzgibbons reported that ADAPT is the radical wing of the IL movement and they keep the issues in peoples’ faces. On a motion from Dennis Fitzgibbons, seconded by Steve Hoad, a unanimous vote was taken to send a $20 contribution to ADAPT.

Presentation: Dennis Fitzgibbons gave a presentation to the council entitled "A Brief History of the IL Movement and Federal Standards for Centers for Independent Living." Important points to note include:

• The Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, Freedom Riders, Women’s Rights Movement and the passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964 paved the way for the beginning of the Independent Living Movement.
• Leaders of the Independent Living Movement included "Father of the ADA" Justin Dart., Jr. and "Father of Independent Living" Ed Roberts, and Judy Heumann.
• The first significant legislation was the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
• Wade Blank founded ADAPT.
• The 1990 passage of the ADA.
• A definition of Independent Living is essentially it is living just like everyone else, having opportunities to make decisions about one’s life, to pursue activities of one’s choosing, limited only as others are limited.
• The IL Paradigm created by Gerben DeJong shifts the focus from Rehab/medical to Independent Living.
• Reauthorization of the Rehab Act 1978 – first federal support for CILs.
• CIL standards created – must be a community based organization, must serve cross disabilities and must be consumer controlled. The board must be over 51% people with disabilities, staff must be over 51% people with disabilities, and must provide opportunities for consumer input. Required core services are peer support, skills training, individual and systems advocacy and information and referral services.
• Alpha One’s mission is working to transform communities by promoting the abilities of all citizens.
• Alpha One’s values are that an individual with a disability has the right to make all choices in their life. They are willing to do whatever is necessary to improve opportunities to live independently. They believe in full accessibility for all people and to lead by example. They recognize that people with disabilities bring abilities, experiences and diversity to all levels of the organization.
• Services provided by Alpha One are employment, housing, financing, independent living services, personal assistance services, transportation, recreation, and adaptive equipment.

COMMITTEE REPORTS:

Legislative: Steve Hoad, Chair, reported that a goal of the legislative committee is to offer a legislative training presentation to the council in June. He will check with the committee members first.

Ad Hoc/Emergency Preparedness: Steve Hoad reported that there will be a meeting date established soon for work on the shelter project. He said the focus has been on pandemic training, especially Avian Flu. Steve pointed out there are a huge number of potential disasters that may happen, such as terrorism, natural disaster, and pandemic flu, but the important factor in dealing with any disaster is the creation of a personal plan. Steve e-mailed the group an outline of a personal plan.

MORE: No report.

Membership/Outreach: Steve Hoad reported that his guest at the March meeting, Dee Nielson, was interested in becoming a member, but did not receive a membership application and was upset about this. Dennis Fitzgibbons said this should become an administrative function. Steve Hoad moved that membership applications become an administrative function. Sharon Tomah seconded the motion. Motion passed by unanimous vote. Russell Anderson will email to Deb Nichols Dee’s address and Deb will forward a membership application to her.

Evaluation: Sharon Tomah, Chair, created a visual outline on work projects to be accomplished. A chart is attached reflecting the outline that has been created with council input.

Contract Work: Alice Johnson recommended the contract be extended by three months, through the end of September. Dennis Fitzgibbons made a motion that Alice Johnson talk with Penny Plourde in order to extend the contract and deliverables for three months. John Dunleavy seconded the motion. The vote was unanimous; motion passed.

Adjournment: Meeting was adjourned at 2:09 pm.

Respectfully submitted,

Deborah Nichols
Administrative Assistant

Attendance: Russell Anderson, Sharon Tomah, Deb Nichols, Steve Hoad, John Dunleavy, Mary McKeen, Alice Johnson, Dennis Fitzgibbons, Blair Blaine (arrived at 10:45 am with 2 attendants), guest Denise (Dee) Nilsen.

The meeting was called to order at 10:15 am by Russell Anderson, Chair.
Introductions were made.

Chair’s Report: Russell Anderson reported that Judy Guay had passed away on February 28, 2006. Her passing is a great loss for the disabled community. A moment of silence was observed in memory of Judy.

Russell Anderson spoke about Disability Awareness Day on March 20, 2006. Russell and Steve Hoad will be hosting the SILC table from 8 am to 2 pm. Any council members are welcome to come and help out. There will be a display table which will have member recruitment information.

Russell Anderson discussed the development of SILC fact sheets and suggested a work session meeting at which all committees would bring information for fact sheet development. A fact sheet should be a human rights based summary, such as right to access, employment, and inclusion into society for people with disabilities. John Dunleavy suggested that we start with a prior design that has already been developed and update it by identifying objectives in order to save time.

Steve Hoad made a motion to set specific time aside during the May meeting and any meetings henceforth to review fact sheets and prototypes of fact sheets. The motion was seconded by Sharon Tomah. Discussion: John Dunleavy spoke of the Maine Center on Deafness and MEMA email/pager system that was developed a couple years ago and could be expanded upon to benefit more than just the deaf community and that these documents could be a starting point for developing a fact sheet. Steve Hoad noted that he will work with his committee to get some type of fact sheet by the May meeting. Dennis Fitzgibbons requested clarification that this is done by June. Alice Johnson clarified that the SILC deliverable was to have 3 completed fact sheets by October of 2006. Steve Hoad asked to move the question; the vote was unanimous. It is noted that the 2 non-voting members of the council agree with vote.

Meeting minutes January 2006: On a motion from Russell Anderson, seconded by John Dunleavy, the council voted unanimously to accept the January meeting minutes as presented.

New Business: Russell Anderson confirmed that the council now has Directors & Officers insurance through the Insurance Source of Maine. The policy began on 11/25/05 and runs through 11/25/06. The annual premium is $1,235. The council also has computer insurance and the annual premium is $295 with a $250 deductible. Dennis Fitzgibbons advised the council that this policy may not be necessary and the council should decide whether or not to renew it.

Russell Anderson reported that Deb Nichols wished to become a contractor for SILC rather than an employee in order to save money on her taxes as well as save the SILC money in Worker’s Compensation insurance. The council recommended that Russell contact the Department of Labor to determine the specifics of this change and report back to the council. Discussion was also made regarding the use of the SILC debit card. The council will work towards development of policies and guidelines surrounding the use of the debit card.

Russell Anderson noted that with the death of Judy Guay it was necessary to elect a new Vice-Chair. Steve Hoad nominated Sharon Tomah and Dennis Fitzgibbons seconded the nomination. Sharon Tomah accepted the nomination. Discussion: Alice Johnson said that Sharon was an excellent member of the council. A unanimous vote followed. It is noted that the 2 non-voting members of the council agreed with the vote.

Council Training – Listserve/Yahoo groups: John Dunleavy presented a training on Listserve/Yahoo groups and how they could benefit the council. He suggested some uses could be when the council doesn’t have a quorum, could possibly get one with this service; also good to use because it will keep written documentation of a meeting. He noted that council members would become responsible for keeping their own email address updated. John also provided a handout with details on his presentation.

COMMITTEE REPORTS:

Legislative: Steve Hoad, Chair, reported that the Legislative Committee consists of John Dunleavy, Steve Hoad and Blair Blaine. There has been no business conducted. Steve opened membership to the full council and indicated that his intention, as Chair, was to keep the council informed about the legislative process and also to have the council take an appropriate and accurate stand on legislative issues. Any members who would like to serve on this committee should approach Steve Hoad.

Ad Hoc/Emergency Preparedness: Steve Hoad reported that as of the last meeting, provisions had been put together by the federal government - that MEMA was charged with working with a legislative task force on homeland security. He reported that the plan was to have one shelter for the disabled in each county and this is not enough. We need to make sure that the disabled are included in the planning process and Steve noted that it is a federal law (ADA) that the disabled must be included in the planning and implementation process. The SILC legislative committee is trying to work collaboratively with this emergency management effort and this is why the committee asked the SILC executive committee for a $500 allotment to get the job done. He noted that the executive committee approved this allotment. Some of the goals from this meeting included the creation of a model shelter which will begin with a shelter in Portland and also the beginning of a public outreach campaign, which will include the creation of a website, brochures and flyers.

MORE: No report. John Dunleavy, Chair, asked the council if membership was limited to just SILC members. Alice Johnson responded that committee members can be from the outside community. Steve Hoad suggested Paul Jacques, Disability Coordinator of the Maine Department of Fisheries and Wildlife; Blair Blaine suggested Wes Smith from Alpha One; and Sharon Tomah suggested Bob Mathien, Director of Together Place in Bangor.

Membership/Outreach: No report due to the absence of Alice Conway.

Evaluation: Sharon Tomah, Chair, reported that the members of the committee are Sharon Tomah, John Dunleavy, Dennis Fitzgibbons and Alice Johnson. The committee has not done any business yet, but goal areas are to develop a survey to evaluate resources, recommendations and SILC progress. At the next meeting they will establish a written plan to work towards goals. The committee will possibly meet next month. Sharon noted that there is not a lot of focus on youth and maybe this is something SILC should focus on. Steve Hoad said that the Department of Labor holds a transition fair and this may be a good place for SILC to connect with youth.

Reports from Allied Committees: Russell Anderson reported that the State Rehabilitation Council is focusing efforts on closing cases quicker; Alice Johnson reported that the State Rehabilitation Council has begun a consumer satisfaction survey and that information will be compiled and distributed and they are also working on a needs assessment, which is done every 3 years; Steve Hoad commented that the Mental Health Commissioners Consumer Advisory Group is being torn apart because the members don’t want to get along; and Blair Blaine reported that DASH - Disability in Aging services hotline is creating tip sheets such as transportation issues and how to file for services.

Adjournment: Meeting was adjourned at 2:12 pm.

Respectfully submitted,

Deborah Nichols
Administrative Assistant

Attendance: Bill Nye, 2 interpreters, Mary McKeen, Deb Nichols, Russell Anderson, Dennis Fitzgibbons, Alice Conway, Sharon Tomah, Steve Hoad, Alice Johnson, David Stockford (arrived 11:07 am), Blair Blaine (arrived at 12:00 pm), 2 attendants (arrived at 12:00 pm)

The meeting was called to order at 10:20 am by Russell Anderson, Chair.

Following introductions, Russell Anderson read the agenda and asked for any additions.
Steve Hoad requested that emergency management issues for disabled be discussed under agenda item #4: new business.

Chair’s Report:

Russell Anderson spoke about the SILC website and how it has been inactive and that an editorial board needed to be formed to help update website content. Dennis Fitzgibbons commented that the website is a powerful tool and that SILC should do strategic planning on what the website should accomplish. Alice Johnson commented that this topic has been discussed in the past and spoke of the importance of seeing it through.

Russell Anderson discussed board resignations that he had received: (1) Rachel Bolduc on 10/22/05. David Stockford moved that the council accept the resignation of Rachel Bolduc; motion was seconded by Bill Nye; motion passed by unanimous vote. 2 non-voting members of council agree with council vote. (2) Mark Rosenberg on 1/6/06. Steve Hoad moved that the council accept the resignation of Mark Rosenberg; motion was seconded by David Stockford; motion passed by unanimous vote. 2 non-voting members of council agree with council vote.

Steve Hoad noted that resignations should be forwarded to the governor along with a letter from SILC stating that SILC accepts these resignations.

Bill Nye noted that the meeting minutes should reflect a thank you to former officers in 2005, as well as a thank you to council members who have resigned.

Review of meeting minutes – work meetings 11/14, 11/18, and 12/8: Comment from Alice Johnson regarding 11/18 – change in wording: "704 work" meeting 4/21 should be "contract work." Meeting minutes were accepted unanimously with this change, excepting Steve Hoad, who abstained due to his inability to review the minutes.

New Business: Steve Hoad handed out information on emergency preparedness for people with disabilities. This was a document from FEMA. Steve spoke about a concern for his personal safety in regard to emergency preparedness and felt this was an important issue to share with the SILC council to see if SILC should get involved. He stated that FEMA offers a course in disability emergency planning and perhaps SILC should encourage MEMA to offer this course throughout the state.

Alice Johnson said that since the ice storm, emergency preparedness has been available for the deaf community in Maine and there is a program for deaf and hard of hearing individuals to receive emergency information on beepers and/or pagers.

Steve Hoad moved that the SILC create a voluntary ad hoc committee to review materials and move agenda forward towards a summit for emergency preparedness for people with disabilities in Maine and that this committee and its members represent SILC when collaborating with other organizations on this issue. Motion was seconded by Dennis Fitzgibbons.

Discussion: Dennis Fitzgibbons noted that it is not safe to rely on the government to help in an emergency; Steve Hoad said that 75% of Americans have made no disaster plans; Sharon Tomah spoke about the importance of including trainings for organizations who serve the disabled community. Bill Nye said that a concern should be how to inform individuals within the community; he suggested a 2 page, laminated sheet explaining what to do in case of an emergency be distributed to each town, and that the sheet be available in braille, as well.

Steve Hoad called the question. The motion passed unanimously. 2 non-voting members of council agree with council vote. The committee formed consisted of: Sharon Tomah, Dennis Fitzgibbons, Alice Conway, Alice Johnson and Steve Hoad.

Financial Report: Tabled until new secretary/treasurer has opportunity to review status.

(Break for lunch 12:00 – 12:45 pm)

Set Action Priorities/Develop Work Plan for 2006: Alice Johnson referred to the list of SILC deliverables. She noted that names of potential new members are needed by the March 2006 meeting.

Dennis Fitzgibbons said that every SILC member should make at least 1 recommendation.

Bill Nye and Alice Johnson stated that council members should send a list of potential new members to Russell Anderson within one week so the executive committee would have the opportunity to review potential new members before it comes to full committee for formal nomination in March.

Alice Johnson said that the SILC council has a total of 21 seats: (1)CIL director, (1)DSU, (10) individuals with disabilities, (1) parent/guardian of individual with disability, (3) individuals who service people with disabilities, (1) private business, (2) non-voting state positions, (2) advocates of people with disabilities.

Council seats are as follows:
Advocate: Judy Guay, Russell Anderson
Service Provider: John Dunleavy, Sharon Tomah
DSU: Alice Johnson
CIL: Dennis Fitzgibbons
State: David Stockford, Mary McKeen
Individual: Blair Blaine, Bill Nye, Alice Conway, Steve Hoad
Youth/Parent: vacant
Business: vacant

Russell Anderson said that of the seats currently filled, 3 are delinquent and have not attended a meeting in over 1 year. Those members are Matt Bell, Jon Connick and Mark Fairman.

Steve Hoad commented Mark Fairman is not delinquent, but his term expired on 12/5/05.

Sharon Tomah summarized the need for new council seats: (1) parent/youth, (1) business, (1) service provider, and (6) individuals with disabilities.

Alice Johnson mentioned the importance of geographic representation. Members are needed from the northern region of the state, i.e., Washington and Aroostook county. She also requested that when submitting an individual for consideration, please have already discussed the nomination with them, the time commitment involved and the need for a commitment to work toward established goals.

Alice Johnson reviewed the timeline for work projects: #2-development of fact sheets, the established goal of emergency preparedness sheets will complete this. #3-update SILC handbook, John Dunleavy was planning to organize the accomplishment of this task. #4-Russell Anderson to take lead in development of draft policy of what SILC website should accomplish; council member feedback within one week in order to develop draft for review at executive committee meeting in February. #5-Alpha One presentation, Dennis Fitzgibbons will present at May meeting; #6-9 are on-going.

Alice Johnson summarized topics for the March full council meeting: nominees for vacant seats, draft of website policy and a potential presentation from Andy/DD regarding the legislative process.

Meeting was adjourned at 2:15 pm.

Attending: Russell Anderson, John Dunleavy, Mary McKeen, Alice Conway, Mark Rosenberg, Judy Guay, Dennis Fitzgibbons, Blair Blaine, Alice Johnson, Steve Hoad, Deb Nichols, guest speaker Brad Williams, 2 interpreters, 2 support staff

The meeting was called to order by the Chair, Russell Anderson, who thanked Dennis Fitzgibbons for providing the Alpha One facility in Bangor, Maine at no cost to SILC.

Introductions were made and Blair Blaine facilitated an icebreaker.

Guest Speaker – Brad Williams, Executive Director, NY SILC

Brad Williams spoke about his experience with the NY SILC and provided handouts which included an outline of the Role of the SILC- its primary purpose, How the SPIL Formulation Process Determines Use of Title VII, Part B Funds, Lessons Learned, Organizational & Committee Structure, and Recruitment Process. He referred to many examples, situations and detailed summaries of how the NY SILC has worked towards accomplishing the mission of the SILC. Brad spoke about how each 3 year plan is different based on what input you receive from your evaluations. In NY they have used polling surveys and consumer satisfaction surveys for evaluations. He commented that part of SILC role is educating people who don’t know who we are. Brad talked about member recruitment and how looking at your current composition of members is a good place to start. He stated the importance of having an orientation manual and also inviting potential members to attend one SILC meeting. He mentioned the handouts would be a good tool for the Maine SILC to utilize and if anyone had any questions or comments to feel free to contact him.

Elections

Russell Anderson gave a brief overview of the election process. The following officers were elected for the upcoming year:

Russell Anderson was nominated as Chair by Alice Conway, seconded by Judy Guay. John Dunleavy moved to close nominations, seconded by Alice Conway, unanimously accepted. Nomination passed, 6 in favor, 2 abstentions.
Judy Guay was nominated as Vice Chair by Alice Conway, seconded by Steve Hoad. Russell Anderson moved to close nominations, seconded by John Dunleavy, unanimously accepted. Nomination passed, 7 in favor, 1 abstention.
Alice Conway was nominated as Secretary/Treasurer by Judy Guay, seconded by Steve Hoad. John Dunleavy moved to close nominations, seconded by Mark Rosenberg, unanimously accepted. Nomination passed, 7 in favor, 1 abstention.
John Dunleavy was nominated as Member at Large by Judy Guay, seconded by Alice Conway. Mark Rosenberg moved to close nominations, seconded by Alice Conway, unanimously accepted. Nomination passed, 7 in favor, 1 abstention.

Minutes

Alice Conway moved to accept the July 15, 2005 meeting minutes as amended, seconded by Steve Hoad. Motion passed unanimously.

Alice Conway moved to accept the September 16, 2005 meeting minutes as amended, seconded by John Dunleavy. A discussion ensued regarding the content, quality, substance, length and accuracy of minutes and the transcription of minutes. Steve Hoad called the question. Motion passed unanimously.

Financials

Blair Blaine provided a handout of the summary of expenditures for October 2004-September 2005 and also a proposed expenditure list for October 2005-September 2006.

Other Business

Blair Blaine reported that she has 3 estimates on new accountants and 3 on Board of Directors Liability Insurance as was requested. Russell Anderson responded that the executive committee will act upon this soon.

Steve Hoad moved that the Maine SILC become members of the Maine Association of Non Profits, seconded by Mark Rosenberg. Motion passed unanimously.

Alice Johnson mentioned that she needs a contract committee to be formed to begin working on the beginnings of a budget, which is needed by November 18th. A date for a work meeting was to be established.

Meeting was adjourned at 3:03 pm.

Attending: Russell Anderson, Blair Blaine, Jon Connick, Alice Conway, John Dunleavy, Dennis Fitzgibbons, Steve Hoad, Alice Johnson, Mary
McKeen, William Nye, Mark Rosenberg, David Stockford, Sharon Tomah, Deb Nichols, 2 interpreters

The meeting was called to order at 10:15 a.m. by Russell Anderson, Chair.

The meeting began with with an introduction of the new Administrative Assistant, Deb Nichols.

A discussion was started regarding the need to set up the ability for teleconference calls in order for all to participate equally in the board discussion.

Bill Nye commented that this responsibility should be given to the Chair.

Steve Hoad began a discussion around the fact that the accommodations that he required for being a part of the meeting were not being taken care of appropriately. He could not be effective nor did he feel that his presence was necessary.

Blair Blaine said that his packet had been sent but not by e-mail because of her present skill level.

All members supported his need of appropriate accommodations.

John Dunleavy moved for the Officers to delegate the Administrative Assistant to find out the necessary information in order to accommodate all necessary member needs. Alice Conway seconded the motion.

Discussion:
Dennis Stockford acknowledged this problem and will work to fix it – everyone who needs accommodation should receive it.

Motion passed, 12 in favor, 0 opposed.

Agenda:
Mark Rosenberg read the meeting agenda.

Blair Blaine read the Mission Statement and Guiding Principles.

Steve Hoad moved to table the Financial Report until the next meeting. John Dunleavy seconded the motion; motion passed, 11 in favor, 0 against, 2 abstained.

Review of July 15, 2005 meeting minutes:

Discussion:
John Dunleavy stated in the minutes there is a comment he did not make.

Alice Johnson said that it is important for full names to be used; first names only are not acceptable.

Alice Conway said that there are basic spelling errors.

Blair Blaine mentioned that a temporary service was used to compile the minutes and that she did take notes as well she did not compare her notes with the temporary service minutes, but that she would in the future.

Bill Nye stated that in the past the Administrative Assistant has recorded meeting minutes on tape and without doing this we have no way of reconciling the notes.

Bill Nye moved to table the discussion of July 15th Minutes until the next council meeting. Motion was seconded by John Dunleavy, and discussion was tabled until next meeting by a unanimous vote.

Chair’s Report:
Russell Anderson reported that there have been some advances in the maturity of the Executive Council; Alice Conway has helped out and has been a guide for the Chair in focusing communication -- issues are discussed first with Executive Council, then to the full Council. Discussion has been a democratic process, but without unity. There have been subjective thoughts, assumptions and challenges to Chair’s authority. Some Council affairs are in disarray and the Council needs full access to every element of record keeping, bookkeeping; Council also has a federal policy to take care of in accommodating specific accessibility needs of everyone on this Council.

Steve Hoad moved for Council to make decision on liability insurance. Mark Rosenberg seconded the motion.

Discussion:
Alice Conway stated that financial report shows money has been paid out for liability insurance.

Blair Blaine reported that the Council does not have liability insurance yet.

Alice Conway commented that she was told the Council already had coverage and that this was of great concern to her.

Steve Hoad Called the Question. Motion passed, 13 in favor, 0 against.

Announcements:

John Dunleavy said that ILS has started an internal connection to New Orleans and for more information go to website, find centers, or go directly to Alpha One Hurricane Relief to make donations.

Mark Rosenberg commented that we need to be better prepared, for example, not prepared for the ice storm.

Steve Hoad had 2 announcements: (1) Leading & Learning Together conference on Saturday, November 19th at the Calvary Methodist Church in Lewiston – this is an all day conference; and (2) Ongoing board trainings – “Board Network” located in Portland – SILC members should consider these trainings.

Bill Nye traveled to Arizona where he attended 2 national conferences on telecommunications; he met with Louisiana people and heard their stories from the deaf community regarding the hurricane; comments were that the Louisiana School for the Deaf is okay but students and family have lost homes, and that the staff as well has lost homes and that many are living at the school on a temporary basis.

David Stockford stated that state plan has been submitted and approved; this is a $1 million program to augment access to equipment and services; also on emergency preparation – SILC might want to offer some assistance for this.

Alice Johnson commented that emergency notification service is a pager service; text messages to deaf with federal, state, and local emergency information. This service is available now for deaf individuals and SILC should assist in expanding this program.

Steve Hoad commented on an interview with a deaf/blind teacher in New Orleans who was able to get evacuation messages early on and that this information was passed through the deaf/blind community fairly quickly enabling them to make decisions within themselves.

John Dunleavy stated that he had information on pagers that were other than weather related – this was available now – John will forward this e-mail to Council members.

David Stockford moved for the Chair to communicate with MEMA and offer to work with them as it relates to persons with disabilities related to emergency preparedness plans. Motion was seconded by John Dunleavy. Motion passed, 13 in favor, 0 against.

Meeting recessed for lunch.

Retreat:
Blair Blaine passed around paper for a council address update. She stated she tried to connect via phone with everyone as to where they want the retreat to be. One place that is accessible for all is in Hallowell at the Maple Hill Farm Conference Center, which is $160/day.

Alice Conway asked how many Council members had selected Augusta as a retreat location and how many had selected Bangor.

Blair Blaine responded that 6 had responded and that 4 were willing to travel to any location and 2 were requesting Augusta only.

Dennis Fitzgibbons stated that the Alpha One facility is available free of charge, but is located in Bangor.

Mark Rosenberg stated that transportation will be a problem for him to attend in Bangor.

Alice Johnson said that Penny Plourde wanted to attend and needed to know ASAP where the meeting will be held. She also stated she would take a state car and could take a couple of people with her.

Steve Hoad – Maple Hill Farm has been approved by the state as accessible. He questioned if Alpha One was used, what the food arrangements would be.

Dennis Fitzgibbons responded that SILC would need to take care of that but Alpha One has a kitchen and could help with suggestions.

Both Alice Conway and John Dunleavy said Maple Hill Farm prepares food and that it could be very costly.

Blair Blaine said at Maple Hill Farm the meals are between $12-15 per person, but that Frank’s Bakery in Bangor is available and has been used before.

Alice Johnson said SILC could use the culinary arts school near Alpha One and that Maple Hill Farm will cost a lot more.

Mark Rosenberg expressed concern that no one had mentioned Alpha One earlier.

John Dunleavy said that the concern is with the budget and SILC needs to be run as cost effectively as possible.

Russell Anderson moved to close discussion. Motion was seconded by Steve Hoad. Motion passed; 13 in favor, 0 against.

Steve Hoad moved to hold retreat at Alpha One. Motion was seconded by John Dunleavy.

Discussion:
Alice Conway stated that Alpha One would be inexpensive.

Steve Hoad stated it is better to move meeting from Augusta so same people are not burdened by travel.

Blair Blaine stated that is why she had called individuals so that Council members had input into the location based on their needs.

Steve Hoad commented that the rest must be willing to travel to Bangor.

Bill Nye asked about the people who live in the southern part of the state in regard to accommodations for them.

Russell Anderson stated that a committee should decide this for next year.

Mark Rosenberg asked to Move the Question.

Motion passed; 12 in favor, 0 against, 1 abstention.

Blair Blaine mentioned that Alpha One is at 1048 Union Street in Bangor.

Program:
Blair Blaine said that Mark Rosenberg was willing to do a short training and a fact sheet on the Listserve. She had asked members by phone if they were willing to sit on a panel as at the RSA (Rehabilitation Services Administration) conference and talk about what’s happening in the state in their area of expertise and include how SILC could be helpful. Individuals that she spoke with were willing.

David Stockford said that a SILC panel should be formed and that there are needs in this state and with the gifts of the people on this council SILC could help.

Alice Johnson talked about the election of officers and next year’s calendar as being a part of the retreat and also contract deliverables with some time to review the contract being addressed.

Russell Anderson mentioned that the election of officers generally took place during lunch.

Alice Johnson asked if Larry Glantz had sent out questionnaires and that he needs responses by the 30th of September.

Russell Anderson asked if the council wanted a facilitator for the annual meeting for this year, and if so, council could get someone from Muskie.

Steve Hoad asked if it was appropriate for NCIL to give us the technological assistance that we need.

Bill Nye asked if the council had the financial ability for this.

Steve Hoad said that another group is the Maine Association of Non-Profits; both groups will speak to the council for nothing, and that this was important because of the need of the Council to grow.

Dennis Fitzgibbons said that this is a good idea for the Council and that the NY SILC has tremendous resources and that they could give us the insight the Council needs. He recommended that we speak with Brad Williams as to what they are able to give us; this is what they do and it would be at no cost.

Russell Anderson said the NY SILC has a training package on CD.

Alice Johnson said the council could have a training session either in the morning or in the afternoon.

Evaluation Committee Report: Regarding progress in meeting deliverables, a draft form was sent to committees; needed feedback by 8/26, but did not get any returned. When evaluation committee met 1 week later, discussed why forms were not returned. Decided a call to action was needed, and will re-send forms to the Administrative Assistant by September 30th and she will get it out. Another goal is to collaborate with Alpha One as to consumers who want independent living – Dennis Fitzgibbons will help with this. Sharon stated another concern was how effective the committees really are.

Alice Johnson said that the Federal Report is due October 30, 2005, but with the filing of an extension request, we will have 90 days to complete the report.

Russell Anderson: RSA is going to be remote and will not process information timely.

David Stockford: OMB has to be a measurement of success and Independent Living has not done well in communicating this information; there is a need to start demonstrating effectiveness. Important to know how many people did you get out of nursing homes and show the value of what and how it is done.

Russell Anderson mentioned the interpreters needed to leave at 2:00 p.m., and in light of meeting running past 2:00 p.m, the meeting needed to be adjourned.

Steve Hoad moved to adjourn meeting; seconded by John Dunleavy.

Meeting was adjourned a 2:10 p.m.