MINUTES

 

Hinesburg  Mulitgenerational Center Task Force

 

 

Date: January 10, 2007, at 7:PM at Osborne Hall

 

Chairperson: Bill Neil

Recorder: Johanna Shal

 

Present: Colleen Buccieri, Nancy Leroy, Bill Neil, Andrea Olufsen, Morgan Pell, Louise Roomet, Johanna Shal, and Sandy White

 

I.                    Welcome and Team Formation

              

            Bill began the meeting by asking members to express their thoughts about what they want for the Multigenerational Center.  He advised the group to develop into a team that totally trusts one another.  He also said that authority can be delegated, but responsibility cannot be delegated.

 

II.         Team Leadership

 

              Chair: Bill Neil

              Recorder: Johanna Shal

              E-mail network:  Morgan will set up a group e-mail for the Task Force.

              Website link to Karen Cornish: Morgan and Andrea will coordinate with

              Karen to get Task Force information onto the Hinesburg town web site.

 

              Bill will send information to The Hinesburg Record and the South County Sentinel.     

            

III.   Small Action Groups

 

A.     Visit Active Centers in Other Communities

 

        1. Bradford, VT

            The small action group to visit the Bradford Community, Senior and        Teen site on January 25 th.  consists of Louise, Sandy, and Johanna, and anyone else who might be interested.  Pictures will be taken to be brought back to the Task Force.

 

 As people think of questions they want asked during the Bradford site visit they can email Johanna who will collect them in preparation for the visit.  Her e-mail address is: Johanna9@peoplepc.com

 

 

                    2. McClure Multigenerational Center on North Avenue in Burlington, VT

Nancy Leroy will set up this visit.  The small action group to make this visit consists of: Nancy. Louise, Johanna and  anyone else who might be interested.

 

 

                   3. Heineberg  Senior Center, new North End in Burlington VT

As yet, a site visit is not set-up.  Bill Neil referred to an article in The Burlington Free Press about the Heineberg Center’s changing  financial situation at the moment.  He also referred to an article about Williston, VT assessing a need for a community center.

 

4.      Spectrum Youth Center in Burlington, VT

 

A site visit needs to be planned.

 

5.       The teen center in Winooski, VT

 

Johanna will explore making a site visit.

 

.             

B.     Apply for a grant from VT Community Development Program

 

Discussion included a decision to plan to “make a plan”.  A planning study grant from the VT Community Development Program  will be sought.  The deadline is

fast approaching: April 24, 2007.  A public hearing  must be held by March 15, 2007. Louise and Colleen will work with Lisa Ryan from the VT Community Development Program re: the grant application.  A survey will be written, to be given out at Town Meeting, with very specific questions as to what the community wants from a Multigenerational Center.

 

 

C.     Offer Teen Programing Now

 

There is not a youth group as such  in Hinesburg.  St Jude Church holds occasional dances for middle-school students.  The United Church organizes out-of-town mission groups for young people.  Other things are being done for youth by the Hinesburg Recreation Department.

 

Morgan, a teenage member of the Task Force, said that teens have a lot they want to be doing, but they need a place to do them.  For example, they would use computers and a pool table.  Morgan is available to visit teen center sites after school, and on weekends. Currently he is involved with rehearsals for a school play, so his time is limited.

 

David and Barb Lyman want to get rid of a pool table.  Andrea will ask them for it and see if they can store it for now.

 

Morgan will place a request in the Front Porch Forum for other items for the Multigenerational Center.

 

A stop-gap storage space may be the little white church in front of St. Jude’s Church.  Another may be the Reiss barn on Route 116.

 

The Reiss property on Route 116 may be available for the Multigenerational Center.  It has a house and a large barn.  The Task Force discussed accessibility as a key requirement for the Center.  There are already trails available to reach the Reiss property.

 

 

D.     Explore Partners and Relationships

 

Care needs to be taken to coordinate well with other task forces so that duplication of services will be avoided.  For example, the Buy Local Task Force will need a large kitchen, as well as the Multigenerational Center.

 

Coordinate with other groups who are not from the Hinesburg area but provide services here.

 

Coordinate with other groups  in Hinesburg who would want to use the center.

 

 

IV.    Other Items of Business

 

A.     Policy on Task Force Membership and Paticipation was reviewed.

 

B.     Conflict of Interests Policy was also reviewed.  Bill Neil wants this policy looked at further.

 

C.     Formation of the Multigenerational Task Force asa 501c3 organization was discussed.

 

D.     Financial assistance through the McClure Foundation, VT.  Johanna will look into this.

 

The next meeting will be February 12, 2007 at  7:00 PM  at Hinesburg Town Hall in the first floor conference room, not the 3rd floor conference room as stated at this meeting.