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Minutes 05-03-00MINUTES OF THE COMMUNITY RELATIONS BOARD MEETING HELD IN COMMISSION CHAMBERS, CITY HALL, BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA, ON WEDNESDAY, MAY 3, 2000 AT 7:00 P.M. PRESENT Chairman Ron Washam Vice Chairperson Beth Miller David Carter Anne Centi Joy Currier Blanche Girtman Eddie Mitchell Brett Sherman Brenda Lee Williams David Katz, Alternate ABSENT ALSO PRESENT Hansome Jones Dan DeCarlo, Neighborhood Specialist I. OPENING, PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Chairman Washam called the meeting to order at 7:05 P.M. and requested that Mr. Sherman lead the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. II. ROLL CALL The Recording Secretary called the roll and a quorum was declared present. III. RECOGNITION OF VISITORS Chairman Washam recognized the presence of visitors in the audience including Mr. Charles Bane of the Greater Boynton Beach Chamber of Commerce and Mr. Steven Green, a resident of the neighborhood where the proposed health center would be located. Also in the audience was Ms. Elizabeth Jenkins, a former member of the Board. Chairman Washam extended a warm welcome to the new Board members, Ms. Anne Centi, Mr. David Carter, and Mr. David Katz.. IV. AGENDA APPROVAL Chairman Washam asked if there were any changes, additions or deletions to the Agenda. Hearing none, Vice Chair Miller moved to approve the agenda. The motion was seconded and carried unanimously. V. MINUTES APPROVAL OF APRIL 5, 2000 MEETING There were no additions or changes to the minutes of the April 5, 2000 meeting. Ms. Blanche Girtman moved to accept the minutes as presented. The motion was seconded and carried unanimously. MEETING MINUTES COMMUNITY RELATIONS BOARD BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA May 3,2000 VI. CORRESPONDENCE AND ANNOUNCEMENTS Ms. Currier extended congratulations to Ms. Lena Rahming of Head Start, recipient of a $10,000 award from the Sun Sentinel for Volunteer of the Year 2000 and said the City was proud to have her as a resident. Ms. Currier also extended he.art-felt thanks to Commissioner Black and Vice Mayor Weiland for giving the 150 children at Head Start a pizza party at Easter, Ms. Currier extended further thanks to Vice Chair Miller from the Lord's Place where she has brought clothing to the Women at the Lord's Place so they can go out in the business world properly dressed. Vice Chair Miller announced that Saturday, May 13, the Food Pantry in West Palm Beach was doing their U.S. Postal Workers Food Collection Day and they were looking for up to 1000 volunteers. Vice Chair Miller invited potential volunteers to contact her. Ms. Girtman announced that the Sigma Gamma sorority was having a Women's Conference at the Holiday Inn Express on May 22, 2000 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. concerning "Women in Business", "Women in Health" and related occupations. All were welcome and Ms. Girtman asked anyone interested to see her after the meeting. Chairman Washam mentioned a golf tournament to benefit the Royal Palm School and some of the mentally challenged students in Lantana and Boynton. It is to be at the Fountains Country Club in Lake Worth on the 21st of May. Chairman Washam invited applicants to sign up. VII. PUBLIC AUDIENCE Sister Lorraine Ryan, Medical Mission Sister from the Women's Circle at the Community Caring Center, 145 4th Avenue N.E., Boynton Beach, FI 33425, took the podium to speak about the proposed health center. Sister Ryan holds a Masters degree from Johns Hopkins University in the health field and was a community health nurse in India for fifteen years. She wished to express her hope that the health center would come to fruition soon. She mentioned that in a recent Community Forum it was stated that a needs assessment would be the next step. Sister Ryan said that she hoped the City would not spend too much time or money on a needs assessment. She believed that the needs of the community were already well known from the evidence now available through the Palm Beach County Health Department. She spoke of her experience as school nurse at Carver Middle School where they focused on the reality that the greatest increased incidence of HIV-AIDS was among black American women in South County. She expressed the wish that the Board members be forthright in their pursuit of this vision and turn it into a reality as soon as possible. She offered her support in any way possible. Ms, Girtman said that she wanted to acquaint the Board with Steven Green who was present in the audience. She said he had a great interest in the proposed facility and wants to do anything he can to further it. He wants to work with the Board to do 2 MEETING MINUTES COMMUNITY RELATIONS BOARD BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA May 3, 2000 whatever he can. Ms. Girtman spoke of Mr. Green's resourcefulness, enthusiasm and work with the children at the Hester Center. Ms. Girtman asked that the Board keep Mr. Green in mind. Chairman Washam thanked Mr. Green for coming to the meeting and for his offer of assistance, acknowledging that to bring the project into reality would take the cooperation of the entire community. Hearing no further comment, Chairman Washam closed the public audience. VIII. OLD BUSINESS Discussion of proposed health services facility on Martin Luther King Boulevard Chairman Washam briefly discussed the project, stating that the Board had been working on the project for about six months. He stressed the importance of working together as a team and that all activities concerning the project should be carried out in a public way with awareness of the entire Board. Chairman Washam reiterated that the purpose of the Board was to mentor the project, nurture it, and get it off the ground. Other people would be involved in the fund-raising and day-to-day operation of the facility. The Board would be appointing a Steering Committee that would oversee all matters pertaining to the proposed health center. Mr. Dan DeCarlo introduced Mr. Ray Adams, Senior Planner for the Palm Beach County Health Care District who took the podium to addreSs the Board and audience regarding the Planned Approach to Community Health (PATCH) process. Mr. Adams took the podium to give a presentation on PATCH. He said he was very encouraged so far about the commitment he was hearing from the Board members towards the project. He also agreed with Sister Ryan about the information that is already available regarding health centers and health needs. Mr. Adams stated that PATCH was a model developed in the 1980's by the Center for Disease Control. Its goal is to promote health and quality of life by preventing and controlling disease, injury and disability. The critical elements to PATCH were given as: Community Members Participate Data Guides Development of Programs Participants Develop Health Strategy Evaluation Emphasizes Feedback and Program Improvement Community Capacity for Health Promotion is Increased The five phases of PATCH were: Mobilize the Community Collect and Organize Data Choose Health Priorities 3 MEETING MINUTES COMMUNITY RELATIONS BOARD BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA May 3, 2000 Develop Comprehensive Intervention Plan Evaluate PATCH and Interventions Each of the phases was expanded upon individually by Mr. Adams, The presentation given by Mr. Adams is attached to these minutes and available for review in the City Clerk's office. The PATCH model suggests the following organizational structure: Business (2 seats); Medical Provider (1 seat); Faith Community (1 seat), Education (2 seats), Public Administration (1 seat), Human Services Provider (1 seat), Law Enforcement (1 seat), Community Residents (6 seats), and officers - Chair, Vice Chair and Secretary. There are local PATCH agencies in the Glades, Lake Worth/Lantana, South County/Delray, West Palm Beach, Jupiter, Riviera Beach, Central County, and Boynton Beach. At the conclusion of his presentation Mr. Adams introduced the two representatives of local PATCH organizations who would be speaking. Ms. Elizabeth Hernandez, Chairman of the Glades PATCH, took the podium to address the audience and Board regarding the PATCH program. Ms. Hernandez stated that the Glades PATCH was formed eleven years ago in response to the needs of the community residents. Ms. Hernandez spoke of success in her area of a Dental Outreach project, which took dental services to the children in the elementary schools, regardless of ability to pay. Key to the success of this project was the presence on the PATCH board of an administrator from the local Health Department who was instrumental in bringing the project to fruition. Regular dentists from the Health Department staffed the program. The Quantum Foundation funded the program. She mentioned that Dr. Dunbar, from the West Palm Beach Health Department, was considering a pilot project in this area. Another successful project was a Family Forum, an all-day event in a workshop setting where the public could come in and discuss their concerns with major, key leaders in health and human services. The providers of health services were on the panel and had to face the people who actually needed their services. Ms. Hernandez spoke of how this approach yielded success in a long-standing problem of dirt and disorder at the Food Stamp office. Their Forum was moderated by Bob Nichols of Channel 12 television, who televised the event, giving the Forum valuable publicity. Ms. Hernandez also spoke of the success of their Health Career Day, a program of eight years duration in her area. Doctors from Palms West Hospital, people from Nova University and other health care professionals go to the schools to give the students an idea of the career possibilities in the health field. One young lady, as a result of this contact, went on to Harvard and became a doctor. Ms. Hernandez reported that 45-50 people come to their PATCH meeting once a month. Not only does the PATCH have key community leaders on its Board, but other community leaders such as Sheriff Newman come to lend support and assistance, some 4 MEETING MINUTES '- ' COMMUNITY RELATIONS BOARD BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA May 3,2000 serving on ad hoc committees. The ad hoc committees report to the Board at their meetings and let the Board know when their involvement is needed. Ms. Hernandez stressed that it was important to get the community involved and that once the community bought into the idea, they would accept it and want to become involved. In response to questions from the Board, Ms. Hernandez stated that they did not have a particular structure where people go to receive services. Mr. Adams commented that the model Boynton is thinking about developing was different from that of the PATCH groups speaking at this meeting. He said that the PATCH groups had been set up in conjunction with existing groups. Also in response to a question from the Board, Mr. Adams stated that domestic violence and parenting issues had not been a priority of the PATCH groups to date. The Board thanked Ms. Hernandez and Mr. DeCarlo introduced the next speaker, Ms. Jevne Hosier, Executive Director of the Kidney Association of Palm Beach County, Inc., and a representative of the Central PATCH. Ms. Hosier stated that her PATCH served the Central area, which includes The Acreage, Loxahatchee, Palm Beach West, parts of Wellington and Greenacres. Ms. Hosier expressed encouragement to the Board members and that she looked forward to the growth and development of the Boynton Beach group. The school immunization program was a major priority of the Central PATCH. Many of the children had not had their inoculations and could not go to school until their immunizations were brought up to date. The Health Department offered a van and came to help, immunizing 124 students. Ms. Hosier stated that the next priority of the Central PATCH would be site visits in the homes and social workers in every school. Teachers can let you know which of the children is in trouble and the human services network needs to find out who is in trouble and why. If Quantum Foundation or another large organization such as IBM could be acquainted with some of these problems, their funding might allow this idea to become a reality. Ms. Hosier spoke of having a Deputy Sheriff on her PATCH board and his involvement in the DARE program in the schools. Smoking and drug cessation were major priorities of the Central PATCH. Health insurance in the schools, health prevention and early intervention were also priorities. Ms. Hosier spoke of the World Share Food program, which could feed a family of four for $14.00 a month with good quality, balanced food. Sister Ryan said that this program was available in Boynton Beach at the Community Caring Center, 1901 North Seacrest Boulevard. She said that if anyone had the time and interest, the food came in on the fourth Saturday of the month and volunteers were needed at the feeding sites for two hours. She also mentioned the World Share Pharmacy program, which could save its users up to 70% on prescriptions. 5 MEETING MINUTES ~' COMMUNITY RELATIONS BOARD BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA M ay 3, 2000 Ms. Hosier relayed news of a new effort called the Kind Souls Project led by a letter carrier from Palm Beach Gardens, Ms. Karen Shamato, who recently gave a presentation to PATCH. Ms. Shamato concerns herself with providing shoes for children and others who are going without. Ms. Hosier said her PATCH planned to become involved with this project. At the conclusion of Ms. Hosier's presentation, Mr. Adams said that the Board should keep two things in mind. The first was that PATCH had presented a MODEL or PROCESS, which could be adapted to local needs. Secondly, they shared experiences of local PATCHES to give the Board a "flavor" of how they were going about doing things. Chairman Washam thanked everyone for his or her presentations, information, enthusiasm, and offers of support. Question & Answers Vice Chair Miller: You mentioned that some of your PATCHES are 501(c) and some are not. Where do you see the difference and if you're not a 501(c) how do you fund raise and get money in to set up programs? Mr. Adams: None of them are funded. They are community groups that got together, identified a need, formed a group of people and decided they wanted to make a difference. There happened to be a couple of organizations in these communities that were already established and it was easier to go into an established group than the entire process of mobilizing the community. They also had other programs for which they were receiving funding. For example, the one in Jupiter was involved in a school tutorial program. They did not have a health "arm". They added PATCH to cover issues of health and quality of life. Vice Chair Miller: Also, we toured New Hope Charities, a non-profit that leases their medical and day-care facilities out for $1.00 a year and they have paid employees. I am also involved with Samaritan Gardens, a new facility in West Palm, which is a 100% volunteer health facility. We hadn't decided which one we preferred - we would like to have medical provisions at our facility and I think that's what leads us into having a 501 (c), am I correct? Mr. Adams: I do not feel I have the information to answer that question. Ms. Hernandez responded that when the Glades PATCH does fund raisers they have the United Way, which set up a separate account for them, since they did not wish to set up a 501(c). Vice Chair Miller: You are considered a United Way member. Do you have to follow all their guidelines for a non-profit? Mr. Adams: No. 6 MEETING MINUTES '~ COMMUNITY RELATIONS BOARD BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA May 3,2000 Ms. Hosier responded that she keeps money in an account for Kind Souls and disburses it when requested so Ms. Shamato has a 501(c) tax deduction capability without having to go through the struggle of setting up boards of directors, bylaws, and charters. Vice Chair Miller: status? Can you get corporate sponsorship large dollars without 501(c) Ms. Hosier: Yes, you have a lot to choose from in the County. Mr. Adams: I think you should do the research on the different models and structures and Dan DeCarlo has a number of funding sources. Chairman Washam: Have you seen the needs change since you started the PATCH program in the Glades? Ms. Hernandez: There was a problem with teen pregnancies a couple of years ago, which seems to have decreased. Ms. Girtman: In the very beginning, how did go about getting the people into the PATCHES to do the work? Mr. Adams: It depends on the area. In the Glades, since it is kind of out there, the people in the Glades have a tendency to be a little closer or more united than around here - they take their concerns very seriously. They rally around causes right away, they pull together--you have to be consistent in getting them involved and getting them to see that they will benefit by it. Chairman Washam thanked everyone, stating that while the Boynton project was being set up, the Board was going to need the assistance and counsel of the PATCH groups. PATCH Steering Committee & Work Program Discussion, Dan DeCarlo Mr. DeCarlo said there were several steps to follow up 1) 2) 3) 4) form steering committee schedule training for steering committee work plan form working groups The Board should be prepared to vote on a slate of candidates for the steering committee at the June meeting, using the PATCH guidelines for selection of candidates. The State Health Department will be coming in mid-June or mid-July to give training to the steering committee members. The steering committee will take the work plan and carry it forward, filling in dates of what will happen and when. The steering committee will establish working groups for individual assignments. Mr. DeCarlo stated that the Board need not concern itself with the funding for the health center since he was in the process of preparing proposals which would, hopefully, fund 7 ~r~ MEETING MINUTES "- COMMUNITY RELATIONS BOARD BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA May 3, 2000 the center. He stated that the focus of the Board should be the selection of persons to serve on the steering committee and on the types of services the Board would like to see in the facility when it is operational. Mr. DeCarlo said that there were other health and community projects the Board could be doing while the health center project was in the process of getting underway, such as Health Days, and other programs. Mr. DeCarlo stressed the importance of getting people to come to the meetings so the Board would understand the community's needs from the community's own point of view. After discussion, Chairman Washam asked Dan DeCarlo to arrange for a workshop meeting on May 17 at 6:30 P.M. in Conference Room C, West Wing. B) Youth In Government Day Chairman Washam reported that this year's Youth in Government Day was a great success. There was a wonderful turnout of students and good Board participation. The Mock City Commission meeting was particularly good. Ms. Currier mentioned that children were coming back year after year. Chairman Washam thanked Dan DeCarlo and the staff who had helped put Youth in Government Day together and contributed to its success. IX. NEW BUSINESS Ms. Currier reported a problem with the Senior Center in that the people from the north end of the city were not attending, thinking they would be charged for food. If anyone cannot afford to pay they are not asked to. Those who can pay make a donation. Chairman Washam stated that the policy needed to be set forth in black and white to avoid confusion. X. ADJOURNMENT There being no'further business to come before the meeting the meeting was duly adjourned at 8:50 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Susan S. Collins Recording Secretary (two tapes) 8