President, Merci Izquierdo-Whitaker, called the regular meeting of the Residents’ Council [the Council] to order at 3:00 pm on Thursday 06, 2023. 86 association members attended including Council members, Pat Kasuda and Naomi McAfee, Resident Director on the Board of Directors and ex-officio Director, respectively. Also, Executive Director Don Grove, Maintenance and Engineering Manager Kevin Crawford, Reident Life Director Karen Leighton, Security Manager Craig Nelson, CTV Coordinator Amber Fisher, 972 Coordinator Kevin Hartke, Steve Schimpff, Chris Caldwell

The Council observed a moment of silence for those who have passed away.

Previously distributed minutes of the June meeting of the Residents’ Council were approved as presented.

Mission Moment: Boutique Management

Dayle Dawes and Barbara Weaver recommend Peggy Romenesko for a Resident Mission

Moment in recognition of the incredible job she has done as Manager of Charlestown’s Ladies’ Boutique. Thanks to experience in upscale retail, an eye for fashion, some remarkable organizational skills, and her amazing energy and wonderful sense of humor, she has breathed new life into Charlestown’s Ladies’ Boutique and significantly increased both its weekly profits and shopper base. When Peggy was invited to join the boutique’s original management team in 2020, she took advantage of her several years of retail and display experience with Coldwater Creek and Talbot’s in Columbia following her retirement from a career in teaching. She immediately took on a lot of the “heavy lifting” associated with maintaining and running the boutique; she emptied racks and shelves of old or out-of-season inventory and replaced it with seasonal stock, made runs to the Treasure Sale storage area to vet clothing donations that fitted the shop’s needs and ferried them from Brookside back to the shop in Herbert’s Run. When the boutique’s original management team retired from their volunteer positions Peggy kept the shop running without skipping a beat, even during a long absence by her current Co-Captain. Both boutique volunteers and shoppers soon noticed Peggy’s uncanny eye for putting together outfits to for specific events or occasions. She sent many a delighted resident to a wedding, banquet, or other special event looking like a million dollars, and broadened the scope of the shop’s popular personal shopper service. She has mounted several gorgeous window displays and sales at the Shortline Cafe, and the shop has a whole new “upscale” look, highlighting stunning displays of especially beautiful and unusual items. Peggy takes great care to vet the boutique’s inventory, and carefully researches the retail value of unique items like designer purses and popular labels, so shoppers are assured of getting a bargain. She exhibits all of the Erickson Values, particularly friendliness and enthusiasm, responsibility, excellence, and teamwork.

If you observe these values in action among Charlestown residents, please let the Mission Moment Committee know. Send your recommendations to Phyl Lansing, chair.

Old Business

None

EXECUTIVE TEAM REPORTS

Merci Izquierdo-Whitaker, President

As I wrote for the July Sunburst issue, we have had a busy June and continue to plan more events to integrate both Independent Living and Continuing Care residents, as we are allmembers of one community. The “Tapestry” event at Wilton Overlook was very well received and the Tech Bar helped 60 residents resolve their technical issues. Both events serve as examples of our closer partnership established with Charlestown staff and residents.

The results of the Communications Survey, with its 13 pages of verbatim comments, were analyzed and action strategies are being identified in response to the comments. Don Grove has shared the information with his team, who are identifying ways to better communicate.

And speaking of communication, let us Embrace Growth and Shatter Stereotypes! The Ageless & Able project of the Resident Life DIB subcommittee will hold a discussion on Disrupting Ageism, discrimination just because of your age. The first session will be held on Tuesday, July 25th, at 11:00 in the Gallery. Raising awareness of ageism will help shift our thinking about common perceptions and stereotypes about aging and older adults. Space is limited so please register early. Contact Ann MacKay for further details.

Another way that we are building our partnership with the staff is our participation in the Joint Council on Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging, which is made up of 6 residents and 6 staff.

Activities:

• JUNE 29th—Sponsored the Pride Walk for residents & employees. We had 80 participants, including all ages with closing remarks by Taneika Herman, Corporate Director of DIB
• SEPTEMBER 15th—Fruits of our Labor—highlight what the Joint Council does & create awareness of mission/goal.
• OCTOBER — A variety of events to celebrate multicultural observances STAY informed! See CCICHARLESTOWN.ORG — your resident-run website.

 

John Remias, Vice President

No Report

Diana Dunaway, Secretary

No report

Mimi O’Donnell, Treasurer

May 31, 2023, Balance	$8,771.77
Revenue – from Dues Campaign	$    505.00
Expenses June 30, 2023, Balance	$  (608.39) $8,668.38
June 2023 Revenue Dues                                                                                           505.00 June 2023 Expenses: Nominations Committee                                                           578.58 PNC Service Fee – Checks                                                            29.81

Narrative Report

• The Council’s account balance at the end of May was $8,771.77
• During the month of June, revenue was $ 00
• Expenses in June totaled $608.39 for Nominations Committee and $29.81 for checks
• The account balance as of June 30, 2023, was $8,668.38

Nominating Committee, Pat Rudolph, Chair Pat Rudolph

In accordance with the bylaws of the Residents’ Council, the president, Mercy named a committee of three people to come forward with a slate of proposed officers for next year. The Slate is:

• President – John Remias
• Vice President – Joe Carrick
• Secretary – Nancy Meier
• Treasurer – Diana Dunaway

Election of officers will be on August 1 which will be the Residence Council meeting that month.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Benevolent Care, Carol Kefford, Chair

As Carol Kefford was not in attendance, her report was read by Merci.

• July is focused on chapel
• There is a treasure sale coming up July 26 to the
• Plans for September benevolent care month. The month will start with a donor reception on August 31. The gala is on September the 22nd. They will be ice cream socials to educate about benevolent care as well as outreach or 972. Residents who donate during September will be recognized with ribbons and cards for their In honor of the 40th anniversary donors who give to the legacy society in specified amounts will have read leaves on the tree.
• Brochures will be updated to emphasize current giving and planning

Our next meeting is July 26. in Charlestown Square 116. There will not be a meeting in May.

 

Communications, Larry Taylor, Co-Chair

• MyErickson Directory update will take place after July 4th – per Mary Evans.
• Tom Moore is running a PSA on 972 on Re-Setting your ComcastThe Charlestown Comcast bulk service contract provides basic HD television in the apartments. Address your concerns to General Services. See more information about apartment television and television connections. READ MORE Set-top boxes.
• Jason Spivey and Gregory addressed Comcast issues at the Thursday June 22 General Services Town Hall meeting. The Communications Committee discussed this information. Gregory asked Residents to call Comcast Bulk Service number [855-638- 2855] to get help with their SET Top Boxes. Residents are to say they are having problems with their SET Top Box and then ask for a service. Residents should not request a new SET Top Box.
• Wi-FiWi-Fi is a family of wireless network protocols based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, which are commonly used for wireless networking and allow nearby devices to exchange data by radio waves. Wireless local area networks (WLAN) are widely used in the world to link laptop computers, tablet co... READ MORE Issues, Connectivity, Stability, and Recent Wi-Fi streaming outages were reported on the network.
• Our 2nd.Tech Bar was held on Thursday June 29th from 10 AM to Noon in the GALLERY. We need to thank administration for having these Tech Bars for portable devices for our A request was made to include a Tech Bar at Assisted Living.
• Resident use of Voice-over Wi-Fi. This is due to future changes from Verizon repeaters to Wi-Fi Calling. Administration is evaluating this technology at Assisted Living.
• Gregory discussed the MyErickson Request Service\Work Order It was suggested that this form also be located under General Services not just under forms.
• The June Evergreen Topics are posted to the CCI-Charlestown website, CCICharlestown.org Charlie also talked about Request Service/Work Order forms.
• Communications Committee Communications Survey – A Report on Survey Results was given.
• Increasing awareness of CCICharlestown.org. was discussed by Hope Tillman. Hope suggested that residents can add the CCICharlestown App to their phones.
• Promotion of CCI Communications Email Chat was brought up. Contact Hope Tillman, the group manager, to be added to this group. CCI-Communications@googlegroups.com.

New Business

• The potential for fire hazards involving Lithium-Ion Batteries in New Scooters Mobility Equipment, Oxygen Equipment, etc. was discussed. The Safety & Security Committee is leading this Communications Committee mission will be to provide messaging on this topic.
• Encouraging Residents to use of the Residents Council Communication The survey found that Residents did not know what this form is. This form is to be used if their problems are not resolved by the Administration.

Next Communications Committee meeting is 2 PM, July 24th, 2023, by ZOOM. [ONLY] This will be preceded by the Website Meeting @ 1 PM, also by ZOOM.

 

Conservation, Mark Buehlman Chair

At our June meeting Michele Fenn, Charlestown Housekeeping Manager, talked more about the advantages of the new recycling compactor. The main benefit is we no longer transport recycled materials to Waste Management. They come to Charlestown and pick up the compacted material. This takes a specialized truck off the road and eliminates the fuel costs and associated emissions, a specialized driver, and the vehicle maintenance costs.

Last week several Conservation Committee members participated in the first ZOOM Sustainability Caucus meeting. The stated purpose was for Erickson communities to “share information about our current sustainability programs and our future hopes and dreams.” It was a good opportunity to communicate some of the successes and challenges our various groups are facing, and these meetings will be held on a regular basis.

Much of the June meeting was spent brainstorming about potential new guest speakers and the sustainability projects we will focus on for the remainder of the year. Tentatively we decided the most efficient way to proceed will be to break down into project-focused working groups.

The Computer Club has started recycling used printer ink cartridges. They are currently being collected in the Computer Club rooms, but they are working with housekeeping on a disposal location for the general Charlestown population.

There will be a dumpster on site July 12^th for the disposal of unwanted items. Before you decide on disposing of an item, consider if it could be donated for the Treasure Sale. Reuse is always a superior option to either recycling or disposal.

As they will mention, the Health Services Committee will be sponsoring a Medication Disposal event on July 17^th. If you have unwanted medication, please take advantage of that opportunity. Medications flushed down the toilet are untreated at the Wastewater Treatment plant and end up as trace concentrations in the discharge water.

Our July meeting will be on Tuesday, July 18th, at 2:00 pm in BR1. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend.

Dining Services, Mary Lee Seaman, Chair

Reports from the restaurant subcommittees were mostly favorable. Training of servers is quite successful. Food temperature is noticeably improved.

There is still some inconsistency with nutritional information on MyNutrition. Dietary Focus Group applauds the progress made on vegetable selection.

Healthier Choice items are coming to the Terrace and Short Line Cafes.

Resident feedback from the QR code has been good but dining services would like to see an increase in the number of responses. For the May report, which was only two weeks, there were 815 responses. 85% rated Good/Very Good, 6% Poor/Very Poor. Carry out received an overall rating of 87% Good/Very Good.

Communication: Since residents find the term Open House for the bimonthly meeting with the individual restaurants’ management/chefs confusing the committee will work with Ken to find a new name for them.

The next meeting is on Monday. July 7 at 130 in Charlestown Square 116.

Finance Committee, John Yoder, Chair

• The Finance Committee met on June 27, 2023, at 9:00 Highlights of the meeting include:
• Invited guest: Kristin Aybar, Head of Home Health and Home Support Services presented an overview of revised policies and responded to questions. The rationale for changes is to serve the best interests and needs of residents while maintaining financial viability. They will be offering more information and explanations to residents in the coming
• Net Operating Income (NOI) continues to be above budget in both Independent Living and Continuing Care, driven in large part by healthy occupancy. For the Year-To-Date NOI has exceeded budget by a positive margin of more than $1.5 million.
• Average occupancy, Year-To-Date is 94.3% in Independent Living and 97.5% in Continuing Care; both are above budgeted amounts of 6% and 90.6% respectively.
• Sales activity continues strong with 79 settlements Year-To-Date compared to 66 releases, both of which a better than budget.
• At the end of May, there were 13 residents receiving Benevolent Care; at the end of December 2022, there were 18.

The next meeting of the Committee will be July 25 at 9:00 in Brookside #1.

Grounds Committee, Mike Rose, Chair

• Tree Removal and Replacement
• Deer Control
• Damage by Pet Dogs
• Lake Charles Condition
• Relocating Dumpster at Caton Ridge\
• Outside Trash Containers
• Nature Trail Bridge

Next Meeting: Tuesday, July 25, 2023, 1:00 PM Brookside Classroom 1

Health Services, Jean Tribulski, Co-Chair

Louise Dempsey reported on both Caton Woods and Wilton Overlook that a new Director of Nursing has been appointed, Danielle Henderson.
Rollator problems will be fixed by Physical Therapy and is sponsored by Home Health.
Medication Disposal will be held Monday, July 17 at both the Fireside and Cross Creek lobbies from 1-3 pm. Please read the requirements on Ch. 972, My EricksonMy Erickson is a resident portal. It is provided by Erickson Corporate and is managed by Charlestown staff, mainly Community Resources. See Portal. READ MORE scroll or on the bulletin boards by your mailboxes. No sharps (needles or syringes) will be accepted. You may call Housekeeping for a sharp’s container delivered to your door and call for pick-up when full.
The next Health Services meeting will be on July 11 at 11:00 am in BR classroom 1. Lisa Roeder, Resident Services Manager, will be our guest speaker. Her topic will be “Suicide.”

Housekeeping, report by Merci

Sebastian could not make it today. But we did attend the meeting with the housekeeping manager, Michele Fenn, and the new assistant manager. We want to thank staff for their complete response to all the work orders that we have been sending in. So, if you see something, say something. Take pictures, send a CPR work order.

Legislative/Political, Patricia Payne, Co-Chair

Meeting with local elected officials June 7, 2023 – What They Said!

• Status of repaving Maiden Choice Lane: County Councilman Pat Young let us know that money is in the Baltimore County budget for the repaving of Maiden Choice Lane in 2023. There is a complication, however! BGE is planning repairs that will involve construction work on Maiden Choice Lane. RESULT: The County and BGE are talking to each other! BG&E will do their work first and THEN the County will do the repaving.

GOOD NEWS! The County and BGE are working together and BGE is trying bump up their schedule, so they do not hold up the repaving of Maiden Choice Lane.

• Plastic bags and the Treasure Sale: Councilman Pat Young let us know that the Baltimore County legislation related to plastic bags should not have any impact on the Treasure Sale since there is a small business exception in the bill that should cover
• Senate Bill 1 – Gun Safety Act of 2023: This was one of the “hot button” bills of the 2023 Legislative Session, and it has significance for Charlestown. Starting October 1st, 2023, this bill, which has now been signed into law, bans public carry of firearms in most buildings by default unless a building’s owner or agent provides express consent to carry inside. It also specifies a host of places as off limits such as polling places.
• Support for an Increase in the number of County Council Members: Councilman Young supports an increase in the number of Baltimore County Council Members per district. However, he has not yet decided on how many.
• Why did the Task Force on Emergency Room Wait Times legislation die? Not for want of support for this bill. It passed out of both the house and the Senate but did not make it to the finish line on Sine Die.
• Status: Task Force on Baltimore Regional Water Governance – Legislation passed with broad support. I have not heard yet who is on the TF. However, their report is due by January 2024. This is a major step in regional cooperation!

The next meeting of the legislative/pol committee is Wednesday, July 12^th, 10:00 am in BS1

Maintenance/Engineering, Gordon Piche’

PROJECTS SCHEDULED FOR 2023: Renovations for Herbert’s Run are progressing as scheduled and will finish later this year. Signs made for the interior signage updating project have errors that should be corrected in July. The black and silver top A/C bridge units still need updating so they work properly. Caton Ridge building renovations are now progressing on schedule and will be completed this fall. A replacement elevator for Chapel Court will be done later this year. The repair project for the ST Charles to Harborview Bridge support washout awaits County approval. Near the bridge, 3 large trees will be removed and the wooden walking bridge on the trail will be moved and rebuilt. Many of the roadway wood guard rails will be replaced this year. Still need to solve the high noise level for a HVAC unit at Chapel Court. The noisy A/C unit in Courtyard Crossing will have additional testing.

ITEMS OF CONCERN THAT NEED ATTENTION AND NEW ISSUES: Exit doors near the Terrace Café do not always work. Dust in apartments from various situations throughout the campus needs to be solved; this is now a big issue. Expansion joints near the door frame of the Edgewood bridge need repair.

PROJECTS SCHEDULED FOR NEXT YEAR 2024: The replacement elevator for Charlestown Square is delayed. The extent of renovations for the Auditorium Stage have not been developed. Roof replacements for Buildings 8 (Arborside) and 9 (Green Tree Court) have been deferred.

Next scheduled mtg July 25, 2023, at 2pm in the General Services Conference Room

Resident Life, Nancy Meier, Co-Chair

The first guest speakers were Hope Tillman and Walt Howe to update the committee on the Residents’ Communications Survey to which 537 residents responded. The report compared responses from this survey with the previous survey in 2019. Residents moving in since 2019 tend to bring their technology with them and are more tech savvy. However, they are less familiar with ccicharlestown.com so that more instructions may be given in the future on the website

Next, we heard from Karen Leighton, Resident Life Manager; Deanna Booker from that office; and Leslie Johnson, Associate Executive Director.

• Deanna is working to assure the correctness of entries in the Resident
• There is a limitation as to how many events can be listed in the Sunburst calendar. Committee members and guests agreed that the residents should have access to the most current and accurate information regarding upcoming events.
• At the time of the committee meeting the swimming pool heater was not working and a new one had been ordered. As of July, the new heater has been installed.
• There are residents whose primary language is other than English and who may need instruction in Both Karen and Leslie understand the need for teaching. Issues remain as to identifying individuals and finding teachers.

The next meeting is Wednesday, July 18 in BS 2

Safety and Security, Justine Parezo, Chair

Lisa Roeder, Director of Resident Services, attended our meeting last month and spoke with us about suicidal ideation and suicide prevention. Some of her main points were:

• It is important to understand that knowing when someone is about to commit suicide is usually not in our power. Neither is preventing it from happening.
• Being neighborly and friendly is a way to stave off depression and help prevent isolation in others.
• If you suspect someone is depressed, notify your local social
• If you know someone is desperate and appears on the verge of suicide, contact They know how to deal with the situation and whom to contact.

Another topic discussed was lithium batteries. Other communities are also concerned and have shared their efforts to mitigate the risk that batteries will malfunction. It is most important that owners of items powered by lithium batteries realize that all recommendations made by the manufacturer be followed exactly.

At our next meeting, we will discuss the new Maryland gun legislation. We will be working closely with the Legislative Committee to determine any action needed on our part in response to the law. The next meeting is July 11 at 1:00 pm in BS 2. No meeting in August

Nominating and Elections, John Yoder, Co-Chair

John introduced the candidates for The Residents’ Council. They are:

• Edward (Ed) Appel,
• Margaret (Peggy) Carey
• Connie Cooney
• Jerry Donaldson
• Nancy Fayer
• Betsey Granek
• Art Johnson
• Stephanie Leddy
• Jacquelyn (Jacquie) Lucy
• Cathy Stevens
• Richard Tymoch
• Margaret Vincent
• Dick Voelkel

Residents will choose seven new members for the council on August 9, 2023. Packets were placed in residents’ cubbies providing information about the candidates and polling places. You must vote at the polling place designated for the building where you live as follows:

Building	Polling Place	Voting Hours
Fountain Hill (1) Maple Terrace (2) New Carroll (4, 5) Courtyard Crossing (7) Arborside (8) Greentree Court (9)	Terrace Cafe	11:00 am – 2:00 pm 3:00 pm – 6:30 pm
Chapel Court Parkview Caton Ridge Harbor View	Fireside	11:00 am – 2:00 pm 3:00 pm – 6:30 pm
St Charles	Atrium	3:00 pm – 6:30 pm
Herbert’s Run Brookside	Shortline Chesapeake	11:00 am – 2:00 pm 3:00 pm – 6:30 pm
Caton Woods Wilton Overlook	By absentee ballot

 

COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS FROM RESIDENTS AND GUESTS:

At the conclusion of the committee reports, Merci asked if anyone had questions for council chairs. The following comments were made:

• Someone asked who should be notified if you go to the The answer is the medical center
• Rosemary Erdman, ST-503, commented that Gordon Piche said the gutter repair work was completed, but outside her apartment the gutter still needed to be The matter was referred to Jason Spivey for further action.
• PNC did a cybersecurity presentation last week that will be re-run on 972 at two and seven for the rest of the week. Residents were encouraged to watch it.

 

Merci introduced Don Grove, Charlestown Executive Director, who gave an administration update.

Don started by thanking the people who participated in the Catonsville Fourth of July parade that helps promote Charlestown. He said the Baltimore Sun had a nice photo of the group. He also praised the Tec Bar set up by the Residents’ Council where residents with tech skills and corporate staff help residents with technology issues. This event was a great success. Another is planned for September and will be held quarterly after that. Another activity Don mentioned was the outside movie night with popcorn. The rain discouraged some people from coming but the ones who did come had a good time

Don addressed the Maintenance and Engineering Committee report that included a comment about the heaters on the bridges that do not work. Don and his wife met with John Erickson who was on campus for the fortieth anniversary celebration. Don’s wife ask him what he took away from the conversation, He told her two things: John said the heaters on the bridges never worked at the same time and second, he told Don his job as executive director of Charlestown was the best job he would ever have.

Last month one of the issues discussed was the garbage cans outside building entrances. Some residents have been using these bins for the garbage that should be picked up biweekly at apartments. Don said the signs put up by the Residents’ Council has helped with the problem. He went on the state that beginning in August garbage pickup will be three times a week instead of two.

Don talked about the deer problem we have on campus. Grounds staff asked for recommendations from The Department of Natural Resources. DNR provide a kit with a number of options. This information has been given the RC Grounds Committee for review and recommendations

Mimi O’Donnell asked a question about the Comcast contract and said some residents need updated equipment. Don said they received a list from Comcast of the people who need the updated box and are in the process of drafting instructions about how to get the updated equipment.

As a result of last year’s survey, General Services is sending surveys or a brief note to residents who had service to ask about their experience. He said the results of the QR code for dining services has been helpful and they hope to do the same with regard to general services. He requested that residents complete the survey if asked. He also noted positive feedback from QR codes that indicate some improvements have been made.

Don reported that management is looking into a process to give residents a choice of receiving emails for information that would normally be placed in cubbies.

Administration continues to work with the architects on the plans to update the historic district. He said it was somewhat like planning a shopping mall where you start with the anchor stores first then figure out where other things go. In our case the anchor stores are the dining venues. He plans to update residents in the historic district towards the end of the month and include information in the August Town Hall meeting for all residents. Information on timelines is still in development but Don hopes some things can be started next year.

In Continuing Care, the State has started the first survey of skilled nursing in three or four years. A new Director of Nursing has been hired so Leslie Johnson will finally come over to the administration office.

As there were no further questions, President Merci Izquierdo-Whitaker adjourned the meeting at 4:12 pm

Respectfully submitted, Diana Dunaway
Residents’ Council Secretary