2008-04-23 - Commission for Residents with Disabilities - Minutes Board or Commission: ❑ Commission on Residents With Disabilities
Document Type: 0 A e
g nda 0 Minutes
Meeting ate: 04/23/2008
Type of Meeting: ❑ Regular Meeting
MINUTES OF THE BUFFALO GROVE COMMISSION
FOR RESIDENTS WITH DISABILITIES MEETING
April 23, 2008
Call to Order -Meeting called to order by Chairman Kahen at 1905 hours.
Roll Call - Rick Kahen, Beverly Sussman, Dean Klassman, Mark Weiner, Mara
Sabath, Debbie Verson, Debby Holm, Donna Garfield, Sue Gottlieb, Dave Morton,
Judy Samuels, Geri Miller-Brown, Larry K. Swieca, Trustee Steve Trilling
Excused -
Approval of Minutes - Approval of Minutes for March 26, 2008. Motion by
Commissioner Morton, second by Commissioner Sabath to approve with changes.
Chairman Kahen's report:
Tuesday April 29th will be the Senior Expo at the Arboretum. Commissioners Holm,
and Sussman and Liaison Swieca will be available to man the table.
The Commission will be at the Village Open House April 27t'. Chairman Kahen will
be there 11-1 Commissioners Samuels and Garfield 1 to 3PM and Commissioner
Weiner 3PM to close. Liaison Swieca will help with setup and takedown.
Village redoing old Commission brochure that describes the mission and makeup of
the Commission. Will print in-house and have ready for the Open House on Sunday.
The Daily Herald had a article regarding a group home for autistic children in the
Cambridge subdivision under the guidance of Clearbrook House. Home Depot is
leading the effort of the remodeling. It is almost done and ready for occupancy.
Chairman Kahen, and Commissioner Samuels, along with L. Swieca will attend the
OPTIONS Fair at Stevenson High School. Commissioner Garfield stated that with
most transition fairs agencies have tables and present their programs to the students
and their families. Programs that might meet the needs of the students. Chairman
Kahen felt that even though we do not offer programs, since Stevenson invited us, it
would be good exposure for the Commission.
Chairman Kahen would like to see a speaker every 2— 3 months. Discussion again
about the possibility of a Resource Fair at BG Days during the Monday Fun &
Food Event. Perhaps we can make arrangements to get people enrolled in the
P.U.N.S Database.
7 years ago Robin Jones from Great Lakes ADA, Title II & Title III gave a
presentation to the Commission (October 2001). She is very knowledgeable on Title
II Public Services and Programs; and Title III Public Accommodations for
People with Disabilities. Would like to see if this ADA presentation could be
videotaped and shown on Channel 6.
Commissioner's Reports:
Commissioner Sussman: Noted that the "Miracle Field" in Buffalo Grove was
mentioned during a Cub's broadcast. Commissioner Holm noted that the NWSRA is
using the field on Saturdays. They will be having their 3�d game this Saturday. Several
park districts are in a Buddy Baseball league together.
Commissioner Gottlieb: Spoke about the new P.U.N.S Database. (See Excerpt from
Website below).
Illinois is now 51st in the country in spending for disabilities. Any child that wants
services at some point must be entered into the P.U.N.S Database.
45 minutes of discussion and questions. Once entered into the Database, there is a
monthly lottery. 10 people per month are offered services from the State.
Critical/Emergent situations will receive first priority but the individual must be
entered into the Database and updated every year. Commissioner Gottlieb needed to
bring her daughter to the interview for verification.
Commissioner Garfield stated that the State of Illinois does not know who is disabled.
No knowledge of students after they graduate. They get lost. The P.U.N.S Database is
to start the process of tracking these individuals.
PUNS stands for Prioritization of Urgency of Need for Services.
The Illinois General Assembly has created a cross-disability database for services for
people with disabilities. The database is an important tool used to accurately gauge the
needs of individuals with disabilities and their families in the state. Currently, Autism is
under-representative, do not be a family that misses out. As of February there were
fewer than 300 families on the database representing autism as a primary disability.
Yet, there are at least 8,200 children in Illinois in special education under the primary
eligibility category of autism.
Make sure your child is counted. It is important to be on this DATABASE. There may
potentially be a service available right now to access, and if not, you can guarantee
access to them when as Illinois puts more money into services for individuals with
Autism.
Call your PAS agency today... click here for contact information.
Complete the PUNS Questionnaire... click here to download a copy.
http://www.autismillinois.org/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=17
Commissioner Garfield suggested that the Commission give Community
Alternatives Unlimited a call; they would send a speaker out.
Commissioner Weiner wondered about the possibility of the Commission offering a
scholarship. Commissioner Sussman had also mentioned this on her self-evaluation.
Chairman Kahen thought the idea of a scholarship very good. Discussion of value.
Decided that $500 would be feasible. That might only provide books but should be a
help. Noted that the Chamber of Commerce and the Arts Commission both have
scholarship programs. Discussion of qualifications. The Commission would have to
decide; would it be for a person with special needs or a student going into Special
Education. Discussion followed but the general feeling is that a special needs individual
would be a higher priority than a Special Education student. Funding would have to be
worked out and the administration of the scholarship.
Scholarship Committee formed Commissioner Sussman (lead), along with
Commissioners Weiner, Morton, Sabath, and Garfield will get together and
brainstorm. Commissioner Sussman asked if those Commissioners who belong to
groups that award scholarships could bring in those guidelines.
VI. Sub-Committee Reports:
Schools: Chairman Kahen asked about going forward with the Grade School
Educational Initiative. Commissioner Sussman stated there are multiple
websites on planning curricula. Chairman Kahen asked Commissioner Garfield to contact the
school districts first to see what programs they already have in place. The
Commission will then proceed based on that. Tabled until May.
Commissioner Weiner noted that an article in the Tribune talked about the Big
Buddy Peer Program. This program pairs up peer buddies for after school,
extracurricular activities, such as bowling.
Commissioner Klassman mentioned a program called the Friendship Circle
that comes to Chabad. http://www.friendshipcircle.org/ It pairs teens with
special needs children. Commissioner Klassman will speak to the Director, Rabbi
Zelik Moscowitz, about coming out to speak to us in June. The
Friendship Circle is a non-denominational, national organization.
Commissioner Garfield noted that CLC is expecting to roll out new programs
for Adults with Disabilities soon. Heather Barcal & Carol Ewing is in
charge. She will contact them to give a presentation to us next month.
No reports from Legislative; Business; Community Accessibility; BG Days;
or Website.
VIII. Staff Liaison Report: None.
IX. Other Business: Village Trustee Steve Trilling discussed with the Commission
about steps being taken to allow the Village to better communicate with the residents in
the event of an emergency, such as the recent"Boil Order". One system being looked at
would allow you to enter up to 5 methods to be contacted; (1 house phone number, 2
e-mail addresses, and 2 cell phone numbers). Part of the Village Board's discussion to
make certain the system is not overused. They are trying to see if the system would
show up on Caller ID as "Village of Buffalo Grove Emergency". The Board wants a
tested, proven system, and the Village would retain the information in the database.
X. Adjournment- Motion by Commissioner Morton, second by Commissioner
Sussman to adjourn. Approved. Meeting adjourned at 20528hrs.
Next meeting scheduled for May 28, Lower Level Conference Room of the Village Hall
7PM