steering committee meeting -
01/07/2015

Tri-County LTR Steering Committee Meeting Minutes

January 7, 2015

The Steering Committee meeting of Tri-County Long Term Recovery was called to order at 9:05 a.m. by Chairman Jim Fassino.

In attendance were Terry Bibo, Ben Davidson, Shelley Epstein, Capt. Katherine Clausell, Kevin Gramm, Jennifer Orban, Alyssa Pollock, Liz Pollack, Tom Pelger, Mark Roberts, Tim and Barb Slagel, Amber Wells.

December minutes: Approved.

Chairman's report: Fassino said the Funder's Forum is doing a fantastic job. He tried to use LTR funds to generate interest. Sometimes it worked; sometimes it didn't. But he said he wasn't too dismayed about the few items which weren't funded because the overall process was good. Committee members agreed that funders would pay when the work is done; Epstein said the message can be conveyed that more funds may be available later. Pollack said staff never makes promises and clients are usually happy with whatever they get.

Vice chairman: Orban said she would like to mention soil remediation prominently as part of the public meeting next week. Epstein said he wouldn't be there, but the message is: We are accepting applications for assistance with soil. Davidson said it may be important to emphasize that the Funder's Forum is doing this, not just LTR.

Spirit/emotional: No report.

Communications: Epstein said December was an Ëœoutlier' month for communication, just as November had been. But where the one-year anniversary meant a lot of media attention in November, the holidays and some compassion fatigue meant December was ultra-slow. However, the staff should be complimented for the Holiday Open House. It was well-done, garnering press at the event and in follow-up stories. He noted the web page is moving along, slowly, and encouraged Steering Committee members to offer story ideas. Fassino said the statistics on Facebook were up thanks to the holiday posts.

Donations: Roberts said $22,000 was donated in December for disaster recovery. He has been working with the McCormick Foundation on a one-year report. Fassino suggested he make copies of the initial McCormick report available to committee members.

Volunteer Management: Davidson he does not know of any agency sending out volunteers now. The committee is still evaluating what to do in the spring. One possibility is to confine the effort to local volunteers; if there isn't enough work, an event can be canceled more easily. At one point, for example, sheds were going to be provided to homeowners. But when case managers called, 80 percent of the clients didn't need one any more. Roberts asked if volunteers should be discouraged. Davidson said maybe. Wells said perhaps potential volunteers can be redirected.

Disaster Case Management: Pelger said there may be 700 closed cases, but some may come back for assistance with soil issues. Pollock confirmed there are 298 open cases; 716 closed cases; 1,014 total. All cases are now assigned to case managers. Fassino asked if they are fully-staffed; Pollack said yes. Pelger said one grant funded through the Red Cross may run out in February, but discussions are ongoing.

Pets: Kitty Yanko was not present, but Pollack said Peoria Humane Society had donated 25 $25 Petco gift cards during the holidays and clients were appreciative.

Funder's Forum: Resources continue to come in. St. Patrick's Catholic Church joined. In part, funders cite the access to information they would not have without LTR. Pollack added that Kroger gift cards provided by LTR were well-received. She expects to have more unmet needs to present at the February meeting.

Construction Management: Fassino said Lu Ori retired from River City Construction at the end of 2014. While Ori does not want to attend meetings, he will be available if needed.

Finance:. Gramm said LTR has granted $197,232.31. With $1,000 outstanding, there is a balance of $375,374.10, plus $8,145.65 in checking. Rent is $1,700 per month and negotiations are underway to shift to a month-by-month basis.

Soil remediation: The group consensus is that LTR does not endorse or intervene in soil remediation, but it will help make information available to clients. Barb Pelger will revisit companies to check current prices and see if any additional organizations would like to participate. Tim Pelger will touch base with landscapers to see if there is opposition to a low-cost option being made available.

Morton LTR: Davidson has emailed possible participants to find a date when information can be shared. In preparation, he would like each subcommittee to provide a one-page description of its duties. He hopes subcommittee heads will be able to attend and talk about their experiences.

Other business: At Fassino's request, Pollock is leading a work group to look at long-term possibilities. In particular, it will look at the fit with Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) and Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COAD).

Steering Committee Meeting: 8 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 4 at the LTR Center.

Community Long Term Recovery meeting: 3 p.m. Wednesday, March 11, at the LTR Center.