1. Matt Hart, Assistant Town Manager, was in attendance to report that the search process for a Dept. Director has yielded 10 top applicants, and interviews are scheduled for Oct. 9 and 10. It is hoped that a new Director might be on the job as early as November or the first week of December. The Committee agreed that, if the new director were an "outside" candidate, a large part of his/her first SSAC meeting would be devoted to a general welcome, orientation and sharing. The Committee would also entertain a special meeting with the new director, and Becky Lehmann would make herself available at other times. Mr. Hart also indicated that Sandra Baxter has been hired as the new School Readiness Parent Education and Support Coordinator, and she began her training and duties this week.

2. Becky Lehmann represented the Dept. at the Know Your Town Fair on Sept. 14, and reported that she had many visitors to the table, and she was able to answer many questions, in addition to issuing bus passes.

3. Sheila Thompson reported that there are still 3 vacancies on the Mansfield Advisory Committee on Persons with Disabilities, and she has put an article in the Mansfield Record to solicit volunteers to be placed in a volunteer "pool" of candidates to fill vacancies on committees within the Social Services Dept. She has also received some names of possible MACPD candidates and she will be calling them.

4. Items in the packet were reviewed, with attention called to cuts in State budget to social services programming, which may affect an increase in services provided by local social service providers. Interdepartmental statistics from YSB, Senior Center and Wellness Center were reviewed.

3. Minutes from Sept. 5, 2002:

Minutes were accepted and approved by consensus.

4. Old Business:

1. Becky Lehmann introduced Judy Heald, who has expressed interest in becoming a SS Advisory Committee member. She will submit a letter of interest to the Deputy Mayor.

2. A meeting with the Community Center subcommittee has not been held to address the issue of a fee waiver policy, however, representation from the SSAC will be present at the time of the meeting, when scheduled, to share viewpoints and advice.

5. New Business:

1. Janit Romayko, of the Youth Services Bureau, was present to summarize the activities and goals of the unit. She indicated that clinical services remain at the level of last year, and that they were not able to qualify for a grant for Underage Drinking prevention, due to the highly competitive process for only 3 issued grants.

2. Becky issued a copy of the proposed SSAC Annual Report and entertained corrections and revisions to this report from committee members. She will retype the Report and submit it to the SSD and Town Manager’s staff.

3. Discussion focused on dates and preliminary plans for the Legislative Meeting. Two dates, Dec. 10 or 12, were suggested, and the legislators will be called to learn of their availability on either of those two dates. Copies of last year’s agenda and questions were given to SSAC members for review and suggestions.

4. Letter to area agencies regarding funding requests have been sent, and copies of this letter were distributed to the SSAC, along with copies of the application and criteria for funding. Members were asked to commit to review of an agency’s request, and Marla indicated she would review United Services’ request, Becky would review Literacy Volunteers, Ed would review Legal Services and the Veteran’s Advisory Center, and absent and new members would be asked to review the remaining agencies’ applications.

5. It was decided that due to the holidays, January’s meeting would be on the 7^th.

6. Next meeting: Nov. 7, 2002.

Plans for next meeting: Matt Hart will update the Committee on the selection of a new director. Joan Buck, Chair of the Mansfield School Readiness Council, will update the Committee on recent developments with the MSR Program and the Discovery Grant. Continuing items: staffing; area agency funding requests; Dec. Legislative meeting. New items: SSD budget for ‘03/’04; review of the At Risk Program.

7. Adjournment. 5:16 PM

Respectfully submitted,
Sheila J. Thompson