January Resident Council General Meeting Minutes

Resident Council General Meeting

Minutes for Jan. 4, 2016

The Jan. 4  meeting of the John Knox Village Resident Council was opened by President Jim Ham at 2 p.m. in the Courtyard Community Center. Jim opened the meeting by welcoming all. First time attendee, Gene Hummell was recognized

and welcomed. Jim thanked all residents who had donated cookies for the Associate Recognition event at Christmas. A total of more than 3,300 cookies were provided as a thank you to all our associates who help to make the Village a wonderful place to live. President Dan Rexroth also welcomed all and wished all a Happy New Year. Dan thanked residents and associates who have expressed sympathy and concern in the death of his mother. He mentioned that the first two residents are moving into the new D building this week. There will be 14 moved in by the end of March.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Finance Committee: Chair Gerry Wachsmann reported on the December meeting. Village Vice President of Finance, Kim Klockenga, presented the October Financial report. Two representatives from Lockton Insurance gave a brief overview of the Village associate health plans. Claims and premiums are closely monitored as the Village is self insured. Net deposits for both lease and entrance ree contracts were below budget, as were lease move-ins. Entrance fee move-ins were above budget. Occupancy for Independent Living was 748, Village Assisted Living – 174, VCC – 291. Revenue was $131,000 below budget, offset by expenses that were $127,000 below budget. November and December financials will be reviewed at the next meeting on Jan. 27. Preliminary discussion of the 2017 Budget will also be held.

Resident Services Committee: Chair Martha Wood, reported on the December meeting. Vice President of Seniors Living Maria Timberlake reported that the fire marshal has inspected the new D Building, all appliances have been tested, the certificate of occupancy from the city of Lee’s Summit is due and the first of several residents will move in Jan. 4. Maria introduced Todd Hollander, director of dining services, who reported on resident satisfaction survey results from his area. Reporting on each restaurant in turn, Todd spoke first about Fireside Dining where sales have increased and scores showed general improvement. They are addressing the speed of the line and making sure hot food arrives hot. He thanked those who volunteer, which helps greatly as staffing is an issue. All scores at the Courtyard Café were up except service. Recent staff turnover at the Courtyard Café is more stabilized now with the addition of Carmen, the new manager. The Courtyard currently has the equivalent of six full time employees and that number will rise to 22 when the new restaurant opens. The new restaurant at the Courtyard Commons will have seating for 120, extended hours and a much larger kitchen with great equipment. All Lakeside Grille scores were up. This restaurant is now experiencing more consistent food temperatures and no longer has a cafeteria line. The staff there meets with a group of residents each month to talk about the menu. Survey issues at Places Restaurant concerned staffing and appearance. Assuming capital funds are available, it is hoped to have 157 new chairs and new lobby furniture. New lighting has been ordered. In general, staffing has been a problem as the Village provides great benefits but conservative pay. Also there is the fact that too many prospective employees think of the Village as a nursing home. In light of this, a new brochure is available showing photos of residents being active and engaged. These brochures will be distributed to area colleges and high schools with culinary programs. A major benchmark is the 5.5 raise in the “overall” category which Holloran says is a statistically significant figure. The next meeting will be Jan.11.

Nominating Committee: Chair June Dewsberry reported the Committee did not meet in December. She called attention to the January Village Voice article which explains that the first term of Resident Board member Carol Evans will end in April, so there will be a vacancy to fill. Carol is eligible to run again for a second 3-year term, but other residents may also submit resumes for this position. The deadline for turning in resumes is 2 p.m. on Feb. 1. Candidates need to have lived at the Village for two years and be active in Village life. The resumes will be published in the March Village Voice, with the candidate's permission. If there are more than three resumes submitted, there will be an election at the March 7 Resident Council meeting, and the top three candidates names will be sent to the Board Development Committee. From there on, the choice is entirely up to the Board. The committee will be meeting on Thursday this week, and we will be working on committee membership. If anyone is interested in a particular committee, please contact June. All residents are welcome, even encouraged, to be a part of a committee of their choice. – The next meeting will be Jan. 7.

Program:

Maria Timberlake, Vice President of Senior Living, gave an overview and response to the recent Resident Satisfaction Survey. Overall resident satisfaction was up over the previous two surveys (2011, 2013). Some areas in need of improvement are already being addressed, including: C building landscaping; intensified staff training; Focus on mowing, trimming, clean up and work order timeliness; planting of 10,000 bulbs for spring color. In the Dining Services area: the hot well at Lakeside Grille has been fixed; in Places Manhattan Room, the glass wall has been covered with a drape; the staffing at Courtyard Café has stabilized; the addition of more volunteers to speed up service at Fireside Dining. Maintenance will have after hour presence for non-routine/urgent needs to improve response time on evenings and week-ends; move-in specialist added to the Marketing Department to assist in resident transition to the Village; contract with Consolidated Communications (CCI) for phone, cable and Internet. Each Department has developed action plans to improve satisfaction. The focus is on your WOW experience by improving the physical environment, improving programs and services, creating a hospitality culture, enhancing health care options, building value, trust and peace of mind, and continuing the commitment to Quality. Residents can help by staying informed and spreading the word; inviting speakers to talk to your group and go over details of your area of interest; speaking up if you have questions, ideas, problems or concerns; and recognizing the diversity in resident needs, wants and opinions. If you want more information on department action plans, call the director of the department. For an overall overview or if any information on a certain topic is needed, call Dan: 347-2864, or Maria: 347-2110. You might even get a free cup of coffee!

The next General Meeting will be on Monday, Feb. 1. Vice President of Finance and Corporate Treasurer Kim Klockenga will present the proposed FY 2017 budget.

Respectfully submitted,

June Dewsberry, Secretary, Resident Council