July 23, 2003 Work Group Meeting Minutes
The William S. Cohen Community Center, Hallowell, Maine

Present:  Christine Bartlett, Nat Hussey, Stirling Kendall (Muskie facilitator and chair), Stephanie Wolfstone-Francis, John Baillargeon, Deb Parker Wolfenden , Shirley Bastien, Linda Jariz, Danny Westcott (Muskie), Helen Bailey, Kathryn Kazenski, Lisa Marie Lindenschmidt (Muskie), Marianne Ringel, Tonya Labbe, Debbie Rogers, Kathy Adams, Linda Huff 

Not Present:  Steve Hoad, Chris Zukas-Lessard, Tom Bancroft, Ron Welch, Cynthia Sudheimer, Jane Gallivan, Alice Conway, Debbie Williams, Kate Brogan, Jonathan Connick, Peter Driscoll, Cary Gifford, Debbie Rogers, Myra Champagne, and Lora Perry

The meeting began at 1:00 p.m.  Stirling Kendall chaired the meeting

1. Check-in and Roll Call
Participants introduced themselves.

2. Mission Statement and Vision Statement
Stirling read the Work Group’s revised vision statement: “All of us together, in community with equality in rights and dignity, in pursuit of happiness and fulfillment.”

3. Meeting Minutes
The Work Group approved the minutes of the April 23, 2003 meeting as written.

4.  Review of the Agenda
Stirling reviewed the agenda and meeting materials.  The meeting materials included a table of outreach methods used during the public comment period and respondent comments by topic area.

5.  Review of Public Comments
The Work Group’s goal for this meeting was to review comments received from people during the public comment period and decide how to use them.  Eighty-seven (87) individuals and/or groups from various communities around the State responded to the Work Group’s call for input during the public comment period (Sep 2002-Jun 2003).  At this meeting, the Work Group discussed how to use the comments: i.e., whether to incorporate as recommendations, all or some of the comments into the body of the Roadmap; or include as an appendix; or merely use them to inform and validate the Work Group’s current recommendations. 

After considerable discussion, the Work Group voted to include the respondents’ comments without identifying information, verbatim in an appendix rather than to incorporate them in an altered way in the body of the Roadmap.  While the Roadmap takes into account the concerns expressed by many respondents, the Work Group reasoned that other responses would require substantial alteration, making consensus on revised recommendations difficult, if not impossible. More importantly, the Work Group’s outreach strategy of using brief and simply stated messages like: “Did we get it right? And “Help! Tell us what you need to live well at home and in the community” yielded a broad range of responses in areas (e.g., education, health care/insurance, recreation) not specifically addressed in the Roadmap.  The Work Group suggested that the rationale for putting public comments in the appendix be explained in the final report.

6. Submitting the Roadmap to Commissioners
With the Roadmap complete, the Work Group considered ways to present it to interested parties.  The Work Group decided to invite the Commissioners for DHS, BDS, DOE, DOL, and DOC and other special guests to the October 22^nd Work Group meeting.  A preliminary agenda was developed and the Work Group talked about the purpose and format for the meeting. The goals for the meeting include asking for input from the commissioners and discussing ways for ensuring that Roadmap recommendations are addressed going forward.  The Work Group requested that invitations also be extended to Governor Baldacci, the Commissioner for the Department of Transportation, and the Director of the Maine State Housing Authority.   The Work Group proposed a meeting format that would provide an opportunity for a structured dialogue, beginning with Work Group members making brief presentations, highlighting the most important findings in the Roadmap, then turning the floor over to the Commissioners for them to comment on current priorities and future plans.  Assisted by Danny Westcott and Lisa Marie Lindenschmidt, Tonya Labbe, Helen Bailey, John Baillargeon, and Nat Hussey volunteered to plan the October meeting.

7. Presentation to the Southern Maine Long Term Care Working Group
Danny Westcott asked for volunteers to present the Roadmap on September 24 to the Southern Maine Long-Term Care Working Group in Gorham/Westbrook.  Tonya Labbe and Stephanie Crystal Wolfstone-Francis volunteered to make the presentations.  Danny also volunteered to participate.

8.  Next Meeting
The next meeting to unveil the Roadmap is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, October 22nd from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The meeting location will be announced later.