Hello.

Stay kind of far away.

It's very loud.

Well, hi.

I'm gonna I'm gonna just I'll just call it to order, okay?

Go for it.

Um I'm calling the commission on senior living to order on September 24th at 5 30 p.m.

here in Carmel City Hall.

Um tonight we're just going to go through our agenda, and first on our agenda is Monica that has been working on our uh survey, and I will ask her to um give us a summary so far, and then we probably have some questions for you, Monica.

Yeah.

Well, as of today, uh five minutes ago, we have uh 496 completed surveys, so we're almost at 500.

Um 30 of those came in on Monday.

Uh the first week we had about 240 the first week.

So basically we got a big chunk, and it's just getting lesser and lesser as the weeks go on.

Um, but we're still you know getting some each week.

Um so about 500.

What we did is we um our original plan was we got enough um numbers or got enough addresses that we could send out 10,000 surveys.

Um because of the way printing works for us, for whatever reason, it was cheaper to send out all 10,000 rather than a thousand, a thousand at a time.

So we sent out ten thousand.

Um so in theory, if everyone answered, we we would have ten thousand.

Clearly, we have five hundred, so that's not the case.

Um our response rate is really low right now.

Um 500 is still good.

I mean, it's good to have that much feedback, but uh percentage-wise, we're pretty low.

Um so what our plan is is to wait until uh the surveys completely plateau.

Um so where we're getting you know one or two back a week, um, and then we'll revisit sending out a follow-up survey.

Um so the point then would be to follow uh send it back out to the people who haven't uh who didn't send it back to us, so not new people, the same original 10,000 um to try and get them to respond.

So that's our plan.

Um based on the way things are going, I would say in the next maybe two-ish, two to three weeks, we would hit like full plateau with how things are going.

That is to say, I know that a reporter was doing a story on it, so if it ends up in the what uh so it is possible that we'll get um increased response rate.

The problem is some of those people might have already thrown away the paper.

Um so then we might need to resend it back out so that people it's now in their mind.

Um so that's where we're at.

Um it's going.

And how many do you really hope that you can get?

We've got 495.

What would you like to get?

We want as many as we can.

Um so I would say uh I don't know that I want to answer that question.

I want as many as possible.

Um I think the biggest thing is that what we can start doing once we get a little bit uh a little bit more numbers, we can start to look at kind of the demographics of Carmel and the demographics of people who have answered, and then see if they're matching, and if not, then we really need to try and push it out to get that representative sample that we talk about, right?

Um so there will be people who are more likely to respond to a survey just because they have more time or more interest.

Um those people are gonna be more likely to respond, but maybe if we nudge the others, then they'll um get back with us.

So that's our question.

When you said um looking at the demographics of Carmel, yeah, and then others, I thought this was just Carmel.

Oh no, I didn't if I said others, I didn't mean it.

This is just Carmel.

I'm maybe Miss Heard.

Oh, yeah, yeah, just just Carmel, just people with um Carmel zip codes, and then um there is a small caveat that surveys have been sent out to people.

I don't know the workings of Carmel, but that have been sliced off from Carmel and are now in Fisher's or one of the other counties.

We still have that information, so we're still including them in the survey, but there's not very many of them, but we can always cut them off if we don't want their answers.

So they're in the survey now, but I don't know which zip code it is because I don't know.

And then further clarification, was it mentioned previously that you needed 500 for it to be scientific data?

I don't know if that's the case, but 500 um is again a great start.

We're three away from that, so that's awesome.

Um I do think that I think that was probably when we were thinking about sending out 1,000 at a time.

And because we sent out 10,000 at a time, this is like it's a very low response rate, right?

So if it was 500 out of a thousand that answered, that'd be 50% response rate.

And honestly, for the kind of work we're doing here, that would be great.

But 500 out of 10,000 is not 50%.

I have a question.

Is it possible that on your second mailing you could add some sort of I want to participate, but I don't know how to call this number?

There is a number, and that thank you for bringing that up.

There is a number there, and that goes to our research assistant, um Nick.

And he did receive quite a few calls of um people are unsure how QR codes worked or um how to type in the URL, and he did assist those individuals.

Um that number is still on there, and it's good to call.

He said the first uh the first people who received theirs, he got quite a few phone calls that first day, and then it's kind of tailed off since then.

So and then this leads me to my next question.

I actually received when I didn't know if it was appropriate for me to respond since I'm part of the commission.

So before I took action, I wanted to check.

That's a great question.

Um I don't see why you can't.

You're a Carmel resident.

Yes, I am.

As long as that's up front and and you have a chance to say it's not the best practice.

So do you feel good about it?

I think it's fine.

One person.

So I have a question.

We've got the conference coming up, and so we have had them register for the conference.

Is there any way we can see or compare who signed up to go to the conference and have they responded to the survey?

And if not, is there some way we can use can we have a table at the conference where they can fill out a survey and leave it with us?

Yeah, so this is what I'll say.

Um I I don't think there's a way to know that because we don't ask for name.

Like I we we don't we don't ask in the survey um what their name is, so I don't think there's a way to cross cross-reference that.

Um we have I think birthday, but if somebody has, you know, two people have the same birthday, it's no way to know that it's the same person.

We can provide you with surveys that they can fill out.

Um what I will say is then that wouldn't be that kind of random sample, but it's certainly we can add them.

Um, and then we could put like kind of an asterisk next to those that like those might not be from that representative sample, but it certainly would help get more responses.

Um I would the other caveat to that is there's no way to determine if someone did get one in the mail and filled it out, that they aren't also filling one out in person and then kind of like doubling their own.

Yeah, that's what I was worried about.

You have double there, but you you would be relying on people to be honest.

Well, they should know where they filled it out, and if they're if we oh, sure, sure, it's send them again.

Sure.

Okay.

Sure.

So we can go ahead and yeah, I mean we think we can definitely provide you with surveys.

I think um we'll know that they're from here because they'll be paper paper surveys as opposed to um you know online, but sure.

Okay.

I think we could do that.

Do you know about how many people you're expecting?

Well, as of today, we've got over 60.

Okay.

Okay.

I would say by the time the, you know, by the time the conference is actually uh on the 10th of October, I would guess we'll get 100 to 150.

Okay.

Okay, so I think that would be helpful.

And I also was gonna have a table there just for our commission to be able to answer questions to our citizens as to what the survey is gonna be and what it's you know, what it means and what are we trying to do as a commission.

So I thought it'd be a good place to talk about that a little bit as well.

And I can I don't know that it would be a good idea to present early findings there because you wouldn't want, let's say, for example, like I can I can tell you what people have said so far, right?

Um I don't know that I'd want to present that to everyone yet, because I wouldn't want that to screen people's answers, but I I could I could let you guys know that.

The theme of our conference is resources to seniors.

So we know that seniors have said they don't know what's available to them.

So that's what we're sort of focusing on.

So I'm not expecting to give them any kind of results from the survey until we're ready because that's too great.

Too much.

Yeah, but I think I mean that's great.

You know, the preliminary results from the last um conference said that not, you know, that didn't know category for a lot of um questions was really prevalent.

So I think that's a great that's a great theme.

Do you have any um results that you want to share with us that have been surprising or different from what you presented in the past?

Um not not yet.

Everything's looking pretty similar, although, like I said, I'm I wouldn't be surprised that the first people to respond are the people who are really interested and really invested.

Um and those are probably the same type of people that came to the conference.

So I'm not I'm not surprised that the first wave looks pretty similar.

Um but you know, we'll we'll get more response, and then like I said, um once we kind of hit that plateau, we'll discuss sending out a second wave, and I bet you that that'll add some variability.

I could be wrong, but that's what that would be my guess.

And I know you never like this question, but how much longer do you think we'll be that we could use some of that information to start forming goals and objectives in uh program issues?

Let's see here.

Um I would say let me do I don't do mental math.

I use my computer for that because I'm a silly girl and I don't know, it is what it is.

So let's see here if we do Ernie Hurs and uh okay.

So this is what I'll say.

Um for this type of a survey, you would love to have a 50% response rate.

That would be great.

I think that's probably unrealistic, um, especially with the way that we're kind of sending this out and over such a broad, you know, a city, right?

Um I would say maybe a third, I mean a 30% response rate would be great, 20% would be great.

Um you know, that's 2,000, 3,000 people.

Um I don't know if we'll get there.

We're certainly gonna try.

Um I do think the news story will help.

Um obviously if you're out talking to people, you know, mention it uh so that'll help response rates.

Eventually, even if we don't receive that response rate, it'll you know we'll still have good um we still have a lot of people that answered it, right?

So I you're right.

I do hate that question because I don't I don't know the actual answer.

Um and it honestly it comes down to you guys.

If there comes a time where you're like, hey, whatever whatever you guys have, let's go with that, then let's go with that.

Yeah, I was gonna ask that question too.

Can we say stop?

We're just enough.

We've you know, let's just move on.

This is your rodeo.

So of course.

Could you review again who the survey was sent to?

How you doing.

I believe what ended up coming down for that.

I I believe that we got a list of registered voters from the city.

I sent I sent them a whole listing of zip by zip code.

We tried we tried to go the IU Health route, um, which actually I think the registered voters ended up working.

I when we originally talked about doing this, the original thought we had was registered voters, and for some reason that hadn't worked out initially.

So we shifted to the IU Health uh route.

And long story short, between the way we would get that information and our IRB and us, we didn't hit the qualification for being considered um uh needing review for a survey, which we needed to have in order to get the list.

So we're in this weird um kind of um middle phase where we didn't meet the requirement for uh needing full review, but we also couldn't get the data without it.

So that's why we ended up going with this, and I think that's better anyway.

I know people had concerns about um I you know at previous meetings.

Oh, I'm a community health person, and I you know, I wouldn't be considered in that pool.

So um, and it's you know, it's registered voters, so they're if you're not a registered voter, you're you wouldn't be in the sample, but um hopefully those who are registered voters are those who are particularly interested in their uh city and outcomes.

So was it by age or just 55 and up?

Okay, you were able to do that.

Good.

Yes.

The like uh, you know, it if there's somebody who's at the house and happened to open the letter and they weren't 55 and older in theory, they could have filled it out, but you're supposed to, you know, put your birth date and things.

So you can't you can't protect against all of that, but I would assume you know, if I if I got a letter in the mail from my mom, I wouldn't be filling out her survey.

So yeah.

Did you get any comments on were there any write-in comments or any um not that I'm aware of?

I know I mean there's some fill-in-the-blank stuff.

I don't think there's much.

I there was one gentleman that was like super peeved that we had his information, so we took him out of the survey, but that's the only how did you get my information type thing.

Um so obviously, you know, if if anyone uh doesn't want to participate in the survey, obviously they don't have to.

Um, but we we pulled his name.

So for example, if we do resend out the survey, I promise we will not send it to him again.

So we we make sure that we won't do that.

So any other questions.

No.

Thank you for all the work that you've been doing.

I know this is a job, and you know, it I I hope that when we get through this whole process, we'll say it was worth it.

Yeah, yeah, for sure.

And like, you know, like I said, I you know, I would say trying to go until we get 30% response rate would be great.

And if we don't get there and you guys are like, hey, we're ready to make moves.

The other thing that's a possibility is there is a way, uh statistical way where we can say, okay, these are the people that answered the survey.

This is the general demographics of people 55 and older who live in Carmel.

We can wait responses so that it looks um more representative, so we can do that too.

Um but even for that, you want as much variety as you can, because let's say this would never happen, but let's say only one male of there's 499 women that answer and one man, um, his response would count for all you know 50 percent of the answer.

So we we still want as as much variability as possible, but that is a possibility.

But that could happen with the ages, right?

So we have a demographic 55 to probably 75 that are gonna be super tech savvy, yes, 75 to 100 and one, whatever.

Yes, who was.

Yes, right.

Yes.

So I'm just wondering when you present data, will you be able to both weight it if you have a limited population?

Okay, sure.

And then we'd be able to show us the responses from both groups to see where there's a difference.

Yeah, and if there's anything, you know, I'll uh once we get all the data, I'll do a big report.

But there's you know, if there's if you say, hey, we're really interested in this question and how it was answered by people in different age groups, or we're really interested in how people answer this question differently if they're men or women or whatever, we can do that.

Um so I'll try and make a report that has kind of some of that so you get information, but if there's anything specifically after you read it that you're like, wow, I really wish I knew you know this question separated by and we you know we could do women who are 50 and you know above, and men who are you know, do it by age and gender, we could do that too.

Obviously, we won't want to do that for everything just because uh labor intensive, but if there's anything specifically you're interested in once we're done, we can do that.

So yep.

I just have one last question because I know there was a comment and we got a letter on this that um some of our there is no cost to the city of Carmel on this survey, is that right?

So the Carmel City is not paying you to do this work of conducting this survey.

No, they're not.

Um in fact, we're using Malaz Mustani uh is using his personal research funds to be able to do this.

Um so kudos to him for that.

Um we're volunteering our time.

I think that's I think that's really an important point to make because you guys have spent a lot of time, and this is very tedious work, and we're very grateful that you are willing, and you and Dr.

Bastani are willing to do this, and I just I know that it can cost a lot of money to conduct a survey such as this, so we're very fortunate to have you, and I do want I want you to know that we certainly appreciate that, and anything that we can do to make your job easier.

Well, I think uh Malaz will say he lives in Carmel, and you know he's aging, so I think he has a vested interest in.

He does have a vest.

I I don't live in Carmel, but I um I'm also aging, you know, and aging adjacent.

I'm just an indie, so you know I'm I'm interested too.

I travel up here for things, so I think uh, you know, what's great is that if you're privileged, uh privileged to be so you everyone gets older, right?

So what affects older people, everyone should care about.

So yeah.

I know when I first met him, you know, and and asked him about this, he said yes.

I I live here, so I'm very interested in what happens as I grow older.

So we're so fortunate to have him as well.

So yeah.

Okay, any other questions that any of you might have?

And you're welcome to stay, but you're also welcome.

You know, if you've got things to do, we'll be interested in it.

I'll probably shoot out.

I've got uh two little at home and a puppy.

Why I did that to myself, I don't know.

But I'll probably go back to help relieve that.

And if we have any other questions, especially on um, you know, with this the surveys at the conference and that kind of thing, I'll be sure.

Yeah, reach out to me, and then if it's not next week but the week after that, I'll still have my um my email and my phone.

But reach out to Nick Stewart.

Um, he's the research assistant on there, and it's his like office number, I believe, that's on that um survey form, and he's lovely and responsive.

So thank you so much.

Yeah, thank you so very much.

Absolutely.

And it doesn't have to be lengthy, but I just sort of want everyone to know sort of what we've been working on in each of our areas and what we might be focusing on in a little bit in the future.

So, Lisa, do you want to do you want to have do you want to go first?

Yeah, absolutely.

So um I can put this out under the camera over there if you want to have this recorded or if just the handouts that I've handed with everybody.

I think we could sound good.

So um success.

The city has now opened um a web page for us, and this was sort of a missing piece that the subcommittee and I were looking for.

We wanted to sort of see who was going to manage this and how it was going to be presented.

That we thought that would be sort of the trigger that we needed for next steps on recommendations.

But what we all unanimously decided was that we have an audience of different ages and perhaps different interests, but they all had shared needs.

And those needs are part of what we're collecting in our survey, and they're also represented in data we've collected or heard from other experts in the surveys that they've administered.

So again, that universal approach was our hope that we could sort of simplify and organize what people see, right?

So they're not overwhelmed, but they feel empowered.

And we also wanted to make sure that as we have such a fabulous city, we had information that you didn't have to have been here for a long time to know who to call.

So that again, that universal need-based organization system was key.

The second thing was we wanted to develop links based on what we sort of already know, we're guessing, and we can always massage that, remove things, add things once we get our data back.

But it was a good starting point.

And now that the website page is there, we can at least put something up there.

And then what we wanted to try and do was connect directly with approved entities.

So let me be very clear.

Um, any communication that we actually do put out needs to be reviewed by this commission, approved by this commission, and I would recommend Carol that when we get there, you forward this to the marketing department because that will be the vet of approval.

Um so there might be things that you see on this list right here now that I see it's been made public, that you know needs to be vetted, right?

It all needs to be vetted.

And the second thing that's also important is we need to inform the stakeholders that are reading this website that um we're curating specific content links for them, but we're not managing the content on those links.

So that's going to require some lift from our partners in the Kimarmel uh community.

And what we're hoping from our committee standpoint is once we have sort of an approved consensus on who to contact, we ask those stakeholders to organize their senior centric information and perhaps even add a hidden page that maybe would not be available to the public but would be linkable from our city webpage to their page.

And the last thing would be like I said, everything would not be posted or live until it had been vetted fully and presented by you.

And then the last thing we um thought about was we'd like to have a video from the mayor.

This was her commission, her idea to try and create a platform where our senior citizens, 55 and older, can go one place.

But we want to onboard them to understand.

So the first thing we want to do is welcome them, um, that we know there's a need to help seniors 55 and older, people who are moving to the community or people who've been here for a long time and things have changed and they just don't know where to start.

Um we also want to communicate that we are counting on partnerships, but you know, if they find something that doesn't work, it's not necessarily negligence on our part.

It's more that we're counting on these partners to keep the content relevant and up to date.

And then the last thing would be we would want to have a contact, sort of like what Monica was talking about with her research assistant Nick.

Um we want to have either an email or I recommend an email, so we have a printed trail for this of any feedback that people have on links that they tried or whatever.

And that would be again up to you, Carol.

I think that is the communication committee.

I think it would be appropriate for them to maybe have line of sight to this to manage things, but it needs to be transparent, of course, where others could see it.

And then the last thing, of course, is a list of the subcategories.

So just to read them, you know, housing or housing repairs, social services, community hubs, cultural links, city services for seniors, um, health and wellness, and transportation are some need-based services.

And I've listed a few here just to sort of showcase what I'm imagining.

So uh links to Carmel 55 and plus housing projects that you might have heard us talk about, links to existing senior apartments, um, possible project story.

This was an article I saw in current.

They um have kind of a neat way to curate um bids for people, and I they have not been vetted.

I'm hoping to have a meeting with them to present whether or not it's a good fit for us.

But again, for the sake of this conversation, people being able to have multiple bids that we feel are safe would be, I think, very important.

And then social services, Sokoa, Shepherd Center, there's food pantry, some are refrigerated, some are not, some are from churches, some all of the ones that I know of are in Carmel.

But again, having people understand how to access those if they're experiencing food insecurity.

Senior community hubs, I've mentioned Prime Life.

Um I do work there, but that's not why I put that on there.

They do have a, I would say a 75 and older population that tends to come there for community enrichment.

The Monon Center has some fantastic programs, both exercise.

I understand that they're putting together a social club right now.

Shepherd Center has together today.

So there's all kinds of really rich robust programs that again we want these stakeholders to direct Carmel residents.

And of course, I'm sorry, Hamilton County Parks.

I didn't mean to leave them off.

Cultural, again, I don't want to read the whole list, I don't want to be unfair.

But there is one partner in here that I I would like to see if we can't get more connection with them.

And I don't know how to do this, but that would be current.

Um current has a print and a digital platform, and they have 55 and plus sections, and they also have a really good arts and entertainment section.

So they could help us sort of wrangle everything together, not to pull the rodeo hat out here.

Um anyway, so it's a start.

I won't talk about transportation.

I know we have a division doing that, but of course, they would want to influence what goes there.

And then the health and wellness, um, I think there's some key stakeholders.

I would like to try and direct people to the senior programs.

For example, IU Health has a grace care team, ascension has a PACE program, PACE is a an acronym.

Um, community health has hats, it goes on and on.

So that's the bulk of my um report for this.

I'd love to hear questions.

The only change I would make is under transportation rather than Janus, it should be the Hamilton County Express.

Thank you.

So the new website is up to the Yes.

I learned about the new website actually just yesterday.

So I regret if this has been up for a while.

I would just learn about it.

So I did print a copy of what it looks like.

Um I don't think it's going to show here.

But basically, um it is part of a turnkey uh template that the mayor is using, and it once you understand it, it's really easy to navigate.

So what I was imagining is that where we have at the bottom where it says resources, we could begin to implement these approved links, and they can go out just as soon as like when you say go, then we'll start.

Oh, I want to make sure that um this direction I would prefer come directly from you, right?

And then that way we can report back directly to you, and you can say what to present to the commission, or if you want us to present again like this.

And does is that are you coordinating at all with that um with the um fire department that they're that's my hope?

So my hope is to take this to that next level, and this is the heavy heavy lift where we reach out, we find a point of contact.

I I would like to have some sort of verbiage from the city that says that we're reaching out on behalf of the city.

This is an effort that's aligns with the mayoral you know, commission on senior living, and that this is the reason we're asking, but this is not a unique project, um, that this will be something that Carmel residents can count on at for hopefully a longer time, regardless of politics, but a platform of resources.

Resources, yeah.

That can be used from now on out.

That would be the gift.

And it's gonna be hard to keep those all updated, but we can well, and that was my next thought.

Is I do think that's gonna be once we get this baked and in place.

I think we're gonna have to have some spot checking that's done.

Yeah, and the other thing is the the marketing department or whoever's managing this web page, it needs to be like a note, I think, even that says these links are reviewed at whatever cadence is good for the the staff that's there.

So whether it's 30 days, 90 days, 365 days, whatever works for them, then the team that's checking in on this has a boilerplate email that goes to that person.

There's going to be some bounce backs.

We want to allow a little bit of extra time for that, be able to make some phone calls so that we can say, hey, we need to get this updated.

This information's not accurate.

And then we also have those like our conference coming in there too that we're gonna have to coordinate and get those.

How do we get this all out?

Yes, and so the the the conference right now.

I just wanted to report back on those need based.

But I would think that the conference could actually go under a couple of these different categories because it is a resource.

And we could even have the registration there, but again, that's sort of those moving pieces.

But next steps would be getting a good to go from the commission for me to begin this.

And I I'm gonna say I'm gonna need at least 30 days to be able to come back with what I hope will be some very excited partners.

The library has already given us some ideas.

I I um but they haven't put it all on one page.

So there's some back behind the scenes that they would have to do or not do.

It's gonna take you some time.

I really think so.

But we're closer.

We're closer.

Yes.

We're making progress.

Yeah, thank you so much.

Any other questions for for Lisa?

No?

Good job, Lisa.

That's great.

All right.

Um and I'll be talking a little bit more about the conference and how we've done that.

That's been sort of separate, but we'll we'll get into that as well.

Uh John, how about you?

Would you like to talk about transportation?

Oh, why not?

Um, I put together a note here, and then as I went through it, we got to make some changes.

But anyway, uh essentially um chairman of the transportation committee.

Um, our committee is charged with investigating and recommending the best solution and aiding and helping those citizens who do not live in a senior community and have transportation requirements.

Um in our findings, we um found out that um probably 97% of the people who still do not live in a community still uh kind of take care of their own transportation needs.

But what I did today, I went down and I looked at um Hamilton County Express, and um one of the things that we had talked about with the uh Hamill County Express, and we also met with um uh Roger McMichael with the uh Carmel Schools, and he's been very helpful in the fact that they would offer their white buses and as help and transporting when needed.

Uh we would Hamlin County Express also would provide a bus that would be parked here so that they wouldn't have to be deadheading from Noblesville to pick somebody up, and uh which would really help.

So we're that far along.

We're to the point where we probably are ready to drip the trigger and and and let's get started.

Uh Howland County Express after we place a bus here in Carmel, Fisher's already doing it, Westfield is doing it, and um the driver then would just come here.

We would also be able to work out a fuel system with the school system where we could uh really fuel the bus here, and then we would be charged or Hamill County Express be charged for that, but they wouldn't have to be running back to Noblesville all the time.

Um so you know, we want a complete agreement between Hamilton County and the school system fairly soon.

The um the um real part of it is to be tell your neighbors that this is available because not everybody knows it.

Um me personally, I'm going to call Hamilton County Express, and I have a doctor's appointment next week, and let's just see how it works.

You're gonna ride the bus?

I'm gonna ride the bus.

And let's just see how the system works.

Uh essentially what you do, you we have a phone number that you call, and um you need a 24-hour notice before to make an appointment.

Uh they're available for you to make and the buses are available from 6 a.m.

to 6 p.m.

Monday through Friday on Saturday from 7 a.m.

to 3 p.m.

Uh, it's three dollars one way, six dollars round trip.

Uh you can also buy a pass for $30, which will give you 10 rides to reserve a ride, like I say, Monday through Friday, they're open from 8 a.m.

to 4 p.m.

to make your um make your appointment.

Uh they have uh wheelchair lifts are available if you need it, and um and um you just call and make an appointment and let them know that that you need that.

So, Carol, I just feel like that our little committee has done what we have to do.

We've met with uh with uh Mark Harebrandt with the county, he's county commissioner, and he's kind of working to make this a success, and um we just need to um complete our work on this and probably put together a little agreement between Carmel and Hamill County Express, and we're off and running.

And I think this is a good example of how we've already got a system in place, you know, for the county, and why are we repeating and trying to do our own thing when we can just combine and it works much easier and much less and much more affordable?

And you're going to bring one of those buses to the conference, is that right?

There will be a bus at the conference that people can look at.

One of the things that that in going through all of this and discussing it is that you know this their system is available countywide.

Um it was at one time part of Janus.

It's no longer it's gonna be part it's gonna be the Hamill County Express, and the commissioners are going to um make sure that it's ran properly and there will be another system uh set up with the uh with the county.

So um I feel pretty good about it.

We've met with them, we've talked to them, and um I think we're ready to go.

Yes, and I think the other thing is exciting is that we're working with the school systems and the school system has been very cooperative and eager to say, hey, we can give you some older buses, we can give you help with the fuel, we can do all these things.

So it's sort of exciting to sort of see it, you know, different programs and working together.

Yes.

And I'm excited about the bus being there that day too, because I think so the Hamilton County Express goes by my house all the time, and I always there's always several people in there, so it's almost daily it goes right by my house.

So I'm just saying, actually they actually have connections with I know with Marion County, uh certain places along 96th Street where if you need to go downtown Indianapolis, uh you can meet with Indigo and uh they will take you from there on downtown.

So John, I do want to bring up um a concern by a resident.

I'm very glad you're going to try it yourself.

I think all of we should all do it.

Yeah.

And the concern is staffing, where they've had an experience setting the appointment and then people not being able, not getting drivers.

So or the driver canceling, you know.

So that is a concern.

Well, and those are those are things we're going to be working on.

So I think it will help Anna that we have a bus here in Carmel, that they don't have to deadhead from Noblesville to pick somebody up.

That'd be great.

Yeah.

I I have a question.

Can they go anywhere or there's certain services that they will drive you to?

Could you tell me a little bit about that, please?

They will go any place in Hamilton County, and like I said, we also have some connections.

Um, sir, what I mean is if I wanted to go to a movie with a friend, can I still use their service?

Oh, sure.

Okay, so there's no limitations.

It's not just for medical.

That's what I was after.

That's even better.

Thank you.

Social piece is what I'm always worried about.

The one component or the one thing we need to work on, and that's the appointments for doctors, because these buses are also used to take people to work early in the morning.

And if we could get to the point where the doctors would or they would understand that an appointment, say between 11 and 3 is ideal versus 8 in the morning or 4 in the afternoon because these buses are just more than transporting seniors are also taking people to work.

Carol, is that something that our budget at the next stage when it's appropriate that this could be communicated out in something like that current 55 and older, where we can say, here's the news from the commission, this is what we've learned, this is a best practice when you're making your appointments.

You'll find that you have more access to these services if you book them at these later times, like what he was just described.

Yeah, there's there's been some discussion about talking some to some of our physicians in their offices to say cooperate with us and get these appointments later in the day.

Um I mean I just experienced that because I had cataract surgery, and I wanted it early in the morning, but I couldn't get somebody to get me to drive me there that early.

And so I had to change it to later in the day, just because I didn't have the transportation and you can't drive.

So, yes, I think if we start talking to some of these, and say cataract surgeries, a lot of older people have cataract surgery, but they want them in, you know, they the doctors want to get them early in the morning, so just moving them over into the afternoon.

So I think we'll be working on that, yeah, to see if we can get their cooperation as well.

Anything else, John?

No, it's it.

Okay.

You got a you're next in housing, and you uh you and Rich had a really good presentation of I think the one before our thing, so and I just wanted to follow up with when we had the presentation by some of the speakers and developers.

Um Matt Mattingley, I don't know if they've started this, but the North Inn really like that, and I think what's important is for housing 55 and up, dealing with different um economics you know, segments, and so his was more for socialization attainability, more um I'd say like 65 and up rental opportunities, somewhere around 2,000 a month, which is a little less than assistant living or some of the independent living, and to have a concierge on site, and they're still working on that partnering with physicians.

I phoned in, I don't know if they've actually started it, but it's underway.

The other is also BHI.

He talked about that's Barrington and Hoosier Village, they want to expand.

There's 55 and up big communities also coming in Zionsville, but I want to stick with Carmel.

And City Council just approved housing development signature 55, and that was at the meeting.

It's going to be CRC and the Carmel Clay Parks.

It's going to be funded by TIF Bonds.

So they're planning on 200 apartments, and about four acres for veterans in that area.

Which everybody's waiting for that.

Once they get the funding, rebar developers, once they get the funding, the CRC will turn it over to the city, and then the parks department will partner with others to design it, the park.

When we talk about beverages, core Dora designated outdoor recreation areas.

Kindle mart, they won't have it for that, and certain family concerts.

So there will be some limitation with when they have alcoholic beverages.

The other is Poulty, when Rex spoke, near 146 and gray.

They have broken ground, it's called metal stone.

They are taking applications now for that, so that's good.

He had mentioned prices 700 to 900 when he gave the presentation.

But I think their website, there's some half a million.

So just talking to them, you know, there's opportunities there.

And that's pretty much where we are.

So that those projects are work slowly.

Yes.

But um a great variety, a great variety.

So I appreciate that.

Any other questions for that's just sort of a summary of what we've done with housing, and it, you know, that's going to be slower.

But I think it's something that we really have to keep our our um our eyes and ears open to what's going in.

And like I've always said, I I can I'm real concerned about care issues, you know.

So and I will say, because this is Carmel, um, we're kind of landlocked we are.

So whereas areas further north or they can accommodate a lot more senior 55 up communities.

We just don't have a lot of space.

Space.

Yeah.

So that's where we are dealing with the realities.

We have our limitations.

I mean, there's not a whole lot we're going to be able to.

Well, thank you so much.

That's a good update on the where we are with those now.

John, you're last but not least, of course, and in John's been helping.

I have to say, John really tried hard to get our lunch provided for our conference with not much success, but that's okay.

Maybe the next time.

So just um you've been busy, but maybe not so much in just your particular committee.

Well, I'll I'll be glad to uh tell you uh not uh in a uh long-winded way, but uh my space you uh or my command or group or uh uh uh opportunities here is our outdoor spaces.

And one of the things that I'll sort of piggyback on what we had to do with with the uh uh the housing aspects of what we are trying to help with is that we have a lot of nice green spaces.

But uh, and I'm sort of uh uh I'm uh I'm real visual about things.

I I like to look in my mind, what is good look like?

You know, what what is it that we and to help me with that?

I started out by going to ARP's uh it's a livability index platform that we might know about.

I looked in that in fact I hard copied it, and this was at the onset of the year, and uh we're doing pretty good in Carmel uh as far as uh what we have.

Uh I think the big bridge here, and I like to be a matchmaker in trying to uh to uh explain or to show people that what we really do have.

So uh the the real opportunities here is to is to uh try to find out using the all the materials from ARP, and the gentleman we met with, uh I believe is his name at ARP helped me a lot.

And uh this is sort of a little show and tell.

These are uh materials that were sent to me in four parts.

Uh first part creating parks and public spaces.

Well, we've already done a good job of that.

Uh we we have they in many parts of the country uh our communities uh have encouraged uh creating uh community gardens.

Uh maybe not so much here, but but an idea with some of that beautiful green space out there.

Uh there's some other uh a couple of other items here.

There's a placemaking pop-up toolkit that allows uh as we go forward uh our our community to to explain to us what could be done in certain areas to to enhance what we already have.

And then there's a something called a walk audit toolkit, and that gets more into uh walking transfer or the the walking uh ability that we might have and and for transportation.

But uh what I tried to do in preparation of the census, i.e.

medical school is helping us with, is to look at these ARP uh livability or standards, the roadmap to live ability standards, and then compare them to what uh uh what Carmel has has had all a while.

Uh maybe not so apparent to a lot of our uh community uh and I think it's really an energy intergenerational thing we're doing here because it involves the grandparents and uh the parents, the grandchildren, and all these wonderful parks and spaces we we have and and other uh community areas that that could be made more available if we were able to communicate that in a way and make it available, and that gets in uh uh with what you were telling us, John, about transportation.

These things could be enhanced starting out with uh with uh uh our health care needs and and other things into providing our community with with the transportation to to meet these things.

Uh the other thing I found out, uh but just just researching this, I was surprised to see.

Uh the other thing I found out with just just researching this, I was surprised to see, but Carmel actually has uh 20 departments of services that are some of the things we would expect the police fire uh uh things of that nature, but we also have over 37 uh uh committees, boards, and commissions, and so there's an awful lot of uh assistance here that that could be triggered as we see what our survey shows us to make what's already here uh more uh more visible uh to our community.

So I just uh done a lot of preparation in that and uh well I think that's important because we you found out that we have a lot of things available to us.

Now the second uh you know, the second challenge is to make sure people know that that's available, that they can go to these places and make sure that they're doing that, that they're making use of those those kinds of areas.

What Lisa has done in in terms of uh this new website or other uh ways to communicate that uh to our community.

Uh we'll we'll blend that together and and uh make it more available.

Thank you for your work.

That's that's good work.

Thank you for I appreciate that.

Um a lot of good work and a good way to start.

I just want to follow up a little bit too.

Dr.

Burke was here last meeting, and I just want to let you know that Dr.

Burke and I are going to South Bend in the next few weeks, and we're looking at some new um new and different ideas of how we can take care of some of our Alzheimer's patients and some of those that need care for um assisted living and those kind of things.

So it's an all-new model.

Um it's not been built, there's nothing they're interested in it up there, but I think we something that we really want to look at for here at Carmel too.

So we're just gonna go up and explore that.

So every contact that we make, there's something that sort of comes out and and from that.

So it's kind of exciting now to see.

I appreciate all of your work.

You've done a great job.

Um we got a lot more to do, but I think we're seeing that we're making some progress and can move forward.

Okay, so the only others uh I'm going to give you a little short uh update on the conference, which is going to be held October the 10th, uh at the Carmel Public Library.

Um from 10 a.m.

until 3 p.m.

And so this is a an uh engagement time for our seniors to get engaged in our communities.

And what we've tried to do is to have uh a lot of our local, you know, uh units that can provide services to our seniors, have them available, have them do a short little presentation, and and then also have some vendor tables where our seniors can go around and ask specific questions.

I'm really pleased because we I have been able to get about six thousand dollars worth of sponsorships, so that's gonna cover most of our expense for this as far as our meal and our coffee and um you know our our spending anything on speakers, but it will cover all of our expenses for the day, but we also, if there's any that left over, we'll be able to use it for next year's conference, and I think it'll be for other things that we're presenting, you know, throughout the year.

Uh two of those Cardan is our major sponsor, and they're very, very interested in just this being the beginning.

They want to give us more money each year, be a partner with us and to make sure that um you know this commission is successful.

So I was really pleased about that.

Um we've got my speakers are all set up, and I have one is fire department, police department, Dr.

Bastani, the library, I have a doctor talking about alternative some uh options for seniors for health care, shepherd center, um I've got someone coming on Medicare fraud, Joy's house hopefully will come.

Um, and then we've got Helmtown County Express, our bus will be there.

I have someone from SHIP who is gonna explain um Medicare options, and um then maybe a um managed care person who will give options about how we can take care of our loved ones.

So is there still room?

I I'm thinking Sokoa has um some programs that might be a good fit.

Yes.

I am at 12 tables right now, and I'm hoping to get 15 to 16.

Would I would it be okay if I reached out to the director of partnerships?

I I have them on my list and have just not been able to get a hold of anyone there.

Do you want to shoot me a punch list of people you want me to reach out to?

I may already just say too, if there's other organizations that you all think should be there, we'll try and squeeze them in.

You know, I'm I'm a little tight on space because we have as of today 60, almost 60 people registered already.

We're three weeks out, so I'm expecting more.

And I'm expecting more, you know, like a hundred, a hundred and fifty.

So at the library, where's we're limited on space, that's my biggest thing.

And then also lunch, where can where can they eat?

And I've allowed time throughout the day.

I know a couple comments were that that's a long commitment, but I've allowed part of the day, and our speakers are only going to be short, 15 minutes kind of things, so that um the seniors can make their way around the tables and ask specific questions of our vendors, you know, so that they have a chance to visit those those people.

So have you gotten a bag stuff sponsorship sold yet?

I know you have food.

I'm assuming it comes in a bag.

I was thinking there might be uh sponsorship opportunity if someone wants to they can't speak, but they wish they could have some information.

Yeah, having um well, our our lunch is actually gonna be Jimmy Johns has uh given us our lunch, and they usually bring big um platters of sandwiches.

So, and then our cookyman is gonna be there this year again, and he is making cookies in the shape of a fire truck and uh a stethoscope and just all kinds of things, resource kind of things.

So I think that's gonna be sort of fun.

So I try to make that fun.

So um, yeah, I don't that's a good idea, and I've I'm working on that as just you know, is how how what would they like to do?

Yeah, what would they like to do?

Um let's see, what else was I gonna say about that?

I've got the speakers.

Um the biggest thing has been most of them are what we did is have it had them sign up for an RSVP.

And that RSVP then comes to me and Rich and so that I can respond to those people if they have questions, you know.

Um I registered, what time, you know, all these kinds of things.

So I've been doing a lot of emails for the people that have been responding and have questions about it.

So I'm hoping that this is um and it may come to the point where we'll have to have a different venue because of the size.

I think people really really need it and really want it, and I think it's gonna be good.

Um a good time for them to communicate with each other, get to know each other, and yet see what resources we have.

And and there's just no way we can get all those resources in in one day, but I've tried to pick up some of our our uh you know, our local, like our fire department and our police department and what they're gonna do.

Do you think that we might be able to announce the web pages live and maybe even offer some sort of a timeline on what we're trying to put in?

We could start with you know, city services and anything that's baked, you know, even if we add it.

We can do that.

Um there's gonna be a an ad in the paper, or not an ad, but a story in the paper about our survey, and then there's also gonna be another ad in the paper about the conference right before.

Um and it's nice.

The current has been so good about getting stories in.

And if you get a story in, you don't have to pay for that.

And so they've been very open and um eager to put in some stories about what we are trying to do.

Okay.

So if there's questions about that, um, how do I register?

We'll get that on the website.

Uh we'll get that out in our ad again, and then I'm trying to respond to each one that does sign up.

So that the only reason we wanted registration is because of the numbers.

We can't accommodate everybody and then the lunch numbers as well.

So, do you have any questions about the conference?

I will be talking to each of you to help me out on the day of the uh conference to do various little jobs.

Do you think it'll be a full day for us, or will we have maybe four-hour or three-hour sections?

You either way, whatever, whatever you can volunteer.

So, what I'm trying to do is I have someone you know in charge of the food so that they can make sure the food's there on time, the coffee's on time, you know, all that kind of stuff.

So there'll be some sub areas that you can work in, but whatever you can help with would be would be great.

Yeah, yeah.

The biggest problem is getting set up in time in the morning and taking down in the afternoon.

But we're done at three or after three.

The mayor will be there.

I've spoken to her today, and she will be there in the morning just to introduce and talk a little bit.

So yeah, she'll be there, and I'm gonna ask Rich to be the um the MC for the day, so he can introduce our speakers to be visible to everyone.

And um so it's it's coming together.

It's coming together.

I think we'll be okay.

And I think I think our I think our seniors will really enjoy it.

It's the beginning of something that I think we can build on and make bigger and maybe break down into certain areas over the next year and have certain you know, more conferences and more in-depth um information for our seniors, and I think they'll enjoy that.

I know you mentioned and I know you're in process of working with marketing, but do you think we'll be able to have some uh paper form, something tangible to give to like brochure or when we talk about this?

Yes, I think we would it maybe it may be simple, but I think we'll have some information that we can set out and have.

And I want us to have a table there, so maybe you know, you can man the table for a few hours to just answer questions as to and make ourselves visible and answer questions about what we are doing.

I think that'll be helpful.

With that in mind, it would be awesome if we could get a dedicated email address for people who might have comments for the commission.

Um it maybe could be the same one that gets created that we put on the web page, and then um, you know, we can at a later time decide who's gonna review that, but at least we have a channel to direct people.

Yes, we could do that.

Because I think an evaluation form or an input form that people could say, I'd like to hear about this more, I'd like to hear about that more.

And this was good, and the sandwiches were were not so good.

Whatever they want to tell us.

Okay.

A year later, I get comments like you didn't have vegetarian sandwiches.

Well, we we did.

They were probably eaten by the time you got up there.

So we'll we'll do an evaluation or something.

And we'll also what I'm also trying to do in our registration, which Anna said she would like to do is some help with registration, but we can probably use some more, and that is make sure we capture who's there, their addresses, their phone numbers, their you know, get some information on them so that there's things that we want to you know push out before again.

We can we can do that.

Okay.

So can we double back to transportation for a second?

Okay.

Lisa, I would like I've got a meeting tomorrow about transportation.

And once I get all the hours and everything, and we get to the point where we're really we can depend on them.

I'd like to be able to put that on the website.

Okay, and then that way, you know, we're hitting them more than once so that if they're interested in a bus ride, they can get on there and find out all the information.

Yeah.

Rather than just try to call Hamilton County Express.

That's a good idea.

I I like the idea of them being able to have an online, even just an email address.

Yeah, that people can email and say, you know, I need a ride for this day.

I know phone is good, but sometimes when you leave a voicemail, like the number may fall off, but it's less likely.

It's also a paper trail for us for you to have feedback that you can say, hey, we're we're seeing opportunities and these zip codes, you know, or do we maybe need to not not service those until we get that fixed or whatever you decide to do.

Okay, good idea.

Thanks.

Okay, I have one uh under new business.

Um Steve Gross was a member of our committee, and he has resigned, um, effective immediately.

So um we probably need to start thinking and looking at next year uh, you know, or if you have any ideas of anyone else that would like to serve on this commission, or would like to put some yeah, have some input into this commission, you know, push their names on to on to me, and we'll be looking at that as well.

I think I'd like to just wish uh Rich Taylor, I hope he's doing better.

I think most of you knew Rich was off on a medical leave and had some complications, so um I was insistent that he not try to make it tonight, and so we just want to send our thoughts and prayers to to Rich that he has a speedy recovery and can get back and do the work that he's been uh wanting to do.

So he's a big loss for us tonight.

Any other business that any of you have I promised you uh hopefully to get done by an hour, and we're pretty close.

So any other things that you feel like you'd like to bring up?

If not, I'm gonna I do have one quick thing.

Um I had in fact that's why I brought my phone out.

I wanted to look at the email I sent you.

It in the future, it's too late for signed contracts, but I'm curious if the city has any interest in trying to secure a block of rooms that maybe the city grants uh a senior freeze to seniors carmel residents for future 55 and older builds.

So this would fall into that affordable housing concept.

It this is something that would really if it's if it is a value proposition the city wants to entertain, I just wanted to throw that idea out there to that housing committee as it aligns with 55 and older.

I don't know how it would work, I don't know who would manage it, but I just thought it was a a nice thing to at least consider.

So that was my only new business for the future, and I almost forgot to say it, so I apologize.

No, okay.

When you're saying a block, are you talking about a neighborhood?

No, I'm sorry, when I say a block, that's from my um hotel background, you get a block of room.

So I was imagining maybe five to ten apartments that were reserved at a set price, and then the city was able to it maybe as a grant or um on certain circumstances, it would be a set the rates, the rental rate would not increase.

It would be a flat rate over time, and the city would be able to have control over who would go in there, whether it was a grant making thing, like sometimes you hear about artists who have a grant in residence or some something like that.

Or if it was a longtime person who's uh maybe worked for the Carmel High School, I'm like, I don't even want to ideate around this.

But what I do want to say is even the starting rental rate is always a good starting, but if you're there 15, 20 years, it you know, it could really seriously increase and become unaffordable to you, especially if you moved in at 55 or 65 with a set income, and it continued to rise, and you could no longer afford it and had to leave.

That's what we're trying to avoid, right?

And not all situations, very limited circumstances.

So I just wanted to present this as a possibility.

May not be feasible.

We may not have any partners that can afford to do that.

It may be too difficult to manage.

There could be any number of things.

But I thought as a best practice, it would be a good idea for this commission to present ideas even if they're not feasible.

Because they would be nice in a perfect world.

Well, you can always present the ideas, and it can be twinked here and there, you know, to maybe to to make it work some way.

But we got to come up with some um ideas, and I think that's part of our role as a commission is to come up, even if it sounds like oh, it'll never work or it's a crazy idea.

You never know.

Yes, you never know what might come out of that.

So why not throw it out there and let's look at it?

Um and and you know, throw it at the wall and see what sticks.

Some of it does, some of it doesn't.

And I think that's a big role of our committee is to be exploring all of these things and coming up with some options.

So I do appreciate that, yeah.

Okay.

All right.

Anything else in the other business?

If not, I'm going to say the meeting is adjourned at 6 40.

Okay.