City of Oklahoma City Mayor & Council, 4 Oct 2012

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From YouTube: From City Hall - Larry McAtee OKC Ward 3

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Councilman Larry McAtee welcomes Cheryl Presley, TRIAD Coordinator for the City of OKC, and David Todd, MAPS Manager, to discuss senior programs.

A

Hi I'm Larry mcatee Ward, 3, City Council. We've got a exciting show here this month. For us we have the coordinator of triad, Cheryl Presley from the police department, real.

B

Nice to have you with us today, thanks again, it's.

A

An honor to be here and we have David Todd program manager for maps 3 and David. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to come in and visit with our folks glad to be here we're going to be talking about seniors. What is going on for seniors in our city right now and Cheryl? That's going to be your topic and then David in a few seconds.

A

Then we're going to switch over to you what's going on for our seniors in the future, and where do we stand on the senior wellness centers in the maps? 3 project? Ok, ok. She'll! Give our viewers what's going on for our seniors right now in Oklahoma, City! Well,.

B

I tell you what we are just growing by leaps and bounds with our tribe program. We're so excited our Police Department that we have three with Oklahoma City. We have tried north south and east I highly encourage. If your senior 55 and older you should really get plugged into these they're free, they're, fun, they're fellowship my North group meets the second thursday of every month at 130 at the indian shrine center located at 3601 northwest 36.

B

We always have a speaker, and then we have a partner and I with the Sheriff's Office would keep you updated with the current frauds and scams. My triad South beats the third thursday at 130 at Whitsun park senior center located at 3401, South May, and then our triad east meets at our spring lake station, located at 4116 north prospect at 10am, and so we have a great time. We really do now.

A

You mentioned north south and east. Yes,.

B

A

You've Ward 3 happens to be West yeah.

B

A

Your vision for the west part of our city well.

B

Our vision, you know I, can remember when chief Barry was the chief, then and I had told him. I said, sir one day because I coloma City 621 square miles, I said one day we will have four. We are blessed today to have three in our city, but we really would like to see that growth, which we do have with this your population, but to have one out west someday now.

A

One of our problems, of course, is much of our the Western folks. Don't get to see this show because they're in Canadian County correct, but if anybody caught the vision, how could they go about helping to start a West chapter? Well,.

B

I have if they would just give me a call, sir at 316, 4336 I would be very happy to help them get started. Okay,.

A

Now, each month you have a program. Yes, sir. What are those topics cover? Well.

B

We actually what I do is in January I, really care about my seniors and what they want, because you know we're kind of a little bit different I'm a little bit younger right now, I'm, not quite a senior myself, but I really care about what their needs are so I go around and we pass around a sheet of paper and I find out what are the things that they're looking for the topics, and we do everything to have those speakers, because I think that's very beneficial to get those speakers in.

B

So we have everything from insurance, Medicare to crime prevention, health care, anything that needs to be covered. You're.

A

Trying to keep our seniors from being taken advantage of. Aren't you yes,.

B

Sir, that is a passion, and that is the vision of the police department. Now.

A

Your vision carries out each year in November. You have a special event coming up. Yes,.

B

I do I'm very excited it's at osu okc, located at 900 north portland. It will be in the students in our third floor, but it's called inform senior seminar and actually this year, its first come first serve. So we will be able to hold about 175 seniors will have a light. Continental breakfast we're very excited to bring together. It's called a problem solving panel. A lot of people do call 911, but also there's a lot of calls that go in that really are not an emergency, and so we wanted to really give them the solution.

B

So we're going to have someone from 911 communications to direct them to 11 and also the Action Center through the city of Oklahoma City, so we're very excited, and then we're also going to have Scott Hines with channel 4 in your corner, doing sweepstakes scams so.

A

This is really aimed at helping seniors again not be taking advantage of exactly.

B

A

Quality of life and.

B

You know the best part about it. Serves it's free. You keep emphasizing that.

A

B

Do everything I you'll, see my name on with our seniors is free, I'm really big about that because I know a lot of them are on fixed incomes, but.

A

The seniors also are called on to give back and.

B

A

Of our senior friends and you have an event coming in December: oh that's! What seniors have an opportunity to really pour into some people's lives? Yes,.

B

That is the heart of the program. It's called grandparents raising grandchildren.

B

Is ranked number two in the nation for having more grandparents raised their grandkids and we just because the kids parents weren't there? We saw need in our community and we said what can we do to help and these children were not getting Christmas gifts and it just really broke our heart in in law enforcement. So we partner with Semyon Family Services Oklahoma, County, Sheriff's, Office, Midwest, City, Police Department in our agency, and we're very proud to be able to be partners with them to be able to give this service back to our community and seniors.

A

Out there, who may not be plugged into triad today, they.

B

A

Help in this big endeavor, oh.

B

Definitely we need shoppers rappers, if even you know, sometimes people say well. I just would like to give a little bit every dollar. Every penny counts towards this. You know, because we need to raise twenty two thousand dollars. That's a lot of money. Okay,.

A

No real slow, what's that magic number if they want to help also in the in the grandparents raising grandchildren.

B

And help them get plugged in to where they need to be also, if their grandparent out there, and maybe they are struggling, they can't afford and they meet the guidelines. If they'll give me a call again at 316, 4336 I'll get them plugged in to the right person to call to get on that list. Cheryl.

A

B

Thank you. It's been such an honor. We appreciate you, sir. Now.

A

What's going on for our seniors David in the future, as program manager at Maps, 3 you're, charged with overseeing all the maps projects, but for the seniors there's one that really hits home the senior wellness center? Where do we stand right now? Well,.

C

Subcommittees working hard still trying to put together the criteria for the for the wellness centers we've we've hired an architect, architects on board and ready to go to do design for whatever we we pick, but we're still looking for an operating partner, an operating partner being the group that will actually run the senior centers there may be up to four senior centers that maps 3 program will provide. So, as I said, the subcommittee is still going through. That there'll be a request for proposals going out soon.

C

That will will be able to pick that operating partner from that now.

A

When you say criteria, what are some of the activities that could be included in one or more of the senior centers, because they're not going to be a cookie cutter approach, I anything! That's.

C

Exactly right, each one can be tailored to to provide services that it needs to for the area that it's in. That's that's something. That's that's been mentioned many times within the subcommittee and and stressed some of the programs that might be provided in these wellness. Centers keyword.

A

There might then.

C

Correct correct, like I, said that each one will be different, but what they call an aquatic component of a pool of some sort, whether it be a therapy pool or actual swimming there's, been talk about, maybe the library being partner with one of these. So there could be a small section for libraries. There's definitely going to be some social areas. You know a lot of the center's now play bridge and do dominoes and those kind of things it's pretty much wide open.

C

There could be some some workout areas with treadmills and weights, so, like I said each one will be tailored for the the needs of that part of the community and the.

A

The operating partner now we're hoping that they'll bring some special insights and special capabilities to the table. Yes, sir, like.

C

I said, the request for proposals is going out and they'll be judged based on on what they can provide and how they will operate and their experience that they've got with doing centers. Similar to this now.

A

Challenges are we. This is to be the second iteration of going out for an RFP. Yes,.

C

A

Do we learn from the first time.

C

A lot of what we just talked about has come from that the the idea that these aren't going to be the same. You know the operating partners that that hopefully respond to this next RFP might want to do just one, but they also might want to do all four. So so there's that ability, there's just a lot of things involved in these and the city's really never done a project like this, so it it's it's a whole new animal force. We're.

A

Plant bore plowing new ground, that's.

C

A

And when we get done, we want to make sure that what it's a good project right.

C

That it's a good project and it's something that sustains itself for many years. We don't want to just build something that lasts a few years. We want this to be something that will continue on and on now.

A

The definition of a senior there's been various discussions about what age limit that entails. How does that stand right now? Well,.

C

Right now the the thought is 50 and above 50.

A

And above and so obviously then you've got a some different needs. The 50 year olds have a possibly some different needs than the 80 or 90 year old. That's.

C

Exactly right, that's why we talk about the different different rooms and based on where these might be within the city. There might be more need for poor, treadmills and and weight machines versus classrooms that that could provide training on computer there's.

A

C

Like that, the library part yoga things like that, so.

A

It's just not going to be a place where you take a senior, for example, and you send in there and I. Did you sit there? There's there's going to be activities that are going to be beneficial not only to themselves, but hopefully even carried outside of the four walls right.

C

That's exactly right and that's going to be up to the operating partner. Part of the proposal that they'll be sending us is going to describe what their program will be and how they operate. That and they're.

A

Going to be dispersed, dispersed throughout the city correct, but we don't know yet where the first one will be and.

C

That's right and that that is also something that will be up with the operating partner. They'll propose a site whether it be a new site that we will build, whether it be an existing site that we could remodel and add on to. You know that that's all still to be determined now.

A

Is there is a way that a senior can get plugged into what's going on and participate in some of the planning we.

C

Would keep a lot of information on the maps maps three website which you can find that through okc gov, you can find the links to the to the maps three, but also we have the subcommittee meetings every month and there's opportunity to to engage with the subcommittee. The.

A

Subcommittee for the health and wellness centers meets when and where we.

C

Meet the Wednesday prior to the fourth Thursday is is has.

A

Described to the fourth Thursday right.

C

And the meetings are in the basement conference room at 420, West, Main and any.

A

Senior or any citizen is welcome. Absolutely it's an open meeting, great great Cheryl vision of triad for the future. Just.

B

We want to keep our seniors safe in our community and the best way they can do that is to get involved in triad. That's the greatest weapon against crime and.

A

Vision for maps three for seniors well,.

C

We want to make sure we can provide the this senior centers that have been described with the maps three program and something that, like I, said, that's sustainable, something that lasts a very long time and provide services for the seniors. For.

A

Really for generations to come absolutely Cheryl! Thank you for your investment and the lives of seniors and well. Thank you.

B

A

Sir, for what you're going through, because this has turned out to be probably of all the maps three projects, if not the one of the most challenging, is it not? Yes, sir? It has and seniors out there just hang on with people like Cheryl and with David and our other staff people working better days are coming. We're looking forward to working with a even increasing senior population. Aren't we as the boom? What is that thing called the baby boomers? Yes, the baby boomer as they enter into the senior classification.

A

That's how we need these services for them. That's right! Thank you for all. You do. Thank you for watching I hope, you've caught David and Cheryl's passion for helping our seniors, and if you are a senior get plugged in to try it get plugged in to our new wellness centers, because together we can build a quality of life for our seniors. That will be an icon for other communities to emulate. Thank you for watching. God bless you, and your efforts and God bless you as we move forward in Oklahoma City.

A