Hanover Township Mental Health Board

Minutes of the Regular Meeting

November 20, 2007

 

The meeting was called to order by Vice Chair Brian Gorcowski at 7:04 PM.

 

Roll Call:         Brian Gorcowski, Ruth Beckner, Rita Lopienski, Gabrielle Infusino.  A quorum was established. Katy Dolan Baumer, Sandy Deenihan and Mary Alice Benoit were absent. Also present were Executive Director Danise Habun, Mel Runzel  (township resident) and Chris Van Herick (township resident).

 

Approval of/Addition to Agenda

                        Gabrielle Infusino made the motion to accept the agenda as presented; Rita Lopienski seconded the motion.  The agenda was approved by unanimous voice vote.

 

Minutes from October 16, 2007 (Regular Meeting)

                        Rita Lopienski made the motion to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of October 16, 2007 and Gabrielle Infusino seconded the motion.   The Board unanimously approved the minutes by voice vote.

 

Minutes from October 16, 2007 (Executive Session)

                        Gabrielle Infusino made the motion to approve the minutes of the executive session of October 16, 2007 and Ruth Beckner seconded the motion.  The Board unanimously approved the minutes by voice vote.

 

Financial Reports from October, 2007

                        Motion to accept the October financial report was made by Gabrielle Infusino and seconded by Rita Lopienski.   The roll was taken and the motion carried.

                                    Sandy Deenihan                              Ruth Beckner            Yes

                                    Gabrielle Infusino    Yes                  Mary Alice Benoit   

                                    Brian Gorcowski      Yes                  Rita Lopienski            Yes

                                    Katy Dolan Baumer

Executive Director’s Report

                        Executive Director Habun presented report on activities from October.  Written report submitted

 

 

Community Resource Center

                        Executive Director Habun reported that the parking lot repavement project had been completed ahead of schedule.  Staff at the CRC are very appreciative.  Parking lot project was the final capital project for the current fiscal year.

 

Mental Health Board Office Reconfiguration Project

                        Executive Director Habun reported that the new office furniture had been ordered.  Work is tentatively scheduled for the first weekend in December.  Office will be re-painted prior to installation of new items. 

 

Mental Health Board By-Laws and Policies and Procedures Revisions Update

                        Executive Director Habun reported that she and Sandy Deenihan had met regarding the process for revising the Hanover Township Mental Health Board’s by-laws and policies and procedures.  Executive Director Habun presented her work on the revisions to the By-laws of the Hanover Township Mental Health Board and asked the Board members to review and provide commentary prior to the December meeting of the Mental Health Board.  Discussion and recommendations to approve the one section will occur at that time.  Board members agreed to review and discuss in December.

 

                        Executive Director Habun clarified that Board Member Sandy Deenihan has  asked that the  work in developing the revision process be postponed for discussion until the December meeting so that she can present the work product.

 

Community Crisis Center Challenge Grant Request

                        Ruth Beckner made the motion to award a challenge grant of $15,000 to the Community Crisis Center to develop and provide the “Strategies for Safety” Sexual Assault Prevention Program for adolescent boys and girls.  Gabrielle Infusino seconded the motion.

 

                        After discussion on the merits of the proposed program, Gabrielle Infusino made a motion to amend the original motion that the award not exceed $8,000.00.  Rita Lopienski seconded the motion to amend.

 

                        The roll was taken and the motion carried.

                        Sandy Deenihan                              Ruth Beckner            Yes

                        Gabrielle Infusino    Yes                  Mary Alice Benoit   

                        Brian Gorcowski      Yes                  Rita Lopienski            Yes

                        Katy Dolan Baumer

 

                        Executive Director Habun will notify the Executive Director of the Community Crisis Center  of the award.

 

Finance Committee Report

                        Ruth Beckner presented the written report from the newly created finance committee. Committee members include Ruth Beckner, Sandy Deenihan, Mary Alice Benoit and Danise Habun. 

 

                        The Finance Committee presented a draft FY09 budget to  the Hanover Township Mental Health Board for review and input.  Budgets are due back to the Township Finance Committee  in December.  The Finance Committee is requesting that the Hanover Township Mental Health Board vote on the draft FY09 budget at its’ December 18th meeting.  Members  agreed to this.

 

                        The Finance Committee recommended the adoption of a formal process to determine the agency allocations.  Executive Director Habun reviewed a flow chart that demonstrated the process which provides objective criteria and priority needs as developed during strategic planning  and matches this information with output information as reported annually by agencies.  The totality of this information is then numerically ranked and matched against the requested funds.  Executive Director Habun will provide an individual program worksheet using this ranking system for every grant proposal to each board member to complete and return prior to the date of the agency allocation workshop.  The information will be collated with the final tabulations returned to the members of the Mental Health Board for use during the workshop.

 

                        Ruth Beckner made the motion that Hanover Township Mental Health Board adopt the agency allocation process as presented.  Gabrielle Infusino seconded the motion. By unanimous voice vote, the motion carried

 

                        The Finance Committee will meet again to review the past 3 years of financials in order to develop a 3 year financial plan that incorporates action items from the Strategic Plan.

 

Agency Allocation Workshop Date

                        Board members asked the Executive Director to email possible meeting dates in early January, preferably during the week.  (The date selected is January 14, 2008)

 

Adjourn into Executive Session

                        Gabrielle Infusino made a motion at 7:20 PM to adjourn into Executive Session pursuant to Section 2c1(Personnel) of the Open Meetings Act; Rita Lopienski seconded the motion.  By unanimous voice vote, the motion carried.

 

Adjourn back into the Regular Meeting

                        Vice Chair Brian Gorcowski called the meeting to order after returning from Executive Session at 7:36 PM.

 

Vice Chair Gorcowski asked for Open Comment.  

Chris Van Herick, resident, asked when there would be an opportunity to provide comments and input regarding requests for mental health board funds.  Mr. Van Herick stated that in the past, NAMI (National Alliance for the Mentally Ill) members attended the meetings during which funding allocations were discussed.

 

                        Executive Director Habun clarified that the workshop date regarding this process hadn’t been set and that the workshops are subject to the Open Meetings Act and the public was invited to attend. 

 

                        Mel Runzel, resident, asked for a copy of the revised by-laws of the Hanover Township Mental Health Board and for the 2008 meeting dates.  Executive Director Habun provided Ms. Runzel with her copy of the proposed by-law revisions as presented during the meeting and has since sent the list of meeting dates for 2008.

 

Adjournment

                        With no further business to discuss, the Vice Chair asked for a motion to adjourn; the motion was made by Ruth Beckner and seconded by Rita Lopienski; motion passed unanimously.  The meeting adjourned at 7:40 pm.

 

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

 

Danise Habun

Executive Director