01-20-2021 Senior Advisory Comm Minutes
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SENIOR ADVISORY COMMISSION
SUMMARY
January 20, 2020 @ 2:00PM
Hylebos Conference Room
Commissioners Present: Chair Debbie Harvey, Vice Chair Lana Bostic, Sue Ellebrecht, Lynette
Karasuda, Kevin King, Catherine North, Cheryl Volheim, Frank Fields,
Ken Pratt & Dora “Pal” Leonard (Alternate)
Absent: Commissioner Hope Elder
Staff Present: Council President Susan Honda & Jeri-Lynn Clark, Executive Assistant
Citizens Present: Rev. Colleen Chinen (Assoc. Pastor from Steel Lake Presbyterian
Church)
1. CALL TO ORDER
The meeting was called to order at 2:00 p.m.
2. CITIZEN COMMENTS
None.
3. COMMISSIONER COMMENTS
Chair Harvey shared that she would like a follow up conversation regarding the email she sent
to Councilmember Kochmar regarding senior discounts. Ms. Clark asked her to forward the
email to her and she will follow up with Councilmember Kochmar.
Chair Harvey was inquiring about information in the Housing Action Plan survey regarding if the
city is planning on placing duplexes and tri-plexus in residential areas? Are they going to be
able to build a multifamily building next door to single family homes? Will these changes impact
home values? Will it lower the values? She would like to make sure the City is doing their due
diligence to make sure they are aware of all the different impacts on the City. Council President
shared that they will not make any decisions until the Housing Action Plan survey has been
completed.
Commissioner Ellebrecht asked what steps is the City taking to make sure everyone can fill out
the survey? Are they emailing or mailing out the survey? Not everyone has access to online.
Council President Honda will follow up with Community Development Director Brian Davis to
see all of different ways they are informing the public and how to get access to the survey. The
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Commission encourages posting in the Federal Way Mirror, maybe sending a note in the mail
to encourage people to go online and complete the survey.
Commissioners Fields and North shared Happy Inauguration Day!
4. COMMISSION BUSINESS
A. APPROVAL OF 1/20/2021 MEETING MINUTES
MOTION TO APPROVE 1/20/2021 MEETING MINUTES BY COMMISSIONER PRATT,
SECOND BY COMMISSIONER KING. MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
B. COVID-19 UPDATE
Ray Gross, Emergency Manager for the City of Federal Way provided a presentation on the
on COVID-10 and shared the latest COVID-19 numbers for the City of Federal Way; there
are 5,637 positive cases, 362 hospitalizations, and 75 deaths since the beginning February
2020 (as of 2/19/2021). A majority of the cases and deaths are from people 50 years and
older. The presentation with all of the data is located at the end of the minutes.
The Commission wanted to know how people access this information and where they can
get vaccinations at? You can find this information on www.findyourphasew.org this link
will be placed on the Senior Advisory Commission webpage.
We have 2 testing sites for COVID-19 in Federal Way King County Aquatic Center (7 days a
week), Sea Mar on Tuesday and Thursday only. All tests and vaccines are free* (there may
be an admin cost).
For more information on COVID-19 please see the Center for Disease Control (CDC), King
County Health or the City of Federal Way websites.
Mr. Gross will follow up with King County Health regarding the following questions:
• How will communication go out to the community when there are extra vaccines
available?
• Authorization to start sharing when to start signing up?
• Transparency How many doses that the City of Federal Way has issued?
• Communication needs to be available in different languages and not just online.
• What other options are available to get the information out to the public?
The Commission would like to have COVID-19 updates at each meeting. Chair Harvey would
also like to see if there will be updates at the Council meetings? Council President Honda
said she would follow up with Mayor Ferrell.
Please check with your medical providers and check www.findyourphasew.org to see when
vaccinations are available.
C. ANNUAL ELECTION OF CHAIR & VICE CHAIR
Ms. Clark opened up nominations for Senior Advisory Commission Chair. Nomination by
Commissioner Bostic for Commissioner Harvey, second by Commissioner Ellebrecht.
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Commissioner Harvey accepted the nomination. No more nominations were received.
Nomination passed unanimously.
Ms. Clark opened up nominations for Senior Advisory Commission Vice Chair. Nomination
by Chair Harvey for Commissioner Bostic, second by Commissioner Ellebrecht,
Commissioner Bostic accepted the nomination. Commissioner Fields nominated
Commissioner King & Commissioner Pratt. Commissioner King & Commissioner Pratt
declined the nomination. No more nominations received. Nomination passed unanimously.
D. NEXT STEPS FOR THE COMMISSION
The original goals for the Commission were: Distribution of information, reduced fees for
seniors (property tax, admission fees, etc.) and rent control.
Chair Harvey would like to work on property tax and utility tax reductions. She encourages
the City to consider seniors when raising taxes and the impacts on them.
Council President Honda said the City will work on the Utility Tax Rebate from the City of
Federal Way.
Commissioner Fields would like the cable/satellite providers to offer movie discount prices
for seniors.
Commissioner North would like to do a survey to see what the Seniors in the community
need. Commissioner Fields can work with the manager at SHAG and get the survey
distributed.
Vice Chair Bostic would like to work on rent control.
• Subcommittee members Property Tax and Senior discounts: Chair Harvey,
Commissioner Ellebrecht, Commissioner King.
• Subcommittee members brochure distribution & survey: Commissioner North,
Commissioner Fields, and Commissioner Volheim.
• Subcommittee Rent Control: Vice Chair Bostic, Commissioner Fields and
Commissioner Pratt.
The subcommittees will have an outline or direction on how to move forward to the March
17, 2021 meeting.
Commissioner Volheim shared that we can be ambassadors and ask all of the seniors we
talk with if they have their shots or need to know how to get an appointment, we can share
where they can locate the information.
5. STAFF REPORT
Ms. Clark shared that the City is hosting a drive through food drive on Saturday, January 30,
2021 from 10AM-2PM in the Fred Meyer parking lot. Please stop by and donate non-
perishable items and say hi! Safety protocols will be followed.
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Vice Chair Bostic is going to reach back out to the Federal Way Mirror to do an article on the
Senior Advisory Commission. She would also like to find out more information on the FUSION
family shelter and how we can support them. She would also like to discuss supporting the day
shelter.
6. NEXT MEETING
Wednesday, March 17, 2021 @2:00 PM.
7. ADJOURN – The meeting adjourned at 4:01 p.m.
Attest:
Jeri-Lynn Clark
Jeri-Lynn Clark, Exec. Assistant to Council
Approved by Senior Advisory Commission: 3/17/2021