STATEWIDE INDEPENDENT LIVING COUNCIL
November 18, 2020
1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
FULL SILC Meeting
ZOOM

Members and Ex-Officios Attending:  Carrie Dudley, Deborah Ritcey, Jeff Dickinson, Ellie Kimball, Shellie Lemelin,  Marcia Golembeski, Joan Marcoux
Staff: Jennifer Beaulieu (SILC Assistant) 	
Guests: Lorrie Ripley (Client Assistance Program, Governor’s Commission on Disability), Sarah Sweeney (SILC Nominee), Peter Marshall (SILC Nominee), Erin Hall (Up for reappointment), and Michelle McConaghy (Northeast Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Services, Inc.)
Communication Access: Rachel Farrell (ASL Interpreter), Laurie Meyer (ASL Interpreter), and Denise Gracia (CART Reporter)
The SILC meeting was called to order at 1:13 PM by Chair Carrie Dudley. Attendance was taken via roll call. 
*Quorum was reached.

Approval of Minutes
* Member Shellie Lemelin made a motion to approve the September 16th minutes.
Second: 			Member Marcia Golembeski 				
Discussion:			None				
All in Favor: Yes		Abstaining: None
Motion Carried.
Discussion occurred on the subject of Erin’s reappointment.  Jen asked about the votes by Erin Hall because her term expired. Deborah responded that we note on the minutes that Erin’s votes aren’t valid because her term ended. Carrie mentioned her term expired in August and while we were focusing on rebuilding the SILC and on the State Plan for Independent Living (SPIL). In the future, we will try to stagger out members’ terms so everyone terms out at different times. Deborah mentioned that we voted in Erin as the secretary near the end of her term so now we are a SILC without an appointed secretary. 

2021-2023 SPIL Discussion on required changes
Carrie started off the discussion by reporting that the Executive Committee (EC) has been meeting outside their scheduled meetings to discuss the changes that are required by the Administration of Community Living (ACL) for the 2021-2023 SPIL. The EC split the required changes among themselves. Some of the changes were minor, some were financial, some were due to information missing, and some were due to numbers not matching up. Daniel Frye has sent over the financial information related to Part B funding and GSIL has been working on the required reporting for CILs. Carrie noted that one of the changes we have been trying to figure out is what to put in for the undeserved and unserved populations of NH in the narrative part of the SPIL.  She has been working with Jen on the matter. Deborah furthered the discussion by explaining the objectives will still remain the same, the ACL wanted more information on some things that don’t necessarily apply to us as a single CIL state. She thinks it is important that the full board review the changed SPIL before it’s resubmitted to ACL. Carrie will probably be asking for an electronic vote in the near future so people need to be vigilant for an email asking for approval of the changed SPIL. 
Carrie asked what people thought of when it comes to underserved and unserved populations in NH. She mentioned one population would be people who live in the North due to lack of public transportation there. She also mentioned that in Concord there are a lot of people from other countries who are Deaf because the headquarters of Ascentria is there. They are underserved because they can’t reach out to others due to language barriers. Joan mentioned we should have a member from Ascentria or the International Institute of New England to join the council. Joan will reach out to some people from the International Institute of New England and Ascentria. Deborah and Jeff know someone from that Ascentria incase Joan encounters any trouble. 
Jeff mentioned that because this is the first SPIL being approved by ACL, there is some trial and error in creating a SPIL that meets the requirements set forth by ACL. Previously it was approved by RSA. 
Deborah mentioned she will send out the excel sheet that she created that outlines the required changes to everyone. 
Carrie reported there are consequences if we don’t change our ways. At our last EC meeting we discussed trying to work together and having everyone decide which committee to be on. According to our bylaws, we are required to have a governance, advocacy, and membership committee. Carrie went over each committee. At an earlier meeting, Deborah offered to be on the governance committee. The membership committee does the following: getting people to join the council, getting people interested in the SILC, and getting people to understand what we expect from members. The executive committee will assist in guiding the other committees to keep people focused and working on their tasks. 
Discussion occurred on the subject of membership. Ideas raised during this discussion were the following
•	Figure out what skillsets we need
•	Figure out who we are missing
•	Figure out where we need representation geographically
•	Members on the board reach out to potential members
•	Having people with disabilities, people of specific disabilities, having a legislator, having someone in marketing, and having people from CILs join the SILC
•	Having a requirement that members find someone who has a similar disability to fill their spot when they leave
•	Having members who attend meetings via ZOOM
Marcia asked who was going to fill in Susan Wolf-Downes’s spot on the SILC. Deborah mentioned that her designee, Michelle is here today. Deborah asked Marcia what was done in the past to attract new members. Marcia noted that when we had committees, people were excited to join and came from different areas. 
Jeff stressed the importance of a robust membership committee. 

Michelle noted how the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the use of technologies to attend meetings. This gives the opportunity to people who can’t attend in-person meetings because they can’t drive or access transportation. 
Deborah mentioned we need people to think about what committee they want to be on so we can start forming the committees at the next meeting. We will need members to rotate every year to different committees. Jen and Carrie will work on creating a one pager that lists out expectations and job descriptions.  Solidify before the January meeting. The one pager will be sent to members before the next meeting. Members need to let Carrie know what committee they want to be a part of and indicate if they want to be the chair of the committee or not. 

Old Business
There was discussion over transportation in NH. Michelle asked how people who can’t drive get to where they need to be with little public transportation available. Jeff mentioned that part of the problem is the tax formula in NH. NH doesn’t really put in any money for public transportation. Ellie mentioned how a bus service was removed in Rochester that drove people to medical appointments. Jen raised the idea of working together with the elderly population to assist in advocacy effects. Deborah mentioned that transportation would be good for the advocacy committee. Marcia and Shellie recommended a presentation by someone at Cooperative Alliance for Seacoast Transportation (COAST). They will reach out to Jeff Donald at COAST to see if they can present at the next meeting.

New Business 
Jeff mentioned that due to COVID-19, remote access legislative process has greatly increased. He and GSIL are concerned that once the COVID-19 pandemic is over, remote access will stop. He is working with Senator Becky Whitley on creating a bill that permanently requires the legislature to continue to offer remote access to committee meetings, hearings, and to testify. 
Deborah mentioned that we should be encouraging our consumers to log on to the ZOOM call because numbers do count for those meetings. 
Jen mentioned that Sarah Sweeny and Peter Marshall were voted on by the EC so now they just need to go to the governor. 
Approval for Adjournment of Meeting
*Chair Carrie Dudley made a motion to adjourn the meeting.
Second: 			Member Marcia Golembeski				
Discussion:			None				
All in Favor: 	Yes		Abstaining: None
Motion Carried.

The meeting adjourned at 3:25 p.m.
Minutes Recorded by Jennifer Beaulieu