Region 10: 2017 Meeting Minutes (10/17)

 

HSTP Region 10

Quarterly Meeting Minutes

October 17, 2017

 

Attendees:

David Armbrust	Marion County Horizon Center-Salem
Betty Cox	Clay County Rehabilitation Center-Flora
Janice Zwilling	Lawrence-Crawford Association-Lawrenceville
Dayo Adenekan	CILA Corporation-Flora
Gidget Simpson	CILA Corporation-Flora
Adam Lach	Rides MTD-Harrisburg
Susan Love	Central Il. Public Transit\Effingham Co. Public Transit-Effingham
Jenni Beaman	Central Il. Public Transit\Effingham Co. Public Transit-Effingham
Adam Croy	Illinois Emergency Management-Flora
Shanna Holmes	Southeastern Il. Area Agency on Aging-Mt. Carmel
Terri Finn	HSTP Coordinator-Salem

 

 

The quarterly HSTP Region 10 meeting was held on October 17, 2017, hosted by Clay County Rehabilitation in Flora.   The meeting began with Adam Lach, Committee President, calling the meeting to order at 11:03 am.  Introductions of committee members were done.   

 

The July 18, 2017 meeting minutes were reviewed.  David Armbrust made the motion to approve the minutes with a 2^nd by Betty Cox. All were in favor of approving those minutes.

 

Guest Speaker-Adam Croy from the Il. Emergency Management Agency:

Adam spoke in detail about agencies having emergency plans in place and should be meeting twice a year with community leaders and their local emergency management team to evaluate those plans.  He shared with the committee how the hurricane in Florida, Texas & Puerto Rico has driven EMA in better preparing states with evacuation plans—but there were other issues that had not been planned for such as gas shortages all along the evacuation path.  Florida thought they had prepared for the hurricane in enough time but had not planned on the supply of gas to stations to fuel all of the vehicles that would be headed north out of the hurricanes path.  Texas had evacuation plans also, but when the hurricane hit, the vast amount of water that rose in areas was not planned for and introduced another set of issues they had to face.  They had to get people with boats to volunteer to get people out and accounted for.  In comparison, when Hurricane Katrina hit emergency management faced even different issues.  He explained the evacuation problems that were faced in that disaster including the fact that over 300,000 people did not have any transportation at all after the hurricane. 

Adam and other IEMA staff recently attended a training exercise in Coles County.  He stated how they had a table top exercise with the area transportation providers, nursing homes, hospitals, etc.  During that exercise the hospital, nursing homes and a few other facilities realized, that in a disaster, they would all be relying on the SAME transportation provider, which obviously would not work.  During this discussion, many of the Region 10 committee members realized, that in Clay County, they would probably also face that same problem.  All committee members agree that a table top exercise needs to be done to help all providers have a plan for any disaster. 

Adam encouraged the public transit providers to also have a plan that would include plans to evacuate the state and where to go, if needed.  He also talked about the new CMS Rule, effective November 15, 2017.  This new rule will require all transportation providers to have a training together that would involve table top exercises and a full scale plan.  Transportation providers will need to have two evacuation exercises twice a year. 

Dayo Adenekan began a conversation as to where the agencies clients would go during a disaster and agreed that all transportation providers meet to discuss plans for evacuation.  Adam Croy addressed that safe places would include locations that have generators, power, heating, cooling, food, etc. and not be a location affected by the disaster.  He encouraged agencies to have meeting points in place, in the event of radios, cell phones, etc. not working during a disaster.

Adam discussed the recent school shooting in Mattoon, many of the committee members had heard about this tragedy.  Susan Love discussed how the students there have been taught to run to the nearby corn fields to hide if there is an active shooter or other emergency that calls for the school to be evacuated.  Adam expressed that schools need transportation plans for those kinds of events as well, such as if the school is busing students out of the area, do the parents know where to get their kids.  All of these issues need addressed. 

Lastly, the committee talked about the recent eclipse.  In Southern Illinois, planning had been done for over 1 year and problems such as gas and food shortages occurred.  Many highways and interstates were backed up for miles.  That is just an example of how a one day event can cause issues.  Many involved with the planning thought that crowds would come for the full weekend but that was not the case.  In fact, on Monday, thousands were travelling to Southern Illinois all at once.  Adam explained that IEMA Coordinators said that secondary roads, such as HWY 45 and HWY 1, were just as packed as the interstate leaving no way for emergency vehicles to get to any kind of situation .    Adam Croy would like all committee members to get a plan in place, and if there are questions later, he can be contacted at adamcroy@illinois.gov.  Clay County contact is Steve Simms.  Pam Jacobs is the contact for Effingham County.  Kevin Parker is contact person for Richland County and Jess Angle is for Lawrence County.  Anyone can send an email to Adam and he can get you phone numbers\email addresses.   Dayo Adenekan did ask Adam if there were any grants that would help pay for generators.  Adam said that many private companies offer grants it is just a matter of finding something in an internet search.  Susan Love stated that Hughes Supply which is the company that owns Home Depot, used to give grants for generators. 

 

General Discussion:

Transfer Station-Adam Lach stated that Rides MTD received capital project funding to build a Park-N-Ride\Transit Transfer Station location in Marion.  They will have 6 bus slips that Greyhound and other transit providers will be able to use.  It will be open 24\7 for complete access.  The groundbreaking for this will be in March 2018.  Adam also discussed the Memorial Honor Flights for the Veterans to Washington D.C.  Many Marion residents will be on hand to welcome the Veterans home after their flight back from D.C.  RIDES has coordinated with various parking locations to pick people up and take them the welcome site.    

 

New Business:

Terri Finn told the committee that the provider inventory is being updated and waiting for some final agencies to submit information and after the duplication table is done, the new Plan for 2017 will be available online for all members. 

Terri also gave trip statistics of Region 10 providers.  Betty Cox explained that CCR has downsized their transportation trips by contracting with CIPT for client transport.  This is mostly due to CCR’s aging vehicles, some having major issues and too old & costly to repair. 

 

Shanna Holmes brought up an issue she is seeing with senior citizens in her area and asked Adam Lach if it is possible for RIDES buses to have drop-off and pickups within a smaller time frame, especially medical trips.  Shanna said she is aware of a senior waiting for up to 4 hours for a trip back home.  Adam told the committee RIDES is getting more available time frames for more locations to help prevent long layovers, such as the one Shanna described.  Adam said they recently did a survey of rider transportation needs; where, time frames, etc.  He stated in this survey RIDES became aware of the need for more routes to St. Louis & Indiana.  They now they offer daily trips to St. Louis and other locations. 

 

Terri Finn gave an update on CVP vehicles; Mike Healy has relayed to all HSTP Coordinators that minivans from 2016 will be available this fall 2017.  Light & medium duty buses will be available in spring 2018, and no dates are available for super duty vans. 

 

Adam Lach also discussed the RIDES TO WELLNESS grant.  One-Call Centers are available to help people needing transportation to and from appointments in the hope to decrease the number of appointments missed, re-hospitalizations occurring, etc. 

 

Last on the agenda was the committee’s meeting dates for next year.  Terri Finn stated that Mike Healy gave approval for 1 meeting within the year to be via conference call, BUT all committee members must participate during meetings.  The committee agreed on the following dates and locations for 2018:

 

JANUARY 16^th-Conference call-Terri will provide information closer to date

MAY 15^th-at CIPT in Effingham

JULY 17^th-at Marion Co. Horizon Center in Flora

OCTOBER 16^th-at Lawrence-Crawford Association in Lawrenceville

 

Adam Lach asked for a motion to adjourn the meeting.  Janice Zwilling made the motion to adjourn the meeting, with David Armbrust 2^nd the motion.  The Region 10 Committee meeting was adjourned at 12:20pm. 

 

Lunch was hosted and provided by Betty Cox and Clay Co. Rehab after the meeting.