Minutes
Aging and Disability Commission - Minutes - Apr 7, 2026
Apr 7, 2026
A public record published by the Town of Simsbury (simsbury-ct.gov). mySimsbury indexes it and makes it readable; it is not the official copy. View the original file.
1 AGING AND DISABILITY COMMISSION Age Friendly Community Subcommittee Regular Meeting - Tuesday, April 7, 2026 – 2:30 P.M. Zoom Meeting Jan Beatty, Chairperson, called the meeting to order at 2:30 p.m. PRESENT: Jan Beatty, Ed LaMontagne, Mike Jennings, Libby Easton-May ABSENT: Cheryl Cook, Valerie Finney PUBLIC AUDIENCE/PUBLIC COMMENT: No one from the public was in attendance and no comments were received. ACCEPTANCE OF MINUTES: March 3, 2026 – Mr. LaMontagne moved to accept the minutes with correction, Ms. Easton-May seconded. All voted in favor. OLD BUSINESS • Community Partners Contact Subcommittee members are still in the process of contacting community partners. Ms. Beatty met with Shannon Knoll from Simsbury Community Media. Ms. Knoll stated that she is willing to advertise age- friendly events and programs as well as to tape programs relative to the Age-Friendly Community initiative as well as the Aging and Disability Commission. • Contacts/Agencies for Aging-In-Place Expo Most venders from the Expo last September are willing to return for the Expo this year. A new vender is Amy Woodman, a dietician from Farmington Valley Nutrition & Wellness. • Resource Guide Magnet Trailhead Printing has been contacted and can produce a 3x4 magnet for approximately $1.00/magnet. They would need to have a copy of the text for the magnet. Ms. Beatty will develop a draft text and forward it to subcommittee members for review. NEW BUSINESS • Community Partners Interaction/Contacts Subcommittee members will continue to meet with community partners and to garner information regarding partners response Form. • Application for AARP Community Challenge Grant The AARP Community Challenge Grant has been completed by Tom Fitzgerald in the Town Managers office and submitted to AARP by the deadline of March 4th. If received, the grant money will be used to purchase “Mobi-mats,” which are used to transport wheelchairs, walkers, and other assistive devices over rough surfaces. The mats can be used at various recreation sites throughout town and potentially at the Simsbury Performing Arts Center during the summer season. The town should be notified if the grant application has been accepted sometime in May. 2 • Aging in Place Expo Letters Letters are in the process of being sent to Expo Venders. Most venders from last year are returning. To date, 23 out of 24 tables are taken. An additional table will be used for relevant literature. • Intergenerational Tech Help Discussion A student from Simsbury High School, Eli Seiderer, was a guest at the Aging and Disability Commission meeting on March 17th. At that time, he proposed a program that would have students work one-on- one with seniors regarding technology issues. Ms. Marshall recommended that the students could meet with seniors after the lunch programs on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at the Senior Center. He was also encouraged to speak with the student liaison on the commission. Continued discussion will be held at next Aging and Disability Commission meeting. • Summary of AARP Age-Friendly Webinar The Power of Spinoffs: How Age Friendly Efforts Spark More Than Expected, held on March 10th. Ms. Beatty participated in the webinar and stated that the Town of Glastonbury Parks and Recreation Department received a STEAP Grant that was used to construct new pickleball courts, a pavilion, and handicap accessible picnic tables. Other participants discussed how communities inspired spinoffs that went beyond original goals. UPCOMING AARP WEBINARS Note: Past webinars can be viewed on the AARP Livable Communities website • April 14, 2026 from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Places with Purpose: Built for Belonging This webinar highlights practical examples of places built with purpose. Register Here: https://events.aarp.org/qWkGzN • May 12, 2026 from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM (ET) Future Ready: Leveraging AI for Age-Friendly impact ADJOURNMENT There being no other business the meeting adjourned at 3:05 p.m. Next Meeting: May 5, 2026 at 2:30 pm, via Zoom. Respectfully submitted: Edward J. LaMontagne Edward J. LaMontagne Clerk