COMMISSIONERS PRESENT
Mr. Earl Steenstra, Chairperson
Dr. Velma Allen
Mr. Donald Bowman
Ms. Jo Ann Pilarski

COMMISSIONERS ABSENT
Ms. Peeti Greene

MCB STAFF PRESENT
Mr. Patrick Cannon
Ms. Connie Kreiner
Mr. James Buscetta
Mr. Larry Best
Ms. Melody Lindsey
Mr. Fred Wurtzel
Ms. Constance Zanger
Mr. Charles Dunn

GOVERNOR'S OFFICE STAFF
Ms. Kim Harding

FIA STAFF
Ms. Jocelyn Vanda
Ms. Margaret Heiser

GUESTS
Mr. John Victory
Mr. Scott Hudson
Ms. Mary Wurtzel
Ms. Tari Muniz
Ms. Gretchen Garimella
Mr. J. J. Jackson
Ms. Georgia Kitchen
Mr. Kenneth Kitchen
Mr. Casey Dutmer

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
Chairperson Steenstra called the Committee of the Whole meeting to order at 9:20 a.m.
Mr. Steenstra said that the Board had tentatively set Sunday, June 17, 2001, from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. as the time for the Board retreat. Agenda items for the retreat were discussed. Dates and times of future meetings were discussed and will be an item for discussion at the retreat. Committees and committee structures will also be discussed. Mr. Bowman indicated that he had some concerns with how information is conveyed and transferred within and without the agency and also how the Commission Board interacts with the blind community. This will also be an item for discussion at the retreat. Another item which will be discussed is the agency name. Mr. Steenstra also said that dialogue will also pertain to the Vision 2020 initiative.

REGULAR MEETING CALL TO ORDER, ROLL CALL, AND DETERMINATION OF QUORUM
Chairperson Steenstra called the meeting to order at 10:08 a.m. Roll call was taken and a quorum was present.

APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES
MR. BOWMAN MOVED, SUPPORTED BY DR. ALLEN, TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE FEBRUARY 20, 2001 MEETING AS PRESENTED. THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
DR. ALLEN MOVED, SUPPORTED BY MS. PILARSKI, TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE APRIL 16, 2001 MEETING AS PRESENTED. THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.

PUBLIC COMMENT
Ms. Mary Wurtzel said that the whole blindness community is very much concerned that the undergraduate programs which prepare teachers of the visually impaired, orientation and mobility specialists and teachers of the deafblind at Michigan State University is being considered for discontinuation. She said that they are ready to do whatever needs to be done to save the program. Secondly, Ms. Wurtzel said that a situation had recently arisen where a reporter in the Grand Rapids area had wanted to speak with consumers regarding the budget hearings where a number of consumers had spoken about the MCB budget. Ms. Wurtzel’s concern was that people were afraid to speak with the reporter for fear of reprisal by the Commission.

DIRECTOR'S REPORT
Director Cannon called attention to the written MCB report and highlighted some of the items in the report. First, he said that at the end of June, Mr. Eddie Timanus, a sportswriter for USA TODAY, and also a champion from the television show “Jeopardy,” will be visiting Michigan and addressing some of the students in the college prep program and also visiting with students at the Training Center.
Mr. Cannon also said that he and Ms. Sherry Gordon, Supervisor in the Kalamazoo office, had attended the National Council of State Agencies for the Blind (NCSAB) meeting in Bethesda, Maryland. One of the topics discussed was the challenges of implementing the Ticket to Work legislation. Another very interesting presentation was on accessing qualified trainers for assistive technology.
Mr. Cannon invited Commissioners to attend the statewide staff meeting being held on June 11. Others invited to attend are a representative of the Consumer Involvement Council, a representative of the Governor’s Office and a Family Independence Agency representative.
Finally, Mr. Cannon said that the Commission was very pleased with the support of consumers at the recent budget hearings. Also, on the point of consumer involvement, Mr. Cannon urged Commissioners that if at any time they heard comments or concerns from consumers to urge them to call him directly. He said that all comments, positive or negative, are valued and welcomed.
MR. BOWMAN MOVED, SUPPORTED BY DR. ALLEN, TO ACCEPT THE DIRECTOR’S REPORT AS PRESENTED. THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.

PROPOSED FY 2002 COMMISSION MEETING SCHEDULE
MR. BOWMAN MOVED, SUPPORTED BY DR. ALLEN, TO ACCEPT THE PROPOSED FY 2002 MEETING SCHEDULE AS PRESENTED. THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
Discussion ensued regarding the budget hearings that had been held and erroneous comments that had been made relative to MCB’s budget, specifically that MCB had let $900,000 lapse. Mr. Cannon expressed his concern that such erroneous statements had been made in a public meeting and assured the Commissioners that the monies had not lapsed. Mr. Best stated that the MCB budget is complex and not understood. Ms. Vanda said that it is planned to have Director Cannon and Mr. Best involved in budget discussions with the analysts to educate them about MCB’s budget.

MCB TRAINING CENTER REPORT
Ms. Lindsey said that the FOCUS (Focus on Creating Ultimate Success) program has been created to address the problem of the waiting list at the Training Center. It is geared toward consumers who need just a couple of weeks of training with specific needs. The FOCUS program will be conducted at Western Michigan University due to the extra stress it would put on facilities and staff. It will also provide the opportunity for Western students who need to fulfill a practicum.
Ms. Lindsey also informed the Board that the Training Center would be closed during the Fourth of July week due to staff vacations. Those who will be working will be given the option of working with field staff during the week or participating in one of the consumer conventions.
Ms. Lindsey said that she has been invited to participate in a meeting in Nebraska of center directors. She has been asked to participate in a panel discussion on changes in rehabilitation and how to facilitate those changes in training centers.
DR. ALLEN MOVED, SUPPORTED BY MR. BOWMAN, TO ACCEPT THE TRAINING CENTER REPORT AS PRESENTED. THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.

CONSUMER SERVICES REPORT
Mr. Buscetta reported that, given the current budget situation, decisions were being made to provide the most important services and delaying other services that can be delayed. Funds had been loosened up so that the summer school program was back on for the summer.
Mr. Buscetta said that the Visually Impaired Volunteer Assistants (VIVA) Program was being expanded into Cass County, into South Haven where Rep. Mary Middaugh’s office is providing assistance, and also to Monroe County.
MR. BOWMAN MOVED, SUPPORTED BY DR. ALLEN, TO ACCEPT THE CONSUMER SERVICES DIVISION REPORT AS PRESENTED. THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.

MICHIGAN YOUTH LEADERSHIP FORUM
Ms. Margaret Heiser, Commission on Disability Concerns, said that the Youth Leadership Forum is a leadership training program for high school juniors and seniors with disabilities. Twenty agencies, including the Commission for the Blind, assist with the Leadership Forum. This is the second year the Michigan Forum is being held and the dates are June 24-28. Students are selected through a competitive selection process. Successful adults with disabilities serve as mentors during the Leadership Forum. Ms. Heiser provided examples of how some of last year’s Youth Leadership Forum participants had put the skills they had learned into practice.

eBLIND!
Mr. Scott Hudson, Executive Director, eBlind!, explained how he started eBlind! which is a technology training program for blind people formed by the Pontiac Lions Club. He explained a program called the “Waterford Model” which uses community development block grants and could be coordinated with local Lions Clubs to train blind clients in computer use. Mr. Bowman encouraged staff to explore the ideas which Mr. Hudson outlined.

DISABILITY NETWORK COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY CENTER
Ms. Georgia Kitchen, Site Coordinator, Disability Network Community Technology Center, said that the Center trains persons with all disabilities, including blindness. They train and use volunteers to help teach assistive technology, such as Naturally Speaking. The Center is located in Flint.

The meeting was recessed for lunch at 12:15 p.m.
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The meeting was called back to order at 1:22 p.m.

CLIENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
Ms. Tari Muniz, Client Assistance Program (CAP) Supervisor, said that the Client Assistance Program is federally mandated and they advocate for clients who receive services from the Commission, Michigan Rehabilitation Services clients and also clients of Centers for Independent Living. They are a part of Michigan Protection and Advocacy Services. She said that approximately ten to fifteen percent of their cases are clients of the Commission. Most of the issues of the MCB clients are about getting equipment in a timely fashion, but the new procurement procedures had lessened those calls.
Ms. Gretchen Garimella, Client Advocate with CAP, said that she tries to visit the MCB Training Center at least once a month with the purpose of educating the students about CAP and their services. She also has been active in the Training Center Policy Committee.

ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES REPORT
Mr. Best reported that the Department of Management and Budget has agreed to charge the same as last year for rental on BEP facilities in state buildings. This will save the Commission nearly $200,000 which will help with the college preparation program.
Mr. Best said that he was aware that several constituents had recently attended the budget hearings and said that he was appreciative of their interest in the budget situation. He also said that he had been alerted that there is a proposal for a four percent cut in the MCB budget for next year, of which $145,300 is federal authority and $41,800 is state general fund match.
Finally, Mr. Best reminded Commissioners that at the Commission meeting in January 2000, three critical issues had been raised and that none of those issues has been resolved. Those issues are the match issue, the FTE issue and the federal authority issue.
MR. BOWMAN MOVED, SUPPORTED BY MS. PILARSKI, TO ACCEPT THE ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES REPORT AS PRESENTED. THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.

BUSINESS ENTERPRISE PROGRAM REPORT
Mr. Wurtzel reported that the McNamara Building facility would be opening on June 11. This project continues to dominate much of his time. He also said that Carol Curneal was working on revamping the BEP operator training program beginning with reviewing the assessment that helps to screen potential operators.
Commissioner Bowman asked about set-aside funds for the use of repair expenses and seeking ways of alleviating the situation. Mr. Wurtzel commented that a major goal is training and that should help the situation, but he would also be more diligent in pursuing this issue and will provide an update at the next Commission meeting. Further, he said that the Elected Operators Committee was exploring alternate methods of paying for repairs.
Commissioner Bowman also asked about the meeting with the Office of the Attorney General regarding catering in state office buildings. Mr. Wurtzel said that he would again pursue the scheduling of that meeting.
Mr. Casey Dutmer, Chair, Elected Operators Committee (EOC), said that this has been a good year for communication and dialoging for the Committee. He said that a significant amount of discussion has been on developing an association or non-profit organization under the EOC jurisdiction.
Mr. Dutmer read the motion from the February 3, 2001 EOC meeting which recommends that the same process for bidding out the 525 Building be used as was used when the House of Representatives Cafeteria was bid out. After lengthy discussion, consideration of the motion will be deferred until the June meeting.
Mr. Dutmer said that at the 2001 Workshop he was elected Chairperson and Mary Patillo was elected Vice-Chairperson.
MS. PILARSKI MOVED, SUPPORTED BY MR. BOWMAN, TO ACCEPT THE BUSINESS ENTERPRISE PROGRAM REPORT AS PRESENTED. THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
DR. ALLEN MOVED, SUPPORTED BY MR. STEENSTRA, TO SUPPORT THE ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGES DECISION IN THE MATTER OF JAMES KELLEY. THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
MR. BOWMAN MOVED, SUPPORTED BY DR. ALLEN, THAT A LETTER BE SENT TO MSU ENCOURAGING THE CONTINUATION OF THE PROGRAM FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED TEACHERS. THE MOTION WAS CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.

PUBLIC COMMENT
There was no public comment at this time.

ADJOURNMENT
MR. BOWMAN MOVED, SUPPORTED BY MS. PILARSKI, TO ADJOURN THE MEETING. THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
The meeting was adjourned at 3:15 p.m. The next meeting will be on Monday, June 18, 2001 at the McCamly Plaza Hotel, Battle Creek, Michigan. The Committee of the Whole will begin at 9:00 a.m. and the regular meeting will start at 10:00 a.m.