<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=windows-1252">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.6182" name=GENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>MICHIGAN COMMISSION FOR THE BLIND</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>APPROVED</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>MICHIGAN COMMISSION FOR THE BLIND</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>SPECIAL COMMISSION MEETING</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>201 N. Washington Square</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Victor Center Building</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>2nd Floor Conference Room</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Lansing, MI</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>January 31, 2012</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>VIA Conference Call</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>MINUTES</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>COMMISSIONERS PRESENT VIA TELEPHONE</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Mr. Larry
Posont
Ms. Lydia Schuck</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Mr. John Scott</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>COMMISSIONERS ABSENT</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>None (2 Commissioner vacancy’s currently
exist)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>MICHIGAN COMMISSION FOR THE BLIND STAFF
PRESENT</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Mr. Pat
Cannon
Ms. Sue Luzenski</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Ms. Constance
Zanger
Mr. James Hull (via telephone)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>GUESTS/ATTENDEES</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Mr. Mike
DeRose
Mr. Phil Kozachik</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Ms. Elham Jahshan</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>GUESTS/ATTENDEES VIA TELEPHONE</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Mr. Joe
Sibley
Mr. Terry Eagle</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Mr. Joe
Harcz
Mr. Dave Robinson</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Mr. Fred Wurtzel</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>CALL TO ORDER, ROLL CALL AND DETERMINATION OF
QUORUM</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Commissioner Larry Posont called the special
meeting to order at 9:07 a.m. Roll call was taken and a quorum was
present.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Discussion of 2012 Performance Objectives for
Agency Director</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Objective 5</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial
size=2> Commissioner
Schuck read Objective 5 as proposed by Commissioners, stating that Pat’s
proposed Objective was the same.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>SCHUCK MOVED TO ADOPT OBJECTIVE FIVE AS WRITTEN;
SCOTT SECONDED.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Discussion: There was no
discussion.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Final Objective 5:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Objective 5: Continue support of the Business
Enterprise Program (BEP)/Elected Operators Committee (EOC) Ad Hoc Committee into
2012 as it concludes its<BR>work and presents its recommendations to the
BEP/EOC. Work with these entities to help support attainable goals to help
advance the mission of the BEP<BR>and its operators.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>· Explore
potential funding sources to enable more B E P licensees to attend the popular
national training called BLAST (Business Leadership and<BR>Superior Training) as
a way to broaden access to vital training for new and veteran BEP
operators. Progress on this initiative to secure additional funding<BR>for
the conference will be reported to commissioners in March and June.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>·
Consistent with the 2012 BEP Annual Workshop Theme of “Looking from the
Customer’s Perspective,” BEP will work with EOC and operators to explore<BR>ways
and resources to develop and enhance promotional and marketing opportunities for
each facility to promote customer satisfaction, quality and earnings<BR>for BEP
operators. Report progress to commissioners in March, June and
September.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Objective 6</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial
size=2> Commissioner
Schuck read Objective 6 as proposed by the Commissioners.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>SCHUCK MOVED TO APPROVE OBJECTIVE SIX AS IT WAS
READ; SCOTT SECONDED.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Discussion: Director Cannon pointed
Commissioners to the objective staff drafted, which incorporates all of the
reports Commissioners requested. Ms. Zanger<BR>added that the requested
information is data that is provided to the Rehabilitation Services
Administration and asked for clarification of some of the<BR>data
requested. There was discussion about the listing for the programmatic
data. Staff and Commissioners discussed the process of completing the
BEP<BR>inventory project of equipment, the time frame for completing this and
securing a vendor to complete the job efficiently and accurately.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Final Objective 6:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Objective 6: BEP financial reporting and
equipment inventory</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>a. Quarterly, commencing April
2012, the BEP will provide the Elected Committee with the following programmatic
data: gross sales, merchandise purchases,<BR>payroll expenses, other
operating expenses, vending machine and other income, net proceeds, levied
set-aside funds, set-aside funds collected to date,<BR>late set aside fees by
facility, net profit to vendors, vendor earnings and net income for the whole
BEP program by facility type. The Agency will provide<BR>reports to the
EOC on a quarterly basis and to individual operators in an accessible format
upon request.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> b. B E P
is currently in the process of completing a full equipment inventory and upon
completion will continue to monitor the inventory, providing<BR>a report to the
Elected Committee and the Commission Board in March and June with a target
completion date of September 2012.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial
size=2>
THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Objective 7</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>SCHUCK MOVED TO APPROVE OBJECTIVE SEVEN AS WRITTEN
BY THE COMMISSIONERS; SCOTT SECONDED.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Discussion: Commissioner Posont stated that
there is a need for a BEP trainer and for that trainer to be housed at the
Training Center. Director Cannon<BR>responded that several years ago the
BEP training was removed at the request of the Training Center Director,
Christine Boone because of a space issue.<BR> He went on to state that
objectives are not meant to state an official work station or what official
duties are for any given position, civil service<BR>does that.
Commissioner Posont stressed that being at the Training Center for this would
assist potential BEP vendors in being successful by having access<BR>to
necessary training as needed while at the Training Center. Director Cannon
concurred that he wants the best possible training also and that his
Objective<BR>7 as written reflects this. Ms. Zanger commented on the
history of BEP vendor training since 2010 including staff issues, surveying
participants for the<BR>purposes of training evaluation and the ongoing
assessment process during the on the job training experiences.
Commissioner Scott commented on the length<BR>of the vending stand training now
and what the length of this training used to be. Commissioner Schuck
stated that Objective 7, as written by Pat, adequately<BR>covered the intent of
the objective.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Final Objective 7:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Objective 7: BEP Training</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>a. Continue to provide B E P
Manager Training using the enriched curriculum developed in 2011, and
continuously seek student and O J E trainer and the<BR>E O C input for
curriculum enhancement.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>b. Continue to work with the
Elected Committee and the BEP/EOC Ad Hoc Committee and based on their
recommendation, develop and implement training for<BR>current
licensees.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>c. Reports will be provided
to the Elected Committee and the Commission reflecting the current status of
Program training.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>d. Report to commissioners quarterly a
summary of the various assessments of new trainee’s progress on the BEP
operators training. Assessment of training<BR>quality will come from host
OJE operators, EOC, EOC training subcommittee and the trainee.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>THE MOTION PASSED WITH SCOTT AND SCHUCK VOTING AYE
AND POSONT VOTING NAY.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial
size=2> Objectives
eight and nine, which are LARA Department mandated objectives will be
automatically included with the Directors objectives.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>PUBLIC COMMENT</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial
size=2> Mr. Joe
Harcz: I find it remarkable that we’re working on an evaluation for next
year and we had a failure in the evaluation last year which<BR>is still not up
on the website. I’d kind of like to know what happened to that. But
also, we have, overall with the program and not just BEP, a total<BR>lack of
accountability on where the money is and where it’s going. We looked at,
just the other day, some of the projections got put out which I
circulated<BR>around and you’ve got, oh, $250,000 for legal and we’re talking
about today what programs and inventory control and that type of thing that were
cited<BR>all the way back in 2003 in a single audit and in 2004/2005 somewhere
about with the general accounting office. We’re already going through
inventory<BR>problems or accountability with the single audit being conducted by
the Auditor General right now. Nobody knows where anything is but this
agency keeps<BR>plowing in money into private vendors and that goes to the
training. We’ve already got as a public account more than $30,000 going
into McVety and Associates<BR>last year. Where’s their expertise and how
much did we spend on the hotel and then we’re told we don’t have the money to
hire a trainer. There’s no accountability,<BR>general accountability going
on with this agency. None. I would also like to know just who the
vendors were that we contracted and how much we paid them<BR>on the second
inventory that Ms. Zanger talked about. Those are supposed to be part of
the public record. They’re right up on the Department of
Technology,<BR>Management and Budget website. The other thing that we need
to look at, and we need to look at very strongly, and this goes to the Agency
overall is to<BR>take the Director up on the accountability of how the stimulus
funding was developed and how many retentions we have. I’ll tell you one
thing this is<BR>part of the public record, we hired a whole bunch of people
with stimulus money to work part time and temporary at CVS and I’ll tell you
that how many<BR>people got retained at CVS. None. They also had job
coaches paid for at roughly $35 an hour by who, oh I don’t know, New
Horizons. Why are we accounting<BR>where the program dollars go and into
rehabilitation of blind people and look at the numbers ladies and
gentlemen. Look at the number of people that are<BR>not retained.
Look at the line item at $50,000 on social security because we aren’t putting
people into competitive employment which is the number one<BR>job of this
agency. Thank you.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial
size=2> Mr. Dave
Robinson: I want to thank the Commissioners and the difficulty I know in
dealing with this issue. I know the BEP is a big image issue<BR>with the
Commission for the Blind and I believe over the last four years under the
current management it’s slowly deteriorated to the point where
there’s<BR>nothing in the program you can count on. First of all, the
Commissioners, for you the Commissioners you rely on reports that are accurate
and correct<BR>and I know for a fact that much of the report that Zanger has
given you are falsehoods. Outright lies about what happened, what is
happening. You voted<BR>to continue an enhanced training class when we
know the very last class that was conducted, there are so many issues that have
been created that we will<BR>never depend on the training of the people who are
just coming out here in September. All the way from limited vending stand
training to no training on<BR>small appliances to readers who were giving
answers to trainees in the serve safe tests just so they could pass. Lots
of different issues that are there<BR>and are true but yet are not reported to
you by the management of the BEP. They’re hiding a lot of things.
They’re hiding an awful lot of things. And<BR>also I‘d like to correct the
fact that Christine Boone is on record as saying that she’s willing to and
believes the enhanced recommendations of the Ad<BR>Hoc Committee for the
training are good ones and are willing to have the Training Center as the
vehicle to make things better for BEP trainees and it’s<BR>not correct that she
just doesn’t want them there at all. And I believe that one of the big
issues with the training is the fact that people coming out<BR>of the training
center and into the BEP class do not have the blindness skills like Commissioner
Posont said, that’s the only way you can detect those<BR>shortcomings. If
we don’t do something and do it immediately this entire program is going to be
made up of people that do not have the blindness skills<BR>and do not have the
business training that is needed to run a facility in today’s market. And
it’s going to get worse, way worse before it ever gets better<BR>if we just go
along with the current management strategy. And don’t forget, the
management of the BEP believes that the EOC is only an advisory committee<BR>and
they can ignore them any time they please.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial
size=2> Mr. Joe
Sibley: I just wanted to say for the process again today, this time and
last time, I appreciate that there was discussion on both sides<BR>of the
table. There was discussion and sometimes there was debate and that’s
great. I don’t expect everyone to sing Kumbaya all the time. But
there<BR>was discussion, there was compromise and things were actually worked
out so I want to compliment the Commissioners and staff and everybody involved
that<BR>there was actually proactive discussion to actually accomplish the goals
today. Thank you.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial
size=2> Mr. Joe
Sontag: I will definitely be brief because a lot of what I was going to
say has already been said. I agree strongly with the comments<BR>of Dave
Robinson and with Joe Harcz about the Commission in general and about the BEP
deliberations today particularly. I would just hasten to add
that<BR>things are not going to get better in terms of the amount of friction
that exists currently between clients, between BEP operators and the
program. Some<BR>of these difficult discussions are never going to go away
until everybody starts doing a better job telling the truth and doing what needs
to be done as<BR>opposed to doing what they like to get away with doing or not
doing. With regard to training, follow up on things Dave was speaking of
how in the world<BR>do you ever expect to have a competent operator who can
submit an accurate and true report as required by our promulgated rules when we
have one known<BR>situation where an individual has failed the business math
component of the training twice and who has been alleged that the individual,
the people who<BR>are responsible for administering the business math portion
were ordered to pass the individual. The same individual claimed a
personal emergency and<BR>as a reason for not being able to attend a portion of
the training only to find out that the individual was right there in the hotel
and had celebrated<BR>something a little too vigorously with some of his friends
from home and was in his room the next morning seriously incapacitated to the
point where he<BR>didn’t feel like he could attend class. It was only
because Ms. Zanger was willing to take him out for breakfast to get some food
into him so that he<BR>might be functional that he was able to attend class that
day. Back in the bad old days when the training was substandard and it was
producing such lousy<BR>operators such as old duffers, that would never have
been tolerated. Tardiness, failure to attend without a reasonable excuse,
that was grounds for termination<BR>of the training right there. We just
don’t have it and if we don’t have, that’s just one of many. I’ll just
close by saying if we don’t have standards<BR>and if we don’t insist that those
standards be met then we might as well just admit that we’re wasting time and
money and just call it what it is. A free<BR>for all at this point and
just get ready for the serious fall out because it will, in fact happen.
Our promulgated rules were put there in all seriousness,<BR>not because people
like to become heavy weights, not because people like to monitor, not because
people like to call people on the carpet but because the<BR>vast majority of the
rules and policies are found to be necessary and yet with every passing months
we are finding more and more reasons to pretend we<BR>have them yet avoid
implementing them. Thank you.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial
size=2> Mr. Terry
Eagle: I’d like to speak as a former operator and as a member of the ad
hoc committee. I’m really pleased that the commission has<BR>taken the
steps to at least try to get the information that is required under the law and
has not been forthcoming to the operators committee especially<BR>and any
operator that wants it. This information has been asked for repeatedly,
and repeatedly and repeatedly at operators committee meetings and it
never<BR>shows up for whatever reason. Somebody has to be held accountable
for following the law and rule of law. Secondly, I’d like to say that as a
member of<BR>the Ad Hoc Committee we put a lot of time and effort and a lot of
input into looking at the program and trying to make recommendations that will
improve<BR>it. We have a meeting on Friday and very soon we will be
wrapping up our recommendations and sending it to the EOC and the Commission
Board as well as<BR>the operators in general and I really hope that the
Commission Board will really stay on top of this and help us achieve what we
believe can be a number<BR>one program in the country. You may or may not
know that back in September at the BLAST conference Michigan was laughed at
repeatedly because of our lack<BR>of training and lack of achievement within
this nation which one time was a number one program and was used as a
model. And finally, I’d like to say that<BR>the problem of training needs
to be addressed and I don’t care what you call it whether it’s a trainer or a
teacher, whatever, this position has to be<BR>formulated whether it’s from
inside or outside. Whether it’s a training coordinator or whatever,
this has to be done because without the right resources<BR>to get the right
people assessed and into the right program and trained properly this programs
gonna die and there’s too many vultures out there now already<BR>looking to get
their hands on the program. And I know for a fact that if this Commission
doesn’t move very soon other people in the disability community<BR>plan to do
legislative action to take it away from the blind people. Thank
you.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial
size=2> Mr. Fred
Wurtzel: I just want to say, speak to one issue and that’s the training
issue. We got to have goals for the program administrator,<BR>for the
Director that are measurable, achievable and realistic and time driven, all that
stuff. The counter proposal to the proposal that the Commissioners<BR>put
forth were not any of those things. It was vague, basically unmeasurable
as far as results go. The resistance to putting the training program
in<BR>the Training Center where there’s access to assessments in Braille and
mobility and all the other skills of blindness and access to remedial training
if<BR>necessary, those things only make good sense. The idea of putting
people in apartments and having them find transportation to and from training
programs<BR>would be an outstanding idea. By putting the trainer position
as a Promotional Agent requires a college degree. We need to keep the
position available<BR>to existing operators if possible. I don’t know of
any existing operators who might be interested or qualified to be a trainer but
the very best resource<BR>for a good BEP training is BEP operators. And so
I think that you ought to consider that job classification. The reason it
was a maintenance mechanic<BR>was because we couldn’t figure out another
position that didn’t require a college degree that would mainly fit the job
duties of the trainer. So that’s<BR>one of the things, if you want the job
to be open to blind people and open to people with valid experience, relevant
experience then I think that putting<BR>it as a Promotional Agent will run
counter to that. It may, if you found a person who was qualified for that,
there’s no reason you couldn’t later on<BR>expand that into an upward mobility
situation for the person, a career ladder position and help them move into that
and increase their pay grade. Those<BR>are the things, but the main thing
again remains and continues to be a pattern or behavior here is to try to change
the job duties and change the objectives<BR>so that they’re not measurable and
no matter what happens you can claim success and I’m very happy with the way
that things have been done so far to keep<BR>everyone accountable. Thank
you again for your hard work Commissioners, I’m hoping that your work turns out
to be valuable for the future of the Business<BR>Enterprise Program. Thank
you.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Director Cannon requested that a meeting be set up
for Commissioners to discuss the House of Representative Cafeteria. Ms.
Zanger gave a history of the<BR>past operators in this cafeteria and informed
Commissioners that a small EOC Ad Hoc committee had been created to write
interview questions and develop<BR>a process for interviewing potential
candidates.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>A meeting was set for Wednesday, February 8 at 9:00
a.m. via telephone.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>SCOTT MOVED TO ADJOURN THE MEETING; SCHUCK
SECONDED.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The meeting adjourned at 11:09 a.m.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial
size=2>____________________________
____________________</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Larry
Posont
Date<BR></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>