The Michigan Daily-Friday, May 26, 1978-Page 5 PLYMOUTH HEAD TO FOLLOW COURT ORDER: Rosen pledges quick changes By MICHAEL ARKUSH David Rosen, new acting director at the Plymouth Center for Human Development, yesterday pledged to quickly implement court-ordered changes to improve conditions at the institution. Rosen, who replaced acting director Evelyn Provitt several days ago, said his staff will "hire more key people in high administrative posts to oversee a total program of solving the abuse situation at the center." ORDERED BY Federal District Court Judge Charles Joiner to report any charges of abuse, a Plymouth monitoring group disclosed Tuesday that residents in two halls at the center still live in smelly and noisy conditions. The group also reported the center's failure to reduce the staff-resident ratio to one to four during the day. Rosen defended the Provitt ad- ministration for attempting to hire as many qualified attendants as possible. "I BELIEVE we could have hired 271 if we were willing to give up quality for quantity. We now have screening teams who are interviewing prospective new attendants," said Rosen. Other allegations the monitoring group made were: * the failure of the center to initiate an accountability system, where each at- tendant is responsible for a certain group of residents. * the staff's inability to separate aggressive residents from passive ones. " lack of training for the institution's attendants. " reports of insufficient amounts of food given to residents. " excessive odor in two halls which for- ced the monitors to leave the room. The monitoring group was established by a preliminary injunction issued March 3 by Judge Joiner, who ordered a series of changes for the cen- ter. ROSEN AGREED some of the court orders were not being complied with but said he would initiate prompt changes. He also said it would be "anywhere from a week to a month" before the required one to four atten- dant/residents ratio is achieved. The new director pointed out that the hiring process had been stalled while dismissing incompetent attendants. He said he feared an "overload" of atten- dants and preferred to hire attendants slowly to insure employing quality workers. Rosen said his staff is busy evaluating the charge that residents received inadequate amounts of food. He said he would take harsh action if he found someone was deliberately withholding food from residents. "I KNOW WE have plenty of food so we are trying to find out how that hap- pened," Rosen said. Rosen admitted the two halls in Plymouth had serious odor problems, and said his staff had already ordered exhaust fans to clean those halls. Rosen said his staff was also devising a procedure that would separate the aggressive residents from the passive ones. He insisted it was a very difficult task since parents of the residents have to be notified and residents with illnesses can't be moved. But he pledged to transfer the required residents "within a week." "Our chief psychologist said that 18 residents need to be transferred and we are now moving to do that," said Rosen. JOINER'S ORDER resulted from a suit filed by the Plymouth Association for Retarded Citizens (PARC) against several state mental health officials, charging them with mishandling the abuse problem and violating the federal state constitution. PARC member Sandy McGuire criticized the Provitt Administration for failing to comply with Joiner's or- ders. "I can understand the problems with hiring new attendants but I can't see why it takes so long to get Plymouth cleaned. The fact that abuse is still going on is just intolerable," said McGuire. Another PARC member Mary Brimhall disagreed, insisting that new procedures take a long time to accom- plish. "The changes that are made overnight usually don't become effec- tive," said Brimhall. Council rejeets plan to rehire fired black City Hall employee Proposed tenant bill draws-mixed opinions clauses." (Continued from Page 3) clauses. REP. PERRY BULLARD (D-Ann Michigan's warning clause is an ab- Arbor), who helped push the bill breviated version of Ann Arbor's, as it through the House said, "It (the bill) does not mention the tenant rights or will be a list that can be added to by explain the nature of illegal clauses in court decisions. The fertile minds of as much detail as must be done in Ann landlord attorneys could, of course, Arbor. create new clauses faster than we could Clodfelter noted that while an Ann list them as being illegal." Arbor landlord convicted of putting Rose also complained the bill outlines illegal clauses in a lease is guilty of a a warming clause which is less offen- criminal misdemeanor, punishable sive than the one included in Ann Ar- only up to a fine of $25 on the first offen- bor's ordinance. A warning clause is a se, the state bill would consider the case statement landlords must legally give a suit in which a landlord could be fined tenants in some writing form stating up to $500, depending on the nature of that the lease may contain illegal the illegal clause. Ann Arbor Civic Theatre presents The Jean Kerr Comedy Finishing Touches May 24-27 Curtain 8 pm Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre BOX OFFICE HOURS: Monday & Tuesday: 10-6 Friday: 12-8 Wednesday & Thursday: 10-8 Saturday: 3-8 For information: 763-1085 No Phone Orders (Continued from Page 1) The report also said "blacks have been monitored in their time usage in a different manner than have white em- ployees." It added Morton was the only planning department employee denied a "merit increase." THE REPORT also said Morton was overworked and had been given twice the work load in 1976 as the year before. Planning department head Martin Overhiser had cited Morton for not finishing his work on time and not per- forming adequately. The Republicans charged that Mor- ton had been asked four times by the Civil Rights Department if he wanted his old job back and each time he rejec- ted it. Latta said, however, Morton wanted a job with the city if he were treated fairly, and had refused his old job if un- der the same conditions. BELCHER DID not allow Morton to speak at the Council meeting although he had spoken before Council the week before. Morton's attorney refused comment on last night's decision. She said she didn't know if Morton would pursue the case further. If the case goes to court, Ann Arbor could lose $2 million in Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) it receives from the federal government. CBDG money cannot go to local gover- nments which practice racial discrimination. IN OTHER action, Council decided to wait until the third week of June to decide on a new 500-space city parking structure. Two structures are currently under consideration, one on E. Washington St. between Fifth and Division Streets. City officials prefer this site because it has better access to downtown em- ployment centers. However, there may be difficulties purchasing the land. The other site, also on Washington, between State and Division, is already owned by the city. Mayor Belcher said he did not want to rush into a decision which Ann Arbor would not have to live with for the next hundred years. The decision next month would be to determine on which site to conduct an architectural feasibility study. ' WHERE DO I MAIL MY RESUMES? International's 82 pg. 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