Apr 22

Written by: ngreditor
4/22/2008 9:26 PM 

City Council discusses Senior Center

By Kenneth Purscell

“We’re not going to make a decision tonight. We’re just going to start a process.” With these words, Mayor David Johnson opened up the conversation between the Newman Grove City Council and the Senior Center. The discussion focused on the future of the Center and its building.

Roger Hollis, serving as volunteer director of the Center, suggested that there would be few boundaries in the conversation. “Everything’s on the table,” he said.

Nearly 25 members of the public were present at the April 15 meeting, which had been rescheduled because of snow. Many were members of the Center. Others were members of Grace Church, which meets at the Center.

The Senior Center is facing the possibility of losing support from the Northeast Nebraska Area on Aging (NENAA). Fewer meals are being requested at the Center, the current membership is aging, and new eligible members have not been joining.

Recent meetings have been held at both the Center and with the Community Club. Among other options, they have proposed that the City end up with the current building, which would then serve as a community center.

Under this proposal, the Senior Center would have free rent of the building for their program of five meals per week and their fundraisers. The building and all its attachments would belong to the city, although the Center would have to purchase liability insurance for its own operation.

“Basically the building is in good shape,” said Mayor Johnson. “There is a small leak in the roof that needs repaired.” The Community Club has money that could be used for upkeep.

Maintenance, however, was not the only concern. “The utilities right now run at about $5,000 per year,” said the mayor, “and they get about $3,200 in rent, mainly from the church.”

“There’s been a misconception about the city absorbing fees,” said councilman Milan Sawyer. “These utility fees have to be paid. If it doesn’t support itself, the money would have to come from our property taxes. And since our tax authority is at its limit, that means that some other part of the city budget would have to go short.

“You’ve been frugal,” Sawyer said to Center members. “The city just doesn’t operate as frugally.”

Concerns were also raised about how the building would be used as a community center. “Does this mean there would be dancing or alcohol?” asked several members of the public.

“There would have to be other users and we would have to be supportive of those other users,” responded Mayor Johnson.

The Council took no action on the proposal, but a committee will meet with the Senior Center Board to draw up more formal negotiations.

The Council did suggest that action might require a city-wide vote, either at a special election or on the November ballot.