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Home My WebLink About10E - Senior Center Task Force Report MEETING DATE: AGENDA #: PREPARED BY: AGENDA ITEM: DISCUSSION: June 4,2007 10E Frank Boyles, City Manager CONSIDER APPROVAL 0 A R ORT RECOMMENDING THE CREATION OF A SENIOR CENTER TASK F CE Introduction The purpose of this agenda item is to request Council authorization to establish a Senior Center Task Force and establish a mission therefore. History The City and the School District's Community Education developed activities for area seniors. Trips and card club events are the most common. Every year, two senior luncheons are conducted sponsored by the Chamber, VFW, and area businesses. To date, there has been no building which seniors, either in conjunction with another group or alone, can call home. Current Circumstances Since the Library Resource Center was built, the Premiere Dance Studio has occupied approximately 6,000 square feet of the building. In September, the dance studio will be moving to its own building making this space available. Some time ago, the Council discussed the most appropriate utilization of this space. While there were various proposed uses (senior day care, clinic or senior center) each focused on senior citizens. There has been no solicitation of input from seniors either with respect to whether or not this space should act as a senior center and, if so, what kind of programming would be preferred. Moreover, there is a large group of seniors - baby boomers who are 55 years and above - who have never been queried about their interest in such a facility. A means should be developed to solicit such input since they are the group who will ultimately inherit this facility. The space itself includes a floating wood floor which, if activities (dance or exercise) were to be programmed, could be broken into two rooms for multiple concurrent activities. It is immediately adjacent to rest room facilities and is Americans with Disability Act compliant. There is a small office or conference room and some storage space. No food preparation or serving facilities are included. Considerable natural and artificial light is available. Parking is immediately adjacent to the building and the topography in the vicinity is relatively level. A formalized means of soliciting user input is needed. We also need to identify the resources available in the community to help program the facility as well as provide transportation to and from activities. The questions which require additional research are: · Does the Resource Center space meet the minimum criteria to serve as a senior center? www.cityofpriorlake.com Phone 952.447.9800 / Fax 952.447.4245 · If so, then what programs would the seniors (including new seniors represented by baby boomers) like to see offered? · What resources are available to offer the programs? · What is the cost of the facility and who pays? · To what extent does the City subsidize the facility? Given the nature of the questions and the broad amount of input needed to address the issues, the establishment of a task force appears to be in order. Representation on the task force could include: . Two council members . Keystone . Park and Rec staff . Creekside . Admin staff . Towers . Lakefront Plaza . Community Education . PAC member . School administration . McKenna Crossings . Seniors . YMCA . Dakotah! Sport and Fitness Invitations to participate would be sent to each group. To solicit seniors, we would contact senior facilities as well as publicize the task force through the newspaper and attendance at senior meetings including the Senior Social, Bridge Club, Community Education, Senior Card Club and the Quilter's Club. August 13 or 14 A process and timeline for the task force is shown below: June 4,2007 City Council authorizes task force and mission. June 5 - 30 . Recruit members and frame questions. · Make applications available through PLA, Website, at senior facilities. · Attend senior meetings including Senior Social, Bridge Club, Community Education, Senior Card Club, Quilter's Club, Towers. · Prepare written surveys regarding programming and administer to traditional seniors and new seniors. · Invite resources to participate. First meeting · Orientation · Pros and cons of Resource Center · Preliminary program discussion Second meeting · Program discussion · Resources · Costs July 30 - August 3 Third meeting · Match program list to resources · Discuss scheduling · Discuss cost Final meeting · Distribute draft report · Discuss recommended modifications Report distributed to City Council City Council receives and acts upon task force report July 2 - 6 July 16 - 20 August 15 August 20 Conclusion The Council should determine whether the task force composition, discussion topics and timeline are appropriate. ISSUES: The City Council should not establish this task force unless it is prepared to use the Library Resource Center for a senior center for some period of time, and devote staff time and City funds to the operation and programming of the facility in 2007 and beyond. The Council may wish to add others to the task force including persons from other cities or in the private sector who operate senior centers. There is no business representative on the task force either. The time line is aggressive attempting to open the senior center in September or October. Finally, funds are not budgeted for 2007. Any operating or capital expenditures will probably have to be drawn from the Contingency Fund. FINANCIAL IMPACT: The use of the Resource Center as a senior center has various financial impacts. Premiere Dance provided approximately $50,000 in lease revenues which will no longer be received. Any operating or capital costs will need to be secured through the 2008 budget. ALTERNATIVES: 1. Motion and second to establish a senior center task force as proposed in this report or with amendments. 2. Take no action and request additional information. RECOMMENDED Alternative #1. MOTION: