HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-21-2022 Senior Center CommissionCentere�
Senior Center Commission
Thursday, April 21, 2022
4 PM
Senior Center Assembly Room
Agenda
1. Introductions/Welcome—A. McConville
2. Minutes (March 17, 2022)
3. Public Discussion for items not on the agenda
4. Welcome from the Senior Center Coordinator - DeLoach
5. Operational Overview—DeLoach
❖ Senior Center programming update
❖ Senior Center master plan update
6. Commission Discussion— A. McConville
❖ Senior Center master plan discussion
❖ Low-income senior discussion
Member/Volunteer Event
❖ Commissioner's report of community correspondence
❖ Future agenda Items
7. Adjourn
**Next meeting is Thursday, May 19 at 4 PM **
Meeting Packet Contents:
1. Agenda: Thursday, April 21, 2022
2. Minutes: Senior Center Commission, Thursday, March 17, 2022
3. Senior Center Assessment and Master Plan Memo
4. "Low Income Single Elders", by Doug Korty
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CITY OF IOWA CITY
UNESCO CITY OF LITERATURE
If you will need disability related accommodations to participate in this program or event, please contact
LaTasha DeLoach at latasha-deloach@iowa-city.ora or 319-356-5225. Early requests are strongly encouraged to
allow sufficient time to meet your access needs.
Preliminary Minutes
March 17, 2022
MINUTES
SENIOR CENTER COMMISSION
March 17, 2022
ROOM 205, IOWA CITY/JOHNSON COUNTY SENIOR CENTER
Members Present: Angela McConville, Linda Vogel, Paula Vaughan, Karen
Page, Jeannie Beckman, Susan Carroll, Doug Korty
Members Absent: None
Staff Present: Michelle Buhman, Kristin Kromray
Others Present: None
CALL TO ORDER:
The meeting was called to order by McConville at 4:00 PM.
RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL:
None.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM THE January 20, 2022 MEETING:
Motion: To accept the minutes from the January 20, 2020. Motion carried on
a vote of 7/0. Vogel/Carol
PUBLIC DISCUSSION:
None.
NOMINATION FOR CHAIR, VICE CHAIR, SECRETARY:
McConville reported the nominating committee had nominated the following
people for the executive committee positions: Angie McConville for Chair, Linda
Vogel for Vice Chair, and Jeanne Beckman for Secretary. She asked if there
were any nominations from the floor for any of these positions. There were none.
Ballots were distributed and commissioners voted. Kromray picked up and tallied
the ballots.
Results for officer elections are as follows:
McConville elected Chair. 7 Ayes
Vogel elected Vice Chair. 6 Ayes, 1 abstention
Beckman elected Secretary. 7 Ayes
Preliminary Minutes
March 17, 2022
OPERATIONAL OVERVIEW:
Buhman reported classes in the March and April program calendar have begun.
Classes continue to be offered online and in person. Traffic in the building is
beginning to increase. She noted she has been focused on rebuilding the in -
person programming and this has taken some time given the uncertainly since
reopening the building. Programming will continue to be offered on a 2-month
scheduled and feedback has been positive.
The City Council will be looking at the Senior Center master plan at their April 5th
meeting. Repairs for the Tower Place parking ramp are currently in the bidding
stage. Once a contract has been awarded, work can begin. There is some
anticipated delay due to supply chain issues. Hopefully the project will be finished
by the fall.
The Senior Center has three treadmills, which all need repairs to the deck and
treads. Two of the treadmills are going to be replaced. Funding for one treadmill
is in our current budget. Friends of the Center is providing funding for the second
treadmill. The newest treadmill will be repaired since it recently had some other
repairs done. Buhman is looking for new machines that have a low step up, with
good handrails, that is easy to use.
The Senior Center has been awarded a grant from the Community Foundation to
assist with technology for hybrid programming. Staff is working on a plan to have
a set up in 302 that would better facilitate hybrid programming.
Kromray reported a survey has been sent to current members and community
members who previously received the program guide pre-Covid. The purpose is
to see if and how people would like to receive future program calendars.
Additionally, updated demographic questions have been included to ensure the
Senior Center is meeting its goals and mission.
Buhman reported that Im On media asked Friends of The Center to participate in
a "March Gladness" event. People can vote for area non -profits and whoever
wins receives $1000.
McConville reminded commissioners to take the City's survey for the City's
webpage redesign.
COMMISSION DISCUSSION:
McConville noted the two policies in the packet to be reviewed. The Fees and
Revenue Policy has been updated to be more inclusive of the budget process
and will now be named Budget, Revenue, and Expenses. The Reporting policy is
new.
2
Preliminary Minutes
March 17, 2022
Motion to approve Budget, Revenue, and Expenses Policy. Vogel/
Beckman. Motion carried on a vote 7/0.
Motion to approve Reporting Policy. Vaughn/ Vogel. Carried on a vote of
7/0.
Vogel reported she is involved with the Iowa City Public Works Open House on
May 215t. She said it should be a fun event with activities such as a quilt show,
roller skating, food trucks, and an outdoor movie.
McConville would like to discuss the previously proposed outdoor membership
and volunteer party at the next meeting.
Korty would like to discuss low-income seniors and how what the Senior Center
can do to assist members of the community. He wrote a related article that will be
in next month's packet.
Motion: To Adjourn.
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CITY OF IOWA CITY
4112514
� MEMORANDUM
Date: April 11, 2022
To: City Council
From: Geoff Fruin, City Manager
Re: Senior Center Assessment and Master Plan
Introduction
In June 2021, OPN Architects (OPN) was selected to complete the Senior Center Assessment
and Master Plan study. The prior year, staff contracted to complete this work with Rohrbach
Associates. Due to circumstances outside the City's staffs control, the original firm dissolved
during the project, thus staff regrouped and contracted to complete the study with OPN.
On January 20, 2022, OPN presented an initial Master Plan draft to the Senior Center
Commission. The Commission discussed the findings of the study, including: the public input,
consultant recommendations, and the suggested future phases of the renovation process. The
Commission recommended approving the draft Senior Center Assessment and Master Plan and
moving forward with the initial phase which involves critical updates to the exterior of the historic
building.
Financial Investment and Phases
The Master Plan identifies $13.8 million in potential upgrades and renovations of the existing
Senior Center building. Some of the identified improvements are critical to continued usage of the
building, while others may not be critical but could help meet operational goals in the future. The
City's current Capital Improvement Plan has budgeted a total of $6,120,000 over the next five
years for this project. Additionally, approximately $650,000 is available in 2021 bond funds for
this project bringing the total budget to around $6.7 million.
Phase 1 for this project, is budgeted at $2.7 million in 2022, but may also require all or a portion
of the $650,000 in 2021 bond funds. This phase is focused exclusively on the exterior fagade and
includes repairs to prevent water damage, such as tuckpointing the masonry, and parapet work.
Window replacement, painting and other improvements are also identified in this phase. It is
important to note that this phase of the project cares for the building in a way that will be critical
for any future uses in the building.
The remaining $3.4 million in the Capital Improvements Plan years 2024 and 2025 is slotted for
interior renovations, kitchen enhancements and heating ventilation, and air conditioning projects,
focusing on green building strategies to reduce energy use and the building's carbon footprint.
While the master plan provides some conceptual plans for such work, further refinement and
prioritization of those interior plans will be needed before that work is pursued. Further, it is
anticipated that private fundraising could be done to supplement this budget for certain aspects
of the interior phase of the project.
April 14, 2022
Page 2
Next steps in the project timeline
The master plan is presented in three phases. The first phase includes significant exterior building
work to the historic structure. Staff is currently engaged with a firm to prepare bid documents and
specifications for this work. The project will ultimately require approvals from both the Historic
Preservation Commission and the City Council. Staff hopes this project can be bid out in 2022
with the majority of the work taking place in 2023. Funding for this phase of the project is available
in the 2021 and 2022 capital budget.
While the exterior work on the building proceeds, Senior Center Staff and the Commission will
need to further engage members and community on priorities for interior space, which are
identified as phases two and three in the master plan. This includes a high-level discussion as to
whether it is prudent to consider alternative locations that may better serve the targeted
population. Staff feels this discussion is needed due to on -going concerns from some members
and residents about accessibility challenges both getting to the building (e.g. parking) and moving
within the building (multiple floors of programming, limited elevator access, etc.). Further
challenges may be unresolvable with interior renovations, including practical challenges with
managing multiple points of entry. This engagement will occur over the next six to twelve months.
Upon conclusion of that effort, staff will either proceed with refinement of interior priorities and
design plans or engage in discussions with the City Council regarding any larger long-term
location decisions. Funds totaling $3.4 million for the two interior phases of the project are
scheduled in 2024 and 2025 of the capital budget.
Recommendation from Staff
Staff recommends that Council proceeds with the planned exterior improvements to the building.
These improvements are critical to maintain the historic integrity of the building and ensure it
operates in a safe and energy efficient manner. Assuming concurrence by the City Council, staff
will work to develop bid documents and specifications, and garner needed approvals from the
Historic Preservation Commission.
Lastly, staff recommends taking the next six to twelve months to focus on further engagement
with Senior Center members and the community regarding the benefits of pursuing interior
remodeling of the existing building versus exploration of alternative locations that could better
serve the community. Should the decision be made to stay in the current building, staff would then
engage a design firm to refine interior plans in anticipation of work commencing in 2024-2025 as
is currently outlined in our budget document.
Low Income Single Elders
By Doug Korty
In 2009, one in three Americans 65 or older (13 out of 38 million) lived in low income
households, including 8.9% in poverty, and 24.8% in near poverty. Women were more likely
than men to be low income, 39% vs. 27%. This increases with age, poverty or near poverty was
44.2% for people 85 or older.
As expected, low income was more common for African American elders at 50.2%, and
Hispanics at 50.8%. It varied by living arrangement also. Poverty or near poverty for people over
65 living with a spouse with or without children under 18 was 22.9%, living alone or with
children under 18 never married 48.1%; living alone or with children under 18, previously
married 53.8%.
A large percentage of women over 65 are single. For women born between 1946 and 1964, the
projected marital status at age 62 is 59.4% married, 13.9% widowed, 19.1% divorced, 7.7%
never married. For African American women the projected numbers are: 43.7% married, 13.7%
widowed, 24% divorced, 18.6% never married.
An important benefit for women is slipping. "More women are entering retirement without any
claim on their spouses' Social Security benefits —marriages must last ten years for a spouse to
qualify. Between 1990 and 2009, the share of 50-59 year old women who were never married
for more than a decade more than doubled from 7.5 percent to 16.2 percent. Among African -
American women, the share skyrocketed from 13.4 percent to 33.9 percent."
Poverty for single elders is particularly difficult because expenses per person are higher than for
couples. Expenses for one person are on average 65-70% of the expenses of a couple. This is
because housing, utilities and transportation costs are not much less for one retired person than
they are for two. Thus, the loss of a spouse due to death or divorce often not only pushes
someone into poverty or near poverty by lowering their household income but also hurts because
their expenses fall by much less than half. For example, a couple with an income of $3000 per
month and average expenses of $3000 — one person dies, the spouse is left with $1500 per month
income and $2100 in expenses (70% of $3000), facing a $600 per month shortfall. A person who
was not poor suddenly finds they are incapable of paying all of their bills.
By sharing a home and car with another person, someone could cut expenses by 33%. Sharing
with more than one person could cut expenses even more. It makes sense therefore for low
income singles to share housing. This may involve something as simple as reaching out to
friends or relatives or placing or answering an ad. Or it could mean something more involved
such as contacting organizations dedicated to helping people find shared housing situations:
httn://nationalsharedhousing_org/
ham://homeshare.orp-/Vrogrammes-worldwide/usa/
htt! ://www.sharin hg ousin¢ com/
Relevant information is available:
hM://www.americanbar.org-/publications/gp solo/2013/July august/a "ide shared and comm
unal_housing the elderly.html
http://homeshare.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/A-Consumers-Guide-to-Homesharingpdf
Nolo, the legal information publishing company, has a book on the subject, The Sharing
Solution: How to Save Money, Simplify Your Life & Build Community, by Janelle Orsi &
Emily Doskow, Nolo, 2009
Sources for this article:
http://www.urban.org/unloadedodf/412296-Poverty-Among-Older-Americans.ydf
ht!p://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=1522
http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/social-mobility-memos/posts/2014/ 10/09-retirement-women-
poverty-social-mobility-harris