Senior Center looks to start maintenance projects

At the Nodaway County Senior Citizens Senate meeting on March 16, Vice President Joe Baumli told the board the senior center needs to “pull the trigger” on maintenance projects.

“The longer we put it off, the more it will cost,” he said.

This is the first meeting the board has had since January.

The board has been considering guttering replacement, outside masonry repair, a parking lot resurface, widening of the parking lot entrance from First Street, a new freezer, an addition to the kitchen area, plus more inside projects.

The projects the senior center can afford need to be bid and the go-ahead given this spring. The center is hoping for some of the America Rescue Plan Act money for some of the projects but has not received word from the Nodaway County commissioners.

There are three board member positions which will be open for the upcoming senior center election. Senior Center Administrator Amie Firavich will run an ad for board nominations with an April deadline. The elections will be held in May at the senior center. Baumli, Linda Girard and Susan Hull all indicated they would run again.

There should be an opening in the Nodaway County area on the Young at Heart board. No information has been received from Young at Heart.

Treasurer Connie McGinness wants Firavich to take a look at the increased food costs the senior center is paying and whether or not rates will need to be raised.

A gentleman wants to store his RV in the senior center parking lot for $500 per year. Discussion was held and the motion passed to state the senior center is not responsible for any damages or losses to be added into the contract. The executive committee will look at the limited number of spaces the senior center will have available to rent.

The center was open 20 days in January and 18 days in February. The daily average in January and February were 38 congregate or dine-in meals each day. For home-delivered meals, the average in January was 70 meals per day and February was 71 meals per day.

Baumli said there will be an insurance claim on a garage door where a home-delivery person had hit it.