A new vision for Woonsocket’s seniors
Much of the debate over the past month has been about the Woonsocket Senior Center, in light of the recentlyheld meeting of the City Council and Senior Services Inc.
It is well known to most by now that Mayor Lisa Baldelli-Hunt and the administration have been actively exploring other options for a modern and updated senior center. The City should always be willing to look at options to improve city services and save taxpayer dollars. Several cities and towns are moving towards creating a "community center" that has several city services like a senior center, youth center, library and possibly city hall. The advantage to having several types of activities in one building allows cities and towns to save money on the facility/staffing and spend more on services and programs. Woonsocket has always cared for and put the needs of our seniors as a priority and that will never change.
I also would like to clarify some issues that came up at the meeting and in the media.
It was implied that the City does contribute anything to our seniors. The senior center building, if leased to another entity, could be rented out for about $10 a square foot ...so at 16,278 square feet, that would come out to nearly $165,000 a year in revenue as an in-kind donation. Taxpayers fund up to $60,000 a year to pay for the utility bills of the building and any additional maintenance/repairs that is needed. The last City Council also voted to transfer $166,250 to cover the costs of new HVAC units. The City has allocated CDBG funds in past years, except in 2015 (Senior Services did not submit an application on time but RSVP funded $20K) and in 2016 (Senior Services chose to have $40K budget in human services budget instead). Meals will now be catered (which the state has requested for many years) that will save costs and bring the total number of employees to 25, which is still more than double other centers with similar populations like Johnston (9), Warwick (10), and East Providence (7). East Providence has a long list of about 100 volunteers.
No one can deny that our seniors need a center to go to as a place to socialize, have activities, enjoy meals, and have some fun too. The question is how we best do that in the most beneficial way for our seniors and also taxpayers. The City of Woonsocket is very fortunate to have so many great organizations and companies that will partner with our senior center at low cost or no cost. Partnerships with Community Care Alliance, Boys & Girls Club, Local gyms, CVS Health, Landmark Hospital, Thundermist Health, Local nursing homes, Woonsocket Housing Authority, and Seven Hills could all be explored. I also give my former colleague Councilman Roger Jalette credit for the two fundraisers he held for the senior center to raise funds.
I am calling on our local elected offi- cials to work with the administration, our state officials, our federal officials and anyone else who wish to improve the lives of seniors. Being on several nonprofit boards myself, I know how difficult it can be to rely on grants and donations however taxpayers cannot commit to Senior Services (or any other nonprofit organization) that we can cover their deficit every year. Especially since the contract that Senior Services Inc. signed after being selected to operate the center clearly stated there would be no city funding available. That would be unfair to the many non-profits we have in the City that do so many great things including providing health care services, education to low income families, support services for the mentally handicapped and disabled, and shelters for homeless and victims of domestic violence; most of which now pay a percentage of their property taxes.
I don't accept that Woonsocket can't have the best. I don't accept that what was done in the past is "good enough." We can achieve great things in our City but only if we are willing to move on from the past to our future. Woonsocket allows our naysayers and detractors to ruin any creative and new ideas to help our City make progress. Let's put any political differences aside and make our seniors and taxpayers proud to call Woonsocket their home. Garrett S. Mancieri Woonsocket