Members of the Sweden Senior Center (SSC) Committee tasked with finding ways to keep the center open and a vital part of the Sweden and Clarkson community, planned to unveil their draft proposal during a public meeting Wednesday, September 24 at the Senior Center on State Street in the Village of Brockport.
Committee members Lori Skoog and Hanny Heyen spoke to members of the Sweden Town Board during their regular meeting Tuesday, September 23 regarding the planned meeting. They said the committee has been meeting weekly and has worked with invited guests and researched other community and senior centers to develop recommendations for the revitalization of the Sweden Senior Center.
“We are psyched about what we have come up with,” Skoog told board members about the plan. “We want to work with the town board,” she said. “We want to have dialog, we want your input.”
Heyen echoed Skoog’s words. “We want to work with you, go on this venture together,” Heyen said. “Together we can go forward. It’s a magnificent facility. We are asking you now for a year to come up with something you will be proud of.”
The proposals come at a crucial time in the town’s budget process. Town Board members were presented with the Tentative 2015 budget during their meeting on the 23rd and Heyen and Skoog asked if funds were provided for a new director for the Senior Center.
Board members said there are no funds in the tentative budget for a new director. The hiring of a director is included in the SSC Committee’s proposal which states, “Having an enthusiastic director – as in the past – with interpersonal skills, who thinks ‘outside of the box’ and works with others at the Center, Town Board, and community, is essential.”
Heyen indicated that if the center does not receive proper funding in the new budget, its future will be in doubt. “If it stays as it is, you will be closing the doors,” she told board members. Hours at the Senior Center were reduced earlier this year and many seniors have expressed concerns that it was the first step in the closure of the center.
Town Board members were encouraged to attend the public meeting on the 24th. Supervisor Rob Carges indicated that there is still time to make additions to the budget before the final plan is adopted later this fall. SSC Committee members had planned to submit their recommendations to the Town Board by October 15. That date may be altered depending on deadlines for making changes in the 2015 town budget.
