OTTUMWA — Ottumwa’s senior center received two big boosts Tuesday and a spokesman said it would be the last time the center sought government assistance.
The Wapello County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday agreed to take $6,000 earmarked for the Seneca Area Agency on Aging from the county’s budget and gave it directly to the Ottumwa Senior Center. The county currently contributes $2,000 to the center. City Council members pledged $8,000 to the center.
Rick Johnson, board chairman of the Wapello County Area Agency on Aging, which oversees the senior center, said the funding was welcome news. Johnson has attended several board meetings prior to Tuesday’s meeting requesting funds from the county.
He said the center is in the process of selling two of its properties, which in turn will allow them to pay off some of their existing mortgage. The sale also allows Wells Fargo to refinance the center’s mortgage and eliminate the interest rate.
“If that happens, we will be in pretty good shape,” Johnson said.
Supervisor Mike Petersen conceded he had a concern that if the money was given to the center, they might be in the same predicament in a couple months if nothing happens.
“We just have to see if these sales go through on these properties,” Johnson said, referring to property the WCAA owns.
The council’s endorsement came on a 3-2 vote. Councilwoman Shannon Addison and Councilman Gordon Aistrope voted against the funding.
“I don’t want to see the service go away, but I think we need to have something in place to allow the agency to gather funds without coming to the city,” Addison said.
Even supporters were skeptical. Councilman Gerald Brees said the only similarity between the county’s action and the request of the city was that they were both governments. The request involves money the city did not plan on spending.
“The Board of Supervisors is taking funding away from one agency and giving it to the senior center. So they’re not really coming up with any new money. The city of Ottumwa, on the other hand, has to come up with this money from somewhere,” Brees said.
“We did not ask the county to take money away from Seneca and give it to us,” Johnson responded.
Councilman Bob Meyers called city funding “a Band-Aid,” while Councilman Gordon Aistrope worried about setting a precedent for funding nonprofit organizations. Shepard dismissed concerns about setting a precedent.
“We already spend a lot of money with private, nonprofit organizations. Bridge View would be a perfect example. [And] OEDC. We’ve already set the precedent,” he said.
Earlier this year, Johnson said without financial support from the city and county, closing the Ottumwa Senior Center was a real possibility. He had said the basic problem was simple: The center’s monthly income was not enough to pay the bills each month.
Skyrocketing fuel costs and other factors, said Wapello County Area Agency on Aging Treasurer Patsy Seals, was making it nearly impossible to make ends meet.
Attempts to reach Seneca Area Agency on Aging Executive Director Connie Holland were unsuccessful.
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