Saratoga News
News
Senior board votes to expand, adding Waltonsmith, Anderson
By Shannon Burkey
A recent vote to change the bylaws of the Saratoga Area Senior Coordinating Council has added two new members to its board of directors.
On May 30, the members of SASCC voted to allow both a Saratoga City Council member and the city manager, or someone he or she designates, to serve as voting members on the board in an effort for the senior center to gain oversight and direction from the city.
"The senior center has struggled for some time," said city manager Dave Anderson. "They recognize they need some help and we recognize they need some help, so we're all pitching in to provide it for them. Hopefully, together in partnership we can help to make SASCC a great success."
The center has been in a state of flux since its executive director, Genie Dee, resigned in February in a cloud of controversy. At that time, many members said they would not renew their memberships because of the way the center was being run. Several volunteers also quit, citing the same reasons.
The board of directors received criticism for not addressing the complaints of its members, but since then it has been working to rebuild the center. Adding the two new board positions is one of those ways.
Councilwoman Ann Waltonsmith, who has served as the city council liaison to the senior center for the past year, has been appointed by Mayor Aileen Kao to serve on the board. Anderson will sit on the board for the moment, but said he most likely will have the recreation department director take over once that position has been permanently filled. Currently, an interim director is filling the recreation department director position.
"It's important to have these board positions because we are pulling SASCC closer to us in terms of the services we're giving it," Waltonsmith said. "We've been so involved with them for so long, not only financially, but in running their programs."
The city allows SASCC to use city buildings for the senior center at no cost and provides funding each year.
Waltonsmith said one of the issues the city is working with SASCC on is broadening its services to appeal to a wider population of the city's seniors.
In the past, the senior center has been a members-only organization, but it is now looking to add programs and services for seniors on a fee basis with no membership required.
"SASCC is a great organization, but we want them to be available to all seniors," Waltonsmith said. "We'd like to have a good core of people who want to be members and be involved in the organization, but we'd also like to appeal to those who just want to dip in and out--we'd like a hybrid of that."
