The Council on Aging and Advisory Council held their monthly meeting last night. Chair Joan Belle Isle reported that a contract was recently signed with UMASS Boston’s Gerontology Institute to conduct a needs assessment that will be launched in September. The last needs assessment was conducted with the John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy & Global Students at the UMass Boston, in 2014: Living and Aging in Newton: Now and In the Future. At that time, they investigated the needs, interests, preferences, and options of the city’s older population with respect to living and aging in Newton. In 2016, the City received designation as an AARP livable Communities Age-Friendly Network and part of the World Health Organization’s Global Age-Friendly Cities. Then, in 2017, the City held a series of listening sessions with over 300 residents to create goals to make improvements in 10 focus areas (domains) using the AARP guidelines, and then launched PLAAN -Planning for a Livable All-Age Friendly Newton. Newton received an AARP grant, created a “So You Want to Stay in Your Home” program, and created a “How To” guide to create an age-friendly environment.
The Chair recommended that meeting attendees review the last two reports with the lens of how lives have changed during the past 10 years and how that can be reflected in what they expect the City to address. She urged members to participate in joining the process and help to define and manage the process. Some concern was raised by Newtonville resident Peter Bruce on the survey process and whether the City will engage in a randomized survey and take a more scientific approach.
Other topics in the meeting included an update on the NewCAL project, a discussion about a new data system (“myseniorcenter”), a brief budget update, and a short discussion about the Village Center Overlay District zoning maps – version 2.0 that were recently released. With regard to the NewCAL project, the Chair reported that the project is proceeding, that draft construction documents were in process, and that her understanding is that the project will go out to bid sometime after the Design Review Committee’s final review of the documents, which is expected at its next meeting, in May. She added that the project may go out to bid sometime in early to mid-summer with anticipation that the construction will begin sometime in the fall.
She reminded attendees that there is a pending lawsuit brought by the neighbors “intended to delay the process,” and that the suit is still active. She said they do not know if it will have any effect, but the project is going forward. She asked Peter Bruce, one of the plaintiffs in the suit, for any updates. Neither he nor Norma Swenson, another attendee and plaintiff in the suit, have any updates, and both had expected the Council on Aging would. Ms. Swenson said that she came to the meeting to get the answer. She said she respects the project has its own timeline. Bruce added that the purpose of the suit was to have the law be respected and he believes that the park, in particular, should be protected.
The Chair reminded the attendees that the City had purchased an adjoining property that will be made into an even larger greenspace than what is there now, but the timeframe depends on when the resident in that house no longer resides there. She added, they are proceeding with the project and expect that it will go forward according to schedule, with the anticipation it will go out to bid and there will be a ribbon cutting a year later.
Myseniorcenter is a new data system that is used by many other senior centers in the Commonwealth and throughout the country. It is intended to help collect and track more information about the center, programs, and people using it.
As for the upcoming budget discussions, Director of Senior Services Mignonne Murray reported that a number of departments are likely to face some funding challenges with the override not passing, but for now they are in a transition period, and while not ideal, the budget is “dealable,” adding that the Mayor is aware that the FY2025 budget will need to look considerably different, as there will be a need for more staffing and more hours. The Senior Services budget discussion is scheduled for May 17, before the Programs and Services Committee (see Budget calendar).
With regard to Village Center Zoning, Alice Ingerson offered thoughts about how the Council on Aging might want to participate in the upcoming hearing in June, and she encouraged members and the community to weigh in on housing needs for an aging population and how zoning changes could and should address those needs.
