Addison Township officials approved a proposal 6-1 to allow up to $15,000 in funding towards senior citizen activities at a board meeting August 15.
Of the total budget, $5,000 was reallocated from Addison Township’s previously established Meals on Wheels funding. The Addison Township chapter of Meals on Wheels recently joined with the Oxford chapter, allowing the $5,000 to be put towards other projects.
Addison Township officials held a meeting in June to gather input from Addison’s senior residents on whether they preferred to join the Older Persons’ Commission (OPC), located in Rochester, or to have more scheduled activities at Addison Township Hall’s existing community center.
“It was pretty well split in the meeting that we held as to whether they wanted (to join) OPC or to have (increased activities) here. There was not a consensus one way or the other,” said Treasurer Lori Fisher during the meeting.
In an effort to support both sides, the approved proposal includes two parts.
The first part of the proposal includes $5,000 in total aid for seniors who wish to join the OPC.
The OPC is a nonprofit organization that provides a wide array of personal enrichment, fitness, aquatic, social and travel offerings to people over 50-years-old.
While the OPC does not recognize Addison Township as part of its network, it will allow residents of Addison Township to pay an annual non-member fee of $175 per person or $250 per couple to join.
This proposal will reimburse Addison residents age 62 and above who want to become OPC members, up to $100 per person.
The second part of the approved proposal will support senior activities within Addison Township’s existing community center, located at the township hall. This includes the creation of a part-time senior planner position and supporting funding of up to $100 a month from the general fund budget.
The board will re-examine the entire growth of the senior program in a year to determine which of the approved programs should continue.
According to Pearson, residents of the township can expect to see these changes implemented within the next few months.
“The seniors are a special group of people and I think that every society should provide something for them, so they are not homebound,” said Pearson.