Rental fees waived for nonprofit senior programs
By John Faucher
The Hortonville Village Board agreed to waive rental fees for providers of nonprofit senior programming at the opera house’s senior meal site.
The Outagamie County Aging and Disability Resource Center utilizes the lower level of the historic building on Main Street to operate a senior meal site on weekdays.
Public Works Director Carl McCrary told village board members Thursday, Feb. 7, that the Hortonville Senior Activities Board has been soliciting service providers to add programming that will complement senior programming at the meal site.
“What we’re looking for is if they’re there solely for senior meal site and to help those seniors, I think we’re looking to see if we can allow them in there without charging them rental fees,” McCrary said.
McCrary has been working with Village Administrator David DeTroye, village staff and the senior activities committee to facilitate a possible expansion of services.
“I think that would be fine as long as we didn’t go into the afternoon and start consuming other rental slots,” McCrary said.
Village Trustee Pat Lund-Moe, who serves on the senior activities committee, said: “What we talked about was a way to increase numbers at the meal site. One way would be to have programming either before or after the meal.”
John Faucher file photo
She said programs such as stretching, exercise, walking or other events would take place in a time slot near the meal time.
“Knowing that if it is afterwards, we would have to figure out things like keys, who would lock up and everything,” Lund-Moe said.
Trustee Kelly Schleif said he was in favor of the idea. However, he had reservations as to the village setting precedence for allowing any “good cause” event.
“As long as we don’t have a problem with addressing that, I don’t have a problem with that,” Schleif said.
Village Attorney Robert Sorensen said as long as the activities were an extension of the meal site programming, he didn’t feel the move would set a precedent.
Trustee Jeanne Bellile asked if seniors would be charged for these services.
Lund-Moe said through talking with representatives of the YMCA and other providers who could request a waiver of rental fees, the waiver would be taken into consideration and treated differently if it enhances senior meal site participation and activities.
McCrary said it would be best left at the administrator’s discretion to determine whether to allow charges on a case-by-case evaluation.
“If on appearance it becomes a for-profit event, then we’ll have to re-evaluate it,” McCrary said.
“I hate to put rigid definitions on it. I think it’s best to allow the administrator to play it by ear.”
Board members agreed helping expand senior programs is a benefit to citizens and should be acceptable.
“It’s getting visibility out there and will hopefully build the numbers there for the meal site,” Lund-Moe said.
Village President Al Habeck said he can recall “years ago” these types of programs were successfully incorporated into the meal site program when it was located in Hortonville.
McCrary said, “They’re all good things.”
The board authorized staff to continue similar discussions among providers without a formal motion.