A NEW SENIOR CENTER IN THE WORKS

From the May 13, 2004 issue of the Times Journal newspaper

Architect rendering of proposed new Senior Center

RUSSELL SPRINGS - For the past several months, the senior citizens of Russell Springs have been unsure of what the future would hold for them -- and sometimes questioning whether anyone cared.

However, on Fri. May 7, the City Commission of Russell Springs called a special public hearing to make an announcement of the city's dedication to the issue and a plan of action for the future.

Russell Springs Mayor Brian Walters began working earlier this year in an attempt to find the Russell Springs Senior Citizen Center a new home.

At the meeting, he announced the city has a plan to make it happen.

Walters and the commission members made calls to state senator Vernie McGaha to inform him of the problem with the Senior Center and asked if there was something he do to help.

Senator McGaha researched the grant proposals for federal funding, but unfortunately the dead line was in January.

After reaching a dead end with federal funding, McGaha turned to the state and found hope through the Kentucky Community Development program.

The community development program is designed to help communities enhance economic development, public facilities, housing, community projects, micro-enterprise development, community emergency relief fund or "Renaissance Kentucky."

According to the national guidelines, the program must be used to benefit low and moderate income persons, prevention and elimination of slums or blight or meet community development needs having a particular urgency.

Through this grant the city of Russell Springs would receive $500,000 to build a community center which will house both the Russell Springs and Jamestown Senior Citizens Centers in one facility.

In an effort to show the city's dedication, Russell Springs City Commission recently purchased 17 acres of land in the Middletown portion of the city as the future location of the new facility.

During the public hearing, Walters revealed the engineering plans of the new $750,000 facility and the plot in which the center will housed.

The facility will also house the Lake Cumberland Community Action kitchen which currently furnishes the food for a ten-county-wide senior program.

The facility at the present plays are for approximately 6,800 square feet and will be divided into separate areas of activities to serve the needs of the seniors.

However, as with every grant application, the grant process is critical.

According to Donna Diaz, the Director of Community Economic Development of the Lake Cumberland Area Development District: "The papers should be filed in the next couple of weeks and then it is just a matter of beginning construction."

Although the grant is for $500,000, the City of Russell Springs has found a source for the additional cost in Southern Kentucky RECC through a non-interest loan program on which Bennie Garland, Community Development Specialist of SKRECC, has been working.

In that program, SKRECC applies for the money through the State of Kentucky for aid in community development in which the community then repays without interest.

With the repayment of a loan by the city, some concern was raised about additional taxes to the residents of Russell Springs and where the money would come from to pay the money back.

Walters commented, "There will not be any raise in city taxes, I need to make that clear. The money to repay the loan will come from the Lake Cumberland Community Action program leasing the new facility."

The building will be built to fit the needs of the senior citizens, giving them a permanent home but will be leased to community action, the officials said.

The money the City of Russell Springs will be receiving as rent will go to repay the loan SKRECC is getting to help fund the project.

After the public hearing the Russell Springs City Commission voted to approve the plans to move forward and begin gathering the support they need to finish the project.

If the process goes as scheduled, the construction will begin sometime around the end of June. However, as with all designs the plans will change as construction begins in order to better serve the needs of the seniors.

In recent specially-called commission meeting, a large delegation of senior citizens were reassured they had friends and supporters committed to their needs and desires.

The closing of one center and the threats of moving them again from another had left many local seniors with the feeling they were being overlooked, misguided and mistreated.

The center had recently been moved from the Edwin Rogers building on Main Street to a smaller building across the street when Lake Cumberland Community Services and Rodgers were unable to agree on a lease extension. Rogers later sold the building and the center was moved.

A misunderstand with the tenant at the latest location, the former H & R Block office, had left the senior citizens with the impression they were about to be moved again.

Mayor Brian Walters addressed the issue as he welcomed the large group to the commission meeting by first telling them he and the city commissioners were unanimously in agreement they were committed to seeing the seniors were provided a proper place for their center. In fact, Mayor Walters introduced a motion that the City of Russell Springs offers full support to the needs of the senior citizens. Commissioners Ray Barrett, Joe Branscum, Wayne Gaskin, and Eric Selby all voiced their approval of the motion.

Mayor Walters stated he had been in contact with the owner of their present location and there had apparently been a misunderstanding, and they would not be asked to leave this latest location. In fact, Walters reported the owner of the building had told him they would be glad to have them as tenants and would be willing to make improvements to the location.

While it was apparent the senior group was pleased to know they would not be immediately evicted, it was also apparent the majority felt the present location was not large enough to properly serve their needs plus it had only one bathroom and no kitchen facilities.

Bruce Brown, Lake Cumberland Community Services Director, also addressed the group and reported they were making efforts to find a permanent location for the center. Brown explained they are funded on a fiscal year basis and the year ends June 30.

"As we are only assured of funds up until this date," stated Brown, "it makes it very difficult to find adequate housing for the center as we can only lease on a one year basis or as it presently stands from now until June 30."

When asked why some counties, such as Pulaski, had a new center and others such as Russell did not, Brown explained that Pulaski and one or two others had obtained federal grants for the construction of the building and they were only providing services on a yearly arrangement according to their fiscal year limitations.