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Date: 2/15/2022
LUDLOW – With Ludlow’s new Senior Center up and running for just over a year now, the Ludlow Board of Selectmen discussed potentially ending the lease for the old Senior Center property during its Feb. 8 meeting.
Town Administrator Ellie Villano began the discussion by saying that the town is nearly ready to leave the old center.
“We are almost out of the Senior Center. I think it is time we schedule a meeting, or a representative of the board meet with the Ludlow Housing Authority because we are probably ready to turn the building over. There has to be some discussion about what happens to Exit 7 [Theater] and what will happen when we turn the heating system off,” she said.
While the town clears out of the old Senior Center, Villano said the schools are also working on turning over two of the buildings to the town as well.
“It is my understanding that the schools are going to try by the beginning of April officially turn the two buildings over to the town, at which time, the board has to determine what you are going to do with the coal and primary building. A discussion needs to be held prior,” she said.
Since there is very little town property left in the building after offering much of the furniture up for grabs, Villano said it is time to end the lease and turn the building over to the housing authority.
“Whatever is left in there will probably just be disposed of; there is very little. There are some tables and chairs the veterans agent has claimed so I think we need to talk with the housing authority to get permission for them to be maintained and housed there. It has been a very cooperative effort at this point, but I think it is time where the board has to vote to vacate the lease,” she said.
Board member Derek DeBarge said he would be able to act as a liaison to the housing authority since he has already spoken with Executive Director Robin Carvide about the process.
“I have been talking to Robin about this project quite a bit, I have done two walk-throughs with her, and I was there for the cleanout. There are some conversations about what is going to happen after they take over and some space available for our Veterans Agent,” he said. “If there is anyone that can be a liaison for this, I would be more than willing to do it since I kind of am already involved with it.”
During the board updates portion of the meeting, Vice Chair Antonio Goncalves said after the town allocated American Rescue Plan Act funding for COVID-19 tests, the town is currently setting the money aside before making a final purchase.
“We decided not to buy the pallet of tests, rather we decided to make sure that amount of money was put aside pending what is happening with the giveaways both from the state and the federal level if we do not end up needing the test pallet right away it is on the backburner,” he said.
During the meeting the board also agreed to proclaim April 2 as World Autism Awareness Day and April as World Autism Awareness month.
The Ludlow Board of Selectmen next meets on Feb. 15 and coverage of that meeting will appear in the Feb. 24 edition of The Reminder.