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Date: 9/6/2022
SOUTHAMPTON – Council on Aging Board Chair Janet Cain recalls the last time state money was allocated to the Senior Center.
“The last time we got a check, it was $6,000 from [former state Sen. Don Humason],” she said. “We bought some paint and some lines and we drew some pickleball courts.”
This time the money is likely to go farther.
State Sen. John Velis joined Cain, Council on Aging Director Joan Linnehan, Town Administrator Ed Gibson, Select Board Chair Christine Fowles and members Maureen Groden and Francine Tishman to celebrate a $50,000 state contribution to the Council on Aging on Aug. 29. The money was included in the recent American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) legislation that was passed by the Senate and House and signed into law by Gov. Charlie Baker in December 2021.
“When it comes to budget time, we’re probably one of the smallest budgets of all the departments [in Southampton], so we really can use [the funding]; it can really benefit us,” Linnehan said.
Linnehan and Cain said the Council on Aging would formulate a plan on how to put the money to good use. Linnehan noted the town was in the process of investigating a new or expanded senior center but also suggested the money could go toward several smaller projects and resources that could have an impact for seniors. She pointed to the awning on the back of the Senior Center, a $9,000 expenditure that served as the open-air location for Council on Aging’s programming during the coronavirus pandemic.
“We’re going to research exactly what we can use the $50,000 for. With earmarks, there are guidelines on what it can be used for. We’re going to make a plan,” said Linnehan. “Obviously we could use more space, more transportation and more of a lot of things, so $50,000 can go in several directions. We just have to make a decision and prioritize.”
Velis later told Reminder Publishing there were few restrictions on the funding, the major exception being that it cannot be used to pay down the local government’s retirement fund.
“It’s very, very broad and I think that a good thing about the ARPA federal package is that the feds knew there was going to be a lot of need out there that we just have a tough time articulating right now. It was drafted in a way that would be super broad so when needs arise, they could fill them. I would argue that’s a better course of action,” he said, comparing ARPA to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, also known as the CARES Act, which had more specific limitations and guidelines on use.
“I think ARPA learned lessons from the CARES Act,” he added.
Velis said especially as a result of COVID-19, calls for increased support and resources for senior services have become louder and more consistent. Supply chain issues and rising prices have forced more older citizens on fixed incomes to turn to senior centers for assistance in fulfilling basic needs, he noted.
“The need has never been more significant,” Velis later told Reminder Publishing. “Someone came up to me yesterday and said, ‘Look, $5 isn’t worth what it used to be a year and a half ago … Without a doubt, that person said, ‘I’m going to the Senior Center to find out about any more resources I am eligible for. That was in Westfield, but I can guarantee you that sentiment exists here in Southampton.”
He added the state support will allow the town to invest in the Senior Center without additional strain on its local tax base or diverting funding from another department.
“This is $50,000 that you don’t have to reallocate from something else,” he said. “You’ll be able to keep that money in schools, you’ll be able to keep that money on the roads.”