Adams Council on Aging's Move to Memorial Building Delayed
ADAMS, Mass. — There is still pending work to be done before the Council on Aging can fully transition its operations to the former Memorial School Building.
"There's currently no set date for the transition, as work still needs to be done in order to make this a successful move and be able to adequately serve all of our program participants," said COA Director Sarah Fontaine at the council's Monday meeting, reading from what she wrote to concerned residents in the COA newsletter. "Our hope is to be able to move in by the end of the spring, beginning of the summer, but that depends on a lot of factors. Some of which are out of our control."
Fontaine said unfinished work on the facility includes the kitchen, new cabinets, additional bathrooms and new furnishings. She highlighted long wait times for deliveries and installations as the main things slowing the process down, noting the COA is working with the town to get the manageable tasks done.
"We have a priority work list going for stuff that can be done in-house by our buildings and maintenance and DPW. So they're kind of slowly ticking away items off of that list," she said. "The big-ticket items are the kitchen and the bathrooms."
The ongoing work to reopen the Memorial Building is nothing new for many town personnel. In January, Town Administrator Jay Green said the town is tentatively targeting May for reopening the facility for full use by the public, explaining that a final reopening date depends on several factors.
"If we can get more work done first before anybody goes in there, I think, logistically, that's the better solution," he said at the time. "But we're very early in those stages."
Funding for the incomplete work, according to Fontaine, is planned to come from the COA's budget, earmarked money from the Friends of the Adams Council on Aging, town funding and private grants.
"But we will need a lot of support from the community, especially as the town is considering if and when it will be able to open the building for other community uses other than COA programs, such as sports leagues and private functions," she said.
Fontaine said she expects the move to the Memorial Building will help the COA expand.
"We anticipate increased attendance once we make the move over to the memorial building because we will have much more space to accommodate additional consumers," she said.
In other business, the council discussed ongoing outreach efforts with Savoy. The town entered a one-year shared COA services agreement with Savoy in November.
The council held its second outreach meeting with Savoy at the end of February and plans to add another van driver who can service Savoy soon. Additionally, the COA's Outreach Coordinator Barbara Proper plans to visit Savoy Town Hall from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on the second Friday and fourth Thursday of every month to provide help.
"She'll be there as a presence for any questions or help filling out public assistance applications, reviewing what services we have available here," Fontaine said.
Board member Bruce Shepley suggested getting a Savoy representative on the board. The board at large, while supportive of the idea, was unsure if this would require a charter change or legal council approval.
"If there's a desire here to head in that direction, that's something we should keep our eye on," Shepley said.
Tags: COA, memorial building,
