Council delays second reading of cooperative agreement for new Council on Aging site as board seeks limits on required improvements

The Bossier City Council delayed the second reading of a cooperative endeavor agreement related to a proposed building purchase for the Bossier Council on Aging (BCOA) on Aug. 26, after a series of public comments and council questions about how funds and responsibilities would be allocated.

Tamara Crane, a representative of the Bossier Council on Aging, told the council that seniors want features such as a covered loading area, a caregiver/family restroom and a market-style pantry. She said the BCOA is concerned that the draft cooperative endeavor agreement’s phrase “any improvements” could be read broadly and financially obligate the nonprofit to pay for major renovation work. Crane told the council: “This, in a legal term, any improvements can be interpreted to include improvements like I just mentioned that our seniors wants. Adding a covered overhang, including a caregiver bathroom, that would seriously overcommit our funding ability.”

Mayor Thomas H. Chandler and city staff said the city has not yet closed on the Benton Road building and that final space allocation will be determined after purchase and a…