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 full architectural review. At the meeting the mayor’s office estimated the Council on Aging would receive roughly 9,000 square feet of the 34,290-square-foot building under current plans; Crane cited that estimate in public comment, saying, “mayor Chandler did state that we would be getting about 9,000 square feet of the 34,290 there.” City staff said shared spaces and mechanical/IT closets reduce the amount of space the Council on Aging must provide for exclusively, and argued the net usable space for the council’s programs could be similar to or greater than the council’s current facility once the shared spaces are counted.

Council members and legal staff raised two issues the BCOA Board asked to clarify: (1) whether the bond proceeds earmarked in Ordinance 94 of 2023 — a $4,000,000 allocation referenced at the meeting — may be used to pay for improvements at the leased or purchased site when the recipient is not a city department; and (2) whether language in the cooperative endeavor agreement should be narrowed so the BCOA is not legally required to undertake capital improvements beyond its budget. City attorney and staff said they would consult bond counsel about how the bond money can be spent and about how to limit the nonprofit’s financial obligation.

Councilman Hammonds moved to continue the second reading to the council’s Sept. 10 meeting to allow staff to obtain guidance from bond counsel; Councilman Cliff Smith seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.

What the council said: City staff told the council they expect a purchase agreement could be signed in mid-September, with closing several weeks afterwards, and that final configuration of spaces would be known only after the city obtains title and engages an architect. Several council members emphasized they did not intend to reduce space for the Council on Aging and that the city is seeking to preserve senior services while using shared spaces to manage costs.

Fiscal and program details discussed at the meeting: The record at the meeting included these figures mentioned by BCOA representatives and staff — the council on aging reports about $1,000,000 in savings; annual state/federal funding of roughly $600,000 through GOEA (combined federal/state funding mentioned at the meeting); $150,000 from the city and $115,000 from the parish in annual support; and about $15,000–$20,000 in grant funding this year. City staff estimated moving to the new facility could reduce some operating costs by roughly $25,000–$30,000 a year because the city would assume some building expenses.

Why it matters: The cooperative agreement and the related use of Ordinance 94 of 2023 funds would affect how much capital work the Council on Aging must finance and whether bond proceeds can be used for non-city departments’ improvements. The council’s decision to delay the second reading ensures bond counsel can provide guidance on permissible uses of bond funds and on drafting the agreement to avoid unintended financial obligations for the nonprofit.

Ending: Council staff will consult bond counsel and return with clarifying language and options at the Sept. 10 meeting; the purchase process will proceed separately from the cooperative-agreement vote, according to city staff, to preserve the city’s ability to close on the building while the council finalizes terms on the funding and improvements.