Charlton senior center director seeks more hours for front‑desk help and presses feasibility study for new facility

Michelle Drum, director of the Town of Charlton Council on Aging (COA) Senior Center, requested an expanded front‑desk position and described changing meal arrangements and a potential new senior center site at the March 26 budget hearing.

Drum asked the Select Board to modify the existing activities assistant (15 hours/week) into a 24–28 hour administrative assistant position, with a proposed hourly rate (24–28 hours at $22.06/hr in the draft budget) to make the job more attractive and easier to fill. Drum said the activities position is now vacant and the senior center faces significant daily foot traffic: average daily attendance rose from 53 in 2023 to 69 in 2024 and to about 79 so far in 2025. She said the center serves about 4,100 residents age 60 and older in Charlton, with roughly 237 people turning 60 this year.

Drum described duties such as client registration, durable medical equipment loan coordination, data entry and general front‑office management. She told the board the position has been historically difficult to fill at lower wages and that HR recommended the higher pay to reflect a mix of activities and administrative responsibilities. Board members noted that increasing weekly hours above 20 triggers benefits, and asked whether the town could instead fund a part‑time (under‑20‑hour) position to avoid fringe costs; Drum said the higher hours are intended to meet current workload.

Meals at the senior center were a major topic. Drum said the center had offered in‑house meals previously but the longtime cook retired and became ill, and the town moved to a mix of in‑house and Tri‑Valley Elder Services meals. Drum said seniors’ responses are mixed: some prefer the Overlook (in‑house) meals and would pay $7, others prefer Tri‑Valley’s lower‑cost option (suggested $3 donation) and some seniors report Tri‑Valley’s meals have improved under new management. Drum said she is conducting a food survey of participants to guide whether the town should fund overlooked meals going forward; the FY26 draft includes $65,000 for Overlook meals as a placeholder.

Drum also described the Center Feasibility Committee’s work on 9 Trolley Crossing, the former St. Vincent’s Medical Center. She said the building is younger (under five years old), has abundant parking and a large interior pod layout that might suit a senior center; however, the right side of the building would require kitchen installation and removal of some shear walls to create a large dining/gathering space. The committee asked for an engineering/feasibility study but Drum recommended tabling a $50,000 engineering request pending further negotiation with the building owner, which may have a short‑term tenant interested in a three‑year lease.

Drum also listed other operational items: outreach coordination, durable medical equipment lending (high turnover of wheelchairs), My Senior Center database fees and an Elder Bus service that WRTA has covered for the past two years (487 rides to the senior center last year). She said she has a small annual state grant (~$6,000) and uses modest program fees (e.g., $5 yoga classes) and donations to offset costs.

Board members asked for follow‑up on temporary volunteer help, outreach partnership with health‑department outreach staff, the Elder Bus funding outlook and whether shifting back to Tri‑Valley meals could free money to fund staff. Drum said she is exploring volunteers and interim help and will finish the food survey before making a larger request.