The Budget Committee heard that the Marjorie Stewart Senior Community Center has seen growth in participation, new programs and high usage of a volunteer Sherwood Senior Shuttle, while staff warned of reduced county support for meal funding next year.

Maya Martin Burbank, the center manager, said the new Sherwood Senior Shuttle is in service and “we've had 945 rides, May 1 to May 1,” indicating rising demand. The center reported about 9,000 activity registrations this year and served “just under 17,000 meals last year,” a 9% increase from the prior year. The center is close to capacity for daily activities and relies on volunteers for shuttle operations; staff said volunteer drivers undergo background and driving record checks.

Maya told the committee the county’s contribution to the meal program is expected to be approximately $108,000 for the next fiscal year, a reduction from roughly $120,000 in prior allocations; staff said the county reduced the lump sum it receives from federal funds and consequently reduced local pass‑throughs. The center also reported $30,000 in donations toward meals and around $12,000 in smaller grants.

Committee members asked for more granular performance metrics: one councilor requested “unique individuals” counts (how many distinct residents are being served) rather than door counts. Senior center staff said they can produce deduplicated lists for many programs and will work to supply unique‑participant figures to give clearer context to usage numbers. Staff also plan to propose a $35 annual non‑resident membership fee to help offset service use by non‑Sherwood residents; staff said they will track the non‑resident usage before making further changes.