Council adopts Age Strong BTV plan to coordinate services for older residents

The City Council unanimously approved the Age Strong Burlington plan on May 19, an action that the plan's authors described as a multi-year, cross-departmental blueprint to strengthen services and supports for older residents.

The aging-council co-chairs and staff summarized the document and its process: the volunteer-led Burlington Aging Council met repeatedly over multiple years, developed an action framework and recommended concrete next steps including a cross-department city focus, improved data collection, centralized resource information, more programming support for community senior centers and a policy review to assess how current municipal rules affect older residents.

"If a city works for 8-year-olds and 80-year-olds, it's a city that works for everyone," said co-chair Glenn MacRae, explaining the plan's asset-based approach. He and Brian Pine, the city's director of Community and Economic Development, told councilors the plan is intended to be practical and to identify both low-cost measures and items requiring budgetary support.

The plan lists targeted areas: social connection and engagement, caregiver support, financial security, housing, transportation, community design and health promotion. Heineberg Community Senior Center leaders and Burlington Aging Council members said the center and other community organizations will be essential partners in delivery.

Councilors unanimously approved the plan and referred implementation items to the Department of Community and Economic Development and relevant committees. Council leaders said they will return with a recommended resourcing strategy and next steps for implementing the highest-priority items in the coming months.