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Commission on Aging reports kitchen bid overruns, transit growth and building repairs
Summary
The Commission on Aging reported a kitchen renovation bid far above budget, steady transit service with more unique riders, fund consolidation to simplify reporting, and planned roof and transit-study work.
Brad Hinkham, director of the Newaygo County Commission on Aging, told the Health, Education & Human Services Committee that bids to renovate the Grama Community Center kitchen came in at about $253,000, well above the $80,000 originally budgeted.
Hinkham said county administration is reviewing options and that the department is not yet ready to ask the committee for a motion on the kitchen. He also reported several operational updates: an ongoing partnership with Michigan State University Extension for a six-week healthy eating and cooking course; a transportation program that served 355 individuals in the first quarter, including 90 first-time riders; and that roughly 20% of riders are people with disabilities.
Hinkham told the committee that the COA consolidated three internal funds into one to make budget reporting clearer, and that the prior practice had hidden inter-fund transfers of about $900,000 between program accounts. He said the Medicare and Medicaid Assistance Program (MMPA) subcontract with the state was canceled and the MMPA program "ends on the 31st of this month," and that the department is seeking state training and transition support from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to maintain staff capacity.
Other items Hinkham reported: the county will spend about $15,000 to install snow rails on the COA roof to prevent heavy snow falling at the front entrance; bidders for a transit study are due Feb. 7; the aging-in-place grant was nearly fully expended; and simple doorbells (about 15 units) were purchased to help meal-delivery drivers make contact with clients more efficiently.
Committee members praised the COA—s work and asked additional questions about contractor availability and prioritization. No formal action was taken on Hinkham—s report at the meeting.
