Middleborough Council on Aging backs $50,000 trust-fund request, approves facility uses and hears director’s report

The Middleborough Council on Aging on Tuesday approved a motion to draft a letter supporting Town Manager Jay’s request that the town increase the council’s trust fund by $50,000 and took routine actions including waiving facility rental fees for several community events.

The action followed an extended director’s report from Holly, the council’s executive director, who reviewed the year-to-date finances, staffing and several planned maintenance items — including a $10,000 bid to replace original ceiling tiles, a roughly $40,000 capital-budgeted exterior carpentry and painting project, and upcoming HVAC replacements. Holly said the council is fully staffed and that a new day-program supervisor started on Jan. 6.

The trust-fund letter: why it mattered

Board chair moved that the council prepare a formal letter of support to the town manager asking that the trust fund allocation be increased by $50,000 for the current fiscal year. The chair and other members said the measure is intended to boost the council’s non-town funding without reducing other town services. Members approved a motion to prepare and circulate the letter for review before it is sent to the select board.

Director’s report: staffing, repairs, donations and programs

Holly, executive director, reported the council is seven months into the fiscal year and running under budget overall. She told the board the organization is now fully staffed: “We are fully staffed now,” Holly said. She summarized personnel changes and noted that wages and classifications are being updated as part of recent ASB contract negotiations.

Holly described several capital and maintenance items: a $10,000 request to replace ceiling tiles (installed), carpentry and exterior painting funded from the capital budget (about $40,000), refacing cabinetry at about $2,750 charged to the formula grant, and planned replacement of a small number of older HVAC units to gain energy-efficiency savings. She also reported the building’s emergency generator is out of service while awaiting a replacement radiator part; technicians expect to work on it next week pending parts availability. The director said the generator is important because the facility serves as a designated warming shelter and stores thousands of dollars’ worth of frozen food.

Donations and bequests

Holly told the board the council received annual gifts from the Maxim Foundation — $1,500 designated for the food program and an unspecified $5,687 split across programs — and an unexpected, small donation from an entity identified as Washington Trust LLC. She said the organization had no stated restrictions on an imminent bequest from the Arnold Mackenzie estate: the council is expected to receive $128,718, with an equal amount earmarked for the Salvation Army and for the Middleborough Public Library. Holly recommended placing the Mackenzie funds into the council’s general donations (rainy-day) fund until there is clearer fiscal visibility for the coming year; she noted the general donations fund already includes some money invested in higher-yield accounts per the town treasurer’s prior practice.

Programs and services

Holly reported the AARP tax-preparation program is fully booked with 234 appointments. The supportive day program will move from a four-day to a five-day schedule effective March 3 as staffing stabilizes. She presented meal and transportation statistics: meals served have risen from roughly 21,000 (FY 2021–22) to about 25,700 in the most recent comparable period; transportation rides are down by about 1,500 year-to-date compared with the previous period.

Facility use approvals

The council approved several fee-waiver requests for community events while asking some users to cover custodial staffing costs where appropriate: - Local candidates’ forum (March 20): rental fees waived; custodial fees to be covered as needed. - Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development Group (SERPed) presentation of the town master plan: fees waived and custodial costs to be absorbed by the council because the presentation is a town-planning activity through the planning department. - Staff-supervised event on May 10: council waived fees with staff responsible for opening/closing and custodial tasks. - Middleborough Friends annual pancake breakfast: fees waived; the Friends are longstanding partners and beneficiaries in part of the proceeds.

Other business and next steps

Members were reminded that four board terms expire in June and that a bylaws review subcommittee is being formed; volunteers were asked to notify Holly. The chair noted the finance director plans to consolidate small legacy accounts after the town’s new financial system is rolled out in March.

The board accepted the finance and director’s reports and approved the motions described above. The council scheduled its next regular meeting for Wednesday, March 12, at 7 p.m.

Ending

Board members thanked donors and volunteers and agreed to circulate the trust-fund support letter draft to members and to the select board for consideration. No substantive policy changes were adopted at the meeting; the trust-fund increase and management of the Mackenzie bequest will proceed through the town’s normal fiscal and select-board processes.