Valley County and Cascade volunteers set timeline for reopening senior center, request written sustainability plan

Volunteers for the Cascade Senior Center told Valley County commissioners on April 14 they plan to reopen the center and resume meals and activities, and commissioners said they will provide a one-year memorandum of understanding (MOU) and asked for a written sustainability plan and ongoing reporting.

The volunteers said they hope to reopen food service and activities in June and to hold a first board meeting in two weeks to set governance, policies and signatories. County officials said the county will send an MOU, expect the volunteer board to return a concrete plan within about 30 days and will evaluate continued county support based on demonstrated activity and sustainability.

Why it matters: The Cascade Senior Center occupies county-owned space and has received annual county support; commissioners described the county—s previous financial and facilities support and said they need a clearer plan showing how the center will operate and sustain itself before long-term county resources are committed.

Volunteers described immediate plans to resume lunches twice a week and to relaunch bingo and other activities to generate operating revenue. Cindy Rich, who identified herself as a leader of the volunteer group, said the group began with about $14,000 and received roughly $11,000 from the county in the prior year; without the county stipend she said the center could not operate. Rich said the new volunteer board is working to recruit a grant writer, to establish regular board meetings and to expand programming beyond senior-only activities so the building is used more days of the week.

County staff confirmed the county currently contributes $11,000 annually to both the Cascade and McCall senior centers and that the county pays for maintenance, power and snow removal for the building that houses the Cascade center. Clerk Miller (role: county clerk) told the group the county would provide the MOU and asked for budget numbers and a plan the volunteer board could present for approval.

Commissioners emphasized conditions they expect to see in the MOU and the plan: a one-year term with progress reporting, a sustainability budget that covers utilities and maintenance, and a plan to open regularly so county resources are not subsidizing an unused facility. One commissioner said the MOU will include a 30-day closure clause if the center does not meet agreed commitments.

Volunteers and commissioners discussed partnerships and funding sources the group plans to pursue, including the Idaho Food Bank, the county extension office and outreach to area churches and nonprofit partners to expand programming, advertising and volunteer recruitment. Volunteers proposed offering coffee and games most days of the week, special classes (for example, jam- and canning-making), a senior exercise class in partnership with the Cascade Recreation District and space rentals to community groups to offset costs.

County staff said the latest electric bill for the full structure was about $1,000 (county-level figure) and that water and trash are additional expenses; volunteers asked the county to consider a phased cost-sharing approach tied to earned revenue rather than assigning the full monthly utility cost immediately. County staff said they would provide utility cost figures to the volunteer board to help the group build a budget.

Next steps: County staff will send a draft MOU to the volunteer board. The Cascade volunteer board agreed to hold a first organizational meeting within two weeks, produce a written sustainability plan and return the MOU and plan to the county for review. Volunteers said they aim to open by June 1 if the MOU and plan are approved.

No formal county vote to transfer control or to change the county—s financial commitment occurred at the April 14 meeting; commissioners described the exchange of the MOU and receipt of a sustainability plan as prerequisites to continued support.