Commission reviews update to West Sacramento's Age-Friendly Action Plan; commissioners urge broader outreach and ADA focus

Kaisa Miller, senior analyst in the city manager's office, presented an updated Age-Friendly Action Plan to the Parks, Recreation and Intergenerational Services Commission on April 1 and asked commissioners for feedback prior to forwarding the plan to the City Council for adoption.

The plan, first adopted in 2017 after West Sacramento enrolled in AARP's Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities, organizes goals under three broad themes: connectivity, safety and quality of life. Miller described outreach that informed the update, including mailed newsletters, phone surveys, an online survey, senior resource fair input and targeted outreach to Meals on Wheels clients.

Christie Woods, AARP's associate state director for advocacy in the Sacramento metro area, told the commission AARP represents more than 4,150 members in West Sacramento and supported renewal of the action plan, saying a plan helps communities prepare for demographic shifts toward older populations.

Commissioners offered extensive feedback. Themes included:

- Outreach and sample bias: Commissioner Ramsey questioned the representativeness of surveys used for the update, noting that some outreach venues reach primarily homebound or clinic populations and may not reflect the broader older-adult population. Ramsey offered to work with staff and AARP to expand outreach.

- Accessibility and ADA concerns: Several commissioners said they remain concerned about ADA access to parks, waterfront paths and parking; Ramsey and others said accessible connections from parking to the riverfront and park amenities are inadequate in several locations.

- Program targeting and age definition: Commissioners asked the city to clarify the plan's use of age thresholds (for example, 50+ vs. 65+) and to ensure programs target residents at different functional needs rather than relying solely on chronological age.

- Specific program goals and measurements: Miller highlighted proposed goals such as a sidewalk and transportation equity program, SAC Avenue Complete Streets, implementation of Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) intersections, integrating age-friendly elements into the bikes/pedestrian master plan, and continued encouragement of the VIA rideshare program. For safety, Miller said the plan includes a commitment to 20 additional Safe at Home projects and a goal to implement at least four "Coffee with a Cop" events per year, with at least one focused on older adults. The plan also sets a goal of 1,200 views of a city fire-safety video aimed at seniors.

Miller noted a typographical error in the draft that listed a per-household average as "$4,508" and said staff had corrected the figure in their working copy; the clearly intended corrected number was not stated aloud during the meeting. Commissioners also discussed funding levels for existing programs such as Meals on Wheels and locally administered small grants to help homeowners make accessibility improvements.

Commissioners asked staff to consider expanded outreach to diverse communities (including refugee and immigrant families who are caring for older relatives), more coordination with non-profit service providers, and increased inclusion of fire and emergency medical services in safety outreach. Several commissioners offered to help convene or participate in stakeholder outreach.

Miller said the commission's feedback would be incorporated and that staff would present the updated plan to the city council for adoption at a later date.

The discussion was a review and request for feedback; no formal action on the plan was taken at the meeting.