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Council to draft one‑year agreement for volunteer senior center at Irene Stern, tables final approval
Summary
Council directed staff to draft a one‑year, no‑cost user agreement for a re‑established Fulshear Senior Center at the Irene Stern Community Center, subject to clarifying storage, conflict‑of‑use, cleaning and cost details; formal approval was tabled to a future meeting.
Council considered a proposal to allow the Fulshear Senior Center (doing business as a local 501(c)(3)) to use the Irene Stern Community Center at no cost while it reestablishes operations.
Staff said the senior group has regained 501(c)(3) status, held an introductory meeting on March 12, and is pursuing partnerships with Fort Bend Seniors for program and staffing support. Staff recommended a no‑cost trial period with priority use Monday–Thursday 9 a.m.–1 p.m.; the senior group requested expanded hours, including Fridays 9 a.m.–1 p.m. or longer.
John (city staff contact) said Fort Bend Seniors would supply an on‑site site manager and daily staff to open, close and operate the site manager duties (meal temperature certification, set‑up, and daily programming). Staff and council discussed logistics: available storage space at Irene Stern is limited, city custodial resources and cleaning cost recovery were not fully quantified, and a high volume of paid bookings — particularly Fridays — creates potential conflicts.
Council members expressed support for re‑establishing a senior center but asked staff to: (1) quantify the city’s annual Irene Stern operating and opportunity costs; (2) evaluate storage and furniture arrangements; (3) clarify cleaning responsibilities and any pro rata utility contributions (council referenced prior arrangements where a senior group paid pro rata electric costs); (4) define how the center will be prioritized when paid city events or rentals conflict; and (5) draft a one‑year agreement with seven days’ advance notice required when a paid or city event will displace senior programming.
The council did not vote to approve the agreement; instead it directed staff to draft an agreement and coordinate with Fort Bend Seniors and Fort Bend County, then return to council for final approval at a later meeting. Staff was asked to prepare bullet points with the requested clarifications before the next council meeting.
