Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Social Services topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council approves AARP Tax‑Aide in‑kind waivers for 2026; training hosted in Leon Valley only for tax year 2026
Summary
After objections from the Senior Center’s leaseholders, the council approved AARP’s requests to waive conference‑center fees for training and weekday tax‑aid sessions for tax year 2026, and added an amendment that training hosted in Leon Valley will not be available for the 2027 tax year so the organization can seek alternate training sites.
AARP Tax‑Aide representatives asked the council Nov. 18 for in‑kind fee waivers to host volunteer training and weekly tax‑preparation sessions in the Leon Valley community and conference center for the 2026 tax season.
Ida Kujwski, the training coordinator, said the Leon Valley site filed 486 returns last season, including 282 returns for Leon Valley residents, and that AARP volunteers have historically served a broad constituency without age or income limits. Northwest Seniors — the group that leases space in the community center — had submitted a letter objecting to shared space, citing crowding near bingo tables and concerns about rear‑door use for AARP volunteers’ equipment.
Staff noted that the city’s in‑kind grant matrix sets a minimum public‑purpose score of 18 to automatically waive fees; AARP’s applications scored below that threshold on committee review (training application ~19/24; services application ~15.7/24). Council debated whether to require AARP to pay some cleanup or setup fees or to move the training to the conference center instead of the occupied senior space.
After discussion the council voted to approve both in‑kind requests for 2026 — waiving the specified fees — with an amendment that Leon Valley will host AARP’s volunteer training only for tax year 2026 and that AARP should plan to find an alternate training site thereafter. The motion passed on a council vote.
Councilors said the decision balances a widely used public service (free tax filing) against the senior center’s leasehold interests and asked staff to coordinate notices with the Friends and commit to clearer scheduling and cleanup protocols at the facility.
