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Lynn Senior Center schedules Oct. 15 Second Floor completion as staff, volunteers and ADA issues surface
Summary
City staff told the Council on Aging the Second Floor renovation is expected to reach substantial completion by Oct. 15; the director outlined a $667,578 2026 budget and $17,000 set aside for an ADA-accessible vehicle, while board members pressed for more volunteers, clearer meal-service accommodations and ADA training after a complaint about someone being turned away.
Laura, a city staff member, told the Lynn Council on Aging on the meeting that contractor work on the center's Second Floor is nearly finished and that "October 15 is your date of substantial completion." The chair rearranged the agenda so Laura could present the brief construction update before leaving for another meeting.
Why it matters: The Second Floor will expand space and program capacity at the Lynn Senior Center; director Megan said staffing and volunteer plans will determine how soon activities shift upstairs and how the new space is supervised.
Megan, who identified herself as the center's director, summarized programming and operations and delivered the center's budget figures for 2026. She said the operational (non-salary) budget is $247,000 and that salaries total $420,578, for a combined figure of $667,578. Megan said the center has set aside $17,000 for an ADA-accessible vehicle and is working through the state process; she expressed hope the vehicle would arrive by Oct. 31 or, if not, by mid-November.
The director listed October programming and presentations, including a Lynn Public Library visit (Oct. 2), voter-registration information (Oct. 6), an AARP talk (Oct. 28), Public Health and Attorney General presentations on Oct. 30, and regular outings and classes such as Zumba, art and a new chess club. She encouraged members to register for the Halloween party when registration opens Oct. 1 via the kiosk or by phone for existing members; she noted the dining room seats 80 and advised early sign-up so attendees can sit in the main room.
Volunteers and staffing were a major focus. Megan said the center will post for a new head clerk and must determine how to staff the Second Floor; she asked the community to consider volunteers for kitchen shifts and supervision upstairs, noting volunteers must be processed through the city and that Barbara coordinates callbacks. Calvin Anderson, speaking for the Friends of the Council on Aging, said the volunteers group is handling bookkeeping and fundraising tasks, has several officer vacancies and plans a fundraising appeal, and asked for in-kind donations such as stamps, paper and black toner to reduce expenses.
Board members raised concerns about the center's meal-service practice that calls people with wheelchairs, rollators or canes forward first. Some seniors said being called forward singled them out; one board member described instances where seniors felt labeled or were told by staff they were not disabled and should stand in line. Megan said calling people forward was intended to be ADA-compliant but that staff will not require it and will, upon request, bring food to a table or allow people to go up together with their table. She agreed to install a suggestion/complaint box so anonymous concerns can be submitted and announced to staff; she also said she would explore staff training resources on interacting with people with disabilities, including a possible resource from a Salem disability network.
A board member also said an elderly woman had been told she could not attend a July 3 event because she had not signed up; the member said, based on her understanding of the congregate meal-site grant, walk-ins seeking food should be served. Megan apologized and said she was not aware of that specific instance, that other walk-ins had been served, and asked that the individual contact her so she could apologize and clarify procedures.
The meeting closed after a procedural motion; the motion to adjourn was accepted at 10:51.
Quotes used in this article come from the meeting transcript: "October 15 is your date of substantial completion," Laura said about the Second Floor schedule; Megan summarized the center's mission and budget and described steps the center will take to address volunteer needs and service accommodations.
What comes next: Staff will post the head-clerk vacancy, continue processing volunteers through the city, pursue the ADA vehicle procurement, and follow up on the complaint and possible staff training. The board also agreed to convene a small subcommittee to update the Council on Aging bylaws and return a revised draft for a full-board vote.
