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Mayor’s Council and Public Health confirm one-year renewal of senior-center MOU and load six months of funding, mayors press for clearer terms
Summary
Department of Public Health and Social Services told mayors the senior-center MOU was renewed for one year beginning Dec. 1 and that $1,476,086.71 was authorized for the 2026 contract year (split into two payments, first six months already issued). Mayors pressed for clearer MOU language on program income, facility repairs, transportation and continuity of services.
The Mayor’s Council of Guam heard a detailed briefing from the Department of Public Health and Social Services on the senior-center operations program and the memorandum of understanding (MOU) that has governed mayoral operation of senior centers since 2012. The DPHSS representative told the council that a one-year renewal of the MOU began Dec. 1 and that funding for the program was loaded so the council could operate for the near term.
The presenter described the funding situation for the new contract period and the program’s deliverables. She said the 2026 allocation was $1,476,086.71, to be disbursed in two payments; the first six months’ payment had been issued earlier in the week and the agency was working on cash flow to issue the second payment. The presenter also summarized required deliverables: congregate meal service via the nutrition program, rec/recreation leaders to coordinate activities, referrals to adult protective services and elder-justice legal assistance, monthly narrative and financial reporting, and emergency dry-goods distribution for typhoons or other disasters. HSP Health Services of the Pacific was identified in the presentation as a contractor providing case management services.
Mayors used the session to press DPHSS on several program risks and operational needs. Questions and requests included: a clear written timeline for amendments to and review of the MOU; explicit wording in the MOU to reconcile an Office of Public Accountability opinion that “bingo is not program income” with MOU reporting language; confirmation that nutrition services are funded by both federal and local dollars (DPHSS said both sources are used, often with local money fronting until federal receipts arrive); transportation capacity and the need to address small-bus size and ramp accessibility; and a request that CDBG or other infrastructure funds be pursued for center repairs and ADA compliance.
Several mayors described the recent service 'pause' (when funding or contract clarity delayed operations) as a sensitive community issue and urged stronger continuity planning. DPHSS said it had worked the budget with the legislature, had increased the senior center operations budget relative to earlier cuts, and had added $300,000 for utilities to the work request after legal review and AG sign-off. Council members agreed to review the MOU text and return suggested revisions within a few weeks so a working meeting can be scheduled in December or January.
The presentation closed with DPHSS offering to send requested materials and to follow up on specific questions about food- and transportation-budget line items.
