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Senior advisory committee discusses fall barbecue, rotating ward events and survey to shape programming
Summary
The Senior Resident Advisory Committee discussed plans for a fall barbecue/harvest festival, rotating events through five wards, bringing activities to senior living facilities, creating a survey of topic preferences and requesting budget support. Final dates and locations were deferred to staff follow-up.
Members of the Senior Resident Advisory Committee discussed plans to broaden senior programming and make events more accessible to homebound residents. The committee considered a fall barbecue or harvest-festival theme with live music, themed activities and a mix of indoor/outdoor options; members also proposed rotating events through the city’s five wards and hosting some programs at senior living facilities to reduce transportation barriers.
Staff member said the group could "have some sort of barbecue or some sort of food," and that an outdoor park with an indoor backup—notably O'Day Park's lodge and amphitheater—would be attractive if weather required moving indoors. A committee member suggested square dancing or a "hoedown" theme, while another recommended carnival-style games or a casino-themed dress-up evening as social options.
Scott, a committee member identified in discussion, proposed rotating events across wards to reach seniors who cannot travel: "we have 5 different wards... let's bounce around between the different wards," he said, adding that some events could take place at senior living or nursing facilities so the committee could "take it to the people." He also said he had requested that "some funds be allocated in next year's budget" to support programming; the transcript did not specify an amount.
Staff reported that seminars moved from the Renaud Center to the senior center have seen attendance increase from roughly 5–10 people to "anywhere between, like, 15 and 30 people," crediting Ted at the Senior Learning Institute for organizing panel-style sessions. Staff said they would share Ted's requested 2027 dates and topics with the committee.
The committee agreed to defer firm decisions on dates and ward rotation to the next meeting so staff can contact facilities about availability and partnerships. Staff committed to drafting a short survey of topic preferences (one member offered a template the group could adapt) and to report back with potential locations, partner facilities and scheduling options. A member also gave a brief update on ongoing efforts to identify a homeless shelter site and reported outreach to St. Charles County officials; details and any funding implications were not specified.
The Chair closed the meeting and adjourned. The committee plans to revisit concrete dates, locations and any budget requests after staff follow-up and survey results are available.
