Council hears Age‑Friendly Action Plan for seniors, staff to bring priorities into budget process

The City Council received a presentation Feb. 18 from the Center for Age Friendly Excellence (CAFE) on a draft Age‑Friendly Action Plan intended to guide East Palo Alto’s work for older residents from 2025 through 2028.

Community Services Manager Maurice Baker introduced consultants Anne O’Brien and Cynthia Nakayama, who described an outreach process that included three focus groups, town halls and an AARP survey (33 complete responses counted under AARP rules). The plan covers eight domains — outdoor spaces and buildings; transportation; housing; social participation; communication and information; respect and social inclusion; civic participation and employment; and community and health services — with an additional domain added for emergency services. O’Brien said the action plan is a “road map” for projects the city can prioritize over a three‑year cycle and that staff will submit items to the strategic priorities and budget hearings for FY25–26.

Council members thanked staff and CAFE for the work and asked about the implementation timeline. Maurice Baker said staff will bring recommended items to the strategic planning and budget process and provide quarterly updates to council on progress. Public commenters and council members also urged better outreach to older Black residents and improvements to senior programming.