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Calera to restructure senior‑center staff and add phone‑based ride‑request system
Summary
Council approved new senior‑center positions (recreation coordinator; operations supervisor) and endorsed a phone‑based ride‑request app to schedule next‑day transport, with staff assuring current employees would not lose jobs and pay adjustments to align with a recent pay study.
The council voted to restructure staffing at the city’s senior center and authorized implementation of a phone‑based ride‑request system intended to increase access to the center. Parks director Drew (speaker 13) explained the proposal includes a recreation coordinator to run day‑to‑day activities and a supervisor of operations to oversee grants, paperwork and center administration.
Drew emphasized the changes are not layoffs: "If you're an employee currently at the senior center, you're not losing your job. This restructure actually helps out because it puts it in a different pay range and actually benefits employees in the senior center better," he said. The restructure is tied to the pay study results earlier in the meeting showing the city is competitive on pay and plans to address a small number of positions in the 2026–27 budget.
Drew also described a phone‑based ride scheduling service to automatically add seniors to next‑day routes and notify riders when the bus is en route; the system accommodates mobility needs and allows riders to cancel. Councilmembers asked for assurances about job security and implementation logistics; staff confirmed the system will require initial manual setup of participant addresses but will be largely automated thereafter. The motion to approve the staffing restructure passed by roll call.
