Senior center idea puts Key West in competition with county

BY PRU SOWERS

KONK LIFE STAFF WRITER

A turf battle over services to Key West senior citizens is shaping up as a result of action taken by city commissioners recently.

A resolution brought forward by Commissioner Sam Kaufman that would explore turning the empty former school gym behind the new City Hall into a senior citizens’ center passed by a 6-1 vote. City staff will now consider the possibility of constructing a senior center in the building, what it would cost and where the money would come from.

But the proposal drew an objection from Sheryl Graham, Senior Director of Social Services for Monroe County. The county currently provides a senior meals and activities program out of the Harvey Government Building in Key West. Although the program will be moving into a temporary new home while renovation is done on the White Street building, Graham said the program will remain operational.

“I think we’ve kind of got it covered,” she said about providing senior services in Key West. “It’s not perfect but it’s temporary until the Harvey gets rebuilt.”
However, Commissioner Clayton Lopez then asked Graham if opening a senior center in the former gym building would duplicate at least part of the county’s program. Her answer was emphatic.

“Yes,” she said. “I don’t want to duplicate services. We are limited with our funding, for one thing. We really need to be cognoscente that taxpayers are already contributing to this service.”

Kaufman argued that the county food program needs to be improved and that city officials should not worry about stepping on the county’s toes.

“I don’t want to get territorial about this. We shouldn’t be afraid to talk about it,” he said. “It would be a mistake to our grandparents and parents. We should have the option to have that discussion with the county.”

Despite the vote in favor of the resolution, any effort to move ahead on repurposing the building for meal and activities programs for seniors would likely run into a roadblock. While all the commissioners except Margaret Romero were in favor of having city staff explore the option, several were concerned that Kaufman’s proposal would create another city department, including hiring people to staff it. Commissioner Jimmy Weekley said the move might also put the city and county in competition for grant funding.

Commissioner Richard Payne said the city shouldn’t rush into “things that are going to cost us money.”

“It’s an additional matter or burden for us to do when it’s already being carried by the county,” he said.

“If [the county program] isn’t living up to the standards that we think they should be… then we help them improve them rather than us having a facility for [seniors],” said Mayor Craig Cates, adding, “I think it would be better to work together.”

Commissioner Romero was the only dissenting vote against the resolution, arguing that city departments located in the back portion of the new City Hall are already cramped and might move into the back gym at some point. She pointed out that the county program only serves approximately 40 meals a day to Key West residents.

“They [county] have it funded. They’ve got agreements in place. It seems they have it under control,” Romero said.

The back building is comprised of two structures, one the former elementary school gym and an adjoining structure that was used as a locker room. The nonprofit organization Star of the Sea Outreach (SOS) has already proposed to relocate its community kitchen to the locker room for a 10-year, $1 a year lease. SOS prepares fresh meals for children and senior citizens and delivers them to 15 sites in the Lower Keys. Key West organizations participating in the SOS program include the Key West Boys & Girls Club and seniors at Bayshore Manor.

SOS was using the gym at St. Mary’s Basilica as its kitchen but the structure has been demolished. Currently, SOS prepares its meals at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church but is looking for a permanent home.

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