State Hears Seniors Concerns

By: Lydia Crawley

The Parsons Advocate

Representatives from the State of West Virginia toured the Senior Center in Parsons.  During the trip, the representatives from Charleston heard concerns from local seniors regarding funding and administration of the centers.  As well as many members of the Tucker County Senior community, four state representatives and Tucker County Commissioner Mike Rosenau were in attendance. Senator Randy Smith attended via phone.

From the State of West Virginia, Commissioner of Senior Service Denise Worthy, Region III Agency on Aging Director Ashley Anderson, Director of Title III Services Julie Craigo and Lynn Phillips from Governor Justice’s Office were in attendance.

Rosenau began the meeting by acknowledging the tensions and controversies that had necessitated the meeting.  “We have some guests at the Senior Center today,” Rosenau said.  “They’ve come from Charleston.  There’s been some controversy back and forth.  We don’t want this to get anything out of line.  We’re going to treat each other with respect and we are going to just voice our concerns.  What we would like to do is start a little conversation to maybe work some things out before it ever escalates into something worse.”

Rosenau addressed a misconception in the community that the County Commission has any control over the Senior Center and its board.  “The County Commission has no governing powers over the citizens at the board of directors table,” Rosenau said.  “But a lot of people in our county think the County Commission can solve everything.  So, we get the issues brought to us.  I want to bring a couple issues to the board today to see if it can help the relationship maybe throughout the whole county.”

Rosenau outlined some of the concerns he has been hearing as a Commissioner.  “A couple of the concerns I have are,” Rosenau said.  “One of them was, board of directors’ meetings.  The meetings not being so the public knows that you’re having a meeting.  I’m not criticizing, just trying to bring things to make it better.” 

Rosenau and the delegation discussed the Sunshine Laws of West Virginia as they pertained to open meetings.  “Anytime there are federal or state monies involved, it’s called the Sunshine Law,” Rosenau said.  “Some of the guidelines for federal funding is that the public has input to the meetings. |Well you can’t have input to the meetings unless you know when the meeting is.  What the Sunshine Law mandates is for us to post our meetings three days in advance – three working days, not counting weekends.   So, I think, to make a better understanding from the two centers and for all the seniors involved is that the seniors thought they had a say in what was going on.  So, at the beginning of each meeting, there’s a two-minute comment period.  So, if I have a concern…I can come to the board.  So, all I would ask of the board is that they make their meetings more public…It’s not them against us or us against them.  I hate that stuff when it comes to the county.  I hate the division.   I’ve worked against that the whole time.  We are one Tucker County.  We are all Tucker Countians….I’m not lecturing.  I’m just asking that the board make their meetings more accessible so if someone has a concern, they can bring it to the board because you’re the governing agency of the whole senior center.”

Anderson added to Rosenau’s comments, “So that doesn’t mean, however, that it’s a free-for-all, either,” Anderson said.  “A meeting that is open to the public, is not a public meeting, and those are two very different things.    So, it means that you are welcome to come and attend and there are policies and procedures that are how we are going to handle those comments.  It doesn’t mean that we are all going to show up to the meeting and everyone is just going to talk and we are going to be there for four hours.  Of course, we are going to have a policy that controls that.  What is important for the board to remember is that by making it more open, it doesn’t mean that it’s a free-for-all, that it is controlled, that it is a meeting that is open to the public.  Meaning, that you are welcome to come and join us and give your input, but it is not your meeting to control it.”  

Rosenau explained that while the county owns the building and maintains it, it is leased to the senior center.  “County Commission owns the building and leases it to the Senior Center for like a dollar per year or whatever.  With that being said, we maintain the maintenance of the building. So, if your lights go out or whatever, something fails, the County Commission comes in, fixes it free.  We keep the building in workable condition for the seniors.”

Some of the concerns addressed by the group included concerns that the board was staffed entirely with people from the Davis and Thomas areas.  “So that is something that definitely can be addressed in your by-laws,” Anderson said.  “There is a procedure for changing by-laws.  So, most of my counties, everyone is unique obviously.  Most of my counties are set up where they have a representative from each satellite site.   So, Preston County, for example, has eight satellite sites.  Their board is set up where they have a representative from each of the eight satellite sites.”    

There was also discussion about how board members are appointed and how many members the board can have.  The delegates and Rosenau informed the group that the board was self-appointing and the rules governing the appointment were in the by-laws.  It was revealed that there were still seats available for appointment, should the group wish.  Anderson did offer the full support of herself and her office to help the board and the group in general resolve any issues.

“I think that especially as you are new to this process and keeping yourself very connected to Ashley and Mike the Director here and bringing some structure to what’s going on and giving those opportunities for open exchange of information,” Worthy said, “I think could calm the waters down and any fears or anxieties or just plain frustration or anger that may come from just people not knowing. So I think the more information we can get out there, the more open we can be with one another about the operations, that can do nothing but good.”

Worthy also addressed the correspondences that had been received at the state level.  “I know that there has been some communications that have come to the Governor’s office,” Worthy said, “to Ashley’s office, to our office about just various concerns that really I think you really just put them all into the same bag together, they stem from just maybe that communication/information exchange structure just maybe not being as strong as it could be.”

The board did address the concerns raised at the meeting.  Board Member Melissa Brown from Davis addressed the group at the meeting about her experience with the board.  “My name is Melissa Brown.  I live in Davis,” Brown said.  “The first time I came as a member of the board to the Senior Center was to a luncheon and I sat over here…So, the first time I came to the senior center as a member of the board, I had just come on, I had just agreed to serve, was to a meeting here.  And what I was most impressed by was the feeling of comradery and friendship and the good food.  I have served for a little less than a year.  I have not participated in very much of the Senior Center things because I had been a Girl Scout Leader for over 20 years because nobody else was doing that.  So, I ended up doing it for over 20 years, although my Girl Scout had not been a Girl Scout for a while because they age out and then I became everyone else’s Girl Scout leader, including down here in Parsons and still help down here in Parsons, but I’m retired from that now, too.  So, I was volunteering elsewhere.   You know, you can’t do everything, everywhere.   Also volunteered, still volunteer, for the animal shelter…and volunteer a lot for my own church.   First things first…I came on because our Senior Center was in crisis.  I didn’t know why or how or what.  I was just asked to help.   I’ve been a management professional with State Parks in the State of West Virginia up until I retired.  I quit working at 70.  I’m 71.  I’m new to the board.  Who else is new to the board?”  

A show of hands by the board indicated that all, but one member was new to the entity.  “I’ll tell you what,” Brown said, “have you been on a board of directors?  And I have met this young lady here at one meeting and she came and said I’m here to help and I believed her.   I worked for the government. I felt myself as a steward of governmental money and resources and that’s what I did because the Bible tells me so in Genesis.  To be steward over God’s creation.  Ok, we understand each other.  So that’s where I work from.  I don’t know how many boards I’ve served on, but I’ve served on a lot of boards.  We are serving because we were asked to serve.  And I want to tell you what…I was told – was given wise advice from a lawyer who said, ‘Don’t make any changes when you first get there.  You’re first year there, don’t make any changes because you don’t know what needs to be done.  So, we have to learn first…We have to listen and learn.   So, the handbook had to go out.  Perfect suggestion, review it before it goes out again…It’s a great suggestion.  I’ve written it down…So, if you are willing to give us grace, we are here to serve.  I do not feel attacked by the people that have come here today to help.  I know where your hearts are.  You’re West Virginians…So that’s all I’m saying about that and that’s all I have to say about these two people, who are probably regretting they came on the board last month.” 

Worthy opened the meeting by addressing that this was the group’s first trip to Tucker County and that she enjoyed hearing what makes each center across the state different.  “Every senior center is so different,” Worthy said.  “Everyone in each county.  The seniors that come there, the services that are provided.  They are just so different.  So, I’m always interested in hearing what makes your senior center unique. What makes it special.”  

Rosenau said he appreciated all the services the senior center provides to the community.  “I want to say, I appreciate all of the services that we have here and it feeds a lot of people and I’m thankful for that,” Rosenau said.   “I’m thankful for the program we have that takes people to the doctor.”

Other programs the attendees mentioned were the choir that meets each Thursday and the quilting center.  Attendees also informed the delegation that many of the items in the center were purchased by the Quilting Ladies Program including ice makers, roasters, microwave, air conditioner, tables and chairs and curtains, among others Several attendees mentioned the need for fellowship and seeing friends as a main reason for their patronage, as well as the caring and dedicated staff of the center.

Rosenau elaborated on the dedication of the staff.  “I live here,” Rosenau said.  “I’ve lived here my whole life.  So, on a Sunday, I’ll see a worker that I know works at the Senior Center, at Shop and Save because their client has run out of milk.  They’re not getting paid for that.  They’re running over there just to do it on their own.  That’s the type people we have working here.  Caring, loving people.  It’s not just someone who, it’s their job.  If it was just their job, they money they make, they wouldn’t be doing it.  It’s the caring hearts that they have, that’s Tucker County.”

During the meeting, it was revealed that there was some confusion over the administration of grant money, especially in terms of how the funds could be used and spent on.  Both Rosenau and the state delegation addressed the issue by explaining to the group that grant funds come with a long list of stipulations that address the usage and spending of those funds.  The delegation also said that in order to keep receiving grant funds and avoid penalties, those guidelines must be adhered to.    Anderson said, “When you accept Title III funding, it comes with rules.  It’s great that the state and federal governments are so kind to give us money, but we got to play by their rules and sometimes we don’t like that.  So, there’s a long list of rules that we have to play by.  And so, some of the concerns that I’ve heard, I understand.  It’s just how it is.  I’m not federal government.  I’m not the person in charge of any of that and I’m not the person in charge of the state funding at that level.  Sometimes, I can say, ‘I hear you.  It’s a pain in the rear end, I get it,’ but we have to play by those rules.  If we want this money to participate in this program then we have to.  I always say it’s not our money, it’s the state and federal governments’ money.  We’re just stewards of that money and we’re making sure that its being used properly.    And if you don’t then, there’s way more scarier people than us and you have to deal with that.  So just keep in mind that when we are using money from the government, it comes with quite a long list of rules that we have to play by.  So not everything is the decision of somebody just being unkind.”