City provides additional $5,000

MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake Senior Opportunity & Services requested $5,000 in additional funding for the senior center due to increasing bills and decreasing thrift store sales Tuesday.

The city provides $10,000 per year from the general fund to the senior center, according to a contract between the two entities. Council approved the additional funding with a 4-1 vote during the regular council session.

Senior Center Board President Elwood Dart requested the additional money due to increasing utility bills, increasing insurance costs and increasing minimum wages for employees. A funding agent to the center, Aging and Adult Care, is running out of funds, Dart said.

"The main source of income for the senior center comes from the thrift store," he noted. "The store inventory is up but the sales inventory for the first five months is down by $6,000.

He said during January and February there were basically no sales due to cold weather.

"That cut into us pretty hard," he said. "We have been unable to recover."

The senior center serves meals and activities for various cities within Grant County. In the past they extended their services to Davenport and Odessa.

The services are now limited to Moses Lake, Warden and Mattawa and county residents.

Councilmember Bill Ecret asked if the center requested funding from the county and other cities they serve.

Dart said no. He said the center may consider charging for the meals in lieu of a donation.

Councilmember James Liebrecht made a motion to grant the funds.

Councilmember Brent Reese seconded the motion.

Councilmember Richard Pearce said he opposed the motion.

Senior citizens are the richest demographic and the center should be able to support itself, he said.

Pearce said the request is 50 percent more than the contracted funding. He is unimpressed with how the funds are spent on certain activities. The center should limit their services to Moses Lake because Moses Lake funds the program, he added.

Pearce said the senior center is the only program of its kind funded by the city. The city does not fund other programs including the Boys & Girls Club, boy scouts and 4-H clubs.

In the past the contract began because activities for senior citizens was limited. It is not the case anymore, he said.

Ecret requested the center provide financial reports to the council on a regular basis if approved.

With a 4-1 vote, council approved the funding request.

Pearce voted against the motion.

Councilmember Jon Lane was absent from the meeting.