COEUR d'ALENE - Comments were civil but persistent at a meeting before the Lake City Center board on Tuesday evening, where roughly 70 seniors gathered to share their hopes for limited changes to their senior center.

That's all well and good, acknowledged board member Dick Panabaker.

But he delivered a frank and sobering message that regardless of the public's feelings, more changes are absolutely in store.

"We need to do things differently than in the past, because the past is breaking us," Panabaker said, speaking in the center's freshly repainted main hall. "If we don't do differently than in the past, a year from now this place will be boarded up."

The board members welcomed criticisms and suggestions about the center's beginning metamorphosis, which has included infrastructure changes aimed at recruiting more active senior members and younger interests to rent the facility.

The center needs to spur memberships and rentals, Panabaker said repeatedly, to cover basic operation costs that have continued to rise as revenue drops.

"We're not kidding when we say from month to month, we're sliding backward," he said. "We've got a limited amount in the bank, but when that runs out, we're dead."

Folks were eager to spill their thoughts.

A few derided the board's decision to expand focus beyond the seniors, in particular, ditching the word "senior" from the facility's main title.

"I don't think any young people should be ashamed of this being a senior center," said Marge Degitz. "Why is senior a bad name?"

But board member Kent Setty said many who would enjoy the center's activities are deterred by the word.

"My wife is 69 years old. By all definition, she's a senior," Setty said. "But she doesn't like going to the senior center because she says, 'I'm not old enough.'"

The stigma of "senior" has driven away potential renters, Panabaker said, particularly couples planning weddings and receptions.

"We've lost weddings because these young gals don't want to be thrown into the same class as seniors. They have heartburn over that," he said.

Other seniors objected to adding a computer room in the facility, which would require cutting space in the pool room or a meeting room, or closing the office rented to the Rambling Rovers senior travel group since the building first opened its doors.

"Being able to use the office and its resources has been a blessing," said Lenora Jurvelin with Rambling Rovers, adding that many group members use the rest of the facility, too.

The center board members pointed out that bringing in computers is intended to lure more facility users, and with that, more revenue to keep the lights on.

"If you come up with some ideas, we'd like to hear from you," Panabaker said.

Opinions abounded. Ask the city for support, some said, or the county, or Duane Hagadone, or the younger generations who have benefited from seniors' taxes. Turn the air conditioning down.

Weldon Powell suggested lowering the rental rates to stay competitive.

The center needs to drop employees or salaries, said center volunteer Wade Toombs.

"Someone has to lose benefits or wages or be replaced by someone who is a volunteer," he said.

The board members will consider all these ideas, they said, as well as others dropped off at the center's front desk.

But decisions must be made in the next few months, Panabaker insisted. He reminded that while the center receives county support for its Meals on Wheels program, no government entity provides dollars to keep the facility humming.

One idea had a glimmer of potential.

Events Coordinator Jessica Logan mentioned she had received a suggestion to charge a center membership fee.

"I'm wondering, how many of you would pay a membership fee?" she asked.

Nearly everyone raised their hands.

Panabaker said the board would surely discuss it.

"At this point, we're considering anything," he said.