Ad hoc senior services committee to be created

By Grace Lovins

Birmingham city commissioners voted to move the process for establishing an ad hoc senior services committee to a formal meeting agenda on Monday, April 3 in the next step of establishing further assistance and services for seniors in the community.

The committee will undertake a survey of Birmingham residents related to senior needs, explained mayor Therese Longe, review work done by previous boards, a look at Oakland County’s offerings for seniors to decide which elements are relevant to the city, and will analyze current demands, trends and demographics.

According to Longe, this committee will help the municipality conduct matters that are potentially beyond the scope of NEXT – the city’s current model of providing senior services – to gather information that the city can offer on its websites and identify where they can work more efficiently with the nonprofit.

City manager Tom Markus, noting that the city’s current NEXT model has been a good financial model for the city, urged that the director of NEXT, Cris Braun, be involved in the committee in some way, given her knowledge and understanding of the demographic.

Similar to the city’s recent development of an ad hoc environmental sustainability board, the senior services committee with be made up of a number of residents with appropriate, applicable experience to be outlined by city staff. Members of the committee will be Birmingham residents.

Commissioners voted 7-0 to bring the development of an ad hoc committee to a formal agenda item at a future meeting.