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Home My WebLink About12-18-2025 Senior Center CommissionCITY OF IOWA CITY UNESCO CrFY OF LITERATURE FURE Senior Center Commission Thursday, December 18, 2025 4 PM Iowa City Senior Center, Room 311 Agenda 1. Introductions/Welcome—J. Gilchrist 2. Minutes (November 20, 2025) 3. Public Discussion for items not on the agenda 4. Operational Overview—L. DeLoach ❖ Senior Center programming update ❖ Senior Center facility update S. Commission Discussion— J. Gilchrist •'• Senior Center master plan discussion •'• Election of chair, vice chair, and secretary ❖ Commissioner's report of community correspondence •'• Future agenda Items 6. Adjourn **Next meeting is Thursday, January 15, at 4 PM ** Meeting Packet Contents: 1. Agenda: Thursday, December 18, 2025 2. Minutes: Senior Center Commission, Thursday, November 20, 2025 If you will need disability related accommodations to participate in this program or event, please contact LaTasha DeLoach at latasha-deloach iowa-cit .or or 319-356-5225. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs. Preliminary Minutes November 20, 2025 MINUTES SENIOR CENTER COMMISSION November 20, 2025 Room 311, Iowa City Senior Center Members Present: Nancy Ostrognai, Jay Gilchrist, Kate Milster, Lee McKnight, Warren Paris, Betty Rosse Members Absent: Mary McCall Staff Present: LaTasha DeLoach, Kristin Kromray Others Present: John Stammer CALL TO ORDER: The meeting was called to order by Gilchrist at 4:00 PM. RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL: None. Motion: To accept the minutes from the October 23, 2025 meeting as amended. Motion carried on a 6/0 vote. Millster/McKnight PUBLIC DISCUSSION: John Stammer, who will be a new Senior Center Commission member starting in January, introduced himself. OPERATIONAL OVERVIEW: DeLoach reported staff is putting together a social connections calendar that will list all of the events for the upcoming year including events like Soul Trian, concerts, new member events, and member appreciations. It may be turned into a magnet. Black Future Fest is upcoming in the new year. Events include an open house at PS1 on January 31, Afrofuturistic short film festival at Film Scene on February 12, Octavia Butler book discussion at the Iowa City Public Library on February 14, and a fashion show, art opening and community mural unveiling on February 14 at the Senior Center. Preliminary Minutes November 20, 2025 Winter concerts for Voices of Experience, New Horizon's Band and Senior Standing Room Only are coming up. Ostrognai requests a separate list for concerts in the program guide. Gilchrist reviewed the information about the Grey Wave from last month's meeting. The Better Age survey is still ongoing, and Commissioners discussed various wants to get more people to take the survey. Milster asked if the Senior Center ever does presentations as churches. The Senior Center is willing to talk with any interested community group and have done so in the past. DeLoach is speaking with the Fire Department soon to discuss the various things the Senior Center has to offer. She is also working on a community connection card that fire fighters can use to connect members of the public that they interact with and connect with Senior Center staff. The exterior window and door projected is nearing completion. The project to address the digital controls for the HVAC system is beginning. It is expected to be completed by end of January. DeLoach noted there has been some preliminary discussion about landscaping around the Senior Center. She would like to bring some seniors into the discussion and noted she would like additional exterior seating. COMMISSION OVERVIEW: Milster asked if a water vending machine would be an option for the building. The Senior Center does provide cups for the water fountains. DeLoach noted a bid for the interior design will occur at the start of the new year. Ostrognai asked if the bids are just local or if it will go pushed out further. DeLoach would like it to go out farther and would like someone with expertise with creating senior center spaces and not just senior living facilities. The art policy has changed extensively, and Gilchrist noted it is more robust. DeLoach noted the new partnership between the Senior Center and the City's Public Art Advisory Committee, which is outlined in the new policy. Paris asked about limitations for artists showing past work. DeLoach stated that this ensures fresh work from artists who may have shown art at the Senior Center previously. Commissioners discussed minor changes in the other policies. Motion: To accept the the following polices: Art Exhibit Policy; Budget Revenue, and Expenses Policy; Insurance Coverage Policy; Membership Program. Motion carried on a vote of 6/0. McKnight/Milster Commissioners and DeLoch discussed the roles and duties of the Commission. DeLoach noted that Commissioners are asked to go to public comment at a City N Preliminary Minutes November 20, 2025 Council meeting twice a year and to assist with a presentation to the Johnson County Board of Supervisors once a year. DeLoach asked commissioners about the potential of doing a subcommittee to discuss new program ideas. She also noted that it is the role of commissioners to come to Senior Center events and encourage others to get to know the Senior Center by word of mouth. Gilchrist and Paris' commission terms end this year, and they will form a nominating committee for the executive seats on the commission. Officers will be voted on at the December meeting. Gilchrist stated he will not reapply for the Senir Center Commission but will continue to volunteer as an ambassador. Meeting Adjourned. Preliminary Minutes November 20, 2025 Senior Center Commission Attendance Record Term 12/19/ 1/16/25 2/20/25 3/20/25 4/17/25 5/15/25 6/19/25 7/17/25 8/21/25 9/18/25 10/23/2 11/20/2 Name Expires 24 5 5 Betty 12/31/26 O/E X X NM O/E X NM X X X X X Rosse Jay 12/31/25 X X X NM X X NM X X X O/E X Gilchrist Mary 12/31/27 -- X O/E NM X O/E NM O/E X X O/E O/E McCall Angela 12/31/24 X -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- McConville Lee 12/31/27 O/E O/E X NM X X NM X X X X X McKnight Kathryn 12/31/27 -- X X NM X X NM X X X X X Milster Nancy 12/31/26 X X X NM X X NM X X X X X Ostrognai Ross 12/31/24 O -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Taylor Warren 12/31/25 X O/E X NM X X NM X X X X X Paris Key: X =Present 0 =Absent O/E =Absent/Excused NM =No meeting -- = Not a member