Flint City to Revamp Hasselbring Senior Center Operations
In a significant shift for the senior community in Flint, Michigan, city officials have announced that the City of Flint will assume responsibility for the Hasselbring Senior Center’s maintenance and services starting January. This decision follows the Flint City Council’s inability to extend the lease with the center’s current vendor, leaving the city to step in.
Ed Taylor, Chief of Staff for the City of Flint, expressed optimism about the transition, stating, “This change will allow us to put all of the senior millage funding toward services for seniors. Our seniors are an important part of our community, and we are going to make sure this is a positive change that will result in an enhanced level of services for seniors including more field trips, personalized events, and activities they can enjoy and benefit from in a safe space.”
The lease agreement with the existing vendor has come to an end, and the City Council has yet to approve a new operational contract. During a recent council meeting, members chose to delay any decision on the matter indefinitely.
Longtime Hasselbring visitor, Johnnie Billings, who has frequented the center for more than three decades, views the city’s takeover as beneficial. “We need more activities for the seniors,” Billings remarked. “We need to be able to go on more field trips like we used to. Instead of spending over 60 percent of the money for the center on salaries, we could go on more field trips and get better programs. I’d like to see more programs to help seniors become more technologically inclined.”
With this new structure, the city aims to manage daily operations at Hasselbring and expand the range of activities and services available to seniors in the area. Importantly, the center will remain open, ensuring no disruption to current services.
In the coming months, Mayor Neeley plans to collaborate with Hasselbring’s senior patrons to gather feedback on desired services, which will be integrated into a refreshed program of activities and events at the center.
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