Highland City Council approves new facility for seniors

Seniors in Highland will have a new place to gather in a few months, as the city council has approved leasing a new building for the Highland Senior Center.

Center president Elmer Emig told the city council the proposal to lease 185-187 Woodcrest Drive from Frey Properties of Highland LLC was “a perfect solution” to the space and timing issues the senior citizens have faced in their current location.

“We need it desperately,” Emig said. “Everyone has forgotten the seniors, even some of the family members have forgotten. They deserve better than that.”

The current location is not handicapped-accessible and some members have fallen trying to get into the building, Emig said. Others are homebound, and he is hopeful with the new facility, they can secure a van to help the homebound come to the activities.

“And the seniors might finally have a place to call their home, a place to come for entertainment, to get out of their homes eight hours a day, to communicate with each other, enjoy different games and other things that will be provided,” Emig said.

There are currently 100 members of the Highland Senior Center, about 60 of whom are able to attend regularly. Emig said he believes they could increase to 200 or more.

“There are 3,000 seniors in Highland,” he said. “Some of them don’t want to be seniors — they say they’re not old enough — but once they see what we’ve got, they’re in.”

The new center will be leased by the city and half of it sub-leased to another company. The other half will be open for longer hours. The 10-year lease begins with a $138,000 down payment and $30,000 per year for the rest of the lease.

Councilman John Hipskind objected, stating he thinks it’s too much money for a rental and suggested the seniors use the Korte Rec Center for their activities.

“I’m not against the senior center, I just think we could do a better job for you,” Hipskind said.

But Emig said using the rec center wasn’t practical, as they would have to vacate the area by the time children get out of school.

Mayor Joe Michaelis said he has been “embarrassed” in the past there was no dedicated senior center in Highland, when he has seen such centers in nearby Grantfork, population 500, and New Douglas, population 250.

“We offer a great number of activities for young people, but not as much for seniors,” Michaelis said. “They’re the ones who built this community.”

Councilwoman Peggy Bellm said she thought the lease was “a good compromise.” She said she was reluctant to buy or build a new building for the senior center the city would have to maintain, but with the lease, the maintenance of the building is the landlord’s responsibility, and the structure will remain on the property tax rolls since the city does not own it.

The measure required a two-thirds majority or four votes. Bellm and councilmen Sarah Sloan and Rick Frey voted yes, but Hipskind abstained, which left the deciding vote with Michaelis, who voted yes.

Emig said he was “excited” about the new facility and its possibilities, and hoped to be operating in the new location in two or three months.