PHOTO: The Silver Foxes Den senior center in the Ross Aragon Community Center, Pagosa Springs. November 2022.
I imagine that the news that Archuleta Seniors Inc. (ASI), a long-time tenant at the Ross Aragon Community Center, was facing a $125,000 budget shortfall next year and could potentially close its doors, may have come as a surprise to the Pagosa Springs Town Council members at their November 1 meeting.
The total amount of the shortfall definitely came as a surprise to me, sitting in the audience on Tuesday evening, even though recent ‘Senior Center News’ submissions to the Daily Post had mentioned financial problems, and had also mentioned a request for help made to the Archuleta Board of County Commissioners.
As the discussion unfolded on Tuesday evening, it became apparent that the budget shortfall were related to similar financial problems at the San Juan Basin Area Agency on Aging (SJBAAA).
Here is SJBAAA Executive Director Christina Knoell, explaining the background situation. Ms. Knoell had been asked by Rose Chavez, ASI’s new executive director, to share information with the Council.
Ms. Knoell:
“The Area Agency on Aging serves five counties, and Archuleta County is one of them. We were blessed with a lot of COVID money. Family First funds, American Rescue funds, and CARES Act funding.
“As you know — we’ve all experienced COVID — and it hit older adults the hardest. We saw deaths, we saw confusion, and isolation.
“So we spent all of that money, except for some of the American Rescue money, which we’ve allocated to a special project. But we’re seeing people is crisis, we’re seeing more people come to our offices, more than ever before. I’ve been doing this job for 14 years, and this is has been a very difficult time for us, emotionally and physically. It’s taken a toll, and I’m not overstating that.
“And with the stimulus money running out, I have 14 [contracting organizations] left, wondering how they’re going to make it through the end of the fiscal year. And Archuleta Seniors Inc. is no different…”
Ms. Knoell turned to Rose Chavez, sitting beside her at the presenters’ table.
“According to my calculations, the way you’re spending down your current grant, you’re going to run out of money, maybe in January, maybe even in December.
Ms. Knoell turned back to the Council. “And then I’m going to recommend that she breaks my contract, because my contract is debilitating for a non-profit business — in the sense that, under my contract policy rules, she has to has to ask for a suggested donation [when providing meals to seniors.]”
As mentioned in Part One, SJBAAA is funded mainly through a federal program created by the Johnson administration back in the 1960s. That program requires that senior meals be provided on a donation-only basis. Due to their contract with SJBAAA, Archuleta Seniors Inc. cannot currently require its customers to pay for the meals they receive.
Ms. Knoell continued.
“[ASI] has high, high costs. I look at their financial statements every month, and I have a very intimate understanding of their financial picture. Rose is new to her position; she’s just learning it. So I want to support her, and let you know that what you’re going to hear from her is no joke. It’s very serious.
“And I would even go so far as to say, they are going have to look closely at how they are doing business in this county, without support…
“I can’t help her. I usually get ‘carry-over’ in January of every year. I have no carry-over. None. I usually get about $100,000 worth of carry-over. This year I have zero dollars for service providers…”
Rose Chavez explained ASI’s situation in more detail.
“We did go to the County and ask for $75,000, and basically we shared with them that, either we get this funding or our doors are going to close in December, and we will no longer be able to provide these services. We’re also dealing with increased food costs, and staffing costs, and of course the lingering effects of COVID-19.”
Ms. Chavez then shared a series of Power Point slides. The request, to the Council, had essentially two parts.
1. Funding for some new kitchen equipment, to the tune of about $11,000, for new and replacement kitchen equipment. As I understood the request, the kitchen equipment would give ASI the ability to bring in additional revenue, by providing private catering services in the community.
2. A 25% discount on the rent ASI pays to the Town government for the use of the northwest wing of the Ross Aragon Community Center.
ASI has received regular annual donations from the Town government, although those subsidies — as a percentage of the total
ASI budget — have apparently decreased in recent years.
“So, what is the Town getting from out of this? Meeting our request for rent and kitchen equipment, this amount — along with additional funding next spring — will allow us to continue providing our signature services, including congregant meals, Meals-on-Wheels, medical monitoring and caregiver support…
Ms. Chavez noted that ASI prepares about 200 meals per day, with about half of the meals served to seniors, and the other half to the children in the local Headstart program.
In explaining the request for a rent reduction, Ms. Chavez noted that ASI is one of only two senior centers, in southwest Colorado, that pays rent for its facilities.
“Most other senior centers, the Town and County pay for the staff and subsidize the rent for the building they use…
“We need additional Town support to continue providing services at an acceptable level.”
According to Archuleta County documents, Ms. Chavez explained, the number of seniors living in our community is expected to double, from about 2,000 households in 2015 to about 4,000 in 2035.
“So we are really trying to reach capacity, and service a growing need here in Archuleta County…”