St. Charles wants input from seniors to revive dormant commission
As an alderman, it's not unusual for Rita Payleitner to get calls from the senior citizen residents of St. Charles. Finding answers to the problems with housing, taxes, roads and trees isn't always as easy as she'd like it to be. But a new initiative might make it a little easier.
Payleitner brought the idea of reviving the city's dormant senior services commission to Mayor Ray Rogina.
"I met with the mayor and shared my concerns about the increasing elderly St. Charles population who have remained in town, aging in place, for a variety of reasons including proximity to family, houses that are now paid for, long-standing friendships, doctors, church homes - basically because of community familiarity, because St. Charles is their home," Payleitner said.
Rogina agreed there is always value to city residents taking active roles in their community and the services it provides to them.
"The overlying theme here is senior issues and actions the citizens can take to make life better in the area of senior issues," Rogina said. "There should be a balance between the 20-somethings and everyone else. They all need to have a voice."
This week, with the preliminary blessing of the rest of the city council, the commission began the process of coming back online after 10 years.
The commission, first created by former Mayor Sue Klinkhamer, was tasked with finding ways to make city services address the needs of the seniors community. The commission disbanded after completing some of the initial tasks and running into roadblocks with funding some of the other ideas it generated.
The commission, which may soon be in search of members, will likely see senior housing needs become an issue to address. Senior housing has become a hot topic in recent months as aldermen have debated the need for affordable housing overall and a senior housing component to the residential/retail development approved for the old St. Charles Mall site.
City officials recently learned Shodeen, the developer of the old mall property, were unsuccessful in securing the state housing credits it needs to make the senior housing viable. It can reapply for the funding next year.
Payleitner is also a member of the city's housing commission and one of the most vocal aldermen when it comes to affordable housing. Rogina said senior housing isn't the sole reason to revive the commission, but he wants the commission to provide feedback and data about senior housing needs. He also believes the commission can be a link between seniors and the business community.
An ad hoc group will first explore any need to update the portion of the city code that created the original senior services commission. Payleitner and Rogina expect the new version of the commission will be operational later this year.