Fitchburg Commission on Aging Well - May 14, 2026

The Commission on Aging Well held an evening meeting on Thursday, May 14, 2026. No official agenda or minutes were available, so this summary is based entirely on the raw transcript. The meeting opened with approval of the previous meeting's minutes and a resolution on Senior Center wellness room fees. The bulk of the meeting was a wide-ranging discussion about the future of the merged Recreation and Community Services Department, followed by reports from the Friends of the Senior Center and staff updates on outreach, county funding, and upcoming events.

Consent Calendar

• The commission approved the previous meeting's minutes as read; no amendments were offered.

Senior Center Wellness Room Fee Resolution

• Staff said the proposed change would standardize wellness room rental rates by charging a flat fee consistent with the recreation fee schedule.
• Foot-care, massage, and earwax-care providers accepted the new fee. The acupuncturist said the fee was not supportable at his current participation volume and will stop offering services at the Senior Center after June 1, 2026; participants will be referred to his acupuncture offerings in Verona and Minona (as transcribed), where participation is higher.
• The Parks Board had already approved the fee change because community center fee structures fall under its ordinance. The commission voted to approve the resolution; the item will next go to the Finance Committee and then the Common Council for final approval.

Department Restructuring and Future Direction

• The recreation and community services director said the merger became official in December, the department is about six months into the restructure, and the commission's input is now needed on next steps.
• Topics tabled for future work included board makeup, branding, marketing, a combined newsletter, more shared/intergenerational events, and a long-term staff plan.
• On board representation, staff reported that the recreation and parks board is now just the parks board, leaving older adults as the only population directly represented on the Senior Center side. Staff also said the city had different opinions and leaned toward keeping one board. Members discussed whether there should be a recreation board, a recreation and community services board, or a combined board.
• Some members suggested the new department needs a mission statement and a policy-level group to guide it, with operational details handled separately. Others cautioned against making the Friends of the Senior Center an official city committee because it would eliminate their flexibility and 501(c)(3) status.
• Staff said parks and recreation are now separate: the parks manager reports to Public Works, while recreation/community services is under the new department umbrella. Parks has started taking over some recreation duties, such as community garden registrations.
• The new department name is Recreation and Community Services, and the word senior no longer appears in it. Some members said community services should be emphasized before recreation, or the department should adopt a more inclusive name such as a community engagement center; one member suggested adult as a possible keyword. Past surveys on removing senior from the Senior Center name were about half in favor and half opposed.
• Staff observed that registrations for active evening fitness classes include participants ages 35 to 75, showing natural overlap between recreation and senior programming. Members discussed programming by activity level rather than age, while preserving older adult services such as case management, meals, memory and caregiver support, and advocacy.
• Staff said a public rebrand should probably wait until city building projects, including the police facility, City Hall repurposing, and community center construction, are further along. Construction is planned to start next spring. Internal decisions on mission and operations, however, should move forward now.
• Staff said no positions are expected to be eliminated; possible changes include reorganization, cross-training, and more efficient shared administrative systems. Recreation currently has about 40 volunteer coaches per summer and has not increased its office staffing in 32 years.

Friends of the Senior Center Report

• The Friends reported that last month's pancake breakfast set a record with more than 660 participants. They thanked sponsors and volunteers, with special thanks to Mandy for coordinating volunteers.
• The Friends said they supported the Senior Center last month with more than $120 for various items and will fund gifts for seniors aged 90 and older at the May 15 Older Americans recognition lunch.
• They will also support plants and materials for outdoor landscaping around the Senior Center and announced their annual sale on Friday, August 21, with details to come.

Outreach, Budget, and Program Updates

• Staff said Fitchburg and the other 11 Dane County focal points are preparing a joint county funding request for case management and nutrition. They were told to expect possible cuts and not to ask for more money.
• This year they are documenting true program costs - salaries, benefits, taxes, space, electricity, and maintenance - to show the county the local contribution. Staff estimated that the city of Fitchburg contributes at least 85% of the cost of case management and nutrition.
• Staff explained that Dane County currently distributes about $1 million for these services through a formula using census data and factors such as diversity, age, food-share recipients, and rural/urban status. Staff also noted that a commission member is now a board supervisor and can be educated about case management and nutrition funding.
• Regarding Healthy Neighborhoods, staff said they met with the mayor about a possible pause on the city's 2027 grants. The mayor was open to the idea, and the HI committee responded positively. The grant program is about 10 years old, was only last year assigned a dedicated city staff person, and needs a deeper review of its criteria plus a sustainability plan.
• Staff said about 100 invitations were sent to residents over 90 for the Older Americans recognition lunch, with close to 40 expected on May 15. The event will include the Fitchburg Singers and a speech by the mayor.
• For June, the center will host a Juneteenth lunch-and-learn performance. On June 17 from 1 to 3 p.m., a free community program will feature an author discussing his book on Juneteenth, a poet, and a songstress who also serves on a Fitchburg housing commission. The city also plans a Juneteenth flag raising on June 15 at noon.
• The year-long diversity outreach effort at the Senior Center will have its wrap-up working meeting on May 27, 3-5 p.m.

Key Outcomes

• The commission approved the Senior Center wellness room fee resolution; it now moves to the Finance Committee and then the Common Council.
• No formal decisions were made on department restructuring, board makeup, or a name change.
• The commission agreed to keep discussing restructuring, with an immediate focus on developing a mission statement for the merged department. Staff will circulate the Senior Center's current mission statement with the draft minutes.