Wed, Dec 3, 2025·Napa, California·City Council

Napa Senior Advisory Commission Meeting Summary (2025-12-03)

Discussion Breakdown

Community Engagement56%
Parks and Recreation30%
Procedural8%
Mental Health Awareness2%
Public Safety2%
Technology and Innovation1%
Economic Development1%

Summary

Napa Senior Advisory Commission Meeting (2025-12-03)

The commission approved prior minutes, received a Community Action Napa Valley presentation on Meals on Wheels/food access and wellness checks, reviewed the annual Senior Service Providers (SSP) status at the Senior Center (with several groups lost post-COVID but remaining groups in compliance), heard Senior Center programming updates, and took brief updates on the Parks & Recreation community survey. A new commissioner introduced herself, and a county Commission on Aging representative invited closer coordination between city and county.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved meeting minutes (motion, second, and unanimous “aye” vote).

Discussion Items

  • Community Action Napa Valley (CANV) presentation (Lisa Rose Hernandez)

    • Project descriptions (services provided):
      • Meals on Wheels described as two-pronged: home-delivered meals (including wellness checks) and congregate dining at the Napa Senior Center (hot lunches Monday–Friday at 11:30).
      • Reported serving over 400 individuals for home-delivered meals on Monday/Wednesday/Friday across the county.
      • Food access network described as over eight pantries, nine free markets, six USDA sites, and the Silver Fox program (two senior food boxes per month with fresh items and nutrition education/recipes).
      • Reported over 12,000 meals per month served.
      • Eligibility stated for Meals on Wheels programming: at least 60 years old.
      • Intake/tracking described as an online application uploaded to a secure portal (“GetCare”) linked to the California Department on Aging; used for assessments, tracking meals, holds, and referrals.
      • Stated there is no waiting list and onboarding is attempted within 24 hours of the next delivery day.
    • Speaker positions:
      • Hernandez expressed eagerness to receive referrals and expand wellness support (including leveraging nursing community hours).
    • Related update (Senior Center staff):
      • Napa County HHSA mobile health van began visiting the Senior Center; described as scheduled the first Tuesday of the month, 9 a.m.–noon, to assist with wellness/service coordination.
  • Annual Senior Service Providers (SSP) report (Senior Center/Recreation staff)

    • Project descriptions (status and changes):
      • SSPs are approved groups renting space at a subsidized rate.
      • Reported SSP count declined from roughly ~40 pre-COVID to 16 current SSPs.
      • Five groups stopped meeting in the past 18 months: California Association of Machine Embroiderers (CAME), Boots and Bell Square Dancers, Mentis (funding loss), AARP driver safety (no Napa volunteer coordinator; prior coordinator passed away), and one additional group as listed in the report.
      • Noted continued robust participation among remaining groups (example referenced: bocce).
      • Reported no current SSP violations; past parking issues were stated as rectified.
      • Mental health programming gap from Mentis was partially offset: Puertas Abiertas gained funding and added an additional service day (adding Tuesday to an existing Wednesday schedule).
    • Key action requested:
      • Staff recommended continuing SSP status/rentals for the listed compliant groups.
  • Senior Center operations & programming update (Senior Center/Recreation staff)

    • Project descriptions (events and participation):
      • Dia de los Muertos community altar participation; creation/display of a large “Katrina” figure now exhibited at the Senior Center.
      • Reported ~65 attendees at a Halloween luncheon.
      • Reported ~120 seniors attended the Thanksgiving meal; meals were offered free of charge using a previously received $5,000 donation from the former “Table” program associated with the Presbyterian church.
      • Announced an upcoming holiday luncheon on December 16; staff requested volunteers.
      • Winter/spring scheduling underway (SSP renewals and class schedule).
      • Planned spring guest speakers/classes: fraud prevention (Napa PD), hands-only CPR (fire department), estate planning (North Bay Legal Services), victim services, fall prevention (“Stop Falls”/Share the Care), and a safe driving course (CHP), in lieu of AARP’s course.
    • Commissioner questions/positions:
      • A commissioner raised concern about Friday mahjong group dynamics and asked about an additional time slot; staff agreed to discuss adding an intermediate/alternate time, noting room availability.
      • A commissioner raised concerns about dairy- and gluten-free needs at luncheons; staff offered to discuss menus and suggested coordination with CANV’s nutrition resources.
  • Parks & Recreation survey update (Brianna)

    • Project descriptions (participation and next steps):
      • Controlled survey: 300 responses.
      • Community-wide survey closed end of November: 1,500+ responses (total referenced as about 1,800 including the controlled set).
      • Staff will return in the new year with summaries (controlled + community-wide) and results from the leadership alignment workshop to both commissions.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Mark Frankenstein, Chair, Napa County Commission on Aging
    • Position: Advocated for building an ongoing relationship/coordination between the city’s senior commission and the county Commission on Aging due to overlapping issues and constituencies.
    • Invited commissioners to attend county meetings (noted next meeting Jan 26 at 2:00 p.m., typically ~2 hours; generally includes a supervisor update, Q&A, and featured speakers).

Key Outcomes

  • Minutes approved by unanimous voice vote.
  • SSP continuation recommended and approved by the commission (unanimous approval indicated in discussion).
  • Next meeting announced: February 4.
  • Volunteer opportunity noted: Holiday luncheon support requested for December 16.
  • New commissioner introduction: Julie Seeger introduced herself and background; commission welcomed her.

Meeting Transcript

Do a row call. Liz. Marks. Tom. Deborah Stevens. Katie Holman. Present. Julie Seeger. Present. I'm here. And Tom. Do we have any review of the agenda? I don't think so. Do we have approval of the minutes? I need a. I'd make a motion to approve the minutes. And second. Second. Okay. Thank you. Okay, we have a presentation by Tom real quick. Or sorry, Jim. I apologize. We do need after the first and second, then we take a vote. Just for the record. That would be great. Yep. All in favor. Aye. Thank you. Yes. We have a presentation by Lisa Rose Hernandez from the program director of community action Napa Valley. Welcome. Hi. Thank you for having me here today. I um I'm happy to come in and do a program presentation for our Meals on Wills programming and for our food bank program since they both tie in together. If you guys don't know, Meals on Wheels is two-pronged programming. We have our home delivered meals program where we deliver meals to their home. We do a wellness check. We serve all of the county, and right now we are serving over 400 individuals on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. So we make sure that our clients have food at home and a wellness check. The second prong of our program is the congregate dining. We serve hot meals at the Napa Senior Center Monday through Friday. We serve promptly at 11 30. All is welcome. We also do nutrition education throughout four times throughout the year. We have a dietitian come out and talk about education and see how our food is. We have over eight pantries in Napa County. We have nine free markets and six USDA sites. We also have the Silver Fox program where we serve to our seniors two boxes throughout the month.