Napa Senior Advisory Commission Meeting - April 1, 2026
Napa Senior Advisory Commission Meeting - April 1, 2026
The Napa Senior Advisory Commission (SAC) met on April 1, 2026, at 10:00 AM. The meeting included presentations from the Napa Bocce Association and Puertas Abiertas, an update on Parks and Recreation capital projects, a survey of senior center programs, and reports from commissioners. Key topics included bocce court surface conditions, Latino community programs, playground and facility improvements, and financial barriers to participation.
Consent Calendar
- Minutes of February 4, 2026: Approved with one abstention. Commissioner Michael O’Connell noted he was not present at the December 2025 meeting and therefore abstained from approving those minutes. The minutes were otherwise approved.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comments were made during the designated period.
Discussion Items
- Napa Bocce Association Presentation – Glenn Matella (Board Member and Past President):
- The association is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit formed in 2001, celebrating its 25th anniversary on March 10, 2026. The bocce courts at the senior center were built in 2005 with a $10,000 contribution from the association. The league originally had 18 teams, peaked at 51 teams, and currently has 43 teams with 381 members (90% over age 50). The fee is $200 per team ($1.50 per game per person). The association’s biggest expenses are insurance and rent. The primary concern is the cracked and bumpy court surface; the association will meet with the Parks and Recreation Commission on April 15, 2026, to discuss replacement. A commissioner asked about a fixed night league; Matella noted that rotating schedules have been considered but not implemented due to varying preferences.
- Puertas Abiertas Presentation – Aurora Guillén (Program Coordinator):
- Puertas Abiertas offers two programs at the senior center: an art class on Wednesdays from 2-4 PM (30-40 attendees) and a mental health support group, La Cultura Cura, on Tuesdays from 2-4 PM (20-30 attendees). The organization also provides bilingual services, citizenship legal services (through Napa Valley Together), and know-your-rights presentations. Funding is primarily private; they do not rely on federal grants. The recent move to 305 South School Avenue has increased service usage by 30%. A commissioner asked about the cost of immigration legal services; Guillén noted that private attorneys charge $10,000-$12,000, but the Immigration Institute of the Bay Area offers a sliding scale. She also relayed that some seniors hope scholarships for physical classes can be reinstated.
- Parks and Recreation Capital Projects Update – Allie Koenig (Parks Planning Manager):
- Recent 2025 projects included ADA improvements at Alston Park, a new restroom at Alston Park, and a park restroom at the same location. Active projects: Fuller Park playground replacement (reopening in May 2026), Las Flores Community Center renovation (completion in December 2026), shade structures at Fuller Park, Esther Dever, Springwood, and Playground Fantastico (by end of 2026), and playground replacements at Esther Dever, Monarch, and Solomon Parks (design phase). Restroom design is underway for Fuller Park, Sentry Oaks, and Westwood Hills. A splash pad feasibility study is being conducted at Kennedy Park, O'Brien Park, and Las Flores Community Center (6-month study, no funding identified yet). A commissioner asked about the bocce court surface; Koenig confirmed it will be discussed at the April 15 meeting. Seating and picnic tables are being added at Monarch Park. The crosswalk near the bocce courts is being repaired by the contractor.
- Senior Center Program Survey Results – Linda Button (Program Manager):
- Nearly 200 responses were received, with an overall satisfaction rating of 4.7 out of 5. 97% of respondents felt welcome and comfortable; 84% enjoyed socializing; 92% said programs support a healthy lifestyle. Challenges: 24% cited financial hurdles, 13% unaware of offerings, 9% transportation, 6% registration barriers, 5% language. 97% said expectations were met. Preferred communication: email (70%), e-newsletter (42%), online catalog (30%). Demographics: 78% white, 12% Latino, 4% Asian, 1% Black. Desired programs: pottery, bingo, knitting, drawing, Zumba, trips, book clubs, cooking, swimming, table tennis, Spanish, tech assistance, monthly breakfasts. Staff praised for friendliness. Ideas for improvement: warmer space, reduced costs, better signage, inclusivity for younger seniors. Linda noted that a new sign for the senior center is forthcoming.
- Senior Center Program Updates – Jim (Commissioner/Senior Center Staff):
- Karen Vega, the Latino program manager, has transitioned to an administrative role in the recreation department. A replacement is being sought. Summer registration opens April 7, 2026. Upcoming events: Hands-Only CPR (April 16), HICAP Medicare fraud talk (April 21), Detective Olsen on fraud/scams (May). The SAFE conference is scheduled for June 23, 2026. Luncheons remain popular (75 attendees each). GetFit attendance increased 19%, Tai Chi 12%.
- Commissioner Report – Michael O’Connell:
- Attended the Napa County Commission on Aging meetings on February 23 and March 26, 2026. Key topics: broadband and digital equity for older adults (free Wi-Fi and classes at library and adult education), financial safety (check fraud common, SAFE program), B Well Mobile Van offering behavioral health services, and funding allocations ($1,500 for SAFE conference and Share the Care). QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) suicide prevention training was provided; older adults (65+) account for 22% of suicides despite being 16% of the population. The B Well Van visits the senior center on the second Tuesday of each month, 9:00-11:30 AM.
Key Outcomes
- Minutes approved with one abstention (Michael O’Connell).
- Next meeting: Scheduled for June 3, 2026.
- The bocce court surface issue will be discussed with Parks and Recreation on April 15, 2026.
- The splash pad feasibility study will take 6-12 months; no funding currently allocated.
- The senior center will continue to seek a new Latino program manager and will explore adding requested programs (e.g., ping pong, Spanish classes, monthly breakfasts).
- The SAFE conference and Share the Care will receive funding from the Commission on Aging.
- Parks and Recreation projects are on track: Fuller Park playground opening in May, Las Flores Community Center renovation by December 2026.
Meeting Transcript
Okay. Okay. Okay, now we'll do the row call. Liz Marks absent. Deborah Stevens. Katie Holman. President. Julie Seeger. Here. Michael O'Connell. Present. Tom Wolf. Do we have any uh supplemental reports to report? No. I don't think any. Any public comment? No. No. Okay. That's good. It's worth a try. Need approval for the uh minutes of February the fourth. I move we approve. I have I have one change. It says that I approve the minutes, and because I was not present at the December meeting, I need to abstain because I can't approve minutes when I wasn't present. So it just needs to indicate that I have abstained. Thank you. Do we have another second? Okay. Our first presentation will be from uh Glenn Matella. He's the uh a board member and past president of Napace Association. I don't think so. No. Can you hear me now? Yes. Yes. Past president before Jim, Jim's predecessor. Um talk a little bit about the information about the bocce association itself and some of the history of uh the the creation and uh the establishment in the courts at the senior center. Um I passed out uh the handout that has the existing board of directors on it. I'd like to call out two names off that list. One is the board bocce board president Jim Holland, all around swell guy, and Marilyn Bettcher, who's our current uh treasurer and was the current was the treasurer treasurer when it was created twenty-five years ago. So she's the sole remaining member of the original board. The board uh Napa Bocchi Association was formed as a five oh one C4, which basically is a uh welfare uh nonprofit for uh social welfare nonprofit. Um it was created in two thousand one, about this time. Our twenty-fifth anniversary is officially uh ten days, March tenth. Um I was uh I was employed by the City of Naples Park Park and Recreation, so I met the uh the original board of members, board members in early two thousands. So I met the uh the original board of members, board members in early 2000s, and I was uh designated as the guide for the bocce tour when the association approached uh the city to look for possible locations for to build bocce courts. We looked at five locations, uh O'Brien Park and uh Century Oaks Park, which were community designated parks, were uh scrapped right away because of there's no parking there and there's existing neighborhood issues about building something like a bocce courts inside the an existing facility. We looked at uh Fuller Park as a potential site. It also had issues on both sides from the association as well as the city.
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