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Boro senior centers cheer closing plan’s death


By Anna Gustafson
Friday, December 26, 2008 1:29 PM EST
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Queens senior center advocates praised the city Department for the Aging’s decision to withdraw its proposal to reorganize senior centers and services last week. Hundreds of seniors throughout the city had railed against the plans, saying they would reduce the city’s 300 senior centers by as many as 100.

Queens senior center advocates rejoiced at the news that the city Department for the Aging withdrew its proposal to reorganize senior centers and services last week.

“Thank God,” Mary Maggio Fischer, chairwoman of the Community Board 8 Aging Committee, said when she heard of the decision city officials announced Dec. 19. “Some of these seniors wouldn’t have interactions with other people if it wasn’t for senior centers. I’m so glad they rescinded that.”

Seniors and lawmakers across the city had protested a request for proposals planned by the DFTA to restructure its senior center program, which department officials said would increase the use of senior centers but decrease the total number of centers by as many as 100.

Department officials had not specified how many senior centers would close, but did say some underutilized centers would likely be shuttered in order to offer more services in a concentrated number of centers. DFTA officials also wanted to curb the number of hot meals served as part of the city’s Meals on Wheels program from five to three per week.


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“It would have been drastic for our seniors,” said Community Board 6 District Manager Frank Gulluscio.

City Councilwoman Melinda Katz (D−Forest Hills) and Councilman James Gennaro (D−Fresh Meadows) echoed Gulluscio’s sentiments.

“I was thrilled to see the city finally withdrew the RFP [request for proposal] for the senior centers,” she said. “The Council fought hard to protest it.”

“I’m glad that instead of shutting off the lights at senior centers throughout the city, the mayor has finally seen the light and is taking another look at his ill−conceived plan,” Gennaro said.

City officials said they withdrew the plans to reorganize the $117 million senior center program to give the DFTA’s commissioner designee, Lilliam Barrios−Paoli, a chance to re−evaluate the request for proposals that had come under intense fire.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg named Barrios−Paoli as the replacement for former DFTA Commissioner Edwin Mendez−Santiago, who abruptly resigned Dec. 12.

Mendez−Santiago, whose resignation Bloomberg said was due to personal reasons, was accused of sexual harassment and discrimination in a federal lawsuit filed in February by his former secretary, Auritela Santos.

The suit, first reported by The New York Times, had gone unnoticed by the media until Mendez−Santiago’s resignation. City officials did not return phone calls for comment.

Katz, Gennaro and other elected officials said a new senior center plan must now be carefully crafted.

“As New York City’s older population continues to grow, we must grow with them, and I look forward to working with Commissioner−designee Barrios−Paoli to develop and implement a comprehensive and workable plan for senior services,” said Council Speaker Christine Quinn (D−Manhattan).

Reach reporter Anna Gustafson by e−mail at agustafson@timesledger.com or by phone at 718−229−0300, Ext. 174.