Questions About Galloway Senior Center Continue

When discussions concerning the proposed on the White Horse Pike began about five years ago, members of council and Galloway residents say they were told it was primarily for seniors, but other organizations could pay a fee to use the facility.

However, there now seems to be some question as to whether this is really the case, and that question was raised amid talk of heating and utility costs, which also seems to be in question.

“We’re going to have a $30,000 increase in heating and air conditioning once the center opens,” Township Manager Arch Liston said during the budget workshop Tuesday night, April 10 at the . “We can’t afford a $30,000 increase in utilities right now.”

Resident Anna Jezycki questioned how much involvement parents had in paying for the athletic fields throughout the township.

“We pay a lot for those fields, and then you say we have to look at senior services,” Jezycki said. “When we had kids playing on those fields, we paid for it. We did our part. When this bond issue came up, we were supposed to get a brand new building, and (we didn’t).”

It also has yet to open, although Mayor Don Purdy hopes to see that change within the next month. Once it does open, he hopes heating and air conditioning costs don’t come anywhere near the number Liston used Tuesday night.

“I hope the utility bills are a lot lower than that,” Purdy said.

“People don’t analyze costs to run a building once it’s open,” Liston said. “ … It’s a safety issue (for seniors). We have to analyze it and deal with it in the summer and fall.”

Whatever the costs, they could be offset by other organizations using the facility, but it isn’t clear if that will be allowed.

“When we first started, we talked about other organizations using that building,” Councilman Jim Gorman said. “We talked about purchasing that building and we were told we could set fees.”

“That’s the problem. We’re being told something else now,” Liston said. “It’s a nice facility, but we were told by the county we can’t do that.”

Gorman said council was told the use of alcohol would be prohibited, but that other organizations would be allowed to use the facility.

“We were told the county could come in and serve lunches at the county’s expense,” Gorman said. “The Cub Scouts were using the building. We were told they would be able to continue to use the building, and other organizations would be allowed to use it. It would be for seniors primarily, but when free time was available, we could rent it out to others.”

He said card system would be put in place so that those renting out the building would be able to get in when they were renting the building and employees wouldn’t have to be present to let them in.

Gorman said that information came down from the state through the county and previous managers and previous council members. Jezycki agreed that’s what she remembered being told, and Purdy asked Liston to look into the situation.

Purdy said that the grants related to the senior center for its improvement and opening were all related to seniors.