The Santiva Chronicle publishes opinions and letters on topics that are important to Sanibel and Captiva. They may be submitted via e-mail at news@santivachronicle.com. Views expressed are not necessarily those of the Santiva Chronicle.
When Eileen Kehoe and I were first married in 2006, she was reluctant to spend six months on Sanibel. Then she joined Island Seniors and her concerns were gone. Now Island Seniors is in jeopardy. Fortunately, our marriage isn’t.
Island Seniors was created in 1977 from a need for activities tailored to people over age 50. (The median age in the USA is 37.9 while on Sanibel it is 66.4). Island Seniors flourished when a central space was provided by the city of Sanibel in 1993 with the Center 4 Life building, the former public library.
Eileen has added lifelong friendships from people she’s met at Island Seniors. This magic has worked for others, too.
Witness the growth; 2005-563 members, 2010-712 members, 2019-833 members. Overall participation across all activities each year has grown from 6,804 in 2004 to 13,414 in 2019.
Ten years ago, the City ordered a needs analysis for Island Seniors. It called for an expansion of the Center 4 Life. But there were too many problems and too few opportunities for reconstruction or relocation. Five years ago, a second needs analysis confirmed the first. Still no opportunities.
In 2019, SanCap Bank offered their soon to be vacated building. The City Council seized on this opportunity and issued bonds to buy the building and renovate it for a new Center 4 Life. Island Seniors, now 800 strong, was overjoyed with this turn of events. Thirteen months after the City bought the bank building, Island Seniors expected to move into a new home.
However, nothing was done to move the project forward. Now the City Council is told of a plan to divert all the bond proceeds to a Police building modernization plan for new locker space and offices. No money left for Center 4 Life.
When I was assistant director of both the housing and the redevelopment authorities of the City of Milwaukee, I signed many bond issues. The proceeds of those issues had to be used for purposes that were approved when the bonds were offered. It was illegal for us to divert the proceeds to other projects. Maybe Florida law is different.
As noted earlier, it is vital to Island Seniors that we have a place to congregate. We had to shut down last March because of COVID. With no central space, our membership has dwindled to 59.
Now it has been proposed that the Police occupy the Center 4 Life for two years and that Island Seniors go without a central location. Island Seniors individual activities would be dispersed to the Sanibel Community Association and the Sanibel Recreation Center. We fear that would be the demise of Island Seniors.
You can save Island Seniors by writing or phoning (239 472-3700) the City Council and asking that funds for the new building be spent there so the new Center 4 Life is opened in thirteen months. And that Island Seniors re-occupy the Center 4 Life building as soon as it is safe to do so. Also, tell of your personal experiences with Island Seniors.
Mayor Holly Smith – Holly.Smith@mysanibel.com
Vice Mayor Richard Johnson – Richard.Johnson@mysanibel.com Council Member Dr. Scott Crater – Scott.Crater@mysanibel.com Council Member John Henshaw – John.Henshaw@mysanibel.com Council Member Mike Miller – Mike.Miller@mysanibel.com
You also can voice your support at the City Council meeting (800 Dunlop Road) on May 4.
Bud Reinhold
Island Seniors Treasurer
Talk about being blindsided … News travels quickly on a small island, especially when the news affects so many individuals. The proposal of the City Manager at the city council meeting on April 6 to divert the funds specifically earmarked for the Island Seniors renovations and move to the bank building, to the police department, is most distressing and disappointing.
This is just so wrong, and unfortunately not new behavior. This has been going on for years. The seniors have been put on the “back burner” several times with the excuse all the money went for cleanup after a hurricane. Then it was the red tide incident. It certainly shows how little the lives and wellbeing of the Senior population means. If this project is delayed again,(for six years?), then the saying “not in my lifetime” will ring true! In my opinion the city should have been ready to start on renovations the day the bank was vacated. There have been plans and designs ready for years.
The proposal to divide activities between venues is unacceptable as it does not lead to building the friendships and bonds we have established and dearly miss.
Why can’t the police take their turn and stand in line until the Seniors get situated in the new location? Surely some modification could and should be made for the female officers.
It will be a sad state of affairs if commitment the City made is just tossed aside. And shame on the members of the City Council that was recently elected by, whom else?… ISLAND SENIORS!
Sincerely, Shirley Bohnert