New committee formed to focus on senior citizens

The Marquette City Commission created a new committee to listen to senior citizens at their meeting Monday night.

The Aging Services Advisory Committee will have five or six members appointed by the commission, and would advise the commission on senior issues.

The committee was created due to in part the problems that have occurred with Marquette’s Senior Center.

“We need to look at, perhaps, a more enlightened way of dealing with a an increasing number of senior citizens and their needs,” Commissioner J. Michael Coyne said.  “This a committee set up–an advisory committee–to try to figure out what do do.  I think we want to fix the present one, and then in the future try to figure out a plan for a really top rate senior center.”

The commission hopes to have the committee fully functional in two months.

Commissioners also addressed fees for the city’s Little League and other children’s recreation sports team.  Fees were raised in the commission’s 2013-14 budget, and now the the Marquette Little League wants a 15% reduction in fees.

“We just often, in the past, picked a number out (for the budget), and there’s no logic,” Coyne said.  “This (from the Little League) is a report and recommendation to try to do it logically as to what they can afford, rather than the commission just picking out a number at random.”

The commission discussed extending the lease agreement between the city and the YMCA so the YMCA can continue to expand its current building.