Senior meal prices to climb

Senior citizens will see an increase when they attend senior dining site meals.

“After our last meeting, I received a letter from Lynn’s Catering, of Rhinelander, requesting an increase in th eir meal service,” said Jenn Viergutz Commission on Aging (COA) director to COA board members at the July 13 meeting.

Viergutz stated that even though their contract is up at the end of this year, she would still like to go ahead and make the change so they wouldn’t have to look for another caterer mid-contract.

COA chairman Diane Albrecht added “Everything has gone up and I feel it is going to get worse before it gets better. People still have to live somehow. I’m mostly afraid if we increase the meal prices, that we will lose participants at the dining sites.”

After deliberation amongst board members, the 50 cent increase to the meal program was approved, effective July 1 through the end of the year.

Transportation update was approved. The decision was made to go through Schedules Plus out of Rochester, Minn. This software would be able to help with mini bus schedules, volunteer drivers, and be able to bill out of that system too, whereas now the payroll process is drawn out. Home delivered meal routes will be included within the system in the coming months.

Viergutz said “If we have a new driver who doesn’t know the area that well, we can supply them with an iPad, give them their route, and it would take them from house to house of where they have to deliver.”

The best feature of the whole system is the voice messaging system which will be beneficial when it comes to closing the meal sites during winter or handling any other cancelation that may arise. If cancelations happen, a number would call the resident who relies on the meal service, and notify them that the meal sites would be closed for that day. The number is not a local number, but it will be highlighted in the newsletter, so they know who is calling them.

In other business:

_ The Senior Health Fair is scheduled for Friday October 21 starting at 9 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. at the Medford Area Senior High gymnasium and Sands area.

_ Barb Cook was introduced to the board as the new Accounting Specialist. She has taken the position of Michelle Brehm, who retired in early June.

_ Viergutz has stepped down from her position on the Black River Industries Board to avoid conflict of interest with her position as COA director.

_ Farmer’s Market vouchers are still available through the COA office.