New senior center bids due November 4

Council on Aging · Meeting of October 13, 2026

AYER — The Ayer Council on Aging Board reviewed a construction timeline showing new senior center bids are due November 4, with a soft opening targeted for January 2028. Senior Center Director Katie said the project's environmental impact report certificate was issued October 2, leaving only a conservation management plan, to be managed by the North County Land Trust, before permitting is complete. September program numbers reflected a two-week building closure for a parking lot project: 93 older adults were served 458 times, meals dropped to 272 from a typical 300-plus, and volunteer hours fell to 105 from a usual 250 to 300.

Member Dennis Curran briefed the board on a warrant article expanding the COA board from five to seven seats, headed to October Town Meeting, and recapped an October 1 regional symposium where he asked whether COA boards are "drivers of the town budget process" or "passive onlookers." Katie said she is seeking board support for a public education campaign explaining the center's social-service outreach work, which she described as "start to finish, with the dots very, very close together."

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Source: the Council on Aging meeting of October 13, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.