Table of Contents
December 11, 2014 |The first significant act of the newly formed Elk Grove City Council Wednesday night was met with an uproarious round of applause from a standing-room-only audience when $2.4 million for the construction of a long-sought Veterans Center and the appropriation of $100,000 for the design of a new senior center was approved. The Veteran's Center, which was pursued tirelessly by former Elk Grove City Council Member Sophia Scherman over the course of her 12-year tenure, will be part of the city's long-awaited civic center. That center, which includes plans for a city hall, performing arts center, children's museum and aquatics centers is located east of Big Horn Road and south of Civic Center Drive in the city's so-called Laguna Ridge planning area. "This is my tenth year that I have been discussing, asking, even begging that a veterans hall be built right here in our city," Scherman said. " I was the only one that was out there of those 10 years, but in 2013 I knew that the time had come for me to come before the council."The current senior center located on Sharkey Avenue has consistently received grant money from the city and it currently operates under a nominal lease from the Cosumnes Community Services District and is said to be at full utilization. Elk Grove currently has about 40,000 senior citizens and with the aging demographics, it is expected to be a spike in needed senior services in the coming years.During public comment on the matter, several Elk Grove veterans spoke of the need to have a center to serve the needs of the approximately 7,200 veterans currently residing in the city. Aside from serving as a gathering site for veterans and general events hall, proponents said the facility will be used as a place to directly provide services to veterans."It will be a place where the healing process can begin by having open talks with their fellow brothers and sisters who have been to hell and back," Scherman added. Elk Grove resident and veteran Norm DeYoung rejected one idea presented by city staff construct a combination senior and veterans center saying it would lead to numerous conflicts. "You are going to create more problems than you solve," he said.Speaking on behalf of the Senior Center of Elk Grove, Pat Beal said the current facility is stretched to its limits and needs will continue to grow."I think we need your help to continue to serve the community," Beal said.Beal also said that both groups had unique and equally important needs that both should be addressed. "They have both earned that right," she said. During their deliberations, the council expressed their general desire to honor veterans service and the needs of growing needs of an aging population, but also expressed some concern. In his first meeting, District 1 City Council Member Darren Suen agreed that both populations were deserving, but sounded a note of financial caution. "We have only so many resources," he said. The idea of locating the Veterans Center at the current Senior Center was discussed but was dismissed. Assistant City Manager Becky Craig said that the Cosumnes Community Services District staff did not respond to an inquiry regarding that suggestion.After the council unanimously approved the funding for both proposals, the large contingent of veterans in the chamber council erupted into a loud round of applause. "It is Christmas time after all," noted Elk Grove Mayor Gary Davis.
