Three townships are looking to have senior centers operated by Trumbull County SCOPE.

Talks have taken place in Bristol, Brookfield and Champion townships to house centers to provide various programs and services for senior citizens.

Mike Wilson, executive director of SCOPE, said the process is underway to seek funding from the Trumbull County Senior Services Levy.

He said all three communities would begin with smaller size centers that operate four hours per day. Wilson said the last time funding was provided for smaller senior centers it was $38,000 per center.

Wilson said each community has received support from their residents to open a senior center.

He has attended community events in each township where people can sign up if they want to have a senior center and note what programs and services they would like to have offered.

Surveys have been provided to residents in each township on what programs or services they would like to see provided.

“There is interest and the space is available,” he said.

In Bristol, a senior center would be at the township administration building. In Brookfield, it would be at the former Tiffany’s Banquet Center off Bedford Road that was purchased by the school district, which is expected to take ownership by the end of April. In Champion, it would be at the new township administration building that opened last year at a former dance studio.

Funding applications would be submitted this spring with a decision by the senior levy committee by summer and if approved, funds being made available by the fall to get the centers started. Funding also must be approved by the commissioners.

Wilson said funding, which is a reimbursable grant, is offered in a two-year cycle.

“We have received letters of support from residents in each township as well as from township officials. What is good is all three communities have the space available,” Wilson said.

He said the earliest any of the communities could begin having a center with programs would be September or October.

Being discussed recently was that line dancing offered at the Howland SCOPE Center would be moved to the Champion administration building since the Howland center is being remodeled with work to be done by early May.

Wilson said although Champion has the space for line dancing, the Howland program likely will move to the Niles SCOPE Center.

In recent years, Hubbard and Newton Falls have been able to add senior centers, bringing the total to six in the county. Other centers are in Howland, Niles, Cortland and Warren.

Wilson said if a community is approved for a center, then the township will provide a local in-kind contribution of 25%, which would include free space for the center, utilities or funding for the center.

He said Cortland rents space for its senior center from Cortland Christian Church and provides a 25% monetary contribution to SCOPE for the center. Revenue also can be generated through programming.

He said the Brookfield location does have space for a senior center at the former banquet center building. Wilson has met with Brookfield trustees and also with Brookfield School Superintendent Toby Gibson on ideas for the center.

Wilson said when a new center opens it starts off as a small-size center, which is open for four hours, while a medium-size center opens six hours a day and larger centers like Warren and Howland operate eight hours a day.

“The Hubbard center started off small and has continued to grow and is open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. They are serving more and more people,” he said.

Wilson said centers in Bristol and Champion also would benefit residents in nearby communities such as Southington and Bazetta.

WHAT OFFICIALS SAY

Champion Township Trustee Chairman Doug Emerine said further discussion is planned for the April meeting,

“We see there is interest in offering programs here for senior citizens. We will look over what we can offer,” Emerine said.

Bristol trustees met with Wilson at their March meeting, where they were informed the application will be submitted by mid-April, so the matter was tabled until the April meeting.

Trustee Chairman Doug Seemann said there is the ability to offer lunches to senior citizens.

“We will discuss this further and then make a decision next month,” he said.

Wilson said meals for northern townships are provided by Country Neighbor, with Cortland receiving such meals.

Trustee Jim Cicchillo said the township would be able to provide the building, utilities and space for the center as an in-kind contribution.

Brookfield Schools Superintendent Toby Gibson has said he is excited about the prospect of students working with seniors at the center, with each generation passing on skills and know-how to the other.

Wilson said the former banquet center has a kitchen that could be used for cooking and nutrition programs.