Quincy helps senior center

QUINCY — The Quincy City Council approved budgeting $125,000 for improvements to the Quincy Senior Center.

This is in addition to about $25,000 to what the council approved in the 2009 budget.

MJ Neal and Associates, a Wenatchee-based architect firm, examined what improvements the building needed. Brad Brisbine, an architect with the firm, presented his findings to the council on Tuesday.

Brisbine said the city was considering solving problems with overheating in the center’s kitchen.

“Walking through the building I could see some other upgrades were probably in order,” he said. “So what I told (City Administrator Tim Snead), I would study the building with some consultants we would hire and get back to him and you with some recommendations.”

When Brisbine met with the people using the building, he said they also talked about cosmetic upgrades to the facility, such as covering exposed ducts and pipes, adding acoustic ceiling tiles, adding vinyl wall coverings, molding and chair rails

“They would like it to look nice enough that they could actually rent it out to supplement some income,” he said. “The problem they have is that they show it to somebody, like a bride to be for a wedding reception, they don’t get any takers.”

The bathrooms also need to be widened so they are accessible, Brisbine said.

The ceiling in the dining room contains asbestos.

“It isn’t essential that it be removed immediately,” he said. “It’s only if you do any work in the area, for example replace the light fixtures, where a workman might dislodge some of that powder … then they could breathe it. Then you’re subject to a lawsuit.”

The total costs for all of the upgrades would be $226,775, according to the architect. This includes the kitchen improvements, which adds a stove new hood.

At a senior center board meeting last week, Brisbine said, the board wanted the city to focus on improving the rest rooms and the kitchen. The seniors would pay for the additional improvements, including removing the asbestos tiles.

Mayor Jim Hemberry recommended the council do one of two options. The first would be to do the second best option for the kitchen and remove the asbestos or add $10,000 to the budget to remove the asbestos.

“I think we should just get rid of that,” he said. “That’s an exposure we know is there.”

Brisbine said improving the ceiling would mean adding other costs, such as replacing the light fixtures and fixing the ceiling once the tiles are removed.

“It’s hard to bite off just a little bit,” he said. “It’s hard to do just a small amount of work, but if that’s your directive then that’s something we can do.”

Hemberry said the seniors are asking the city to do the best job in the kitchen and not do the other work knowing the city will do the work.

Councilmember Scott Lybbert said if the seniors want to rent the building, they need the cosmetic upgrades.

“If they’re going to put that off, they’re putting off extra funding,” he said.

Lybbert said the new hood, which comes with the best option, is important.

“To me that’s a given that we need to do that,” he said.

The city added $25,000 to the seniors’ proposal, Brisbine said the additional money would pay for new lighting, removing the asbestos and covering the ducts.