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By Carey Reeder | Managing Editor

The City of Clanton and Senior Connection are at a crossroads with the building at Park Plaza that the organization has called home for a number of years. However, the goal from all parties involved is to make the best decision for the majority and make sure no one is left out once transition begins pending a final sale.

It was reported within the last month that the City of Clanton is moving towards selling the building at the Park Plaza Shopping Center that currently houses the Senior Connection program and others. Purchased by the city in 2013, the building was quickly utilized by the program and has been ever since. The pending sale of the building by the city comes in conjunction with the city’s effort over the last few years of selling properties it owns. The City of Clanton has sold over 20 different parcels of land that it does not have a use for or that is not productive in making revenue for the city. The purpose for sale is to get those pieces of land or buildings off the city’s books and reinvest them into infrastructure, services and more for its citizens. It is important to note as well that no movement or changes to Senior Connection or any program currently utilizing the building will be made until the final sale of the building is complete, which has not happened yet but is expected to be complete before the end of the year.

For the Park Plaza Shopping Center itself, the city currently pays approximately $18,000 annually for a portion of the utility costs. Maintenance and repair costs associated with the shopping center over the years have required the expenditure of public funds by the City of Clanton and will continue unless it is sold. Over the years, the city has provided a significant amount of floor space at no cost to local organizations. This resulted in a loss of revenue that could have been used to offset the costs of maintenance and repairs to the facility.

Since April 2016, the city has allocated funds for the repaving of the parking lot of Park Plaza, replacement for a portion of the building’s roof, replacement and repair of heating and cooling units, plumbing repairs and the costs of reconfiguring individual floor space. The city also appropriates $35,000 per year to Senior Connection along with the space provided at no cost.

“For the city, it is an ongoing, significant expense first and foremost, not just in maintenance, upkeep and work, but we are losing revenue because of entities who use the facility and do not pay rent,” Billy Singleton, Clanton City Councilman, said. “At the end of the day, it is costing the city a significant amount of money. We had a group that showed interest in buying it, and we felt like for the good of the city and the remaining residents that it was the right decision to sell that and get it off our books.”

The city has been trying to sell the building for a few years, but this opportunity with a local organization seemed like one that could not be passed up. As the discussions between the city and the prospective buyer intensified, a new piece of information was learned by city officials that makes the sale of the building necessary. City officials learned that in Section 94 of the Constitution of Alabama 1901, it prohibits a municipality from giving funds or something of value to a nonprofit organization.

Senior Connection is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, and the constitution explicitly states that it “prohibits a municipality from lending its credit, or granting public money or a thing of value in aid of, or to any individual, association or cooperation whatsoever.”

The Handbook for Mayors and Councilmembers for the Alabama League of Municipalities states that “municipal expenditures must not be an outright appropriation to a private person, firm, corporation or association for expenditure at this discretion, whether the purpose is highly civic or not.”

“This has been a huge learning curve for all of us, and we learn things about municipal operations that we did not previously know,” Singleton said. “At the end of the day, we cannot give a thing of value, meaning free lease space, to (Senior Connection) because the City of Clanton currently has a senior center that we address and we cannot duplicate that service.”

In further research, the city uncovered a document from 1987 that Alabama Attorney General at the time Don Stegelman wrote to the City of Dothan after they requested more information about whether they “can legally appropriate funds to nonprofit private organizations or nonprofit corporations.” Stegelman wrote back and cited the Constitution of Alabama 1901, Section 94, about what is prohibited, which it “prohibits a municipality from lending its credit, or granting public money or a thing of value in aid of, or to any individual, association or cooperation whatsoever.” He concluded his letter with his opinion that the city may not lend those funds legally.

Now that there has to be something done, the biggest concern for both parties is making sure their senior clients and residents are well taken care of. The City of Clanton currently maintains a senior center at 500 Enterprise Road, and the facility is owned and operated by the city. The center prepares and delivers over 300 meals to senior citizens each day through the M4A Program, and is the top option for an alternative space for Senior Connection.

Singleton presented a transition plan from the City of Clanton that has three steps to ensure this transition goes as smoothly as possible for Clanton’s senior citizens. However, like everything else, it will take some time and planning to do so.

“It just does not make sense for us to go out and spend a lot of money on expansion if people are not going to come,” Singleton said. “Things do not just happen overnight, even if we want them to. It is a process.”

The first step is to guarantee that the senior citizens have food and fellowship in their new space. Singleton said ensuring that senior citizens are provided with meals without interruption, and for them to have opportunities for fellowship with one another before, during and after meals is paramount. With 50-75 members eating at Senior Connection on a daily basis, he believes the senior center building in Enterprise has adequate capacity.

The second step is to determine the average utilization of the facility by the senior citizens. Singleton said the city has not ruled out future expansion, arrangements or reconfigurations of the senior center to provide additional opportunities and entertainment for senior citizens. However, proper research needs to go into that to ensure the funds allocated will go to good use. The last step for the city is to monitor the attendance and needs of senior citizens at the senior center to provide facilities and equipment necessary to meet needs.

Singleton said the city has had conversations with other agencies and businesses in Clanton to help accommodate those initial needs for senior citizens once the sale is final. Those include safe walking areas, meals every day, sit-down recreation areas and other types of exercise opportunities — everything going towards making sure one of Clanton’s largest and most important demographics is not forgotten.

“We recognize and appreciate all of the things (senior citizens) do, but from a legal standpoint we are restricted to how we are able to assist financially and otherwise,” Singleton said. “I do not want this to sound wrong, but our primary responsibility is to the 9,000 plus residents in the city, and we have to make sure we address those in the best means we can. Sometimes we have to do things that appear to be unpleasant or unfair, but we are just trying to do what is right legally and otherwise. We never set out to do this with ill intentions.”

Deborah Loftis, Director of Senior Connection, said her biggest concern with the transition is having the appropriate space to allow current clients to continue their daily routines such as group exercise classes, pool tournaments and more than occur at Senior Connection on a daily basis. However, she understands that both parties are trying to do what is best for both and there has to be hard decisions made.

“We are moving forward,” Loftis said.

Loftis has requested an extension to stay in the building from the possible buyer, but until a final sale is made, the date when the building needs to be vacated has not been set. Once the final sale is official, the new lease holder will be in charge of those decisions. Singleton added that the hope is to have the sale final before the end of the year.