EVANSTON — Many senior citizens attended the regular meeting of the Evanston City Council on Tuesday, May 20, to plead a case for financial assistance from the city for the senior center. During public participation at the end of the meeting, several citizens spoke on a variety of subjects, with the majority asking the council to consider including a sizable donation in the city’s budget for the local senior center.

Uinta Senior Citizens Executive Director Glenn Roach addressed the council.

“We are here to advocate for our senior population,” Roach said. “The center provides nutritious meals daily at a cost of $428,000 a year. We are asking that you consider our request of $100,000. The seniors in Evanston paved the way for us to do what we do today. Thank you for the opportunity to speak and for your consideration of help.”

Mayor Kent Williams responded that Roach was preaching to the choir, as the council loves the seniors and they want to find a way to help. He also told Roach he appreciated what has been done to repair the reputation of the senior center.

Councilmembers Henry Schmidt and Jen Hegeman both thanked Roach and the others for coming and said they are working out how to help.

“The spirit of a city is based on how we treat the most vulnerable,” Hegeman said.

Former Evanston mayor and volunteer at the senior center Joy Bell spoke next.

“I am here representing the seniors. What I would like to offer at this point is that you should make an investment in the senior center. They have a great board now that has turned this organization around.”

Local senior citizen Diana Davis added that, without the seniors in Evanston, the community wouldn’t be the way it is. She said she came from California, and it was great to find supportive people here and especially at the senior center.

“When you are thinking about need, think of the senior citizens; for some, the meal at the center is the only meal they get that day,” Davis said. “I am grateful for each of you to hear my message. Remember, you will be a senior someday, too.”

Evanston native Laura Hughes told the council she wants to pay tribute to Glenn Roach and to senior center board president Mike Davis for the great job they are doing. She said the center needs financial help and, if the city can help, the seniors will much appreciate it.

More residents — Teresa Stemle, Cindy Crawford and Craig Wilson — backed up what had already been said about helping the senior center and said they hoped the city would contribute as much as it can.

Wilson brought up the fact of how much money was spent on preparing Section 4 of the Roundhouse for the brewery, saying that, contrary to a brewery, the senior center is here for the long-term — whereas the council and mayor are here short-term.

Local senior citizen Harriet Beck spoke to a different issue. She brought up the need for more handicap accessible parking spaces and sidewalk ramps in the city. She referenced the American Disability Act (ADA) that requires handicap accessibility.

“Recently, I parked in the only handicap space next to the county complex and found that when I got out of my car, I had to walk into the street to get to the handicap entrance,” Beck, who was wearing a medical boot and walked with a cane, said. “I fell and hurt my leg, as you can see.”

Hegeman thanked Beck for bringing that to the council’s attention.

On another subject, local resident Jared Houghton commented that the Wyoming Association of Municipalities (WAM) apapropriation committee should not be using taxpayers’ dollars to lobby the legislature.

Canal board member Mike Davis thanked the public works crew for cleaning out the ditch near Rocky Mountain Care.

Two ordinances were approved for zone changes for GTR Property Holdings on second reading. There will be a third and final reading at the next regular meeting of the council on June 3.

The final plat for the Sage Industrial Park No. 9 subdivision was approved. This subdivision is 11 acres at the north end of Sage Industrial Park.

The annual operating agreement with the Evanston Parks and Recreation District for the operation, management and regulation of recreation within the city for the 2025-26 fiscal year was approved.

The council approved a motion to appoint David Welling as official voting delegate and Mike Sellers as alternate for the WAM’s summer convention and business meeting to be held Thursday, June 12, in Cheyenne.