Senior centers plan gets green light from city council committee

You could call it the Kabat Senior Center Plan.

And, generally, La Crosse’s mayor is getting credit for cutting through the muck of endless indecision over the city’s senior centers and posing a plan for actual action.

Thursday, a city council committee agreed to that plan, instead of paying a consultant up to $20,000 for more study on what to do with seniors and their city-funded places of refuge.

Kabat’s proposal calls for spending money now — $45,000 will go toward planning repairs for the Harry J. Olson center, while moving the south side center to the south branch library.

Kabat’s plan also calls for $250,000 set aside in next year’s budget to pay for the Harry J. Olson repairs.

The full city council votes on the proposal next week.

Both buildings are well over 100 years old. Actual work would start next year with an eye towards completion by the end of 2020.