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On Tuesday, Rep. Dan Laursen, R-Powell, offered the first in a series of talks with legislators at the Powell Senior Center. Laursen spoke with seniors about their concerns in the lead up to the …
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On Tuesday, Rep. Dan Laursen, R-Powell, offered the first in a series of talks with legislators at the Powell Senior Center. Laursen spoke with seniors about their concerns in the lead up to the coming legislative budget session.
The Wyoming Legislature meets annually, but every other year is a budget session in which the state’s fiscal planning is hammered out. During this budget session, the Legislature is also managing $1 billion in funding from the $1.9 trillion federal American Rescue Plan Act.
Gov. Mark Gordon has recommended $40 million from the state’s ARPA money for capital construction, and more may come later. The Powell Senior Center is hoping to tap into this funding for a new facility.
Before his talk Tuesday, Laursen toured the center. The building is over 40 years old, built before handicap accessibility was enforced or given much consideration.
The facility “is certainly in need,” Laursen said. “It’s so small and cramped and non-accessible.”
The Powell Senior Center Board of Directors has been planning a new facility for some time, and in the past couple of years, it’s moved into high gear.
“There’s money out there and we need to fight to get it to the right places,” Laursen said Tuesday.
Funding for a new Powell Senior Center will likely be distributed to specific projects through a grant application process. The center’s grant writer, Jennifer Just, is working with the board and legislators to prepare to submit an application when the process is announced.
The new facility will be located west of the Rocky Mountain Manor.
It’s expected to expand the current space from about 5,800 square feet to roughly 8,000. Everything will be on a single level. Movement between floors of the current facility requires climbing stairs, which limits access for many who use the facility.
During his talk, Rep. Laursen provided the seniors tips on how to communicate with the governor and legislators about the need for a new center or any other concerns they have. He advised them not to use form letters, which are often sent out by advocacy groups, and to use the bill title and description when writing about a specific piece of legislation.
On Friday, Rep. Rachel Rodriguez-Williams, R-Cody, will speak to the seniors at the Powell center. Sen. R.J. Kost, R-Powell, will speak on Tuesday, Jan. 11, with Sen. Tim French, R-Powell, visiting on Thursday, Jan. 13. All the talks begin at noon in the Powell Senior Center dining hall, located at 248 N. Gilbert St.
The Legislature convenes on Feb. 14 for the 2022 budget session. It will last 20 days.
