All aboard

On the second Wednesday of every month, Wiley Craig meets with his colleagues on the Commission for the Elderly, one of the city’s 14 volunteer citizens’ boards. Craig has been retired for four years from Valley VoTech, where he served for 22 years, the last five as principal.

“When I retired, I realized there were a lot of issues facing Waynesboro as its residents grow older,” Craig said. “Given the number of retirees here, we need to pay attention to what’s ahead.”

Becoming a member wasn’t hard, Craig said: “I was invited to join by a friend on the commission. Since I was interested, he proposed me to the City Council, they voted and then I was sworn in at city hall.”

Volunteering for one of the city’s boards is not usually a political move, said Frank Lucente, Waynesboro’s vice mayor.

“The council appreciates the fact that people volunteer to donate their time to help Waynesboro. It’s a simple matter of just letting the clerk [City Clerk Julia Bortle] know and then Council votes.”

The boards and commissions have charters that determine length of service and how many times one person can be reappointed, Lucente said, and they must be city residents. The commissions are structured around particular populations and interests and make the Council aware of issues as they come up. Many of them report to the Council regularly or let its members know if there’s a concern that should be addressed.

All the commissions and boards are listed on the city Web site and are updated regularly, and vacancies are posted as they occur, as are meeting places, times, and the names and phone numbers of commissioners and board members, Lucente said. “Generally, the terms expire in August.”

Like Craig, Molly Hodge serves as a member of the Commission for the Elderly. She’s an eligibility worker with Shenandoah Valley Social Services who specializes in long-term care and has a professional interest in the elderly.

“Actually, it’s my personal interest as well,” she said. She’s worked with this population throughout her career, first as an activities director for seniors, then as a social worker. She was asked by her supervisor to go to commission meetings as a representative of her department.
“Since I live in Waynesboro, I was the logical person,” she said. “This population is growing by leaps and bounds here.”

From her clients at work and her work with the commission, Hodge knew Waynesboro’s elderly are often isolated and worry about transportation.

“This has been a major issue for a long time,” she said. Her board worked with the Waynesboro Disability Board to survey the elderly population regarding transportation needs. They proposed a system known as a “deviated fixed route system,” which could be used in Waynesboro and wouldn’t cost any more than the existing system.

“The bus will make a continuous loop to social services, the senior center, the library, the YMCA and other key places for seniors,” she said. “It will deviate three-quarters of a mile to pick people up or drop them off.”

Results of the survey, conducted by volunteers, were compiled, and Charlie Downs, now retired from Waynesboro’s ADA coordinator position, compiled the results of the survey and put together a plan, Hodge said.

Service was approved by the Waynesboro City Council, and the first van on the first loop will roll May 11, Hodge said. Waynesboro’s two boards, along with the Council, collaborated on the project that she sees as a tremendous benefit for the area’s elderly population.

“It will cost 50 cents, and just about everyone called it a ‘win-win’ situation,” she said.

The commission also identified a need to educate the elderly about the possibility of real estate tax relief, Craig said, by sending out information to citizens’ groups and churches. This year, Hodge said, the AARP representatives that volunteer each year to help seniors with their taxes informed them of the possibility as they verified their incomes.

Other boards and commissions serve the citizens of Waynesboro in a variety of ways, helping with city institutions like Parks and Recreation and the Waynesboro Public Library, or problems like flood control and traffic. There’s a Waynesboro Cultural Commission and a Historical Commission.

Commissioners agree to have their names and contact information publicized on the city’s Web site at http://www.waynesboro.va.us.

“That’s how we’re able to know what concerns Waynesboro citizens,” Hodge said.

“We’d like to know first-hand what people need from us,” Craig said. “I am sure all the commissioners feel that way.”

The City of Waynesboro presently has the following vacancies on its boards and commissions:

n Commission for the Elderly: Two vacancies, one term expiring Aug. 31, 2012; one term expiring Aug. 31, 2010.

n Parks and Recreation Commission: One vacancy in Ward D with a term expiring Aug. 31. A reappointment is possible at that time.

n Flood Control Commission: Two vacancies, two terms, each expiring Aug. 31.http://media.newsvirginian.com/newsvirginian/images/uploads/5-3_molly.jpg