In order to continue providing quality effective and efficient services to seniors the city must leverage and pursue public and private partnerships. Maintaining and building relationships takes time and energy, and our current recreation coordinator for seniors needs to be brought on full time if the city is going to maximize this opportunity as conscientious stewards. Carla Kress’s superior stewardship as the recreation coordinator for seniors has grown available resources for senior programs and services by establishing strategic partnerships, proactive creative marketing, and intentional community engagement.  As a result of Carla’s efforts, senior participation dramatically increased from 2017 to 2018 with no increase in budget.

The strategic partnerships Carla has established have provided key resources and infrastructure in order to reduce barriers to access that have historically prevented many of Shakopee’s seniors from participating in community events.  Carla was able to broker an agreement with All Saints Senior Living (POC Lori Gerval) through the assistance of proactive Shakopee leaders, whereby All Saints 15 pax ADA bus is now available (at no cost) to support our programs. She is also in negotiations with Benedictine Health Services to secure a brand-new bus connected to the new Windermere development (POC Kay Groevel) as well as permissions to use a bus currently supporting St. Gertrude’s Health and Rehab Center (POC Yvonne Anderson). 

These transportation assets eliminate travel expenses for each trip and special event, saving between $300 and $800 per event depending on the number of participants.  In addition, Carla has become an active partner in a collaborative group of Scott/Carver County Senior Providers (CSSP).  These CSSP partners have provided quality presentations and supported special events which reduced or eliminated the cost of these opportunities for Shakopee Seniors.  Carla will continue to expand these partnerships in order to continue providing Shakopee Seniors opportunities that improve their quality of life without increasing the budgets for senior programs and services. Conversations continue with BHS and with Scott County CDA (Terri Kosse).  However, in order for those and other partnerships to grow, we need to increase Carla’s availability to do that by bringing her full-time. 

It has been suggested that we better leverage volunteers to meet the emerging needs. I couldn’t agree more, and Carla took the first step toward that goal by organizing the first ever Senior’s Volunteer Fair which recently took place at the Community Center. The coordination needed to recruit, train, and retain volunteers will fall under a new position – and better organizing those volunteers has the potential of even further improving the quality and efficiency of services.

Chaska is a city almost ½ the size of Shakopee, they offer a fraction of the programs for seniors, yet they have two full-time staff supporting their senior programs (Joan Seedorf and Karen Campbell).

Our Ice Arena is now operationally a revenue stream due to the efforts of staff and council to focus on revenue generation. We can use this revenue to plug into the gap between part-time and full-time for Carla.

No impact