CPRST, city council host forum on future of Active Adult Center
CULLMAN, Ala. – The Cullman City Council made its way to a packed Donald E. Green Active Adult Center on Friday to discuss the future of the facility with the local seniors that call it home.
Cullman Parks, Recreation & Sports Tourism (CPRST) Executive Director Nathan Anderson said he was excited to see a big crowd come to share their ideas and suggestions.
“I can honestly say in probably 15 years of doing community forums, I have never seen this many people show up for one. This is awesome. I know great stuff will come out of today. Just to put everybody’s mind at ease, this is to enhance what you have; we’re not taking anything away or changing anything. We have been able to move youth sports over across the street so now it’s time to plan your space for you,” Anderson said. “I am working off the assumption that we can always get better and this meeting is not so much for what we have going on, but what I really want us to focus on is the next level and anything that we’re missing. So, we’re going to dream big.”
After some opening remarks from Anderson, Mayor Woody Jacobs and District Judge Rusty Turner, the seniors in attendance were asked to discuss ideas for new programs, facilities and health and wellness resources among themselves, take notes and share them with everyone.
“We are so thankful for (Director) Stephanie (Neal) and her team. I was getting refreshed today on the traffic that comes through here every month, and those numbers just keep climbing. That’s a testament to the job that they’ve done but what’s also really special about this place is that you guys make it,” said Anderson. “We appreciate you guys being the heart and soul of this place. There a lot of great things happening here.”
After seniors spent a few minutes discussing suggestions among themselves, Anderson went to each table to add their ideas to the list. Ideas that made it on the board included additional yoga and exercise classes, an indoor pool, computer skills classes, opening the center on Thursdays, more competitions, mental health advocates and much more. After the ideas have all been recorded and categorized, members of the center will be asked to vote on the ones they would prioritize at a later date. Anderson said he was happy to get all the input from the community and wants to get started as soon as possible.
“There are so many great ideas that came out that you will see happen quickly. I’m confident that we can do those things. We want to immediately tackle anything that we can do from a programming standpoint or improving facilities,” he said. “You’re going to see those things happen rapid fire; we’re going to do everything we can to get after them. We love these ideas and for the first time in the history of this program, we want to reimagine this space as a place we plan for you and only you.”
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