COLRAIN — Following a procedural error that dates back to 1978, residents will be asked to approve a bylaw officially recognizing the Colrain Council on Aging as a governing body in town during a Special Town Meeting set for Nov. 4.
The bylaw, which was written using ChatGPT and is based on a similar Council on Aging bylaw in the town of Pembroke, would officially create a Council on Aging and task the council with providing programming and services to support older residents. Although the town does currently have a COA, which was created in 1978 after Town Meeting voters approved a COA bylaw, the language of the bylaw was never sent to the state Attorney General’s Office for final review and approval.
“There’s no official one established already,” Selectboard Chair Emily Thurber told the COA on Monday.
“This body shall be known as the Colrain Council on Aging, hereafter the council or COA. The council is established under and arises authority from Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 40, Section 8B, and any other applicable statutes,” COA member Betty Johnson read from the draft bylaw. “The council shall serve as an advisory and coordinating body for programs and services for older residents in Colrain.”
The bylaw states that members will be appointed by the Selectboard, and COA members will elect a chair, vice chair, clerk and treasurer. The council will meet at least once a month to discuss its business and shall report to the Selectboard.
The Selectboard is recommending that the COA be limited to nine members. However, the council, which currently has 11 members, wants up to 15 members on its governing board.
COA members say they need up to 15 members to plan monthly meals and social activities.
“We’re a little different than most of the town, and most of the volunteers are members,” COA member Richard Herzig said.
Thurber said having nine members is recommended because managing a board and board meetings with too many members can be difficult. She added that people can still volunteer with the council even if they are not on the board.
Council members say having more members allows them to reach more seniors and show that they welcome all ideas on how the council should operate. Chair Janice Barnes added that she feels capable of corralling members when they get off track during meetings.
“I feel like we do a pretty good job. We have discussions and we make decisions that benefit all our seniors in town,” Barnes said. “I’m going to ask the Selectboard to reconsider the nine number and let us remain as we are and up to 15.”
COA members also questioned the inclusion of a paragraph giving the COA jurisdiction over the COA staff and a senior center. Council members suggested the paragraph be removed, but Thurber recommended they keep it, saying there is a possibility for the COA to get part-time staff in the future to help residents navigate fuel assistance, the SHINE (Serving the Health Insurance Needs of Everyone) program and other assistance programs, as well as share information on COA events and programming.
“We could maybe get a COA coordinator or somebody who’s just sort of pulling all the info into one place, and so if somebody called and they had a question, you know they would have an answer,” Thurber said.
The COA voted to recommend the bylaw to the Selectboard, with an amendment allowing the council to have up to 15 members.
The COA and Selectboard are expected to discuss the bylaw further on Oct. 14, when the Selectboard is set to close the warrant for the Special Town Meeting.