WESTFIELD – The Westfield Council on Aging met July 12 in City Hall to discuss the future meeting venue and a move toward normal operations in the wake of the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

COA Director Tina Gorman said during the meeting that City Councilors Ralph J. Figy and James R. Adams helped her by introducing a city ordinance change to allow a municipal meeting to take place in the Senior Center rather than City Hall.

She said the Senior Center would be a better location because it is more accessible, offers more transparency, and allows Senior Center staff to speak about programs and policies onsite during the meetings.

“There are times when it would be beneficial to have one of the staff members, if they have something on the agenda that is about a program that they run, it would be really helpful to have them there,” said Gorman.

The Legislative and Ordinance Committee voted to move the ordinance up to City Council, where it passed the first reading. It now needs to pass a second reading before it can become official. Gorman said that the first Council on Aging meeting at the Senior Center could be in September or October if it passes.

They would likely meet in the multi-purpose room of the Senior Center.

Gorman then moved on to the timeline for further reopening of the Senior Center for activities throughout July and August. She said curbside lunches would continue through the first week of August, Monday through Friday. Three fitness programs currently take place under the outdoor tents in the morning, and eight programs are being brought back for the afternoon.

Pre-registration for all but one of the Senior Center programs will no longer be necessary toward the end of July. For any indoor programs, all persons who attend will need to sign a Release of Liability form.

Curbside lunches will continue until the second week in August, during which there will be a one-week period in which meal services will not be offered. The kitchen crew is being given the week off after having worked for about 17 months in a pandemic.

“What I want to do for that first week in August is I want to take one of those days and do a kitchen appreciation day,” said Gorman, “Seventeen months of curbside meals has been a long time.”

After Aug. 9, staff will return to the greeters’ desk, the doors will be unlocked, and the games room and pool table will be open. Gorman said that the coffee program would not return until September.

Indoor dining will return Aug. 16, but Gorman said there will be some alterations from how it had been run before the pandemic. Indoor dining will return for every weekday except Wednesday.

Wednesdays will be for curbside pickup only. For indoor dining, people will need to call-in ahead of time at 8 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. to reserve a spot.