The Troup County Board of Commissioners discussed a budget amendment Thursday related to additional funding for the county’s Active Life has been granted for senior programs.

Officials said the funds were given by the Three Rivers Regional Commission in recognition of the center’s programming and participation, and the county plans to use the money on LaGrange Active Life’s senior meal program.

“We didn’t go looking for this money. They came looking for us,” said Lynn Howard, who is over Troup County Parks and Recreation’s administrative division. “It is $47,561 that they are granting to the senior center in LaGrange — the Active Life — because of the growth that we have in town. We have people coming, and they picked us to donate this money to. [Active Life Aging Services Manager Dan Wooten] is going to use it for employees to make the meals both in house and to deliver, and the majority of the money will be for the food itself.”

Wooten said LaGrange Active Life serves lunch to an average of 110 to 120 people daily. He estimated that the West Point Active Life serves lunch to an average of 30 people daily, and the Hogansville Active Life serves lunch to an average of 20 to 25 people daily. 

“Those are meals at sites, and then we have about 80 to 85 homebound seniors who we deliver to in LaGrange, 40 something in Hogansville,” Wooten said. “West Point is covered through the LaGrange center.”

Seniors are charged a suggested $2 for the meals, which are subsidized through state and federal grants. Some of the funding for the meal programs has also been utilized to improve the efficiency of deliveries. 

“We used a part of this money, at the approval of the regional commission, to update one of our vehicles, and we were actually able to purchase a local vehicle from Kia of LaGrange,” Troup County Manager Eric Mosley said. “We are utilizing that for Meals on Wheels. In the past, we had been using old police cars to deliver meals, and not only are they clunky, but they are really bad on gas miles as well. We were able to put the new emblem on the side of this great, new vehicle.”

During discussion on the meal programs, another new program that is planned for the Active Life centers in Troup County was also mentioned — raised bed gardening.

“We are doing a lot of cool things at the Active Life center right now,” Mosley said. “I actually met [Wednesday] about doing some raised bed gardens that the Two Rivers [Resource Conservation and Development Councils] granted to us. We are going to be doing raised bed gardens at actually all three Active Life Centers [in Troup County].”

The construction of the raised beds in LaGrange will also feature a little extra community involvement thanks to a local Boy Scout, who is working on his Eagle Scout project.

“We have an Eagle Scout who has come forward, who has agreed to build the project at the LaGrange Active Life center,” Mosley said. “It will be raised bed gardens and three stage compost bins.”

Other items discussed at the Troup County Board of Commissioners work session included:

4Judge Jeannette Little explained the terms of a Judicial Correction Services Probation contract for state court. Little said that she is pleased with the current contractor, and the county commission will be asked to vote to renew the contract on Tuesday.

4The commission discussed the selection process of a construction manager at large for the fire administration building project, as well as what the responsibilities of that manager will be.

The Troup County Board of Commissioners is scheduled to meet on Tuesday at 9 a.m. at 100 Ridley Avenue.