Wellesley COA Seats Two New Members, Eyes Strategic Plan Launch This Fall

WELLESLEY -- July 16, 2026, Wellesley Council on Aging seats two new members and moves toward strategic planning after a year-long delay. The board, chaired for the first time by Pat Decker, unanimously approved Ann Rader and Renee Spencer as new members at its July 16 meeting and voted unanimously to appoint Barbara Searle as the new liaison to the Friends of the Wellesley COA, replacing outgoing member Peter Grape. Director of Senior Services Sahar Kiani, two months into her role, reported that the COA used 96 percent of its FY26 budget, encumbered $4,371 for a front-door waterproofing project and $10,000 for multipurpose tables into FY27, and flagged that Elder Local Decision grant figures, showing a reported balance of approximately $83,000, require reconciliation because $42,600 in bus-driver payments may not have been subtracted. The meeting opened with an unidentified resident criticizing the board for imposing a collective 10-minute limit on five seniors who sought to address a coffee-service matter in June, saying the board's message had been "don't bore us with facts, we've made up our minds." Decker said a strategic planning consultant recommended by the Massachusetts Association of Councils on Aging has been contacted and a proposal is expected before the August 20 Zoom meeting.