OTTUMWA — The city will still have a seniors’ meal site if plans go as expected.

Seneca Area Agency on Aging announced Wednesday the Ottumwa Senior Meal Site will relocate to the Salvation Army’s new site at 725 W. Second St. The move hinges on formal corporate approval from the Salvation Army.

Seneca’s Executive Director Connie Holland said her agency received a Nov. 1 termination notice from the Wapello County Area Agency on Aging for its use of the facilities as the Ottumwa Senior Center.

The county agency can no longer operate the Senior Center due to utility and yearly maintenance expenses.

Rick Johnson chairs the Wapello County Area Agency on Aging Board. He said “funding was a problem” and the board is concerned about paying off a bank loan for renovating the upstairs at the current site, 117 N. Cooper St.

“As of Sept. 12, we looked at options such as working with Seneca but we have no money. Seneca has a utility allowance that would pay one-third,” Johnson said. “We presented it to Connie to decide whether to pursue this with the Salvation Army.”

Johnson said Seneca’s administrative offices would remain downstairs, where the utilities are separate. Both Johnson and Holland are very hopeful the move will get approval from Salvation Army leaders.

“The Salvation Army has 10 new computers and a computer lab there. Many seniors are computer savvy and enjoy using the Internet,” Holland said.

Who’s in charge of the meal site program?

Johnson said the county agency on aging will be, with help from Seneca, the state agency on aging.

“The timing of this is wonderful. We applaud Connie and her board for finding an alternative,” Johnson said.

“[The meals program] isn’t anything new for the Salvation Army. They already have an elder program,” Holland said.

She mentioned Capt. Vicky Horton, who has a similar program under way in a Chicago suburb. Horton was Capt. Jaime Pennington’s predecessor.

“Final approval is yet to come. We’re getting the ‘bugs’ out of the arrangement,” Holland said. “We think it’s a ‘win-win’ situation.”

Johnson pointed out the Army has several programs and more people will have access after the meals program moves to Salvation Army’s new location, where the Army renovated the building originally used by the former Easter’s Super Valu.