After prior meetings with our seniors and working with Commissioner of Health & Human Services Helen Caulton-Harris, Elder Affairs Director Sandy Federico, Chief Administrative & Financial Officer TJ Plante and retired City Councilor Clodo Concepcion, Mayor Domenic J. Sarno has authorized the purchase of a 26 passenger, 32-foot Medium Duty Cutaway Bus with two wheelchair positions/rear lift for $91,537.47 to enhance our very active senior population activities and transportation options for our senior centers.
Mayor Sarno states, “Working together, I am proud of my administration’s efforts to deliver on these two key requests our senior population has asked for over nearly forty years to be done – a new state of the art centralized Raymond A. Jordan Senior Center and now a bus transportation enhancement too. I deeply appreciate our seniors’ continued belief and investment in our Springfield and in turn we must continue to invest in them.”
“At the direction of Mayor Sarno, I along with Sandy Federico have spent months meeting with seniors across the City of Springfield to gather their feedback on how we can enhance our transportation system for seniors,” said Health & Human Services Commissioner Helen Caulton-Harris. “I applaud Mayor Sarno for making the transportation needs of our seniors, a priority of his administration. I am proud of what we have accomplished for seniors under this administration and look forward to continuing to strive for excellence. I am also grateful to Sandra Sheehan from PVTA who also attended the meetings to educate seniors on available bus routes and services.”
Elder Affairs Director Sandy Federico said, “It is a daily honor to serve as ‘the voice’ for our most prized natural resource…our seniors! We are forever thankful for all of our City administrators for finding a way, and the means to make this happen. Commissioner Caulton-Harris and I thank Mayor Sarno and the team for not only listening but hearing us. I cannot wait to see the reactions from our folks when they are presented with this very special gift!”
“I’ve always been an advocate for the seniors. They have been forgotten by many in this country and need to be brought back to life again. They are the ones that made this great country what it is. This bus is a great way to get them out of the house and active,” said retired City Councilor Clodo Concepcion.