The main reason there’s no Senior Center is because the City Manager uses that funding for the multiple layers of management in Administrative, Police, and Fire Departments (see cited roles below).
For decades, El Cerrito was home to a vibrant senior center located behind the library on Stockton Avenue. The Open House Senior Center was a community hub where seniors could gather, take classes, enjoy meals, and access critical resources. However, in 2018, the West Contra Costa County School District reclaimed the building, forcing the city to move the senior center to two portable buildings next to the police department on San Pablo Avenue. Renamed the “El Cerrito Midtown Activity Center,” the center continued offering essential services—until 2020.
In March 2020, the senior center was closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But the pandemic was a red herring. City leadership never intended to reopen it. If they had, the city could have restored operations when when millions in ARPA funding or millions of new Real Property Transfer Tax revenue began flowing in following voter approval of the 2020 measure — a measure that, notably, promised to support city services, including recreation and senior programs. That promise was quietly forgotten.
If you’ve seen the “Senior Center” sign at Hana Gardens next to City Hall, you might be surprised to learn that it’s just an empty room.
Instead of reopening the senior center, the city eliminated one of the portable buildings, leased the other to the Kensington Police Department, and drastically reduced senior programming. What little remains is now hosted at the Community Center on Moeser Lane — but it pales in comparison to the offerings of a dedicated senior center.
El Cerrito’s seniors deserve better — and the city must prioritize reopening a permanent, fully funded senior center. It’s time for city leadership to act.
Cited management roles
- City Manager’s Office: City Manager Karen Pinkos, Assistant City Manager, and Assistant to the City Manager.
- Police Department: Two Lieutenants and a Detective Sergeant.
- Fire Department: Four Battalion Chiefs.
We urge you to contact the City Manager and City Council members to demand action:
City Manager
📧 karenp@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us
City Council
- Mayor Carolyn Wysinger — 📧 cwysinger@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us
- Mayor Pro Tem Gabe Quinto — 📧 gquinto@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us
- Councilmember Lisa Motoyama — 📧 lmotoyama@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us
- Councilmember Rebecca Saltzman — 📧 rsaltzman@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us
- Councilmember William Ktsanes — 📧 wktsanes@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us
City Clerk
📧 cityclerk@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us
Make your voice count.
Email the City Manager and Council today — and be sure to copy the City Clerk to request that your message be included in the public record for the next City Council meeting. Let them know that El Cerrito’s seniors matter, and that promises made should be promises kept.
El Cerrito Committee for Responsible Government (ECCRG) 