A proposal to close one of the Tacoma's two senior centers in the ongoing effort to back fill the budget gap has been put on hold for the time being.

Beacon Senior Center, located at the intersection of South 13th and Fawcett streets, has been open for more than 40 years. Lighthouse Senior Center, located at the intersection of East 50th and 'A' streets, has also been open for decades. The Human Rights and Human Services Department, which operates both, had considered closing Lighthouse. On Jan. 17 Linda Villegas Bremer, director of the department, discussed the topic with Tacoma City Council.

"Our focus has changed to looking at keeping both of our centers open, but with some reduction of services," she remarked.

Each facility serves 50 meals each weekday. They offer recreational programs and services aimed to maintain good health. Villegas Bremer said for many of the clients, participating in activities at the centers provides an important form of social interaction they might not otherwise get. This keeps some of them from suffering from depression, she told the council. "These are almost an extension of family."

Late last year, Villegas Bremer had proposed closing one center, consolidating services at the one that would remain open and laying off a cook and one other employee. This would have saved $260,000 this year and $700,000 in the 2013/14 budget cycle.

Consolidating services would have created some logistical problems, however. Villegas Bremer said some clients would need to be transported to the remaining center. Beacon is slightly larger than Lighthouse, but it has less parking nearby. Both facilities have their plusses and minuses, she observed.

The idea now is to partner with nonprofit agencies such as Catholic Community Services, she explained. But the city is not looking to hand over operations to a nonprofit. Villegas Bremer said some organizations have expressed interest in doing so, but this would require significant fundraising on their part.

Several council members said they had heard feedback from constituents concerned about a possible closure of a center. Jake Fey said he had conversations with several of them. He noted that for many elderly people, a center provides a sense of place and shutting one down could have a detrimental effect.

Villegas Bremer still needs to find the $260,000 in proposed savings. She said some of this can be achieved by reconfiguring staff duties and perhaps cutting salaries.