I hope to serve on Summit’s Council in part because I want to bring more neighborliness to town. Our older neighbors have invested, and continue to invest, a lot to make Summit great. Unfortunately, the current Council recently disbanded Silver Summit, a group that had been dedicated to improving the experience of seniors in Summit. I have a plan to bring Silver Summit back.

If I am lucky to serve as Ward 1 representative on the Council, I will create the Council’s Partnership for Silver Summit, a community-based working group focused on the experience of older residents. I have a draft plan to get started, outlined below. The draft is anchored in what I’m learning in conversations with older neighbors around town (to all I’ve spoken with – thank you for sharing your experiences and ideas!).

My plan is also guided in part by the ‘prescription’ of former Surgeon General Murthy, who wrote:

“Community is a powerful source of life satisfaction and life expectancy. It’s where we know each other, help each other, and find purpose in contributing to each other’s lives. Building community creates fulfillment, and there are three key elements that make it possible: connection with others through relationships, acts of service to help others, and a sense of purpose.”

I will update this plan as I have more conversations and learn more. Here is the working draft:

Connection & Accessibility

• Active listening – We start with listening and learning. I will continue to have conversations with our older neighbors to understand what they love about Summit, as well as opportunities for improvement.
• Walkability – We need to restore benches that have been removed from the downtown area and consider adding more benches around town.
• Silver Summit downtown discount program – As has been done with great success in Maplewood, South Orange, and other neighboring communities, we can partner with Summit Downtown, Inc. and local businesses to create a Silver Summit discount program.
• Parking accessibility – To improve parking accessibility, we should explore preferred resident parking in the Deforest Ave lots. Resident parking could be paid on an annual or monthly basis to avoid a stop at the parking meter or paying through a mobile app, and resident parking should be discounted for seniors.

Service

• Mentorship – Our older neighbors have tremendous human capital. The Council’s Partnership could facilitate a mentorship program, pairing volunteer mentors with high school students and other young adults.
• Help with snow removal – We can partner with our high school students to offer free snow removal to any resident who may need a bit of extra help clearing driveways or sidewalks after snowfall.
• Greater support from City Hall – I am advocating for a Summit-dedicated social worker. A Summit social worker could spend part of their time engaging with and supporting our older neighbors.

Together, we can make Summit an even better place to live, for all of Summit. I look forward to hearing your feedback and ideas.