It wasn’t too long ago that the Ripon City Council passed an amendment to the Bingo Ordinance.

This paved the way for the City of Ripon, the Senior Center Commission, and Friends of the Senior Center to coordinate operations to legally conduct such games.

“An organization authorized to conduct bingo games shall conduct a bingo game only on property owned or leased by it, or property whose use is donated to the organization, and which property is used by that organization for an office or for performance of the purposes for which the organization is organized,” said City Clerk Lisa Roos, reciting the updated ordinance.

Enter Friends of the Senior Center, a non-profit organization founded in 1999 that supports the local facility at 433 S. Wilma Ave.

At the July 14 meeting, Council approved the Friends request to enter into a formal lease of the Senior Center, in turn, putting on bingo games in compliance with the new ordinance.

In addition to the lease, Roos noted staff’s request for elected leaders to consider changes to the Ripon Municipal Code. This calls for deleting any references to the Senior Center Commission while creating a relationship similar to that of the City and Friends of the Library.

Friends of the Senior Center’s board of director could then take on the roles of both the Senior Commission and the Friends of the Senior Center.

Council will have a chance to revisit the changes at a future meeting.

Since the 1960s, the Senior Center has been serving the community with a variety of activities, Roos said.

Today, exercise classes, weekly movies, card playing, billiards, ceramics, oil painting and various other programs are offered each week at the Senior Center.