LAGUNA NIGUEL

City Council members denied a request by the Senior Citizens Committee for money to expand a senior transportation program and instead decided to keep federal block grant funding at current levels. The service was one of several programs community members were hoping could share in a piece of the $308,000 awarded to the city this year by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The request sought $30,888 to expand the South County Senior Services Paratransit Services, which now provides transportation to Sea Country Senior and Community Center each Wednesday, to three days a week. The council recommendation allots only $8,580 to continue the Wednesday service.

“Even if there was only one senior using it, it would be worth the money,” said committee member Al Chiurazzi of expanding the service. “There’s people that really need the lunches that are provided [there] every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.”

But Mayor Mark Goodman said increasing the funding would be “inefficient and wasteful,” adding: “Cities providing transportation for seniors is a horrible waste of time. Seniors should be advocating [for] more services from the Orange County Transportation Authority.”