NewsWest 9
ODESSA - It was a heated debate at the Community Senior Services (CSS) Center in Midland. There are two sides to every story. This heated meeting was no different. Seniors raised three issues: staff banning community members, dissolving groups and canceling activities.
Now look at the situation from the other side. Directors of the Center say seniors don't follow rules and have no respect for authority.
After the City Council started the meeting at the Center, seniors were eager to address complaints. Jack Rodgers, a member of the center spoke up first, on behalf of seniors.
"I've been at Midland senior center for four years and the CSS, to me, has not done anything for the Midland Senior Center," Rodgers said.
You could see the tension with every comment made on Wednesday. Three city council members came to hear comments from members and staff of the Midland Senior Center. It was a standing room only, with both sides pointing the finger at each other.
"You can't just come in and push someone aside and make my staff people cry," Linda Jackson, Director of the Midland Community Senior Services Center, said.
A number of issues were discussed. Seniors are being banned from the building by directors, who said some seniors disregarded any rules at the center. The city council members acted as mediators; trying to gather all the facts.
"I'm still trying to go back to this program advisory board. The reason it was created was to operate more efficiently or was it created to get rid, to circumvent people?" District 2 City Councilman, John Love, asked.
