SOUNDING OFF:

For many months the Costa Mesa Senior Center has been in turmoil, created by Councilwoman Wendy Leece as she engages what can only be described as a witch hunt.

Apparently, listening only to a few comments from one or two disgruntled seniors and taking them as gospel, Leece seems determined to disrupt operations at the center and take over or oust the corporation that operates it.

Former Councilman, current senior center board member and past President of the board Mike Scheafer provided a strong counterpoint to recent criticism of the board in his Sunday letter, “Senior Center finances are transparent.”

His explanations should dispel apprehensions Leece may have, but I doubt they will. Her motives seem less to do with the well-being of our seniors and more with politics.

In his Saturday article, “Proposal not related to Leece,” reporter Alan Blank told us of Councilman Gary Monahan’s plan to propose the creation of a new city committee to study the center in anticipation of the extension of the agreement with the city under which the Senior Corporation operates, which comes up in 2010.

He sees this committee comprising a handful of community members — two council members, two members of the center board, three members at-large, all of whom would be “voting members.”

The staff report by City Manager Allan Roeder concludes by saying: “Should the City Council choose to support implementation of the proposed committee, it will only move forward with the support of the board of the Senior Corporation. The city does not maintain unilateral authority over the corporation or its board, so cooperation between the parties is essential. At the conclusion of the committee’s work, there will likely be action items requiring City Council approval; some requiring action by the board of the Senior Corporation and still others that require approval by both entities. Consequently, there are no binding actions as a consequence of establishing this committee — simply opportunities.” Thus the board will be under no obligation to follow any of the committee’s recommendations.

So, I find myself wondering just what this is all about. Is Monahan joining Leece? Or, hopefully, is he actually trying to put this whole issue to rest? If the latter is true, creating a new city committee to “study” the center for a year or so seems like overkill.

This item is on the agenda tonight near the end of the meeting — at a time when most seniors will be home. I’m giving Monahan the benefit of the doubt — until I hear his actual pitch on this issue, that is.

GEOFF WEST lives in Costa Mesa.