BAILEYTON, Ala. – Baileyton Town Hall on Monday night was packed with young and old alike in support of area seniors. Several speakers were on the agenda to address the town council and gain understanding of the Town’s recent decisions regarding the use of the Baileyton Senior Center.
Mayor Windell Calloway opened the meeting with an invocation and the pledge and addressed the senior center debacle before handling new business.
“There’s several things we want to address before we get started,” he said. “There’s been several things said, and they’re all about half-truths.”
The seniors said last month that the council revoked their use of a bus they said was paid for with grant money and intended for their use. Calloway said the issue of the bus came up during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“You couldn’t use anything during Covid; the governor shut it down,” he said.
He also explained that the rules under which the bus was acquired were broken, saying, “It said the bus could not be taken out of the county, much less the state, which it was.”
Mayor Calloway also gave clarification about where the Baileyton Bargain Days funds are going. “If you look out that window, you’ll see a sign. That sign has been bought with it.” He also explained the funds become town funds once the items are sold. Calloway said the money is placed in the park fund at the advice of those who give them the Bargain Days merchandise, but the funds are spread throughout the town.
Jim Fisher, president of the Baileyton Senior Center, opened his three-minute time slot with a question: “My job is to worry about the seniors that come over to this building over here, the senior center. I need to know, Windell, from you, if it is going to be open this Thursday or if it will be locked.”
Calloway quickly responded, “I’m not sure; we haven’t made all the rules and set up everything for it yet.”
After some back and forth, Calloway assured the seniors, “We’re going to have a senior center. It’s going to be open, but it’s going to be run by the Town so it’s legal. We’re going to have a set of rules for it. If you want to be a part of it, you’re more than welcome to, but you got to come under the rules.”
Councilman DeWayne Sumner made a motion to authorize the Baileyton Senior Center to be open, fall under the scope of the Town and keep the seniors’ items in the building – which items, particularly, to be decided by both the Town and seniors. Councilman Benny Guthrie seconded and the motion passed unanimously.
Sumner also made a motion for the Baileyton seniors to use the shelving in the storage building for their seasonal merchandise. Guthrie seconded, and the motion carried.
Michelle Fisher, the wife of Jim Fisher, opened her three-minute time slot with appreciation. “It would be very easy for me to stand up here and complain, and get upset, at someone or something. But I’m choosing not to do that tonight. I’m choosing to thank each and every one of you for coming out to the town meeting and supporting your seniors.”
She urged those in attendance to stay involved after the meeting, to continue to support their seniors through connection and fellowship.
Kathryn Arnold, a licensed Medicare agent from a neighboring county, opened her three-minute time slot with a plea for support programs typically offered by senior centers. “Many seniors rely on the centers for assistance with meals and transportation; the center also serves as a hub for community events and activities. They offer information about Social Security benefits, Medicare. By keeping the senior center open we are ensuring that valuable older adults have a safe place to turn to for help.”
Guthrie offered an emotional plea for peace among the seniors and the Town. “There’s a lot of things that we’re having to fill in for that the previous administration didn’t do correctly; whether they knew or didn’t know better is neither here nor there, but it just happened. So some of those things we’re having to fix.”
He continued, “We don’t all agree on everything. There are six of us up here, and we don’t all agree on everything. But that’s what makes this world go round. I continue to pray that we grow through this not just as a council, but as a community.”
After a spirited exchange between those in attendance and the council, Sumner offered to act as a liaison between the senior center and town council. No resolution was made on that front as a motion to adjourn was made. Concerned residents then approached the council with their complaints that they felt were not heard during the public comments portion of the meeting.
The next Baileyton Town Council meeting will be held Monday, May 1, 2023, at 7 p.m.
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