Jackson County supervisors discuss senior center rekeying, lease and operating costs; no formal action taken

Jackson County supervisors on Thursday discussed short-term management of the county-owned senior center after the building was rekeyed and utilities transferred to county accounts.

An executive assistant told the board keys to the senior center were distributed to six individuals and that the county had taken responsibility for water, sewer and lighting. The county learned a pest-control contractor planned to pick up equipment after receiving notice the senior center’s lease was being canceled, the assistant said.

Board members raised multiple operational questions: who will be responsible for routine cleaning and pest control; whether the county or the senior center board should cover those expenses; and whether groups that rent space should be charged fees that cover operating costs. The meeting record shows cleaning service currently contracted through the center is $35 per hour; frequency discussed in public remarks was “every other week for 2 hours,” and the speaker referenced monthly cleaning costs in a range the transcript recorded as “$100 and $440 a month.” The board discussed including explicit utility and operations terms in a written lease or sublease.

Board members said they expected to negotiate a written lease with the senior center board that would spell out responsibilities (utilities, trash, cleaning, pest control, Wi‑Fi) and any subleasing or third‑party arrangements. The board suggested involving the senior center board and other stakeholders in a work session to clarify terms and noted that some insurance questions are outside county authority and should be resolved by the center’s insurance agent.

No formal motions were made to adopt specific lease terms or to assume ongoing cleaning and pest-control contracts; the board directed staff to gather existing agreements (including a sample agreement obtained from Bellevue) and prepare a proposed lease outlining which utilities and services the county will cover and which the senior center will be responsible for. The item was flagged for inclusion in the county’s upcoming budget discussions.

Quotes (from transcript): - “We did get the senior center rekeyed last Friday. Keys were handed out to 6 individuals,” the executive assistant said. - “I talked to Janet Bowles last week … she wants to know where you’re at with the lease or the agreement,” the assistant said, describing the senior center board’s request for clarity.

Ending: Staff will compile existing vendor agreements, contact the senior center board and prepare a draft lease or memorandum of understanding for board review; a work session and budget discussion were suggested to finalize operating responsibilities.