Board reviews $1-per-year lease for Dexter senior center in federally funded multigenerational complex

The Dexter Community School District board considered a proposed lease that would make the Dexter Active Aging Center the long‑term occupant of a multigenerational community center in the district’s new wellness complex.

The lease, recommended by the senior center board and by the district’s multigenerational subcommittee, is written as a $1‑per‑year agreement because the building was paid for with federal funds, district staff said at the meeting. The lease also assigns operating costs — including utilities, routine repairs and daily operating expenses — to the senior center, which is a separate 501(c)(3) organization.

Why it matters: The building was paid for with federal grant dollars and must continue to be used for its intended purpose through the period required by the grant, district staff said; that federal requirement constrains how district officials can treat the property and how any transfer or sale would be handled. The arrangement also clarifies that bond dollars the district passed will remain available for longer‑term infrastructure work at the school district’s discretion.

Jim Carson, speaking for the Dexter Seniors community and the senior center board, thanked the district for its “generous support and assistance in helping us in finding a new home” and said he would remain after the meeting to answer questions. The staff member who introduced the lease described the agreement and the operational responsibilities in detail: “it is a dollar a year because the building itself was paid for with federal funds,” the staff member said, and added that the district must ensure the complex “is continuing to be used for its intended purpose” through the grant period (through 2030, as stated by staff during the discussion).

District staff told the board that the senior center will be responsible for utilities and everyday repairs inside its leased space and that the district has allocated bond dollars that could be used for major infrastructure items — such as HVAC or water‑heater replacements — at the school board’s discretion. Staff also said the center has its own nonprofit status and that daily financial operations will not run through the district.

Public comment at the meeting included praise for the collaboration between the senior center and the district. Senior center representatives reported growing membership since the wellness building opened, indicating an increase from about 360 members to “just a little over 500,” and said the larger facility has drawn participants from neighboring jurisdictions.

Action status: The board made a motion and seconded consideration of the lease during the meeting; the transcript records the proposal, discussion and a recorded recommendation by the senior board but does not specify a roll‑call tally or a final vote outcome in the meeting text provided.

Looking ahead: Staff said the district will continue to monitor federal grant requirements tied to the property and will reserve bond dollars, at the board’s discretion, for major future infrastructure needs. Senior center volunteers and staff plan to continue outreach now that the space is established as a community facility.