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Commissioners approve 1‑year lease for Nanahala community club, give library key access
Summary
After weeks of debate about keys, scheduling and bingo licensing, the board approved a one‑year meeting‑room lease for the Nanahala Community Development Club with library key access and clawback provisions; the vote was recorded 4–1 in favor.
The Macon County Board of Commissioners voted to grant a one‑year meeting‑room lease to the Nanahala Community Development Club and to provide the Nanahala library with key access for scheduled programs, resolving months of disagreement over access, scheduling, and whether bingo operations required a longer lease for licensing.
Staff and community members canvassed three options for the building’s north half — a per‑day lease, the county’s standard one‑year lease, or the community club’s proposed full‑premises lease. Library representatives voiced concern that they have to call club members to unlock the space for scheduled programs and asked for reliable access for recurring activities such as exercise classes. The community club described multiple educational and community offerings it already runs and said it intends to expand programming; the club also explained fundraising plans for facility upkeep.
Commissioners debated legal constraints around bingo licensing, fee structures and whether rental income should be treated as donations when the club does not hold title. Commissioner Breeden initially proposed a motion that was withdrawn; the board ultimately adopted a motion to enter into a one‑year meeting‑room lease (meeting‑room lease from county templates) with language ensuring library key access for scheduled programs, a reduced fee schedule, and clawback provisions allowing the county to terminate the lease for nonperformance.
The board’s direction emphasized that the building remain primarily available to Nanahala residents and that schedules be maintained via the Google calendar currently in use. Commissioners also asked staff to include explicit expectations about cleanliness and scheduling in the lease and to revisit the arrangement if conflicts persist. The motion was seconded and passed with a 4–1 recorded vote.
Next steps: staff will finalize the one‑year meeting‑room lease language to include the agreed fee schedule, provisioning of a library key for scheduled programs, and clawback/termination language; county staff will monitor use and return to the board if problems arise.
