Oconee County to consider transferring Civic Center to school board in exchange for 42.7 acres

The Oconee County Board of Commissioners said on June 16 it will meet jointly with the Board of Education on July 6 to consider a property exchange that would transfer management of the county Civic Center to the school board in return for about 42.7 acres of land outside Bishop.

The chair said the Civic Center, constructed in 1992 at an original price of about $2.2 million, is heavily used by the school system. "We're looking at taking the Civic Center transferring that to the Board of Education, and in exchange, they will give us 42.7 acres of property right outside of Bishop," the chair said. The county intends to hold the received property for a future park rather than allow subdivision.

Officials said elections would continue to be held at the Civic Center for the full length of the intergovernmental agreement. County leaders said a draft agreement between the Board of Education and the Board of Commissioners should be available before the June 30 meeting and would be discussed ahead of the July 6 action.

Louise Langdale, a Library Friends Group volunteer, asked whether events already booked at the Civic Center (including book sale dates in September and February) would remain scheduled after the transfer; county staff responded that events programmed before the changeover (targeted for Sept. 1) will remain but that some operating rules, including policies on alcohol and firearms, could change and cost impacts for nonprofit users are still to be determined.

No formal vote or agreement was taken at the town hall; the item is set for discussion and possible action at the joint July 6 meeting.