The Board of Supervisors, sitting as the Lake County Redevelopment Agency Board of Directors, voted 4-0 to spend redevelopment funds to address the center's serious roof problems. Supervisor Rob Brown was absent from the Tuesday meeting.
As Lake County News reported earlier this week, Kelly Cox, the county's redevelopment executive director and county chief administrative officer, and Deputy Redevelopment Director Eric Seely made the request for funding on the center's behalf.
Seely and Cox made a report to the board Tuesday about the roof's poor condition. Seely himself went up onto the building's roof to get a look, he reported.
The roof had previously been worked on two years ago but the company doing the work didn't do it right, which resulted in leaks, staff told the board.
Cox said Seely has been trying to get roofing contractors out to the site to make a bid, which has been difficult because many such contractors are very busy at this time of year.
He added that Seely is set to meet a contract at the senior center later this week.
Seely said the roof's configuration won't allow them to simply place a tarp over it during the bad weather.
In the short term, Seely and Cox suggested they might need $4,000 for temporary roof repairs before taking on a full reroof later, at a cost of about $30,000.
The board chambers' gallery was filled with people who came to express their support for the county's aid in repairing the building.
Board Chair Ed Robey asked for a show of hands to see how many supported the roof repair. Everyone raised their hand.
Lucerne property owner Scotty McNeil suggested to the board that, in addition to repairing the roof, they should look to see what mold damage might have resulted from the roof leak.
“Thank you very much for your quick response to this important issue,” McNeil told the board.
Senior center volunteer Wanda Quitiquit said she has started the application process to seek historical status for the building. That status, she said, could help bring funds for building repairs.
Debbie Blake told the board she doesn't live in Lucerne but she visits the center. She asked the board to consider helping the senior center with a solar setup to help them with their power bill.
JJ Jackson, who recently left his post as executive director of the Lucerne Senior Center to take the same job at the Lakeport Senior Center, came to express the Lakeport center's support for the board's help for Lucerne.
District 3 Supervisor moved to approve the funds, which the board unanimously supported, a vote which earned them a round of applause from the senior center's audience full of supporters.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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