Boys & Girls Club proposes Harris lease

Bedford County may have found someone to lease the old Harris Middle School, but there are a lot of ifs, ands, or buts along the way.

Johnny Donegan approached the Courthouse and Property Committee at the meeting Tuesday night and asked -- if all things work out -- the county would be willing to lease the old school for $1 per year.

"The Boys & Girls Club is getting ready to start a club here," Donegan said, "if we can raise $175,000 to start it. We were wanting you to consider leasing us the old Harris Middle School for $1 a year."

The bulk of that amount would be for salaries, he said later, but the club would be willing to meet the obligations of the property.

"We would be responsible for the upkeep, lighting, water. We don't know now if it would be feasible, we don't have all the particulars. We'll have to have some studies done," Donegan said.

National funding

The Bedford County Boys & Girls Club, like the one opened a few years ago in Smyrna, would be under the umbrella of the Murfreesboro club, and would be affiliated with the national organization.

"We would get some funding from the Boys & Girls Club of America," said Donegan, whose cousin Kelly Rollins is the chairman of the board for the Murfreesboro organization.

The purpose of the club, said Donegan, is to give kids a chance. Summer hours would probably be from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. and during the school year from the time school lets out until 9 p.m.

"We're going to have tutors," he said "We're going to get them off the streets. We're trying to steer them in the right direction."

Safety concerns

Donegan said the club would only need about 10,000 to 15,000 square feet of the old building to start with -- essentially, the first floor.

One commissioner questioned the safety of the building, saying it had been taken out of a service as a school on the fire marshal's orders. Donegan said it had been condemned when it was a high school, and a new high school was built -- then it was used as a middle school before the fire marshal closed it again.

"It's fit for human habitation," he said. "We would be responsible for getting it up to code."

"Do you think the City of Shelbyville will let you use some of the facilities?" asked commissioner Linda Yockey, a member of the courthouse and property committee.

"You mean the gym?" asked Donegan. "No."

The committee agreed to look into the issue and to pass the request along to the county commission.

Justice center

Steve Campbell, business development director of Bell and Associates Construction, was scheduled to speak to the committee but did not show. According to County Mayor Eugene Ray, the company specializes in building jails and justice centers.

The proposed justice center brought questions from several on the committee and those attending the meeting. Sheriff's department administrator Larry Lowman asked the committee to meet with representatives of Community Facility Loans, which he said specializes in funding criminal justice centers and other "political subdivisions."

"They are really excited -- this would be their largest commitment they have done," he said. Lowman said there was also a local bank on board to assist with financing.

Joe Tillett, finance committee chairman, said the county would be meeting with County Technical Assistance Service next week.

"I don't think it hurts to talk about anything," said Tillett. "I would encourage everybody to come to the finance committee. CTAS will be there to talk about if we have the ability to borrow with our current revenue sources."

Tillett also questioned the feasibility and cost effectiveness of having state prisoners at the county jail, even with the money the state pays to keep them

"We can't just call Nashville and say come get them," said Lowman, who estimated 40 to 45 of the current 110 prisoners are the state's. "They have 11,000 already with nowhere to go."

Court space

Yockey also requested the finance committee be asked to look into the feasibility of leasing the Regions Bank building on the Shelbyville square for judicial purposes. Funds for security and improvements would come from guilty plea warrants, $25 for each category from each warrant.

Tillett asked the committee for a study of the current usage of the courthouse and courtrooms "to see if it's adequately used or not," he said.

"I wish these people who are talking about the court system would all come up here," said Thomas Smith, circuit court clerk. He said the courtrooms are almost always filled, and sometimes overfilled.

The committee agreed to look at a court schedule to get some idea of the usage per day per room.