LUCERNE – County leaders want a complete study of the Lucerne Senior Center building's needs in light of concerns over additional, critical repairs the building requires.

On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors – sitting as the Redevelopment Agency Board of Directors – considered county administrative staff's request for direction on what steps to take next in assisting the center.

At its Jan. 22 meeting, the board approved using $30,000 in redevelopment funds for a new roof for the building.

The funds for that work, County Chief Administrative Officer and Redevelopment Executive Director Kelly Cox said Tuesday, is coming from $100,000 that had initially been set aside for repairs to the Lucerne Clubhouse.

Since approving the roof work, Cox explained, county staff have discovered myriad other problems, the main one being an electrical system that needs significant overhaul.

“It's very serious,” Cox said. “It's going to cost a significant amount of money to correct that.”

In addition, the building's kitchen – which serves food daily – need works, Cox said.

He estimated that the electrical work will cost at least $40,000, and once the clubhouse money is gone “that's all we have.”

Over and above the expenses and the need for repairs, Cox was concerned about keeping the building available for the community's use.

In recent years the center has had money problems, including back taxes that led to liens and cuts in funding.

“I have a concern that they could end up getting themselves in financial problems again somewhere down the line and end up losing the building,” said Cox.

He added, “We've got to figure out a way to protect that investment.”

Last year the county purchased the center's thrift shop building for $150,000 in order to help it wipe out most of its outstanding debt. It's not as simple a matter with the larger, main building, said Cox.

Cox said he doesn't know if the county or the Redevelopment Agency would want to own the building, or if that was even a possibility. He said the center uses the building as collateral for funding, and he said it's his understanding the main building has liens against it now.

County Counsel Anita Grant has been asked to look at the matter, said Cox.

Supervisor Denise Rushing, in whose district the center is located, said Lucerne residents expressed their support of using the clubhouse funds to repair the senior center at a February town hall.

She agreed that she would like to see a control mechanism to protect the center. “This particular building is very important to the community.”

Grant said the county could look at a part ownership in the building.

Either way, Cox maintained that the electrical repairs needed to be completed. “You would be absolutely shocked if you saw what I saw, what our staff saw.”

Board Chair Ed Robey asked if this would be the last of the problems.

Cox said a mold inspector checked out the building and returned with a positive report, noting only a minor mold problem in one area.

Supervisor Rob Brown said he was concerned about termites and, especially, asbestos, as the center is housed in old school building.

“That thing should have a thorough inspection as if we were buying it for our own personal property,” Brown said. “It's worth saving.”

Supervisor Jeff Smith said he was concerned that costs could quickly balloon if the county wasn't prepared.

Cox did receive the requested direction from the board, who asked him to have a full inspection done to assess all of the building's needs before spending any additional funds.

A better situation for the center

Lee Tyree, the Lucerne Senior Center's new executive director, told Lake County News Wednesday that she agreed with Cox's assessment of the condition of the building's electrical system.

She said center officials knew the wiring wasn't in good shape and had likely been updated over the years through unpermitted work. But it wasn't until the county inspected the situation that they saw how dangerous it was.

Tyree said it's surprising that the building hasn't burned down. “The more they looked the worse it was.”

But the building, which Tyree said was constructed in the 1930s, is otherwise very sound.

The only work approved so far has been patching the roof to get through the winter, in anticipation of a new roof, said Tyree. The patch job, she added, hasn't yet taken place, and likely won't be needed before the main reroof is done.

Tyree said the county's concerns about the building's future are understandable, and she went so far as to suggest the county should hold the building's first mortgage. However, she said no formal negotiations have taken place on that issue between the center or the county.

The center's actual financial situation isn't a bad one currently, said Tyree.

JJ Jackson, Lucerne's former executive director who now serves in that capacity for the Lakeport center, told Lake County News that when the county purchased the thrift shop building all debts were paid off except a $38,000 line of credit to Umpqua Bank. That was turned into a loan, secured by the building, that has about four years left on it, with monthly payments of about $560.

“That is the only thing I know of that is encumbering the building in any way,” said Jackson.

With repairs scheduled on the building, a new board, a new cook and more hot meals served daily, Tyree said things are looking up.

“It's rolling right along,” she said. “It's very exciting.”

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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