The Linn County Commission was questioned on Monday about the future of the Pleasanton Senior Center. (Journal file photo)
MOUND CITY – On Monday, Jan. 23, the Linn County commissioners attempted to explain to rural Mound City resident Mike White why the Pleasanton Senior Center situation had not been settled yet.
“What’s happening over at Pleasanton with the community center and the folks that eat their noon meal there?” asked White, who was a candidate for the District 2 commission seat in 2020.
White told the commission that when the group of people that used that old facility came to the commission in May, he thought they represented themselves really well and that’s been quite a while ago and nothing has happened yet.
“I’ve thought a lot about that,” said White.
McCullough told him that he had been doing a lot of homework on it and the county was waiting on Pleasanton’s written response.
In an email to the Journal on Tuesday, City Administrator Teresa Whitaker said that her office had just received the county’s latest offer on Friday, Jan. 20. She said that City Attorney Burton Harding was expected to respond to the county’s proposal this week.
Last May, the K-State Extension nutrition assistant Melanie Grote, the Pleasanton Senior Citizen site director Nancy Gustin and others came to the commission meeting to ask that the location issue of the meal site be resolved. The commissioners said they would have a decision soon. Later, McCullough was assigned to get cost estimates to compare the two building sites, the current senior center and the remodeling of part the community center building.
At the Dec. 1 meeting, discussion was once again held about the situation. It was decided that McCullough would go to the Pleasanton council meeting that evening.
The Pleasanton council did not like the proposal and McCullough told them he would be happy to take back a counter offer to the commission. They did not offer one that night.
On Dec. 19, McCullough read to the commission from an email that he had received from Pleasanton Council member Jake Mattingley.
McCullough said that Pleasanton Councilman Jake Mattingley sent him the conditions that might be accepted by the city. They were:
• The city did not want to make a 40-year contract with the county, only a 10-year contract.
• The city does not want the old building.
• The city wants the county to be responsible for all changes to the utility meter, all changes to the heating and cooling system needed to keep the building separate.
• The county would be responsible for cleaning the two bathrooms, kitchen, dining area used plus the restroom.
• The city wants either $250 per month or $3,000 year from the county for upkeep and maintenance.
At the Dec. 19 meeting McCullough said that he would get with Pleasanton City Administrator Teresa Whitaker that week to try to get the details figured out.
“Get us something to look at, that’s what I would like to see, and at least we can negotiate if we have something,” said Commission Chair Jim Johnson at the December meeting.
In other business, the commissioners:
• Agreed to allow Assistant Public Works Director Jessica Hightower to send out request for proposal (RSP) on remodeling the house at the Linn County Park to make it suitable for either renting or putting on Airbnb as a rental.
• Learned from Planning and Zoning Director Darin Wilson that work will be done on the sewer lift systems at Centerville on Feb. 7 and shortly thereafter at the Linn County Park.
• Learned that Public Works Director Shaun West and Jessica Hightower will be meeting with the county’s contracted engineering firm Pfefferkorn Engineering and Environmental to discuss the cost-benefit analysis for the landfill in the next week or two.
• Discussed checking into contracting fuel for the Road and Bridge Department with West. Jason Hightower pointed out that February was historically the best month to buy lower-priced diesel. West said that he and Jessica Hightower would check into that.
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