City okays purchase of building for local senior citizen center
By Melinda L. Lucas
The dream of a place for local senior citizens to call their own is close to becoming a reality after Albany city council members voted to facilitate the purchase of the Shekinah office building for use as a senior citizen center.
At their regular meeting on Monday, Oct. 14, the council also approved members of a committee that has already started raising the $85,000 asking price for the structure, as well as funds that will be needed for remodeling.
The city will own the building, and monies will be funneled through a special municipal account in order to reduce insurance and other costs.
No city revenue has been budgeted for the senior citizen center.
The approved committee consists of president Tracy Sullivan, vice president Betty Jones, treasurer Jolene Hudman, secretary Mary Beth Jones, reporter Mozelle Bartee, and council liaison Carolyn Waller.
“This group has been looking for a building for a long time, and they are really excited about getting it remodeled and having games and activities there,” said Sullivan.
She added that the sale is not expected to be finalized until the end of the month, and plans for reshaping the interior, including the addition of a kitchenette, will get underway at that time.
The existing restroom will also need to be enlarged to become handicap accessible, Sullivan said.
Providing Roll-Offs
At Monday’s meeting, council members also authorized city manager Billy Holson to utilize some of the containers that are provided to the city free of charge each year for removal of dilapidated houses.
Holson said that he had been approached by several property owners who want to tear down unsound structures.
“This kind of help would give some incentive to get rid of houses that are a danger and just provide a home for unwanted animals,” said Holson. “This way we wouldn’t be forcing it on anybody, just encouraging them to do it on their own.”
Council members gave their approval for the plan as long as the structures are first tested for lead and asbestos, and the roll-offs are used only for demolition of houses in dilapidated condition, not for remodeling.
Other Business
•The council gave Holson permission to proceed with setting up a no-cost lease agreement with ResourceCare for the city-owned Youth Center building.
•The city’s 350 votes for the Shackelford County Appraisal District board, which is not enough to independently elect a city representative, were split between Albany residents Bruce Bailey, Robert Skelton, and John Tate, who serve for other entities.
