By Terry Witt – Spotlight Senior Reporter
Wheels were set in motion Tuesday by the Levy County Commission to purchase the old Bronson High School campus from the school board for $1.5 million.
Commissioners voted unanimously to approve a purchase contract with the school board. County Commission Chairman John Meeks, who was instrumental in negotiating a lower price, said the school board benefits by taking all the student stations at the old school off the books. The state will look at the number of student stations available countywide when it considers whether to fund construction of a new Chiefland Middle High School.
Negotiations between the school board and county commission began when the asking price was $1.75 million. County Coordinator Wilbur Dean was the main negotiator. The asking price was enough to build a new school board office complex off Marshburn Drive in Bronson, a project the school board believes is long overdue. The current administrative office complex is cramped. Many of the offices are located in mobile homes adjacent to the main school board office building. The school board will vote on the old BHS contract at its next school board meeting.
School Superintendent Jeff Edison said the purchase benefits the school board, the county commission, and taxpayers. He said the county commission won’t have to build a new courthouse in his lifetime. The school board benefits by taking the school off its books and using money from the sale to build a new school board office complex. All school district-level administrators will operate under one roof with the new facility, making communications much easier.
“I think it’s a win-win for the county and the taxpayers,” Edison said.
Meeks said school board officials agreed to lower the price to $1.5 million in exchange for the county performing certain services for the school district. He didn’t say what those services might be, but one recent example of the county commission working with a local government was the changes made to the Bronson football field at James H. Cobb Park. The county road department graded the field, leveled it and planted grass for the town. The leveling improved drainage on the field.
When the board closes on the purchase, the property appraiser, tax collector, building and zoning, county attorney, veterans’ service office and county maintenance will move to the building, making it a one-stop center for most county government business. The maintenance department will probably move to the building first to begin making mostly cosmetic changes to the interior to fit the needs of courthouse elected officials.
The clerk of court and the judicial offices will remain at the courthouse and their facilities may be expanded or modified to create more small meeting areas for court business. The clerk and judicial areas already occupy much of the courthouse.
Meeks said the purchase will improve security for judges. He said the county would most likely close the street that runs between the back of the courthouse and the school to provide secure parking for judges, something that doesn’t exist now. The county would have to request a street closure from the Bronson Town Council.
The campus, which has 70,000 square feet of building space plus an unused football field, a rarely used gymnasium, and a fully equipped cafeteria will become an extension of the Levy County Courthouse, located about 40 feet from the school building. Meeks, thinking out loud, suggesting the cafeteria could possibly be leased to a vendor to serve breakfast and lunch to courthouse employees and possibly residents participating in court proceedings. Judges often allow an hour for lunch, which Meeks said doesn’t allow time to go to local restaurants.
Student stations for the old Bronson High School must come off the school board’s books before it asks for state legislative funding for the new Chiefland Middle High School. The school board has found a buyer for the old Williston High School for the same reason. The old Williston Middle School is also on the market. The two Williston schools are no longer used for the education of students. Neither of the school campuses is needed and the student stations will remain on the books until the facilities are sold. The new Chiefland Middle High School will be constructed at the site of the current school.
When the county moves its offices to the old school, Dean said the county-owned building and zoning office, across the street from Bronson Town Hall, could be sold for about $260,000 and the nearby Baker Building, which houses the county attorney, could be sold for about $120,000. He was basing those numbers on the value of the buildings for tax purposes and adding 15 to 20 percent to get market value. The $380,000 from the sale of the buildings would reduce the impact on the county budget.
Dean said the purchase was a win-win for the county. Meeks said the purchase of the building could delay construction of a new courthouse judicial annex for 15 to 20 years and avoid the chief judge ordering the county to build the new judicial center, which he has the power to do.
“If we don’t take advantage of it we may not have this opportunity again,” Meeks said.
Dean said the county has not calculated the cost of security for the old school. He doesn’t foresee the building being a single-entrance facility like the courthouse, but Meeks said security would be provided for courthouse offices that collect sums of cash every day. The courthouse is currently a single entrance facility. Everyone entering must go through a metal detector.
Commissioner Matt Brooks voted for the purchase but said he would have preferred to see a floor plan showing where everything would be located before voting.
Photo by Terry Witt: The old Bronson High School includes a fully equipped cafeteria on the left. The front entrance can also be seen in this shot. The courthouse is a short walk from the entrance.
Board of County Commission Regular Meeting June 5, 2018
Posted June 5, 2018
