CLEVELAND, Tenn. — Bradley County owns it. The McDonald Ruritan Club leases it.
But now club members are wondering: Who is responsible for maintenance of their clubhouse and the old McDonald Elementary School building nearby? Who is responsible for replacing a leaking schoolhouse roof?
Bradley County Commissioner Ed Elkins, a McDonald Ruritan Club member, brought those questions to the commission Monday.
Commissioners referred his questions to the Buildings and Lands Committee. Options include deeding the buildings to the club or paying for a new roof, commissioners said.
Mr. Elkins said the Ruritans in 1986 signed a 50-year lease on the club building. The club also has a 25-year lease on the old school building. The school gym still is controlled by the county Parks and Recreation Department.
The lease agreements were written with obscure language, Mr. Elkins said.
When the school was closed, its wiring was stripped out. The club has rewired the building at a $35,000 expense, members say.
Now there is talk of putting the old school, which serves as a community center, to other uses, too. The county school board’s site committee put the property on its list for a potential new school.
“So the question has come up and the Ruritan Club is looking for clarification,” Mr. Elkins said. “The club has concerns about spending any money.”
The leaking roof raises health questions, too, and thus a potential liability issue, Commissioner Lisa Stanbery said. Wet or falling ceiling tiles could release asbestos, she said.
“It is important that we don’t have any risk or liability as a county, because we are leasing a building that has not been maintained,” she said.