Rick Patrick rick@greenepublishing.com During a special meeting of the Lee Town Council on Wednesday, July 9, the Council discussed needed repairs to the Lee Business Center, which the town owns. This is the location of the old Lee School. Of greatest need in the building is the replacement of several electrical outlets, some of which have sparks flying out. This has raised safety concerns, especially in terms of fire hazards. The Town has been appropriated a $375,000 grant from the State of Florida to bring the business center up to standard to be used as a “post event” emergency shelter. This means the building could be used to house people still needing shelter after a major event such as a hurricane is over and people need to vacate the storm shelter. During the discussion, Council Member Ken Szostek raised concerns stating he did not want to take out loans to cover the work. He also suggested the town receive bids so they will have a firm idea on the cost of the needed repairs. Mayor James Ruzicka expressed that the work will need to be done, one way or another in order for the town to reap the benefits of having the business center. “It’s a long-term goal,” stated Mayor Ruzicka. After the electrical work is done, next on the list of importance is work on the air conditioning units, then building ramps to bring the building up to American with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards. Time is of the essence because the new micro-school is still seeking to lease space in the building. Representatives from the school stated they would like to lease more rooms in order to have more space. The school is planning to begin classes in a few weeks in order to keep a similar schedule as the Madison County public schools. The council decided to move forward with seeking bids for the electrical work. The next regular meeting of the Lee Town Council is set for Tuesday, Aug. 5, at 7 p.m. The meeting will take place in Kinsey Hall, located at 286 NE County Road 255, in Lee.
