Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Board, McKenzie Meet; Discuss School's Property To Be Sold

Selling the old Gurdon High School complex may not be as easy as the Gurdon School Board hoped.

The board met Tuesday, April 18, with the prospective buyer, Mike McKenzie, owner of M&M Enterprises, was on hand to discuss the situation with the panel.

McKenzie has tendered an offer of $25,000 for the buildings, saying he wants to use them primarily for storage at this time, but, later on would like to do manufacturing there as well.

However, the city has an ordinance concerning the load limit for streets of 25,000 pounds.

Gurdon Superintendent Bobby Smithson said the Gurdon City Council will have to be petitioned to amend the ordinance and increase the load limit.

"We have had food service trucks deliver and they weighed more than 25,000 pounds," he said, "but we don't want any problems. I don't know if the council will agree."

McKenzie said he had no idea about the ordinance, adding the building is needed for storage more than anything right now.

"We can shuttle supplies back and forth and there won't be any problems with the weight limit," he said. "All of our trucks are light.

Moving trees and leaves will be what M&M does first, if the transaction is made. He said there won't be as much traffic as there was when the school was located there.

The current plant, he said, is too small and some inventory has had to be left outside in the rain.

If he buys the buildings, there will be three to five trucks a day shuttling supplies back and forth.

Smithson said a title transfer would cost $250-$300 and a survey may have to be done on the property.

The title search could be time consuming as the school dates back to the 1920s.

McKenzie agreed to pay for the title search, but said the survey may not be necessary, but if a survey is required it would be up to the buyer to do it.

Smithson said M&M could pick out three window unit air conditioners, with the rest to be sold at auction, along with the other contents of the buildings.

Until the fires Thursday, April 20, the parties had agreed the district could continue using the old home economics building for the alternative learning experience and in school suspension students.

However, the building was burned and can no longer be used.

McKenzie said he would like to have the auditorium and seats as it is the best building on the grounds. It could be used by groups and churches upon request, along with being made available for other community uses.

Smithson asked to be allowed to keep the side and main basketball goals from the old gym, with McKenzie agreeing.

These goals would be installed in the new gym at Gurdon High School, though the support structures would have to be adapted for them.

The parties discussed a long-term agreement, which is now moot, on the district using the home economics building until a new location can be found for ALE and ISS students.

The board discussed selling all of the buildings at once or a few at a time. Board member Stan Escalante suggested getting rid of all of them at once as long as the home economics building could be used for ALE and ISS.

Smithson said the most pressing problem is the city ordinance, as it is unknown how the council will react to it.

Jesse Runyan, a member of the board, wanted to get the public's reaction to the sale of the old GHS facility as it is a controversial move.

The other members disagreed saying the district has been trying to sell it since the middle school was moved to Highway 67 and the public knows the district's intentions toward the old GHS.

McKenzie said M&M wouldn't do any burning at the GHS site and would keep it maintained.

Smithson said a special session can be called once the council makes a decision.

He also pointed out another party is interested in the facility and would attempt to get grants to make it into a daycare center and low income housing for the elderly.

Should something happen to keep the facility from being sold to McKenzie, this party will be contacted.

Smithson told the board about property reevaluation and how it will affect the district.

The new law requires property to be assessed every three years. It will cost $500,000 for this to be done, he said, and the state will pick up $420,00 of the tab.

This means the districts in the county will have to pay $80,000 on a per capita basis.

The assessment currently being done will go on the books in 2001, with the taxes to be paid in 2002.

Smithson said Gurdon's share of the costs will most likely be withheld from the money the state pays the district.

Some people's taxes could be reduced by the new assessment, while others could have their taxes raised by it.

Overall, he said, the tax revenue will most likely drop for the Gurdon School District and the board needs to begin making allowances for it.

The last time property was assessed in Clark County was 1990.

Recent growth in tax revenue has allowed the district to obtain second lien bonds, but the assessment could reduce what money comes in.

Smithson said the state will match any losses dollar for dollar up to 25 mill. Gurdon, however, has a millage rate of 36, so the district could lose $11,000 per million in taxes assessed locally.

"I think we can weather the storm and the loss will be minimal," he said.

According to Smithson, with the state picking up the tab on reassessment, it will cost $37 million annually. "I think the state could better spend this money," he said. "It will hurt the smaller districts and poorer counties."

The board also approved a bid of $86,900 for the construction of the district's first track ever.

The bid, from Statewide Construction of Hot Springs, was actually accepted in October, 1999, but the district wanted to finish its other construction projects before starting to build the track.

The end result was an increase of $2,000 because of rising oil prices. The original bid was for $84,900.

Smithson and Runyan visited tracks at Nashville and Lakeside as both were constructed by Statewide.

The two agreed these tracks have held up and were free from defect.

The track, when built, will have a latex surface, though the district could have gotten a polyurethane one at a higher price.

The latex surface, however, is easier and less expensive to maintain than the polyurethane.

Smithson said the district has $90,000 in the budget for construction and can use this for the track. However, the deal will be worked so the funds can be paid at the start of the district's fiscal year, July 1, instead of during this fiscal year which ends June 30.

The track, Smithson told the board, should be ready before football season begins.