Possible glitch comes to light concerning Senior Center
At the end of Thursday’s Anderson County operations committee meeting, District 3 Commissioner Josh Anderson brought up a matter under new business that was in response to an email sent out by County Law Director Jay Yeager.
The email from Yeager, sent the day before the meeting, said that the landlord of the senior center, Teresa Portwood, has a buyer for the existing senior center.
“When the sale is finalized she will let me know and we will have until Jan. 1, 2019, to vacate the premises,” the email read.
“So there’s no option for us to continue the lease under the new buyer?” Anderson asked during the meeting.
Yeager responded that he had not heard anything new, but as soon as he hears something from Portwood, he would let the commissioners know.
“What she said to us yesterday is the possibility that it may be sold,” he said. “She was looking at Jan. 1. We don’t know that; it may fall through but we wish her the best of luck. She’s been a great landlord. As many things as we’ve had to change with her and that she’s tolerated…It’s been a good deal with Mrs. Portwood.”
He said that even if this current offer falls through, there would be another one, since it’s being marketed.
“We need to have somewhere for our seniors to go,” he said.
Anderson asked if the yearlong lease —with an option to renew a second year — that commission signed last month was contingent on Portwood owning it.
The short answer was “no.”
Yeager said that, after the contract with commission was signed, Portwood asked him if he could add a provision in the contract that would allow her a 30-day cancellation policy. He told commission that he told her that was something he could not do and that it would have to be brought to county commission.
“She told us that various members of the county know she has been trying to sell that property all along,” he said. “It was a contingency that we knew was there.”
Mead responded by saying, “The thing that concerns me is that when we voted to approve that agreement, it was very much exactly what we needed — we needed a guarantee that we had it as long as we needed and that’s kind of what is says. That we are the ones that have the option to back out.”
He continued, asking what authority Portwood had to sell it. Yeager responded that she believes she had made it clear that she was attempting to sell it. Mead, however, said that it seemed reasonable that commission would have assumed she abandoned that attempt after the most recent lease.
Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank said that, from her standpoint, she would want to work with Portwood, but it was Nov. 8, and she didn’t want to leave the seniors without a place to celebrate during the holiday season.
“We do have a guarantee there until next October,” Frank said. “So maybe we can negotiate with her.”
District 4 Commissioner Tim Isbel didn’t mince words.
“I’m sure that after the seniors get word of this, they’re going to be highly upset,” he said. “Because I sat here and told them they were guaranteed for a year that they wouldn’t have to worry about that.”
Yeager pulled back from his original statement some, saying they hadn’t received a formal notice; he said that Portwood and the potential buyers were concerned about it, stating that the seniors are their priority.
Portwood was not immediately available for comment.
“She told us that various members of the county know she has been trying to sell that property all along,” he said. “It was a contingency that we knew was there.”
Mead responded by saying, “The thing that concerns me is that when we voted to approve that agreement, it was very much exactly what we needed; — we needed a guarantee that we had it as long as we needed and that’s kind of what is says. That we are the ones that have the option to back out.”
He continued by asking what authority Portwood had to sell it.
Yeager responded that she believes she had made it clear that she was attempting to sell it.
Mead, however, said that it seemed reasonable that commission would have assumed she abandoned that attempt after the most recent lease.
Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank said that, from her standpoint, she would want to work with Portwood, but it was Nov. 8, and she didn’t want to leave the seniors without a place to celebrate during the holiday season.
“We do have a guarantee there until next October,” Frank said. “So maybe we can negotiate with her.”
District 4 Commissioner Tim Isbel didn’t mince words.
“I’m sure that after the seniors get word of this, they’re going to be highly upset,” he said.
“Because I sat here and told them they were guaranteed for a year that they wouldn’t have to worry about that.”
Yeager backtracked some, saying they hadn’t received a formal notice, and that Portwood, the potential buyers were concerned about it, stating that the seniors are their priority.
Portwood was not immediately available for comment.