The Lee County Board of Supervisors has agreed to take a closer look at the former Fort Madison Middle School as potential office space.
The school district no longer needs the building since its new 4th-8th Grade building opened on the west side of the city.
Supervisor Ernie Schiller brought up the idea of touring the former school based on a letter from the school district gauging the county’s interest.
He says an additional 65,000 square feet of space could benefit the county.
“It always seems to me, since I have been on the board for six years that there has never been enough space to put us all under one roof or to put the growing needs of the county under individual roofs,” says Schiller.
The county and the school district have yet to set a date for the tour.
CONSERVATION BOARD MEMBERSHIP
Meanwhile, the Lee County Conservation Board wants to be more involved in the process of selecting its members.
The task currently falls on the Board of Supervisors.
The Conservation Board would like to be able to review the applications and interview the candidates so they can help the supervisors select someone who is excited about conservation and is ready to serve.
Conservation Director Tom Buckley says those characteristics are especially important during special events or programs.
He says the timing of the request is significant because two of the five seats on the Lee County Conservation Board will be vacant in a matter of weeks. He says it has also been difficult to conduct business, of late, due to the lack of a quorum.
The supervisors seem open to the idea of accepting more input during the process.