The Atlantic City Council will hold a special session 6:15-p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 13th, at City Hall, to determine the direction they wish to proceed, with regard to the Senior Citizens Center. Their options: Sell or don’t sell the building. If they decide to sell, the City must put out a request for bids. If they decide to keep the building, the Fiscal Year 2020 budget will have to be adjusted to reflect the imposition of a 13.5-cent per thousand dollar valuation levy, to repair the roof, which has been leaking since last August.

If that scenario plays out, City Administrator John Lund and City Clerk Barb Barrick said the Senior Center cannot be sold to any person or entity until the roof is paid for by the levy, or a combination of the levy and Senior Center reserve funds. As previously mentioned the Atlantic Elks Lodge has expressed an interest in purchasing the building as-is, and making the roof repairs on their own. Councilpersons Ashley Hayes and others thought the building should be opened up for sealed bids.

As for fixing the roof and then selling the building, Councilwoman Linda Hartkopf said the person or entity who decides to purchase it, may not want a curved roof, as is currently the case. She said they may want to install a flat roof, or even a second floor, so fixing the roof would be unnecessary on the City’s part.

Elks spokesman/Atlantic Fire Chief Mark McNees, said there are some misconceptions about how the discussion to purchase the building came about. He said “We did not come to the City to ask for this to be sold. We came to ask about Bingo being in there, and if potentially Seniors could run it a night, and share. It’s never been our desire [as some have said might happen] to kick anybody out in the cold.”

He said also, if the Elks bought the building, there would be minimal remodeling as necessary, to accommodate their needs.”All we’re looking at,” he said, “is for a potential new home. And whether it’s that building or another one…it would not be an instant process. Not on our part.”

If the Council decides to sell the building to the Elks, the Elks would still need to get approval from their members for any acquisition, and approval from the Grand Lodge.