LITCHFIELD -- The citizens of Litchfield School District are not rushing to offer feedback to the school board about what to do with Bernie Aaker Auditorium.
At their regular meeting Monday, board members reported they had received no feedback from constituents, according to Litchfield Superintendent Bill Wold.
On Nov. 27, the board toured the auditorium, which needs electrical upgrades, paint and other improvements and then publicized that it was seeking community input about the facility.
The 850-seat auditorium was built in the 1930s and hosts school plays, performances and many community events and activities. Meeker County owns the building, the school district leases the auditorium and the city of Litchfield contributes $22,000 per year for maintenance.
Wold informed the board that the school has a 40-year lease on the facility, with an annual payment of $20,050 for 15 years. The last payment on the lease will be in 2011. The school also pays an annual maintenance fee of $28,866 per year for operational costs, including heating, custodial services and other maintenance costs.
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While it isn't critical that the board decide what to do with the auditorium maintenance today, the building is getting older, Wold said. Voters turned down $1.5 million in funding for improving the auditorium that was part of a $20 million facilities improvement project referendum in 2004.
"This is such a dilemma, maybe people are stepping back to think about it," Wold said.
