Yet, even an experienced MONOPOLY player like myself had trouble following the move of the Dean to the new building on 1st street, the move of the police to the old Dean, and all the accounting and paper invoices and invoices in flux that are not in yet. Yes---last Monday nights meeting at Finance was hard to follow. Here is the bottom line. The Dean needed more space. The old building needed a new roof. The city wanted the police back near the center of town. Bill Connors put it in a letter to The Observer:
>
> --- Bill Connors
> wrote:
>
> > Dick:
> >
> > The Dean Clinic gave the building on Church St. to
> > the city to be used for
> > any public or community purpose. So the city's
> > police department is not
> > taking the building from anyone for $0. The city
> > has decided to make a
> > different public use of the building.
> >
> > The idea to purchase the building at 209 S. 1st St.,
> > to renovate it, and to
> > move the youth center and AWARE Agency there did not
> > come from the Dean
> > Community Center Advisory Board. It came from the
> > Common Council, which saw
> > this as an opportunity to move the police station
> > downtown.
> >
> > When all of the moves are finished, the city will
> > sell the current police
> > station.
> >
> > The Common Council sees this as a win-win situation.
> > The youth program and
> > AWARE Agency get more space. The police station
> > gets moved downtown. And
> > the cost of acquiring and renovating 209 S. 1st will
> > be largely covered by
> > the proceeds from the sale of the current police
> > station."
> >
>
At the time of this letter, only about $2500 of invoices for repair for the new Dean space were on the city computer. Yet, the Finance Committee was concerned that repairs might go over the $45,000 they had reserved for repairs. Relax, dear readers, I will report on the other $42,250 when I get the detailed list of them.
Mr. Rossmiller had asked the Finance Committee that $5,000 be moved from structural expenses to assessory expenses since a lot of items had been donated such as carpeting and lumber. The Finance Committee preferred to wait till the picture is clearer on the final costs for repairs to the building.
If you are able to help with contributions to the Dean, they are looking for cash donations and items. Their funding requirements are rising as they expand their space to serve more kids in their mission. They are a non-profit and need your help.
This is also nice because its closer to the kids it serves being right by the middle school . I do think it was a good move for everyone.
ReplyDeleteThis is how I understand it:
ReplyDeleteThe city entered into a mutually agreed-upon arrangement whereby the AWARE program and the YMCA Youth Program would move to a new location. A location that the YMCA Youth program expressed excitement about given the proximity to the school and the increase in size.
The new building is in need of some restoration. The city agreed to cover the cost of the restoration up to $50,000. The city recently received a grant for $5,000. The grant had considerably more funds to award, and closer to the $50,000 was applied for, but we were granted only $5,000. The grant allows for the money to be used for building materials or equipment.
The Youth Center came before Finance to request the city re-direct the $5,000 grant reimbursement money to the Youth center for the purchase of equipment since it appeared the cost of renovation would be less than the $50,000 anticipated.
This reduction in anticipated cost was attributed by the Youth Center to the success of it's activities in procuring donated materials and services going toward the renovation of the new building.
I understood the request of the youth center to be in essence: we have done such a great job lowering the cities cost of renovation, that even if you contribute this $5,000 grant so we can purchase equipment, the cities overall cost will still be less than the $50,000 originally budgeted for.
I felt that the agreement was for the city to pay to renovate the new building only, not renovate and supply equipment. Any reduction in the cost of renovation I feel should be spared the tax payer. Others on the F&L Committee felt it was too soon to judge the final cost of the renovation to ensure savings were such that giving $5,000 for a new purpose would be reasonable.
Because of this fundamental question of How much is it costing and how much are we saving below the $50,000 budgeted amount, the request for re-directed funds was tabled.
I agree with Karen whole heartedly.
ReplyDeleteWhere does it end? 5000.00 is not alot of $$$ per se. But 5000.00 here and 5000.00 there add up very quickly. Particularly when the final cost has not been established.
The grant written was for both renovation AND for equipment. The grant was written to help cover both costs. The city decided it would take the whole grant money awarded and use it for renovation. The Dean Center is not asking for money from the city, but for money from the grant that was awarded for both renovation and equipment. The center board has worked very hard to get things donated, so that part of grant money could be used for new equipment. The goal of the center is to make the best possible place it can for the middle school youth of this community!!
ReplyDelete