SKANEATELES - As arranged five years ago, the Skaneateles Community Center will have a changing of the guards soon, but not as soon as originally planned.
The Skaneateles Town Board agreed to extend an agreement with the Skaneateles Recreational Charitable Trust that keeps the center in the hands of SRCT, a nonprofit organization.
Meanwhile, a new nonprofit, Parks and Recreation Council of Skaneateles, is forming to take SRCT's place as the owner of the center. PARCS will spearhead fund raising efforts for the facility, and take ownership and management responsibilities, town Supervisor Phil Tierney said.
The players wanted more time to make sure all the organizations are ready and on the same page.
SRCT orchestrated the facility's construction and raised the money for the $9 million center in 2002. The group then leased it to the village, which in turn subleased it to the town, under a three-party agreement between SRCT, the village and the town known as the development agreement. This arrangement formed the basics of the community center, from planning to construction and its operation.
In that contract, SRCT took ownership of the facility, but would hand it over to the village after five years. The village then would continue to lease the town the building so its recreational program could continue to operate the facility.
The concept now is to remove the village from the equation and have the town lease the facility from PARCS, village attorney Michael Byrne said.
“(Village officials) have expressed support for the concept months and months ago,” Byrne said, adding the village, along with the town and SRCT, still has to approve the final agreement.
PARCS would have more resources to raise funds, and not have the burden of politics entering such efforts like some municipally organized benefits.
No matter who runs the facility, the town's recreational programs will continue as normal.
Documents stated the village was to take ownership of the building in December 2007. However, the town postponed the changeover, bumping the deadline to June 30.
With the date around the corner, the town board decided during an earlier meeting to extend that date 90 more days. Lawyers from the organizations are exploring the conversion but Tierney said the move was out of caution.
“We're in the process of working out the arrangement with PARCS and the village on how the joint operations will work,” Tierney said.
The reason for the original provision that stated the village would receive ownership after SRCT operated the building for five years was to maintain a similar relationship it had in regards to other recreational facilities.
The town operates many village-owned parks that the village has leased to the town, including the center's next door neighbor Austin Park. At the time, officials thought creating a package of property including the community center made sense, Byrne said.
“It seems to fit with the preexisting arrangement,” he said.
However, leaders have realized the unique facility has different needs and challenges, Byrne said.
“The theory was because the town can act for the whole community, they can operate programs that benefit the village and the whole community,” he said, highlighting swimming in Clift Park during the summer.
PARCS is a nonprofit charitable organization with the mission of developing an endowment for the community center to fund capital expenses. The committee is refiguring the Austin Development Fund Inc., a nonprofit fund raising group formed about 25 years ago dedicated to the improvement of Austin Park.
“SRCT had total ownership and they've leased it to the town to run the rec programs. The new PARCS program hopefully will raise the endowment so when a new roof ... or a total overhaul of athletic rooms are needed, it can fund that,” Tierney said.
Up until now, SRCT and the town have shared responsibility for funding capital costs, he said.
He added the pending agreement with PARCS likely will carry on the low cost expenses because neither entity aims to make a profit.
“With the passage of time, we learned there's a real need associated with the facility to raise money, significant money, on a regular basis,” Byrne said. “To expect town taxpayers, or village taxpayers, to spend money every year on capital improvements to subsidize operating revenues and membership revenues is asking a lot.
“There's a need for an entity (for) fund raising.”
Meanwhile, a new nonprofit, Parks and Recreation Council of Skaneateles, is forming to take SRCT's place as the owner of the center. PARCS will spearhead fund raising efforts for the facility, and take ownership and management responsibilities, town Supervisor Phil Tierney said.
The players wanted more time to make sure all the organizations are ready and on the same page.
SRCT orchestrated the facility's construction and raised the money for the $9 million center in 2002. The group then leased it to the village, which in turn subleased it to the town, under a three-party agreement between SRCT, the village and the town known as the development agreement. This arrangement formed the basics of the community center, from planning to construction and its operation.
In that contract, SRCT took ownership of the facility, but would hand it over to the village after five years. The village then would continue to lease the town the building so its recreational program could continue to operate the facility.
The concept now is to remove the village from the equation and have the town lease the facility from PARCS, village attorney Michael Byrne said.
“(Village officials) have expressed support for the concept months and months ago,” Byrne said, adding the village, along with the town and SRCT, still has to approve the final agreement.
PARCS would have more resources to raise funds, and not have the burden of politics entering such efforts like some municipally organized benefits.
No matter who runs the facility, the town's recreational programs will continue as normal.
Documents stated the village was to take ownership of the building in December 2007. However, the town postponed the changeover, bumping the deadline to June 30.
With the date around the corner, the town board decided during an earlier meeting to extend that date 90 more days. Lawyers from the organizations are exploring the conversion but Tierney said the move was out of caution.
“We're in the process of working out the arrangement with PARCS and the village on how the joint operations will work,” Tierney said.
The reason for the original provision that stated the village would receive ownership after SRCT operated the building for five years was to maintain a similar relationship it had in regards to other recreational facilities.
The town operates many village-owned parks that the village has leased to the town, including the center's next door neighbor Austin Park. At the time, officials thought creating a package of property including the community center made sense, Byrne said.
“It seems to fit with the preexisting arrangement,” he said.
However, leaders have realized the unique facility has different needs and challenges, Byrne said.
“The theory was because the town can act for the whole community, they can operate programs that benefit the village and the whole community,” he said, highlighting swimming in Clift Park during the summer.
PARCS is a nonprofit charitable organization with the mission of developing an endowment for the community center to fund capital expenses. The committee is refiguring the Austin Development Fund Inc., a nonprofit fund raising group formed about 25 years ago dedicated to the improvement of Austin Park.
“SRCT had total ownership and they've leased it to the town to run the rec programs. The new PARCS program hopefully will raise the endowment so when a new roof ... or a total overhaul of athletic rooms are needed, it can fund that,” Tierney said.
Up until now, SRCT and the town have shared responsibility for funding capital costs, he said.
He added the pending agreement with PARCS likely will carry on the low cost expenses because neither entity aims to make a profit.
“With the passage of time, we learned there's a real need associated with the facility to raise money, significant money, on a regular basis,” Byrne said. “To expect town taxpayers, or village taxpayers, to spend money every year on capital improvements to subsidize operating revenues and membership revenues is asking a lot.
“There's a need for an entity (for) fund raising.”
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