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Council restores nominal rent for Boys & Girls Club after members cite funding cuts
Summary
The city council agreed to temporarily return the Boys & Girls Club of North Central Florida to a $1-per-year rent arrangement so the nonprofit can use funds for operations, with a clause allowing the council to revisit the lease if the club’s finances improve.
The City of Perry City Council voted to return the Boys & Girls Club of North Central Florida to its prior nominal rent of $1 per year so the club can redirect rental payments to operations. The council added a provision allowing the lease to be renegotiated back to the then-current $6,000 monthly rate if the club’s funding situation improves.
Council members discussed an emergency request from Emily Ketchen of the Boys & Girls Club, who said the organization had lost federal and private program revenue and needed operating funds. “We’ve experienced a lot of funding cuts…we're just really in a tight financial situation,” Ketchen told the council, asking that the city restore the former $1-per-year arrangement so “all the money…could be used back in their operational cost.”
The move followed a staff review of the property agreement. City staff and councilors recounted prior arrangements that historically paired a nominal lease with the city retaining responsibility for capital improvements. Council members and club representatives discussed that capital work on the building remains the city’s responsibility under the existing property policy, and that the club has been paying for most day-to-day upkeep.
After brief debate about whether the city should continue funding capital repairs or expect the club to cover them, Council member Brown offered a motion to restore the $1-per-year rent with a condition that the council may revisit the lease if the club’s funding changes. A second was recorded and the motion carried with council members voting yes during the roll call.
The council directed staff to draft the updated lease language reflecting: (1) a temporary $1-per-year rent; (2) the city’s continued oversight of capital improvements per existing policy; and (3) a mechanism to return to the prior $6,000 monthly rent if the club’s financial picture improves. The revised lease will be returned to the council for final approval and formal execution.
City staff said they would circulate a draft to the council and the club before the next meeting so members could review operational details and maintenance responsibilities.
The council’s action preserves the club’s ability to use its limited operating dollars while retaining a formal process to revisit the arrangement in light of changing revenues.
