Washington Elks ask council to pause senior center move; council says administration should continue discussions

Paul Henderson, a board member of the Washington Elks Building Association, asked the council to delay or oppose an ordinance authorizing a new location for the senior center and to reopen talks with the Elks about keeping the center at the Elks facility.

"I'm here tonight to ask the council when this comes up for a vote to vote no or table the ordinance and direct the administration to return to the conversation with the Elks to keep the center in its current location," Henderson said. He said the Elks felt the city did not provide adequate opportunity for negotiation after the Elks submitted a rent figure they believed reflected two decades of change.

Henderson said the Elks' proposal reflected market pricing that the organization's advisers suggested was "half of what commercial leasing rates were in the city of Washington." He added, "We were looking at from a point of view that after 20 years ... we were moving away from that in more of a maintenance agreement." Henderson asked council to allow the Elks to re-open discussion with city administration.

Councilmembers said the city had been presented with a substantially higher rental figure from the Elks than the city currently pays and that the council's initial response was to seek alternative providers at a similar cost to the current lease. One councilmember summarized: "If I rent somewhere for $800 a month and my landlord comes to me and says it's now $1,600 a month, I'm not looking to negotiate with that landlord. I'm looking to go somewhere else." Council discussion indicated the city intends to pursue a solution that keeps costs reasonable for taxpayers but acknowledged the seniors' convenience and the Elks' community role.

Darren said the city is currently on a month-to-month arrangement with the Elks and staff planned to revisit that arrangement at the end of the first quarter; he also said council could expect a lease or ordinance on the Jan. 21 agenda unless the parties reach a different arrangement. Henderson said the Elks wanted the opportunity to return with a revised proposal and asked the council to "give us the opportunity to come back to the table." Councilmembers suggested Henderson speak with Darren to attempt to resolve outstanding items.

There was no formal council vote at the workshop on the senior-center lease; council direction was to continue discussions and, if needed, to bring an ordinance to the Jan. 21 council meeting for formal consideration.