YMCA seeks new lease terms as Moore Community Center agreement ends

The YMCA and city staff spent the workshop outlining short-term and longer-term options for the Moore Community Center after the YMCA’s lease expired this month. Matt, a YMCA representative, told the council the organization is no longer able to sustain operations under the current arrangement and urged the city and nonprofits that use the building to negotiate a new structure that covers costs. The discussion focused on why the YMCA is seeking change and how the city might respond. The central issue is money: the YMCA said it is absorbing most operational costs for the building while nonprofit tenants pay subsidized rents. The YMCA proposed several options, including continuing to operate the building for a negotiated management fee, shifting custodial and operational responsibility to the city under a triple-net style arrangement, or assigning each tenant a square-footage-based rent and separate custodial responsibility. Why it matters: participants said the Moore Community Center houses multiple community programs — child care, a senior center, music lessons and other nonprofit activities — and a change in management could affect those services. At the workshop, presenters urged a solution that preserves access for current nonprofit partners while creating a financially sustainable operating model. Details from the meeting: Matt said the YMCA partnered with the city for about a decade and described a recent increase in operating losses: “We’re budgeted to lose $146,000 this year” operating the Moore Community Center, he said. The YMCA noted a recently paid roof and ongoing maintenance needs; the group also reported an electrical issue that was fixed the morning of the meeting. The YMCA asked the city to consider taking over operations or at least absorbing more of the building’s operational costs so the YMCA is not operating at a loss. Several cost items and service details were discussed. Matt and other speakers said Friends in Action and the Music Institute currently pay about $6.25 per square foot in rent. The YMCA said total paper and cleaning supplies for the building run roughly $12,000 annually, with about $4,000 attributable to shared spaces and about $8,000 to childcare-specific needs. The parties explored splitting utilities by square footage, treating each tenant’s rooms differently (for example, childcare spaces with specialized security and kitchen needs), and negotiating a fair market management fee if the YMCA stayed on as operator. City staff and council members asked for concrete financials and next steps. Charlie, a city staff member involved in facilities/finance discussions, told the group staff would produce a budget showing break-even operating costs plus capital needs. Council members and staff agreed to a sequence of follow-up: (1) the YMCA and city will exchange detailed budget spreadsheets and usage breakdowns, (2) staff will produce a draft budget showing break-even plus capital reserves, and (3) the topic will be added to the council’s August meeting for an update. The city and YMCA also discussed scheduling a building walkthrough and continuing monthly coordination between the YMCA, Friends in Action, the Music Institute and the parks department. What was not decided: there was no formal vote or contract action at the workshop. Participants discussed multiple possible arrangements — city takeover of operations, continuing YMCA management for compensation, or a square-footage rent model with tenants paying custodial — but no final agreement was reached. Several speakers emphasized preserving affordable program access for local nonprofits while ensuring the building’s costs are covered. Quotations used with attribution come from participants who spoke during the discussion. Matt said, “We’re budgeted to lose $146,000 this year,” and later summarized the YMCA’s position: “We would like to work with the city on this. We’re offering to continue management, whether it’s through the end of this year or through your fiscal year, but with compensation for the services that the Y is providing.” Roddy, the Parks and Recreation director, and city staff agreed to produce numbers that would show what a break-even budget would require. Looking ahead: staff and YMCA leaders said they expect to exchange budget spreadsheets quickly, consider a special meeting if needed, and provide at least an interim update at the council’s August meeting. No statutory or ordinance requirement was cited as mandating any particular outcome; the discussions were framed as contract and budget negotiations between the city and service providers.