At the Mobile City Council meeting on Tuesday, July 29, officials and community representatives asked the administration and outside parties to pause a proposed transfer of city-owned parcels that include portions of the Dearborn YMCA campus while legal title and historic deed language are clarified.

Colette Huff, CEO of Dearborn YMCA, told the council she opposes the sale of land at 305 North Dearborn Street and said the parcel is part of a campus established with Department of Housing and Urban Development support. Huff said the property serves generations of residents with youth programs and community events and that the YMCA has not received the documents needed to complete a prior transfer process.

"This would permanently alter the landscape of community service in our area without legal clarity, transparency, or public input," Huff said, urging the council to halt any proposed transfer, review the original deed and convene stakeholders.

Councilman Carroll and others raised multiple procedural and legal questions. Carroll requested that if the administration, the YMCA and other parties could not present a clear plan by next week, the council should table the item. He expressed concern about unintended consequences if property currently used by the YMCA were sold.

George Irvine, counsel for the Dearborn property owner, told the council a recorded escrow agreement exists and that the contract attached to the city's purchase agreement requires the city to warrant title. "I don't think the city can do that because thereis a claim that the Y already owns this property," Irvine said, arguing the deed may have been a "ministerial act" that was not recorded.

Representatives for the YMCA disputed the city's characterization of the operational subsidy the city provides. Council members noted an operational subsidy figure — cited in the meeting as roughly $450,000 annually — that the YMCA said it could not verify; YMCA representatives asked for time and records to reconcile the history of transfers, maintenance responsibilities and operational support.

Council discussion extended through the morning with multiple members urging a meeting between the administration, YMCA leaders, legal counsel, and community stakeholders. Several council members said they were open to conveying the triangular parcel at Lyon Street that they described as difficult to develop, but they requested more documentation about the larger parcel behind the YMCA.

Why this matters: The Dearborn YMCA provides youth programming, senior services and community activities in an area council members described as underserved. A mistaken or unclear deed transfer could impair the YMCA's operations and the availability of services for residents. Council members asked staff and involved parties to provide documents and meet to seek a resolution; the item was not finalized and was to be laid over for further review.