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Nogales housing board directs staff to formalize use rules for Casa de Anza facilities, keeps current nonprofit programs in place
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Summary
At a June 24 study session, the Nogales Housing Authority Board of Commissioners asked staff to draft a standard operating procedure and license agreements for the Casa de Anza gym and multipurpose room while allowing existing nonprofit programs to continue under current arrangements pending formal documents and updated insurance.
The Nogales Housing Authority Board of Commissioners on June 24 directed staff to develop a written policy and license agreements governing use of two Casa de Anza facilities — the gym at 350 W. Western Ave. and the multipurpose room at 651 N. Lake Lou St. — and instructed staff to maintain existing programs and access while those documents are prepared.
The board’s study-session discussion centered on ensuring equitable access for housing tenants, clarifying the legal form of agreements with outside organizations, and updating insurance and reporting requirements. The session produced no formal vote; commissioners gave staff direction to draft a standard operating procedure (SOP), prepare license agreements (rather than leases), and return to the commission with the documents and options for possibly issuing a request for proposals (RFP).
Housing authority staff said two nonprofit partners currently use the spaces: Circles of Peace in the multipurpose room and Centro Comunitario Los Nogales in the gym. Staff provided a participation tally showing 25 housing participants out of 250 total participants for programs tracked by one provider. An example program (referred to in the packet as YADA) had a noted disparity: two housing participants versus 83 outside youth participants, which prompted discussion about outreach and scheduling to increase tenant participation.
Legal counsel cautioned that leases imply exclusive use and recommended license agreements instead. “A license is just what it is. It’s a license and a authorization to use that facility under those specific terms of the license,” Attorney Estes said, citing HUD funding considerations and the housing authority’s obligation to keep facilities available to residents. He noted that use agreements charging $1 per year have precedent where an outside nonprofit provides services the city otherwise would offer.
Board members raised transparency concerns about how the previous arrangement with Circles of Peace was established. Staff noted an order in the packet — an April 7, 2022 city order authorizing a license between the City of Nogales and Circles of Peace for $1 per year through April 7, 2025 — and said that order was made between the city and Circles of Peace, not the housing authority. The staff report said the Circles of Peace agreement has expired.
Commissioners asked staff to require updated insurance naming the city or housing authority as an additional insured while the organizations continue to operate under the current arrangements. “We don’t change anything. Keep business normal until we get everything finalized and updated,” Attorney Estes told the board when instructing staff to preserve ongoing programming during the policy development.
Options discussed included: adapting the existing community-room policy to apply to the gym; drafting a standing license for regular use times with explicit resident-priority rules; requiring annual reports or presentations from provider organizations with participant counts broken out for housing residents; publishing an RFP to solicit proposals from other nonprofits if the commission chooses; and considering a part-time staff position to supervise and open the gym during non-program hours.
Board members also discussed operational details: staff currently maintains keys and controls access, provides custodial services and utilities, and performs outreach by distributing flyers to tenants. Staff recommended a written policy to document priority access for tenants, insurance requirements, application and scheduling processes for one-time and recurring uses, and reporting requirements for partner organizations.
No formal policy or licenses were approved at the meeting. The board directed staff to return with draft SOP and license agreements and to place, at the next regular meeting, an agenda item that could include whether to issue an RFP or proceed with negotiated agreements with the current providers. Staff was also directed to obtain updated insurance certificates from providers while documents are being prepared.
Next steps: staff will draft and circulate proposed license agreements and a facility-use policy for commission review, confirm the insurance coverage of existing partners, and bring the items back for potential action at a future meeting.
