Councilors debate city role in funding YMCA-run Moore Center after pickleball-net request

Council members discussed whether the city should pay for a $900 pickleball net at an open court that residents thought was public but that staff said is owned and operated by the YMCA.

The discussion grew into a broader review of the city’s financial relationship with the YMCA and the costs and benefits of the YMCA operating the Moore Center on city-owned property, including monthly payments, capital expense rules, and whether the city should change how it manages the building.

A council member said a citizen group had requested the city pick up the cost of a “$900, pickleball net” for courts with heavy use; staff later reported the courts are YMCA property. Council members and staff said the city currently makes a monthly payment to the YMCA to operate programs out of the Moore Center and provides budgeted support “thereabouts” of $70,000 annually. One council member asked for a briefing on the YMCA contract extension negotiations, saying, “I’m meeting with the Y later today on our negotiation on the extension of their contract.”

Councilors and staff described a mix of capital and operating arrangements: the YMCA receives unusually low occupancy costs (described in the discussion as receiving the building for a nominal fee), the city covers capital expenses above a stated threshold, and smaller replacements are borne by the YMCA. One speaker summarized the capital-sharing rule as: anything over $5,000 would be a city capital cost, while smaller replacements were not covered by the city’s capital program.

Members said they had discussed the facility’s history and its intended purpose as a community center that would host childcare, senior programs, music activities and other nonprofit programming at low cost to users. Several people asked for more financial detail about how much revenue the YMCA receives from users (childcare fees and other program fees) and how much the city is subsidizing the building’s operation and capital needs. One council member said the YMCA’s arrangement with the city had made sense a decade ago but that “they haven’t increased rents on the other renters in the building in a long time” and now “they’re operating it at a loss,” arguing that the city should review whether the cost allocation remains equitable.

Council members discussed possible governance changes, including having the city operate the building and charge the YMCA and other tenants a usage fee; one member suggested the parks-and-recreation director, once in post, could evaluate alternative arrangements. Staff and council agreed that additional financial statements and clearer contract terms would help. City staff said they were meeting regularly with YMCA representatives and would bring further details to the council and to the finance committee for consideration.

The initial citizen request for the net and the conversation about ownership highlighted broader questions about the city’s obligations and the YMCA’s responsibilities at the Moore Center, and councilors directed staff to return with contract and financial details before deciding whether to fund small items like a net.

The council did not vote on funding; members asked staff to report back with the YMCA contract status, detailed financials for the Moore Center, and the provenance of the courts so the council could decide whether the city should assume more operational control or change cost-sharing arrangements.