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Council schedules work session on Meridian Public Schools' in‑kind use of Frank Cochran Center; places MOA back on agenda
Summary
After debate over timeframes and responsibility for damage, the council set a Jan. 29 work session to draft a memorandum of agreement with Meridian Public Schools for in‑kind use of the Frank Cochran Center and voted to place the agreement back on the agenda for early February.
The Meridian City Council on Jan. 21, 2025 debated a proposed memorandum of agreement (MOA) with Meridian Public Schools that would allow the district in‑kind use of the Frank Cochran Center and ultimately voted to set a work session and place the MOA back on a future agenda.
A councilmember initially asked to remove the item so council and staff could negotiate stipulations; later the council voted to move the item for discussion and schedule a work session for Jan. 29. Council members exchanged views on whether the MOA should include a fixed timeframe for requests, whether the school district would be charged or treated like other renters, and which party would be responsible for repairs if the facility were damaged while used by the schools.
City staff and the city attorney said the MOA would be drafted so the Meridian Public School District would use the facility at no cost (in‑kind), subject to the same scheduling rules and timeframes that apply to other groups that use city facilities. Councilmembers asked that the agreement include language on scheduling timeframes and responsibility for repair or damage; staff said the attorney would draft the memorandum to reflect those matters.
The council voted to hold a dedicated work session on Jan. 29 to finalize stipulations and then return the MOA to the agenda for consideration in the first week of February.
Why it matters: the Frank Cochran Center is used for youth and community programming; the proposed MOA affects scheduled use by parks and recreation programs and youth leagues and clarifies whether the schools receive special treatment or the same conditions as other users.
What’s next: the city attorney will prepare the MOA language for the Jan. 29 work session and the council will consider the finalized agreement at a future meeting.
