Ellsworth staff outline new lease costs for Moore Community Center; nonprofits ask for phased support

City staff presented a new cost-allocation spreadsheet at an Ellsworth City Council workshop on Oct. 24 that shows sharply higher occupancy costs for tenants at the Moore Community Center, prompting nonprofit operators to urge phased implementation and municipal support.

Roddy, a city staff member who led the cost review, told the council the packet breaks out cleaning, common-area maintenance and utilities and that the team used 5¢ per square foot to estimate cleaning costs. "5¢ per square foot is, like, bottom of the barrel," Roddy said. The spreadsheet shows utilities and shared-space charges that would raise some tenants’ annual occupancy bills substantially compared with current charges.

The largest practical impact, presenters said, would fall on Friends in Action, which runs senior services at the building. John Lindquist, executive director of Friends in Action, said the group currently pays about $22,000 a year for its space; the spreadsheet raised that figure to about $58,000, and Lindquist added that including shared-space rental at an assumed $20 per hour would push the group’s total to roughly $108,000 annually. "We're currently running we have a budget of about 314,000 and we're running a deficit of about 17,000," Lindquist said, noting the organization has little room to absorb a jump of that size.

Matt Montgomery, CEO of the Downey Stanley YMCA, said the Y also relies on the Moore Center to deliver programs and supported city investment to preserve the space. "I don't think it's unreasonable to ask the city of Ellsworth to invest in the Moore Community Center," Montgomery said, citing nearby Westbrook’s larger municipal investment in its own center as an example of a city choosing to subsidize operations.

Nancy Coulter, representing the Ellsworth Community Music Institute, said the music school keeps lesson fees low and depends on affordable rehearsal and lesson space. "If we have to increase our rental costs, I'm worried that it's an existential threat to our organization," Coulter said, and she urged sensitivity to tuition impact and to the school’s waiting lists.

City staff and councilors discussed options the packet highlights: (1) adopt the full occupancy-cost allocation, (2) stagger increases over multiple years for long-tenured tenants, (3) use some municipal revenue to subsidize operations, or (4) increase rental of unallocated spaces so rental income reduces tenant bills. Roddy noted unallocated room-rental utility costs in the packet (about $16,800 annually) and said new rental revenue could lower overall charges if the building’s monthly operating costs are covered by external users.

Council members asked for a formal budget presentation that treats the Moore Center as a distinct line item, includes anticipated rental income, and shows how TIF (tax increment financing) debt-service interacts with future subsidies. One councilor suggested a five-year phased approach for steep increases. Staff also confirmed they are pursuing energy-efficiency benchmarking and potential funding tools to lower operating costs.

No formal action was taken at the workshop; staff said they will return to the council with a formal budget and recommendations to be finalized before the end of the year.

Ending: Councilors signaled interest in preserving the center’s services while seeking a transparent path to adjust tenant charges. Staff will prepare a detailed budget, discuss potential subsidies and return with recommendations for council consideration.