New London council approves five-year management contract for community center amid affordability and hiring questions; appointments pass

The New London City Council voted Jan. 21 to approve a five-year management contract with Power Wellness Management LLC to operate the new New London Community Center, following public comment and multiple council questions about pricing, local hiring and information confidentiality.

The contract, authorized under the council’s procedural order cited in meeting materials as “section 2-69,” passed after debate and procedural votes; the council’s final approval of the contract was recorded as 6–1. The council also approved a package of appointments to city boards and commissions; a separate effort to add Frieda Berrigan to the Pedestrian Advisory Committee during the meeting failed when the motion to add the item to the agenda did not reach the two-thirds threshold.

What the contract says and how operations will work Power Wellness will operate the city-owned facility under a manager-as-agent model: the manager “will plan the operation of the facility, manage the facility, including the employment and management of facility staff, and provide services to develop and operate the facility,” language the city attorney and staff said is standard for outsourced facility management. The city’s presentation and staff answers clarified the partnership and some guardrails: - Rates and oversight: The city will set resident and nonresident rate structures and work through the regular budget calendar to finalize fees; staff told the council that rates will be reviewed during the spring budget process and that the city intends to maintain reduced resident and scholarship rates to address affordability. - Cash flow and bookkeeping: User revenues will be received by the city and the facility will be operated using an enterprise-style fund. The manager will submit reconciliations and be reimbursed for approved operating expenses; the City Finance Director will receive monthly reports. - Local hiring and programming: City staff and Power Wellness told the council they intend to prioritize local hiring and to coordinate programming in a shared master schedule with the Recreation Department. Councilors and the mayor repeatedly said the city intends to make hiring and scholarship access a priority for New London residents. - Terms: The contract carried a five-year initial term (the contract material in meeting backup states a five-year manager engagement) and contemplates professional marketing, membership development and sponsorships to improve financial sustainability.

Public comment and council concerns Several members of the public urged the council to include stronger, enforceable language on affordability and local hiring. - Alicia McEvay, a New London resident, told the council she had reviewed the contract and asked the council to “hold off on approving this contract until such language can be added” guaranteeing affordable membership levels and preferential hiring for city residents. McEvay also asked whether a nondisparagement/non-disclosure clause could inhibit public discussion about management concerns. - Lee McGrady, another resident, urged the council to consider tax relief or ordinances for deed-restricted properties to avoid overtaxing long-term affordable owners.

Council discussion and staff answers Mayor Michael Paso (acting as presenter) and Director Reyes explained the city’s rationale: the facility is a municipally owned, capital asset requiring professional management to be maintained and financially viable. Mayor Paso said the goal is twofold: protect the $40 million asset and operate it sustainably so the city can provide access “for everybody in our community regardless of economic status.”

Councilors asked several detailed questions about how confidentiality and proprietary information would be handled under the contract and whether financial and satisfaction data would be subject to public record. City legal counsel explained the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) framework: some operational information may be treated as proprietary by the manager but disclosure can be requested and, if disputed, resolved through FOIA procedures. The law director said that if the city and the manager agree information should be public, it can be released; if parties disagree, the Freedom of Information Commission can be asked to rule.

Votes and procedure - Contract approval: After debate, the council moved to end debate (a motion to “move the question”) and then voted on the contract award. The council recorded the final vote on the contract approval as 6 in favor, 1 opposed. The meeting transcript records a roll-call earlier that shows councilors present: Efrain Dominguez (council president), Rhianna Dice, Pro Tempore Akhil Peck, Jeff Hart, Rosario, Satti and Nattartez; the explicit per‑member vote labeling was not read aloud in the transcript, so the official minute shows the tally 6–1. - Appointments: The council approved the slate of appointments forwarded from the administrative committee (item 7.1). A separate motion to add Frieda Berrigan to the Pedestrian Advisory Committee during the meeting failed because it did not receive the two-thirds vote required to add an item to the agenda during the meeting.

Next steps and oversight Staff and the mayor said the city will present detailed proposed fees (resident rates, nonresident rates and scholarship criteria) during the upcoming budget process starting in April. City staff also said job descriptions and hiring plans will be posted, Human Resources will review position descriptions, and the city expects to post openings for facility positions in the coming weeks. The Finance Department will set up a dedicated enterprise fund and receive weekly reconciliations from the manager for reimbursement of verified operating costs.

What the council decided The City Council approved the Power Wellness Management LLC contract and authorized the mayor to execute the agreement and any necessary ancillary documents; the council also confirmed the administrative committee’s recommended appointments. A motion to add a specific appointment for the Pedestrian Advisory Committee failed for lack of the two-thirds majority required to amend the evening’s agenda.

Votes at a glance - Contract with Power Wellness Management LLC to operate New London Community Center — Outcome: approved; tally reported in the meeting transcript: 6 yes, 1 no. Contract term (as listed in backup): five years. Motion text in meeting materials: “City council hereby approves a contract with Power Wellness Management LLC to provide managerial services at the New London Community Center and further authorizes the mayor to sign the contract and any other documents necessary and incidental to effectuating said contract.” - Appointments to boards and commissions (administrative committee packet, item 7.1) — Outcome: approved; motion carried (vote recorded in transcript as carried). - Motion to add Frieda Berrigan to the Pedestrian Advisory Committee during the meeting (motion to add item to agenda) — Outcome: failed to reach required two-thirds; motion failed.

The council authorized the mayor to sign the contract and directed staff to bring detailed fee recommendations and hiring plans through the standard budget and personnel processes.