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GAS committee reviews draft MOA with 4 Winds Resource Center for Mosquito Lake facility
Summary
The GAS committee reviewed a draft memorandum of agreement and lease for the Mosquito Lake facility with representatives from 4 Winds Resource Center, discussing who will pay utilities and insurance, adding performance-based deliverables, and setting a 3‑year review and 5‑year evaluation; the committee will return with a second draft May 5.
The GAS committee reviewed a draft memorandum of agreement (MOA) and lease templates on April 7 for Mosquito Lake facility (Borough Parcel 3-MLS-01-0100) that would formalize the 4 Winds Resource Center’s management and outline which costs the borough would continue to cover.
Julie Korsmeyer, speaking for the 4 Winds Resource Center, said she adapted a museum MOA and lease as templates and removed museum-specific provisions to reflect community-center activities. Korsmeyer said the documents, in their current form, would leave the borough bearing a substantial portion of ongoing facility costs. "The 4 Winds Resource Center cannot afford to pay for all the utilities for the building," Korsmeyer said, adding that the organization already performs janitorial, lawn care and some maintenance with volunteers.
Committee members asked for clearer, defendable metrics. Clerk Cheryl Stickler urged adding performance-based deliverables and a standardized reporting template so the borough can justify appropriations to residents. "I would love to see some form of performance-based deliverables. I think that's going to be a nonnegotiable as far as that goes," Stickler said.
Committee discussion highlighted several specific edits staff were asked to draft: an explicit allocation of utility responsibilities (the packet shows FWRC historically received about $40,000 a year from the borough toward utilities and related maintenance), clearer liability/insurance language for activities such as a tool library and equipment rentals, and an explicit reference to the septic system as a borough responsibility. Korsmeyer and CFO Sheila Stewart said the committee’s $40,000 allocation historically covered electricity, heating fuel, routine maintenance, occasional snow removal, property insurance and security; Korsmeyer said heating alone has tended to run about $20,000 a year.
Korsmeyer also supported the committee’s request to include a staged independence plan showing how FWRC would grow toward fiscal self-sufficiency. The committee proposed a three-year review of progress and a five-year evaluation tied to the duration of the MOA. Korsmeyer said some grants the center pursues are restricted and not usable for general operating expenses, making precise forecasts difficult.
Committee members discussed a Forrester-supplied service-valuation ledger intended to quantify the community value of FWRC programs (for example, pounds produced in a garden, food boxes distributed or emergency shelter standby). Korsmeyer and others said the ledger is a useful starting point but warned that assigning dollar values can be subjective; Stickler suggested the borough provide a standardized spreadsheet template to reduce bias.
Staff and FWRC agreed to carry the item forward. The committee asked staff to produce a second draft of the MOA incorporating performance deliverables, septic and liability language, and a review schedule; FWRC representatives were encouraged to attend the May 5 GAS meeting at 5:30 p.m. for further discussion.
No formal vote was taken on the MOA during the April 7 meeting.
