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Council adopts revised Monhauf Building lease with Boys & Girls Club; mayor registers lone no vote
Summary
Council approved a revised lease and utility arrangement for the Monhauf Building that reduces direct program funding to the Boys & Girls Club by about $10,000 while the city will cover utilities; the decision followed debate over temporary reallocation of funds toward food‑security needs and clarifying which meters are billed.
The Calistoga City Council voted June 23 to adopt a revised lease and consultant services arrangement for the Monhauf Building, a decision that reduces the direct annual allocation to the Boys & Girls Club by approximately $10,000 while the city will assume utilities for the building.
Council discussed the proposal at length before a vote. The staff recommendation would decrease the previously contemplated $20,000 reduction to the Boys & Girls Club by covering utilities (estimated at about $10,000), producing a net reduction near $10,000. Council Member Lopez Ortega and others framed the change as a temporary reallocation to address food‑security needs identified during budget discussions.
Council members debated whether the change constituted a cut. Finance Director Connie Cardenas clarified that utilities associated with the Monhauf Building were billed separately from other sites and that the tennis courts are on a distinct meter. Public commenters urged preservation of teen programming, warning that reduced support could hurt at‑risk youth.
After public comment and council discussion, the council adopted the lease agreement. The roll call recorded four ayes and one nay: Council Members Eisenberg, Cooper and Lopez Ortega and Vice Mayor Giff voted in favor; Mayor Williams voted no.
Councilmembers and staff said the change is intended as a temporary reallocation and that staff will return with options for discretionary funding or mid‑year budget adjustments if council wishes to restore or reallocate funds later. "This isn't a permanent or forever decision," Vice Mayor Giff said during the debate.
The council did not rescind past support for the teen center; members noted the city has provided in‑kind building use and historically covered utilities and other assistance, and they instructed staff to follow up about how the utility charge will be applied and whether other funding sources can be identified.
