ICC board asks Selectmen for another year to decide on gym building; town will review finances

Phil Elkin, chair of the Island Community Center board, told the Stonington Selectmen the ICC has been active for 18 years and needs more time to finalize the acquisition of the gym building and adjoining land.

Elkin said the board is wrestling with pandemic-driven fundraising and acquisition work, including surveying and capital planning, and asked the Selectmen for a one-year extension. "It had been 18 years they had existed and accomplished many things," Elkin said, adding that COVID-19 had disrupted plans to assume possession of the property this year.

Town Manager Billings said the town would want to review the ICC's financial statements and the terms of the existing rental agreement before agreeing to an extension or placing an article on the warrant. Selectmen also discussed whether a town meeting vote would be required if the ICC proceeds with acquisition in the future.

Why it matters: The ICC building acquisition would transfer a local facility to a nonprofit that runs community programming; the board’s ability to fund capital improvements affects its capacity to operate and maintain the site. Selectmen stressed they needed clearer financial projections before making a procedural commitment.

What happens next: The Selectmen asked TM Billings to obtain the ICC financials and the rental agreement. The board will reconvene on the matter after reviewing the documentation to determine whether to grant a formal extension or to refer the question to town meeting voters.