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YMCA contribution and operating agreement not finalized as council moves to ballot
Summary
Council members and residents noted the city has not finalized any agreement with the YMCA and staff said the YMCA's capital contribution and membership/operational terms are not yet known; staff said such terms would be negotiated and could be memorialized in MOUs or leases contingent on voter approval.
A recurring point in council questions and public comment was whether the YMCA would make a capital contribution, who would operate portions of the building and whether city residents would receive reduced membership rates.
During Q&A, council members asked whether the YMCA's contribution was known; Carl answered plainly, "That's not known yet," and later staff said it was likely there would be additional discussions but a finalized agreement was not expected before the election. Councilwoman Sarah Salgado said she expects rate discounts for city residents if the city bears the tax burden: "my expectation is... their rates or membership would be significantly reduced from anyone outside the city limits." Resident Nofel Molai urged the council to pause and finalize these terms before placing the question before voters, saying a lack of a binding YMCA agreement and uncertain contributions undermined voters' ability to make an informed choice.
Staff said it may develop memoranda of understanding or lease language in anticipation of the election, but emphasized such documents would be conditioned on voter approval of the proposition. The council voted to place the measure on the ballot while several members reiterated they want clear, factual materials for voters about operating splits and membership terms before ballots are cast.
