Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Council tables lease request

Councilor said he wanted to get questions answered by city attorney first

Argen Duncan El Defensor Chieftain Reporter

Socorro's City Council has tabled a motion to lease city property to the County of Socorro for a youth center, and Mayor Ravi Bhasker expressed frustration with "behind-the-scenes lobbying" on the subject.

At the meeting on Monday, May 5, councilors voted unanimously to table the issue. Councilor Gordy Hicks was absent.

The property in question is behind Spin City Laundromat and near the Socorro City and County Senior Center.

Councilor Donald Monette moved to table the lease and said he wanted to get final approval and questions answered from the city attorney.

City Clerk Pat Salome said he'd given the latest revisions to the lawyer that day. Jay Santillanes, county commission chairman and city utilities director, said he had reviewed the lease with an attorney and was on deadline with the contractor who would build the facility. If the contractor didn't buy the materials, the prices would go up.

The county, acting as fiscal agent for the Boys & Girls Club of Socorro, has several state appropriations for the building. The language in the appropriations often specifies the money is for the club.

Bhasker spoke of phone calls to city councilors about the issue.

"Frankly, I think there's a lot of politics being played with this lease," he said.

If the county lost the money and couldn't build the facility, Bhasker said he thought, it would be the council's head.

Monette said he would like to see a $500,000 facility the city basically owned, but he had questions. Bhasker said the city wouldn't own the building.

The mayor said people had been calling councilors with misrepresentations of facts. He believes the community needs the center for youth and others.

Monette said his problem was with the lease.

"This is the third copy of the lease I've seen, and none of them have been correct," he said.

Bhasker said he wanted people who were calling councilors privately to come to the meetings. If the council wanted the attorney's opinion, he said, that was all right.

Councilor Chuck Zimmerly said the council could have an emergency meeting if the county needed the lease signed before the next regular meeting. Santillanes suggested passing the lease contingent on attorney approval.

Councilor Michael Olguin Jr. said he was concerned because some of the appropriations specified that the money was for the Boys & Girls Club of Socorro. He didn't want to lease the land and then see the county not be able to spend the money.

Santillanes said the anti-donation clause prohibited the club from getting public money directly or owning the building. The county is awaiting clarification on how they can proceed from the state Department of Finance and Administration.

The county always intended to house the Boys & Girls Club, but Santillanes doesn't know when the club would be operating again.

The club had to stop operating earlier this year due to lack of funds, lack of an eight-member board and not having the 2006 financial audit finished.

Olguin said the language of the appropriations specifies use for the club and he didn't want to see the city involved in misuse of funds.

Bhasker said which organization used the building was out of city control, and the money was for a youth center the Boys & Girls Club got the first opportunity to run. The county was just asking to lease the property, he said.

Santillanes said the Department of Finance and Administration had to approve all expenditures, and county representatives had been clear on their plans with officials.

Monette said he wanted to table the motion so people not in agreement with the intentions could come to a council meeting.

City Clerk Pat Salome said he would ask the attorney about putting in a "hold harmless for use of funds" clause in the lease.

Initially, the state funding was given for buying the property near Parkview Elementary School that currently houses the club facility, tearing down the old building and constructing a new one.

Santillanes said people involved looked at different lots so they could put more money into the building instead of the lot. The current lot is small and near the road, he said.

Also, since the youth center would be vacant until 3 p.m. on school days, Santillanes wants to use it for senior activities if it were near the senior center.

If the Boys & Girls Club reorganizes, Santillanes said, the county would negotiate with them to use the center. If not, he expects to figure out something else.

aduncan@dchieftain.com

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