Town Council Considers Facility Proposals, Management of Community Center

At their Committee of the Whole Meeting on Thursday, January 21, the Stevensville Town Council participated in discussions with representatives of the Stevensville Community Foundation that could lead to the Town of Stevensville managing the operations of a new community center being proposed by the foundation.The facility would be located at the corner of Middle Burnt Fork Road and Park Avenue on a 3.5 acre property already owned by the foundation.

Bob Thomas, chair of the community center committee for the foundation, detailed the history of the community center project which started in 1999. When plans for the project first started, there were hopes for a performing arts center and additional educational spaces. Then, the foundation hoped to partner with the school district. Thomas said that the concept has changed and today it includes a building approximately 6,000 square feet that would be capable of hosting an array of activities for the community. The main 5,000 square foot space of the building would be large enough to hold events such as fundraisers and large meetings. The space would also be flexible so that it could be divided for multiple smaller events. Thomas noted that a challenge the foundation is faced with once the building is built, is how the space and facility would be managed and maintained. Thomas and the foundation, along with the Mayor and administrative staff, are proposing that the Town Council consider management of the community center.

Mayor Brandon Dewey hopes that the facility could resolve the space constraints that the Town currently experiences with Town Council meetings, public hearings, and parks & recreation programs. The Mayor thought that it would be reasonable to believe the Town would likely be the primary user of the space because of it's flexibility and vision for community benefit. 

Currently, the spaces that the Town has available for public meetings cannot adequately host a group of larger than about 20 people. That problem is compounded with precautions like social distancing due to COVID-19. In addition, the Town does not have any indoor space available for the Parks & Recreation Department to utilize for programming like after school programs, summer camps during the day, or other cultural and educational opportunities. 

The Town Council discussed how the relationship between the foundation and the Town of Stevensville would look if a management contract were pursued. Issues of insurance, liability, and responsibility were explored. The Stevensville Community Foundation intends to retain ownership of the facility, but hopes the Town will take on management and operation of the facility in exchange for use of the space. The Town Council asked that the administration better define how the space would be used by the Town for its programs. The Town Council would also like to see projected revenue and usage estimates. Mayor Dewey stated that a needs assessment could be done to help answer some of those questions.

All parties at the meeting agreed that the intent of a management agreement would be to utilize the fees generated by the use of the center, to cover the costs of operations.

Further exploration will be done and additional details considered and addressed by the foundation and administration. An agreement will then come back to the Town Council for consideration. The community center is not expected to break ground for another year.

The Town Council was also presented with the opportunity to consider purchase of the historic Bass Mansion, located at 100 College Street. The administration brought the opportunity to the Council's attention as a historic preservation effort noting the building had been under private ownership and more frequently changing hands over recent years. Councilmember Jaime Devlin supported the opportunity after voicing her concern about the historic buildings in Stevensville and the resources needed to restore and maintain them.

Possible uses of the Bass Mansion were discussed, which included allowing the museum to utilize it or moving the Town's administrative offices into the space. Mayor Dewey noted that the building is in good cosmetic shape internally, and many of the mechanical features of the building are in good condition considering age. There were exterior repairs that did need some significant attention. If the Council wanted to consider proceeding with the purchase of the property, the administration identified possible grant programs that would assist in any needed restoration and repair.

The Town Council ultimately passed on the opportunity, but did ask that the administration monitor the status of the property and assist in facilitating possible uses or zoning requests as needed to find the right use of the building.

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