BATH — City councilors on Wednesday will resume discussion of a proposal to rescind a board of directors created in December to operate the city-owned former National Guard Armory building — the future site of the Bath Youth Meetinghouse and Skatepark.
In December, councilors approved relocating the skate park to the armory building, and paying $308,000 to upgrade the building. On a motion by Councilor Kyle Rogers, they also created a board of directors to oversee the building.
But the question of whether that board would charge rent to occupants of the building — at this point, two nonprofit organizations, the skatepark and an antique fire engines group known as Box 19 — remained on the table.
At their Jan. 4 meeting, councilors tabled discussion of bylaws for that board — and also tabled an initial proposal by Councilor Mari Eosco to reconsider establishing the board.
Eosco said at the time that the December motion by Rogers to create the board was a “surprise,” and that councilors were not given enough time to consider the proposal.
During nearly two hours of discussion at a Jan. 19 workshop, Eosco and councilors Meadow Rue Merrill and Andy Winglass suggested that instead of a board of directors, the town’s Recreation Department could oversee the building.
Rogers acknowledged on Jan. 19 that, given the skate park’s annual $ 40,000 subsidy from the city, he would like to see the organization pay rent to the city for space at the armory building.
Later that night, former City Councilor James Omo accused Rogers of making the issue about “the almighty dollar,” prompting a warning from council chairman David Sinclair.
On Monday, Rogers told The Times Record that he objects to being painted as a villain in discussions about the armory, and said he’s simply trying to make sure a building owned by Bath’s taxpayers is sufficiently maintained.
“I think that the youth of this community are an important part of this community, and I want to see them have a place to go,” Rogers said Monday.
He said he proposed a board of directors to operate the armory “to ensure that the armory building is taken care of in perpetuity. If this board doesn’t go through, the city is basically handing over a building to the rec department and the Bath skate park and … it’s deja vu (like) what we did when we turned over operation of the old YMCA building to the same people. … I’m trying to protect the asset for the taxpayers because it hasn’t been proven to me that they (the skate park board) have the ability to raise the money to maintain that building.”
On Wednesday, councilors will resume discussion of the proposal to rescind the board of directors.
Also on Wednesday’s agenda, the council will hold a public hearing and consider second passage of a proposed Wireless Communications Facilities ordinance; approve the transfer of school properties to Regional School Unit 1; and discuss the future of the former Huse School property, which will not be transferred to RSU 1.
The council will meet at 6 p.m. at City Hall.
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