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YMCA
Supporters Set Sights on Referendum
by John Duval, Malone
Telegram
Supporters of a Malone YMCA program for youth and families fear
efforts seeking a permissive referendum vote on the program could have
a chilling effect on YMCA fund raising- delaying or perhaps even
stopping it.
Malone Attorney Kevin Nichols has worked
as a member of an informal Malone YMCA Fund Raising Committee to seek
donations for the project.
The committee has already secured $15,000
in contributions to pay for maintenance and heating expenses
associated with the former armory building in Malone, which was leased
by the town to the Plattsburgh YMCA organization.
Nichols has worked with Malone Attorney Brian Hughes, Carla
Cahill and others in Malone to raise further funds for the YMCA.
Another committee meeting is to take place early next week.
Nichols reacted to a story in the
Wednesday issue of the Malone Telegram, which outlined plans by former
Malone Town Councilor Gerald Landry to file a petition with the town
board. The petition asks
for a public vote at the next general election to determine if a lease
should be signed between the town and the new YMCA.
Landry said he objects to having the town
in any position to lease property out for the venture.
He said any Malone YMCA organization should own its own
facility. Landry said he
expects to have 140 or more petition signatures to file with the town
board.
Landry this week was also critical of the
way “the town is giving out money.”
He said he disagreed with recent town board decisions to give
$5,000 from 2003 budget funds to the Malone Revitalization Foundation
and another similar contribution to Malone Miner Hockey Association
for use at the Malone Ice Arena building.
Landry said if fund balances existed,
that the funds should have been applied to lowering town taxes.
He noted that his town taxes have recently increased.
“Obviously word about something like
this permissive referendum petition can cause people not to donate.
Why would they, if they don’t know if there will be a YMCA or
not in Malone,” Nichols remarked about the Landry petition drive.
Nichols said supporters for the Malone
YMCA program “carefully crafted out an agreement that prevents
insurance problems or liability to the town.”
He said any perceptions that leasing the building for a YMCA
will leave the town with any insurance costs are wrong.
He repeated comments made at the past
Malone Armory- YMCA Task Force meetings that having a “Y” in
Malone would be good for Malone area youth and families.
A Malone Town Board meeting held months ago was jammed with
supporters for the YMCA project including representatives of the Alice
Hyde Medical Center, the Malone Central School District, Malone
Village Police Department and a variety of county agencies and
departments who all spoke out in favor of using the armory building as
the site for a Malone YMCA.
“Ironically, stopping the “Y” at
this point, would only cost the taxpayers money rather than just
letting it go forward,” Nichols added.
Earlier in the week, Malone Town Clerk
Susan Hafter said she believed that any special vote on the YMCA lease
between the town and the Plattsburgh YMCA organization would cost from
$2,000 to $3,000 or more in tax funds.
She explained that such a vote would require that the town pay
for election inspectors, the printing of paper ballots, legal
advertisements and other cots.
Nichols said that Malone town residents
should know that insurance coverage costs are to be paid for by the
new YMCA organization and not by the town and all costs associated
with making alterations to the armory building would also be paid for
from a local YMCA venture.
Nichols said anyone who is considering
signing Landry’s petition should first check with YMCA committee
members for more information about the project.
The lease agreement between the YMCA organization and the town,
signed on Dec. 9, is available for viewing at the town hall.
Supporters for the YMCA in Malone have worked to raise funds
and book paid memberships for a March 15 opening date.
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