Officials: Boys & Girls Club here will stay open
City Council OKs ordinance that authorizes Salvation Army property purchase
Speaking before the Yuma City Council on Wednesday, Daniel Venditelli expressed concern for the future of the Boys and Girls Club and his children’s after-school care as the Salvation Army steps away from the program.
Venditelli said his children attend the program and his family has come to rely on it. Although the city has promised that the club will continue uninterrupted, he noted that he has not seen a “concrete written plan.” He pointed out that a promise is not a plan.
Other than a city press release, Venditelli said that nothing has been shared directly with parents. He questioned whether families should make other arrangements for their children’s care. He urged the council to make known the plan as soon as possible.
From Washington, D.C., where he is attending a White House party and meeting with federal officials, Nicholls told the Yuma Sun: “The city is working in concert with the Salvation Army to ensure the students attending the program are taken care of and that no gaps in programming are experienced. The kids are the primary focus of all efforts.”
Capt. Jeffrey Breazeale, the local corps officer for the Salvation Army, pointed to a letter that the nonprofit sent to parents on Dec. 11. The letter informs parents that the club program would undergo changes in the new year. It explained that the city would be taking over operations of the club at the end of January. “At this time we do not have anymore details related to that transition but expect the programs for the kids to continue on schedule,” the letter added.
However, the city has made clear that the city would not be taking over the program and that another local nonprofit would be running it at the same facility.
On Wednesday, the council unanimously approved an ordinance that authorizes city staff to move forward with the “reacquisition” of Salvation Army property located at 1100 S. 13th Ave., which houses the Boys and Girls Club.
The city and the Salvation Army have been in
volved in a lawsuit ever since the nonprofit announced that it would be cutting ties to the national Boys and Girls Club, which has a more than a 50-year history in Yuma.
Following the 30-day waiting period for all ordinances, the settlement process will be completed and the lawsuit dismissed.
Before the vote approving the ordinance, Deputy Mayor Gary Knight told Venditelli that he appreciates his concern. “We share that concern,” Knight said, adding, “We are committed to seeing that the Boys and Girls Club continues uninterrupted.”
The deputy mayor noted that the “plan is in place, but because we haven’t got all the commitments we need so far, we can’t go into it. But it’s in the works.”
The Salvation Army’s plans to sever its ties with the Boys and Girls Club angered people who donated to a $1.6 million capital fundraising campaign to enlarge the Boys and Girls Club. A new building and renovated older building were dedicated in October 2016. The donors claimed that the nonprofit never mentioned that the affiliation or building use could change and asked the city to take the lead in legal action against the nonprofit.
In a lawsuit filed in December 2018, the city claimed that the Salvation Army’s decision to end its affiliation with the national Boys and Girls Club organization violated the terms of the agreement which transferred the city-owned property to the nonprofit in January 2003.
The Salvation Army filed a counterclaim saying the city had no right to the Boys and Girls Club property and that the nonprofit had spent more than $800,000 of its own money on the expansion as donations fell short and construction costs escalated.
However, rather than risk going to trial, the city and the Salvation Army reached a settlement in the lawsuit earlier this month. The council approved the agreement in a special meeting held Dec. 10. The settlement calls for the city to buy back the property located at 1100 S. 13th Ave. for $638,909, to be paid in monthly installments over 20 years. The first installment will be made on Feb. 1.
However, the agreement indicates that the city may opt to make an “accelerated prepayment” of $550,000 by Aug. 1, 2021. The payment is to reimburse the Salvation Army for expenses in connection with the renovation, construction and improvements of the clubhouse.
According to a joint press release, the city and nonprofit said they had come to understand each other’s positions and determined that settlement rather than continued litigation best served the community’s interests.
“We’re glad to have this matter behind us. We look forward to continue serving boys and girls and all of the people of Yuma to the best of our ability in the future,” Breazeale said in the press release.
“Both parties desire a seamless transition of the property’s reacquisition so the youth programs operating there continue uninterrupted,” Nicholls stated in the release.
However, Venditelli told the council on Wednesday, parents need more than being told “trust me.” He said: “It’s one of those things a little more transparency would go a very long way to allay the fears I hear from people when I go to pick up my kids.”
Normally the process of turning over the program to another organization would be done with more time, but Knight explained that because of time constraints due to the lawsuit, everything is happening quicker than normal.
“The lawsuit has taken some of the transparency away because that’s the nature of litigation,” Knight said, “but we are concerned and very dedicated to making sure the Boys and Girls Club continues uninterrupted.”
Councilman Edward Thomas also shared reassurances. “I have never lied to you and no one up here has purposely lied to you. So yes, what I’m asking you and the rest of the city is to trust us. Don’t worry, trust us. You’ve got my word for it,” he said.
Councilman Mike Shelton also reassured Venditelli. “We are listening to you and we are very concerned about the welfare of each of those children. I can assure you that the will to succeed is here and we’re not going to settle for anything less than success,” he said.
“I appreciate the reinforcement,” Venditelli replied.
Danny Bryant, who has represented the donors, thanked the city for “doing the right thing” and said that donors are already organizing as a group to raise funds to pay the property acquisition cost.
The donors also intend to make sure the program continues uninterrupted for parents who depend on it, Bryant said. He noted that several nonprofits are interested in taking over the program and that the council will have to decide which one will ultimately do so.