C.V. Starr Community Center closes indefinitely
FORT BRAGG >> The C.V. Starr Community Center has announced nearly the complete layoff of their staff and will likely be closed through the end of 2020, if not longer.
The center closed its doors temporarily on March 17, after Mendocino County Public Health Officer, Noemi Doohan, issued the advisory shelter-in-place order due to the Coronavirus pandemic, and has remained shuttered since.
Because the center is owned by the City of Fort Bragg and operated by the Mendocino Coast Recreation & Parks District, it is reliant on tax revenue to continue operation, said Dan Keyes, district administrator.
“Even if the center was allowed to reopen this summer under the Health Officer’s revised orders, we do not expect the dedicated half- cent City of Fort Bragg sales tax revenues, which make up nearly half of all revenues, to come close to supporting the operating costs, particularly if admissions and rental fees are slow to rebound,” said a joint press release from the city and MCRPD, issued May 7.
Initial projections estimated that the Center would operate at an average loss of $70k a month for at least the first six months.
“If we would have gone on as planned, it would have been a $427,000 deficit,” Keyes said. “We would have taken a hit every month.”
The admission and rental revenues generated from the center’s activities and membership fees account for 35 to 40 percent of the revenue necessary to support the center, reported the city. The half- cent sales tax revenue from the city accounts for another 45 to 50 percent of the revenue, and the property tax contributes the remaining 10 to 15 percent.
Fort Bragg city officials have been transparent about the drastic downturn in sales tax revenue, post- pandemic. Preliminary projections from city manager Tabatha Miller estimated a 60 percent decrease in 2020 second-quarter sales tax, and a 44 percent decrease in projected fiscal year 2020-2021 sales tax revenues.
The MCRPD board of directors made the decision several weeks ago to furlough much of the staff, but on Tuesday, gave the orders to officially lay off all but five employees, including Keyes.
“I think this is one of the hardest things that’s ever happened,” Keyes said. “I’ve been in the business for 30 years — it feels like everything is disintegrating around us.”
He said he spent hours on May 6, signing layoff notices for the center’s staff. Three of the remaining five staff members will be placed on furlough at the end of the month, and only Keyes and the maintenance supervisor, Paul Kelley, will remain.
“Each time I read the name, it just hurt. And I don’t know what’s going to happen to them,” Keyes said. “All I can do is work with the city to try to get this place opened up as soon as possible.”
All of the center’s members and prepaid participants have had credits placed on their accounts for days and activities missed. Anyone with personal items still in a locker should contact the center to arrange a time to pick up their belongings. If you would like a refund rather than a credit, please contact the Center at 707-964-9446, ext. 102 or by emailing dkeyes@mcrpd. us.
“I’ve heard a lot of people describe the center as ‘ the jewel of the community,’” Keyes said. “People move here after they find out this center exists. The quality of life — and everyone’s health — is so much better because of the opportunity to come here, there’s no doubt about it.”