Alliance for Better Community has been eager to get going with plans at the Raymond Theatre Community Center, but things didn't go as planned when sparks flew at the Raymond City Council Meeting on May 21.
At the prior City Council Meeting it was agreed upon that the city would allow ABC a trial run at the Community Center free of charge to see what they could do. However, a MOU [Moratorium of Understanding] needed to be drafted and approved by the City Council before any action could take place. A drafted MOU missed a few steps along the way when City Attorney Will Penoyar nor the council were able to look it over before Mayor Nordin signed it.
After public comment was allowed and Kyle Hubly, who is associated with ABC, expressed his irritation with the ongoing process. Councilor Pam Nogueira-Maneman chimed into the debate when she asked Mayor Nordin what exactly happened.
"I have some questions," Nogueira-Maneman said. "As to this MOU. I mean I haven't even seen an MOU and apparently it's been signed and rescinded. What's going on?"
"That's on me," Mayor Nordin replied.
"Oh, what happened," Nogueira-Maneman replied back.
"I didn't know it needed council approval," Nordin stated. "So I signed it and let it go because I thought that the labor we were using was just for painting and cleaning. That they weren't going to utilize it as an organization as of yet."
"What happened with the liability, what was it before?" Nogueira-Maneman said.
"For them to write grants they have to write them as an organization under the umbrella of ABC," Mayor Nordin replied. "Once they establish themselves as an organization then they will have to have liability insurance. In the meantime while they are just doing manual labor at the community center I think they're covered under the cities liability insurance. That's why I signed the MOU."
"So your telling me," Nogueira-Maneman asked. "If you have an organization formed as ABC to draft grants and apply on behalf of the city and at the same time do work in that center without being under the ABC name that would be okay?
"If they're just volunteers painting and cleaning," Nordin said. "I believe they're covered under the city."
"Then why don't we draft that into the MOU and make it simple?" Nogueira-Maneman replied.
"I received the MOU from ABC itself," Nordin stated.
"Oh, okay," Nogueira-Maneman said.
"I didn't draft the MOU," Nordin replied.
"Can I volunteer to see, review, and pass it forward to Mr. Penoyar for approval?" Nogueira-Maneman replied.
"Of course, sure," Nordin said
Nogueira-Maneman then asked Hubly to send her a copy of the MOU and asked that it be placed on the next meeting's agenda for approval. In the meantime volunteers with ABC have been hard at work cleaning the center and preparing it for ABC's goals to revitalize the space.