By Derek Spellman
dspellman@joplinglobe.com
NEOSHO, Mo. — A formal proposal that would transfer control of the summer baseball and softball programs from the city of Neosho to the local YMCA will come before the City Council tonight.
The lease agreement between the city and the Freeman Southwest Family YMCA would grant the latter use of the city’s five ball fields and concessions at a fee of $1 per year.
Mayor Jeff Werneke has said he does not anticipate any obstacles to council approval of the measure.
In mid-January, then-City Manager Jan Blase announced that budget cuts would force the city to divest itself of the summer youth baseball and softball programs — before plans were in place for another organization to assume the programs. The programs affect about 1,000 youngsters. Blase said passing the programs off would save the city about $50,000 annually.
The city approached a fledgling parents’ organization about taking over the programs. The parks advisory board and others then contacted the YMCA because of concerns about whether the parents’ organization could be up and running in time for the next season.
The City Council placed Blase on paid suspension Jan. 26, pending a final vote to fire him, citing a lack of confidence in his ability to continue discharging his duties effectively. The council voted to fire him on Feb. 22.
Police Chief Dave McCracken was installed as acting city manager just after Blase’s suspension. Werneke has said the council could opt for an interim city manager to take over for McCracken before hiring Blase’s permanent replacement. The city has been approached by some individuals expressing an interest in the interim position.
Werneke on Monday said the council could talk about an interim city manager during a closed session tonight, although a decision about whether to take that interim route likely would be made by the new council to be seated after the April 6 election. Four candidates are vying for two seats on the council.
In other business tonight, the council will take up a proposal allowing the cash-strapped city to borrow $1.3 million.
The money would be used to reimburse the general fund, which has been strained by cost overruns and other costs surrounding the expansion and renovation of The Civic, the city auditorium. The general fund finances all city operations, except for the golf course, and water and sewer service.
Under the proposal, the city would issue $1.3 million in certificates of participation to repay the general fund. The certificates are one of several forms of debt that cities can take on with only a vote of the council. The certificates would be repaid over the next 10 years by revenue from a quarter-cent sales tax that was approved by voters to finance capital and operational costs at The Civic and the senior center.
The council approved the debt on first reading during its March 2 meeting, but a clerical error in some of the measure’s legal language means the council will have to take up a revised proposal on first reading tonight, Werneke said. A special meeting likely will have to be scheduled for next week for the council to vote on the measure on second and third readings, the mayor said.
