Rec Complex Board Submits Final Motion for Saddle Club MOU

At the August meeting of the Whitehall Rec Complex Board, held Monday, August 28 at the Town Hall, the Board voted to recommend a final proposal of the Whitehall Saddle Club (WSC) Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to the Whitehall Town Council. This comes after the Council tabled the discussion during their monthly meeting in regard to the WSC’s list of items they owned at the rodeo grounds until it could be verified.

“The list was very in-depth,” rodeo representative Tim O’Donnell stated. “We didn’t go over it piece by piece, bolt by bolt.” Out-of-town representative Curtiss LaFountaine added that there were several items of contention, namely the bleacher covering and the warm-up arena, that he had issues with, but overall the list was concise. WSC member Lonna Johnson clarified that the Board had asked for what the WSC had purchased and believed was theirs, and those items are listed.

In-town representative Gina Ossello motioned that the list be valued at $20,000 and that the Town would pay the WSC $20,000 in two installments of $10k each, they would give the WSC 5% of the gate for all city-sponsored events for 10 years, would have free use of the grounds for 10 years, and the historic marker mentioned in the MOU would be instated. If this was not acceptable to the WSC, the Town Council would give the WSC 60 days to remove their property, notifying the Town Attorney when they were doing so.

Johnson said that the appraisal for the items on the list had not come back to the WSC yet, so nothing could be determined until then.

O’Donnell asked if the WSC would forego the appraisal in order to get things moving, as the Board is “stuck on multiple issues” until this is resolved. O’Donnell added that with all the work the Board is doing to improve the rodeo grounds, the rodeo grounds are always going to be a part of the complex. O’Donnell then asked if putting that into an amended motion - that the rodeo grounds are always a part of the recreation complex - would ease the WSC’s mind, as there had been talk by some, the Mayor included, that the recreation complex would always be used as a recreation complex, but there was no guarantee that a rodeo grounds would remain a part of that complex.

Johnson said that the WSC felt like they were being pushed out and that what they have done in the past is not good enough for this new group [the Rec Board].

Ossello said there is no push for the WSC to leave, only to get bigger, better events, though she noted it has been hard to work with the WSC in the past.

Town Clerk Kennedy Kleinsasser also noted that the recreation complex will always remain a recreation complex, despite recent rumors of Ossello’s desire to turn the complex area into condos. Because of the grants being applied for, Kleinsasser said, the property must always remain a “park” area. Ossello also stated that the rumor was untrue and that it may have stemmed from the condo properties being proposed by Steve Warmoth on his private property, which is near the recreation complex.

Town Council rep Roy McBride also noted that he has heard rumors that he is against equine events and the rodeo grounds in general.

“I would not be sitting here if I did not believe in this project and the rodeo grounds. I’ve been involved in rodeos since I was a little kid; why would I change my focus now? I have no desire to see the rodeo grounds go,” McBride said.

Ossello amended her motion to include verbiage that the rodeo grounds would always remain a part of the recreation complex, in addition to her MOU proposal to WSC. The Board approved the motion, with a “nay” from WSC rep Bridget Morse and an abstention from outside town rep Bill Gillespie.

The MOU must now be presented to the Whitehall Town Council at their September meeting once the WSC has received its appraisal of the property.

OTHER NEWS:

• Pool representative Kelley Seccomb reported that the pool needs to be resurfaced and that the outer edge of the pool, about 1 foot around, is cracking and has chunks falling off.

• Kleinsasser informed the Board that the rec complex grant to Barrick via the Whitehall Sustainability Committee had been amended from $1 million to $110,000 in order the fund maintenance on the property, as desired by Barrick. Kleinsasser added that Barrick wanted a more thorough breakdown of costs and a timeline of improvements.

• Nieskens informed the Board of discussions with the County in order to work out a land swap - the property where the Search & Rescue building is located in the recreation complex, with property owned by the school near the dump, in order to accommodate MHSA size requirements for a new baseball field.

• Whitehall School rep Hannah Nieskens motioned to ask the Town Council to consider creating a recreation district with the same borders as the high school in order to ask for a recreation mill levy in the future. The Board approved.