City hands over operations at community center to CBI

The city of Middletown is one step closer to getting out of the community center business.

Last week, City Council heard the first reading of an ordinance that would allow the city to sign a five-year contract that would turn over day-to-day operations of the Robert “Sonny” Hill Jr. Community Center, 800 Lafayette Ave., to the Miami University Middletown’s Community Building Institute.

Joel Gross, former director of the community center, left in December after 18 months to accept a different position, and at the same time, due to city budget issues and layoffs of public safety personnel, funding at the center was cut 20 percent from $200,000 to $160,000, said Judy Gilleland, city manager.

Gross made $34,249 annually as director, according to city records.

CBI, which signed a 90-day contract to operate the center on Jan. 1, would be paid $100,000 a year to operate the center, payable in monthly installments of $8,333, Adkins said. Paying CBI to operate the center would save the city about $60,000 a year, he said. If the city doesn’t sign an agreement with CBI, it would hire a director and continue staffing the center, he said.

CBI would be responsible for the staffing of the center, and for general maintenance and upkeep of the facilities, including utilities and equipment repairs. Major building or equipment repairs more than $5,000 would be considered capital expenses and would be the city’s responsibility, Adkins said.

After five years, Adkins said it’s the city’s goal for the center to be self-sufficient.
Well well it seems that the Community Center is now on the chopping block like the health department, swimming pools and and golf course were......

 Maney, director of CBI, said the goal of the center is to create a “cradle to career” curriculum that prepares Middletown youth for kindergarten readiness, third-grade reading and graduation rates. According to the most recent statistics, 79 percent of Middletown students graduated from high school after four years and 45 percent of the 500 third-graders tested proficient or higher on third-grade reading.

It’s Maney’s goal to “fill the gaps” in the educational system through tutoring, mentoring and leadership and character development at the center, she said. Maney hopes to create “a robust” youth program.

She said the Parent Resource Center opened five years ago in the community center, and completed its renovations last year. Since, the center has grown from assisting 40 people to 125, and assisted 15 students in earning their GEDs.

Maney wants the center’s tagline to read: “A community centered on hope.”

The city also would be allowed to use the center for free at least six times for public events throughout the year, Adkins said. Council member Anita Scott Jones was concerned about some of the events that traditionally are held in the center and Adkins assured her those events would continue.

Since CBI has been a partner at the center, the annex was completely renovated, new digital signage was added to the front of the building and new programs were added at the center, Adkins said.

Allowing CBI to take over the center offers several “advantages” to the city, Adkins said. He said CBI is “well respected” in the community and partners with the center and numerous nonprofit and religious organizations.

He said CBI offers “a quick, efficient manner” to continue operations seamlessly.