An agreement between the Jefferson City Parks and Recreation Commission and Lincoln University on how to operate the planned multipurpose facility is being kept closed even as both entities are expected to vote on it this week.
Last year, the Parks and Recreation Commission authorized parks staff to pursue a potential collaboration with Lincoln on the proposed multipurpose building where it would operate as both a multipurpose facility and a student wellness facility on Lafayette Street.
Between LU and the parks commission, $10.1 million is available for the collaborative project. Anticipating that would not be enough for a facility with four basketball courts and an elevated walking track, the City Council approved a $1.5 million line of credit in December, at the commission's request.
In July, commissioners approved shrinking the building's proposed footprint from 90,000 square feet to 79,000 square feet after cost estimates had risen above the available funds for the project. By trimming the overall square footage, the estimated cost of building the facility became between $11.4 million and $13.6 million, which still leaves a potential funding gap of up to $2 million.
At its meeting Thursday, the Lincoln University Board of Curators is expected to approve a memorandum of understanding (MOU), which is listed under action items in open session on the meeting agenda. The parks commission will meet Wednesday, where a closed session is planned for contract negotiations.
Missouri's Sunshine Law, in Chapter 610.021 (12), allows both the Parks and Recreation Commission and the Lincoln University Board of Curators to close "... any documents related to a negotiated contract until a contract is executed, or all proposals are rejected."
News Tribune made requests to see the draft document to both the university and the city, with both requests being denied. LU President Kevin Rome said Friday a legal contract like the MOU typically would not be shared with the public before being approved, but he noted he would have no problem sharing a draft of the document if the commission agreed.
However, it didn't.
After making the same request to City Attorney Drew Hilpert, he replied, "At this time, the commission does not desire to release the agreement until execution."
Commission Vice President Brad Bates said the commission and LU are working on a very tight timeline to approve the MOU, but once it's finalized, there will be an opportunity for public input.
"It's hard to say if there would be any chance (before the meetings)," Bates said. "But (the commission is) a nine-member board that's appointed, and the folks are supposed to be of the community and always taking input.
"I know the commission is an open book and they want all the public input possible. Any way we can get public input on how they want to see the facility run, I think that's what you're going to see."
Commission President Denise Chapel said it's difficult to seek public input on a contract and is not typically done. However, she echoed Bates' sentiments, saying the commission is made up of representatives of the public and they have been receiving input throughout the entire multipurpose building process.
"We've been talking about what should be incorporated all along," Chapel said.
Chapel said the commission will have a public presentation on the details of the partnership and the facility once more design and operations details are available. At that point, she said, there will be a discussion about what the public wants to see in the facility.
Bates said the MOU does not deal with things like programming needs, so there will be time to have public input on that as well before final decisions are made.
"The MOU that we're working on is the structure itself ... who is going to pay what portion of the utility bill ... those kinds of operational things," Bates said.
Hilpert said the document lays out "general partnership concepts" and does not set things like walk-in fees or rental costs. However, he said, it does contain how expenses will be split and anticipated facility hours, which are subject to yearly review.
When asked whether a vote on the MOU would be done in open or closed session, neither Bates nor Chapel were sure, saying they would make that decision based on the advice of the city attorney.
The Parks and Recreation Commission will meet at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday in the lower level of the City Annex. The Lincoln University Board of Curators will meet at 8:30 a.m. Thursday at Memorial Hall.