image description — After nearly two years of work, the Elementary School Committee and the Youth Center put inked a lease agreement for the new center.

Williamstown Elementary Signs Lease With Youth Center

By Andy McKeeveriBerkshires Staff
10:30PM / Wednesday, February 08, 2012Print Story | Email Story

Youth Center officials Paul Jennings and David Rempell felt the signing of the lease was such a big step that they asked a photographer to document the occasion for a book the center is planning on making about the project.

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The new Youth Center set to be built on Elementary School land took a "momentous step" Wednesday night when both school and center officials signed a lease for the next 100 years.

The lease is one of the final steps before the center breaks ground on March 15. With the help of Town Manager Peter Fohlin and attorneys, the two sides reached an agreement that center officials approved on Monday and school officials on Wednesday.

"I feel this is a momentous occasion," Youth Center Executive Director David Rempell said. "We are all set to break ground next month."

The lease called for an initial deposit of $50,000 into a maintenance fund as well as a $250,000 temporary fund during construction. Rempell gave the School Committee a bank receipt showing that those deposits were made Wednesday morning.

The center has been in the works for a long time. It was originally scheduled to break ground in 2010 but was delayed a few times - once because of debate over the playground and another time to give architects more time to plan.

Now, the center is full steam ahead on the project that is expected to be completed on Oct. 1 with occupancy on Oct. 31.

"This really is quite a historic partnership," Youth Center President Paul Jennings said.

Wednesday was the second review of the lease and School Committee members had no follow up questions from their first review.

In other news, the school's budget process is off to a much better start than it was at this time last year. According to David Donoghue of The Management Solution, the company hired to manage the school's finance reports, officials just need to find ways to close a $142,000 gap compared to last year when the school faced a $395,000 gap.

"Even though it is a shortfall, it's a manageable shortfall," Donoghue said.

The 2013 budget is expected to see a 2 percent increase in funding from the town. However, about $30,000 in grant money has expired, utilities are expected to rise about 8 percent and salaries and other compensation is expected to rise 2 percent. Health insurance is expected to decrease only slightly.

Despite the state budget having an increase in education funding, Williamstown will receive level funding because the taxpayers already support the school higher than the baseline level. The extra education money is instead going to schools that operate at the foundation level.

The $142,000 gap will likely be filled with some school choice funds and no staff members are expected to be laid off, Superintendent of Schools Rose Ellis said. The school is expected to use less school choice funds to bridge that gap than it did last year.

Williamstown Youth Center Lease

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Your Comments

iBerkshires.com welcomes critical, respectful dialogue. Name-calling, personal attacks, libel, slander or foul language is not allowed. All comments are reviewed before posting and will be deleted or edited as necessary.

Why sign a lease for "100 years?" What is the purpose of making this lease 100 years? Times change, people change, ideas change. Why saddle future generations with today's feel good folly? Make no sense whatsoever. This is unjustifiable and irrational. Twenty or twenty five years? Even that might be a stretch. Williamstown has crossed the line between public and private and it is very scary. Was the 100 year lease specified in the rigged bidding process that shamelessly awarded Town land to the Youth Center? It is even legal for a town entity to award any king of 100 year lease? Is the Elementary School Committee the proper entity to do this?
from: 100 Years	on: 02-09-2012 07:11AM I Agree (5) - I Disagree (19)

I don't understand the purpose of this lease especially for 100 years and $300,000. I would hope that the Town would use this money towards the repairs that need to be made at Mt Greylock Regional High. The Youth Center being a private enity should be on the tax roles.
from: North Adams	on: 02-09-2012 10:19AM I Agree (4) - I Disagree (16)
Editor: The town isn't getting $300,000. The $250,000 goes back to the Youth Center. It is just there in case there is a problem during construction. The $50,000 is the start of an endowment to maintain the new center. A 100-year lease is common with these type of things. The Youth Center is a non-profit, so it is not nor would be on the tax role either way. -Andy McKeever
I Agree (16) - I Disagree (1)

Is the lease a public record? Does the editor know or have a link to it if it does exist for the Public?
from: concerned	on: 02-09-2012 10:53AM I Agree (1) - I Disagree (0)
Editor: I didn't think anyone wanted to pick through it. I'll put it up for you. - Andy McKeever.
I Agree (1) - I Disagree (0)

I've been following this story for years now, and I have to say that Rose Ellis' silence on this project has been deafening. Dare she criticize Jenkins' and Rempell's final, fiscally ridiculous, feel-good legacy? Is this so that when it goes belly-up in a few years she does not have to take any responsibility for this nightmare? Meanwhile, the empty rooms in the elementary school increase and the high school reverts to dust (and asbestos and toxic fumes). Shame on Williamstown for the short-sightedness of this crazy, and questionably legal, scheme of land-use political manipulation.
from: crazy stuff	on: 02-09-2012 11:06AM I Agree (7) - I Disagree (22)

Thank you for the posting of the lease. I just wanted to see what the return on the leased property to the Youth Center. One dollar a year for a hundred years, $100! I know why all the Youth Center people are smiling in the photos.
from: concerned	on: 02-09-2012 11:48AM I Agree (3) - I Disagree (19)
Editor: The Youth Center is a nonprofit that provides activities for all the youth in the town for a reasonable membership fee. That's why the school partnered with them. Nobody's making money on this deal, except the contractor building it.
I Agree (16) - I Disagree (0)

I don't see anything in that lease that gives the elementary school the right to use any of the youth center facility. We were told that the youth center would augment the school. For example, school kids could use the youth center's gym or art room during rainy recess days. I don't see any of that. So, what we are left with is a new building that just duplicates the resources of a building right next to it. When one is empty the other will be full. Perfect in its inefficiency.
from: i don't get it	on: 02-09-2012 01:41PM I Agree (3) - I Disagree (17)

It's funny how NIMBYs can sound like Tea-party types when they get uppity.
from: Odd	on: 02-09-2012 02:11PM I Agree (8) - I Disagree (3)

50 Year initial term for the lease with an additional 50 year renewal term provided the WYC is in full compliance with all conditions and requirements of the Lease at the time of renewal and subject to a successful performance review at the time of renewal of WYC’s operation of a youth center. The whole RFP process was conducted in open meeting and may be reviewed in detail at: http://www.williamstownelementary.org/subsite/dist/page/sc-youth-center-update-page-197
from: No Conspiracy	on: 02-09-2012 02:27PM I Agree (8) - I Disagree (1)

....would also like to add that Section 3 of the RFP allowed for a lease of up to 100 years as provided in the lease signed the other night (50 year initial term with 50 year renewal term). Again, feel free to review the whole process at: http://www.williamstownelementary.org/subsite/dist/page/sc-youth-center-update-page-197
from: No Conspiracy	on: 02-09-2012 02:30PM I Agree (9) - I Disagree (0)

Use of the WYC by WES students during the day for gym-use and inclement-weather recess use is covered by Section 5.1 of the Lease (Permitted Uses). That section requires the WYC to operate the youth center facility as set forth in its proposal to the RFP on December 3, 2009. That proposal is incorproated into the lease by reference and is attached to the original of the lease as Exhibit B. Section 6 of that proposal provides for the use of the facility by WES and its students for WES/WYC expanded programming, indoor recess periods, use of the WYC gym and game room for gross-motor activities. The whole story is laid out for all to see at: http://www.williamstownelementary.org/subsite/dist/page/sc-youth-center-update-page-197
from: No Conspiracy	on: 02-09-2012 02:39PM I Agree (11) - I Disagree (0)

Really. Tea Party type behavior. More like Ted Kennedy's approach to turbine projects. All for it until you can see the windmills from the compound. Would it be considered more politically fashionable to express one's concerns by occupying the playground?
from: Native	on: 02-09-2012 08:02PM I Agree (2) - I Disagree (0)

As someone who grew up here, being of very modest means in the 50s and 60s, the "Youth Center" was then part of the Boys Club of America. It was a depressing pit. Holes in walls, broken equipment, and a laughable basketball court the size, and I make no jest, of a larger bedroom in today's homes. The ceiling was no more than 10, 11 feet. It rarely had heat! Then came the Youth Center! An improvement, but certainly not a gem. Thank God for even that improvement! I hate to say it folks, but Williamstown has often been quite “cheap” when it come to children’s services. Dave Rempell is a good man, a caring man, and a credit to our town. I have worked with him on various town boards, and although we don't always agree - his heart is always in the right place. There is nothing wrong with wanting better, and doing better, for children. I am amazed at the cynicism in the comment section. Enough Dave Rempell bashing - the rest of us should do so well by our children. There are many children that need this facility, population growing or not - respect and treat children right and they grow up to be good citizens.
from: Not a Skeptic or Cynic	on: 02-11-2012 09:14PM I Agree (13) - I Disagree (0)

Williamstown Board Opts to Negotiate with College on Water St. Lot

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
05:04AM / Tuesday, June 09, 2026

Newly elected board member Nate Budington, far left, participates in his first in-person meeting along with, from left, Matt Neely, Stephanie Boyd, Peter Beck, Shana Dixon and Town Manager Robert Menicocci.

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Select Board on Monday decided to enter into negotiations with Williams College on the sale of the vacant town-owned lot at 59 Water St.

But the board members made it clear that the college's proposal to acquire the lot is a starting point, not a final deal that the elected officials would accept.

"For the sake of continued conversation, I'm in favor of [awarding Williams the site], but if this process wasn't continued with the opportunity for further negotiation, I wouldn't vote to continue this," Peter Beck said. "I think that next step is necessary for us to get to a yes on this."

"I think there's wide agreement on that," Matthew Neely said just before the 5-0 vote to enter talks with the college.

Williams was the sole respondent to a town-issued request for proposals to develop the former town garage site, currently a dirt lot.

The college's stated intent is to build a new Facilities office and create up to 170 parking spaces at 59 Water Street. That use will allow the college to redevelop the current Facilities building site and parking lot as part of a reconception of the school's indoor athletic and recreation facilities.

Under the terms of the RFP, the college's proposal was subjected to review by an ad hoc advisory committee to the town manager, who brought the question to the Select Board. That board will have the final say on any purchase and sales agreement.

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