Yorkville City Leaders Provide Answers on REC Center Referendum

The FAQ is posted on the city's website; the referendum will be on the November ballot.

Voters to Weigh in on Proposed REC Center Purchase

Yorkville aldermen approve a referendum for November's ballot.

Yorkville voters will be able to give a thumbs up or down to the proposed purchase - and the tentative terms - of the REC Center, which the city has been leasing for about five years. Aldermen approved that referendum Tuesday as they rejected a similar question about selling bonds to build a new recreation facility. The second question surfaced through recent talks about partnering with the Fox Valley YMCA and the city providing half of the estimated $8 million cost for a shared building. The second question was "silly" to ask voters, because the city can't afford to borrow $4 million for a new facility, Mayor Gary Golinski said. “We’re in no position to issue $4 million in bonds, especially for a REC Center,” Golinski said, adding that …

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Yorkville Considering Referendum, Rec Partnership with YMCA

City leaders exploring a $4 million referendum and partnering with the Fox Valley YMCA on an $8 million project.

A possibility for a new recreation facility is emerging as Yorkville leaders consider whether to purchase the REC Center when the lease expires next summer. Leaders are considering seeking a $4 million bond referendum so the city could split the cost of a new recreation facility with the Fox Valley Family YMCA, whose leaders have indicated they plan to build a new facility soon regardless of the city's plans with the REC Center. Alderman Chris Funkhouser revealed the details at Tuesday's Committee of the Whole meeting. Funkhouser led a meeting Monday with YMCA representatives, who are planning to review the idea with that organization's board members. The group did not determine where the building would be, what it would include or how it …

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Two More Public Hearings Scheduled on REC Center Purchase

Yorkville is considering purchasing the REC Center for $4.29 million - a $2.5 million contract paid over 20 years at 6 percent interest.

The math behind the proposed REC Center purchase is buried on page 1021 of a 1120 packet for Tuesday's City Council meeting. If approved, city would buy the building (including four rental units), equipment, business and land for $2.5 million, City Administrator Bart Olson said in a memo to City Council members. The owners, Walker Custom Homes, would finance the installment contract at 6 percent interest over 20 years, so the city would pay them $17,910 a month for a total of $4,298,586. "The contract will also contain a no-prepayment clause," Olson wrote. "The main reason the property owner was willing to sell the property for less than market value was that the property is a self-financed purchase installment contract." A recent …

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Mayor: Tentative Agreement Struck to Buy Rec Center

City would pay Walker Custom Homes $2.5 million over 20 years with a 6 percent interest rate, Yorkville Mayor Gary Golinski said.

Yorkville has a tentative agreement to buy the REC Center for $2.5 million, which is about $1 million less than the appraised value and $1.5 million than the price in the original lease agreement. City Council members could vote on the deal in about two months, Mayor Gary Golinski said. If ultimately approved, the city would pay the $2.5 million over 20 years to Walker Custom Homes, plus 6 percent interest, Golinski said. “At that price and interest rate, we’ll have a good cushion for capital improvements,” Golinski said. He also anticipated that the facility would run an annual surplus high enough to eventually cover the total deficit it has generated since the city began leasing the facility in 2008. The annual deficit was about $77,000 …

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What If the City Doesn't Buy the REC Center?

A new committee will explore how Yorkville would manage its recreation programs without the REC Center facility.

A handful of city leaders will explore alternatives to using the REC Center building through a committee Mayor Gary Golinski formed in light of the decision not to renew the facility’s lease. The REC Center houses the Recreation Department administrative staff, fitness equipment and programs, a pool and several recreation classes, although some recreation programs are offered at city parks and at local schools. Aldermen voted unanimously last month not to renew the lease on the REC Center facility in July 2013, and city leaders continue to explore purchasing the building on Yorkville’s north side. However, this ad hoc committee will consider options for adapting city programs if the city ultimately doesn’t purchase the building, Golinski …

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Letter to the Editor: Finding a Plan B for REC Center

County board candidate and Yorkville Park Board member Amy Cesich shares her views on Yorkville's REC Center and Parks and Recreation Department.

What’s plan B? Currently, the Rec center is generating 90% of the revenue needed to fund operations. The question is: Is the rec center and what it offers to the people of Yorkville, worth the additional 10%? Many of the programs offered at the Rec Center are unique and not readily available at other facilities. The unique structure of the building allows for a wider range of activities to be offered to a broader group of residents, such as swimming and the basketball courts. There are no privately-owned buildings or fitness operations with the capacity of our Rec Center open in Yorkville. The Rec Center is an integral part of the Parks and Rec department, the department has run at a surplus by overseeing its operations out of the rec …

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REC Center Lease up for Vote Tuesday

About 40 people attended a town hall meeting at the facility Thursday.

Yorkville aldermen are poised to vote on whether to continue leasing the REC Center at their meeting Tuesday after about 40 people attended a town hall meeting Thursday on the subject. Opinions at the forum, hosted by the city’s Park Board, ranged from assertions that the city could not afford to operate the facility, suggestions that the city partner with school officials to provide recreation programs and predictions that the REC Center makes Yorkville more attractive for young families. The next city council meeting starts at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Yorkville City Hall. Under the 2008 lease agreement, the city could purchase the REC Center for about $4 million, continue the lease through 2018, or opt out of the agreement in June 2013. City …

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City Likely to Cancel REC Center Lease

Negotiations to purchase the facility could stretch on for a year or so after the deadline to opt out of the lease, city leaders said.

The formal decision to opt out of the REC Center lease in June 2013 will be easy to make next month, city leaders said. City Council members have reached a consensus to opt out of the lease – which will mean paying the landlord a penalty of at least $100,000 – and city staff will continue negotiations surrounding purchasing the building, Mayor Gary Golinski said Tuesday. “We’re working very hard,” Golinski said, of negotiations surrounding the potential purchase. “… I’m not going to put my support behind it until I know it’s going to be successful.” Under the 2008 agreement, the city could purchase the REC Center for about $4 million, continue the lease through 2018, or opt out of the agreement in June 2013. City leaders need to inform the…

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