ABOVE: Dozens of community members sit or stand inside council chambers at Fairmont City Hall on Monday evening. The majority of the people were voicing support for a new community center.

FAIRMONT– A large assortment of Fairmont community members overflowed council chambers on Monday evening to voice support of a community center. Public comment lasted about two hours as more than 30 people shared their thoughts regarding a new YMCA facility with the city council ahead of the meeting.

On Nov. 28, a majority of the council voted to put $2 million of the $14 million, raised in local option sales tax, toward a new compressor at the Martin County Arena with the rest going in reserves toward a variety of potential projects and upon a contract with a community center operator, upgrades to the Southern Minnesota Educational Campus (SMEC) building for the purpose of a community center.

On Monday evening the topic of a community center was again put on the agenda under old business. City Administrator Cathy Reynolds said that it was put back on the agenda as per council request. The council considered directing staff to work with the design team consultants to put together a state bonding request and local option sales tax request for a community center/ice rink.

Council Member Britney Kawecki made a motion to recall all motions made for the community center on Nov. 28 and instead asked to go back to the resolution made with the Fairmont Area Community Center Foundation in the past for them to raise $6 million and the for the council to explore other options to fund $1.5 million for a compressor and mechanics for the Martin County Arena, including removing the $850,000 for Gomsrud Park from the local option sales tax and working with the hockey association to raise funds on their own and explore other financing options to meet the $1.5 million needed.

Council Member Randy Lubenow seconded the motion.

Kawecki asked to amend her motion and added that she’d like to move forward with a new market tax credit, state bonding and a potential half-cent sales tax to have a community center that includes a YMCA and an ice arena in one building at one time. Lubenow again seconded the motion.

Council Member Bruce Peters pointed out that he had previously suggested the council pursue state bonding.

“Free money is free money. We maybe could have a community center if we can get the state to throw in a whole bunch of money,” Peters said.

Council Member Michele Miller said she also wanted to pursue state bonding, but was not in favor of the motion made.

“I am going to go for any motion that goes for getting additional funding for a community center/ice arena together because I think that’s what the community really needs,” Miller said.

Kawecki turned to the members of the public sitting in council chambers and said that she’s been speaking with citizens, senators, representatives and the hockey association.

“There is not the negative support for the community center… the negative emails are not there,” Kawecki said.

Councilor Kawecki also said she’s spoken with members of the hockey association and they said they don’t want a new compressor, but a new ice arena.

“What are the decisions up here being made for? Who?” Kawecki asked.

Miller said she had received phone calls from people involved with the hockey association who thanked her and the council for voting to give money for a new ice compressor as it’s an immediate need.

“They know it’s probably going to go into a new building. They want it,” Miller said.

Lubenow said he didn’t know where they would get the money for a new ice arena as the price tag for it is $21 million.

“We can’t just bond for a project that’s small in nature because our bond that we get from the state would be small in nature… if we have $24 million, we can bond $10 or $12 million… we can use tax credits and have everything we’ve ever wanted…,” Lubenow said.

Mayor Deb Foster said that at the last council meeting, she had asked for the item to be tabled and brought back next month when she would be a voting member on the council representing Ward 3. She also reiterated that she wouldn’t be in favor of a community center unless ice was involved and said that phasing doesn’t typically work well.

“I think we need to go for the whole kit and caboodle and do it all at one time,” Foster said.

She said that several years ago she cast a tie break vote to support a community center but pointed out that a lot has changed in the past few years regarding the project.

Foster said that if she was currently a voting member, she would not vote for Kawecki’s motion, but did say she felt like when incoming Council Member Jay Maynard comes on, there will be a commitment to go back to the $14 million commitment to a community center.

Peters called for a vote. In a roll call vote the motion failed 3-2 with councilors Wayne Hasek, Miller and Peters voting no.

Miller made a new motion to explore additional funding including a new market tax credit, state bonding and a half-cent sales tax to go toward a community center/ice built at the same time. Hasek seconded it.

Kawecki said she believed the motion needed to include more details. Miller said she wanted to look for additional funding for a community center and ice rink.

Kawecki she she felt like the community wouldn’t be in favor of another local option sales tax because it had “lost faith” in the council. She also took issue with the timeline of the state bonding process.

“This seems like a stall tactic and it seems like there’s going to be an ulterior plan,” Kawecki said.

Miller said that state bonding should have been discussed at the previous council meeting and pointed out that the schedule that the Community Center Advisory Board, which she’s on, has put out, it does include looking at state bonding as part of the process.

“Instead of putting $14 million toward the building– because not everyone wanted that building, they wanted the other things as well– give hockey what they need right now so they have the compressor…,” Miller said.

She then said she believes the Fairmont Area Community Center Foundation and hockey association should both be doing more fundraising right now.

“There’s nothing wrong with looking for additional funding through state bonding and an additional half-cent sales tax and new market tax credit. Let’s see what money we could get,” Miller said.

Foster specifically asked councilors Hasek, Miller and Peters if they would consider recommitting the $14 million, raised in local option sales tax, toward a community center.

“It sends a clear message to our community. It sends a clear message to the donors that are willing to come in that this council and the councils from here-on-in will support it,” Foster said.

Peters asked how they could do that as they no longer have $14 million because $2 million of it was previously voted on to go toward a new ice compressor for the Martin County Arena.

“And right now, I don’t care if we give them the $14 million. There are big holes in this thing that would take many property tax dollars to plug those holes. And that’s not bologna,” Peters said.

He asked what the current cost is for phase 1. Reynolds said that for the YMCA only facility, the current estimated cost is $24.4 million and that the ice arena is about $23 million.

“We’re $4 million short just right there. That’s property tax unless somebody magically comes up with more money,” Peters said.

Kawecki said that she has been told the Foundation can guarantee the needed funds. She called for a vote.

In a roll call vote, Miller’s motion passed 3-2 with councilors Kawecki and Lubenow opposed.