Welcome to a Town Hall Meeting hosted by Mayor Frank Huttle III

Tonight’s Discussion will center on: Recreation and Athletic Programs for the City’s Youth in Partnership with the Boys & Girls Club at the John T. Wright Arena

Topics to cover: Taking the First Concrete Step toward a Community Center providing recreation programs using the City’s parks and buildings. Bringing nonprofit groups in to enhance school day and after 3 programming for our children. An open discussion on John T. Wright Arena as a year round facility with full recreation programs.

Tonight’s Meeting Format Tonight’s Meeting Format will be town hall style with a moderator. The Meeting will follow this sequence: ° First, Introductory Remarks ° Second, a presentation by the Boys & Girls Club °Third, a question and answer period and moderated open discussion with the audience

But First A Special Thanks to: Community Baptist Church and its Pastor, Reverend Dr. Lester W. Taylor, Jr.

The Vision for Programs for the City’s Youth The larger vision and goal is to join the resources of the City and the Schools with local and regional nonprofits with proven track records to deliver and enhance programs. The first step in making this vision a reality was youth programming utilizing the John T. Wright Arena in a partnership that is fueled by revenue from this City property - making it stable and sustainable. Next steps will be to expand the successful model by using other City facilities.

City Facilities MacKay Park, John T. Wright Arena, Liberty School and others City Facilities MacKay Park, John T. Wright Arena, Liberty School and others Public Private Partnership with nationally recognized Nonprofits from the Boys & Girls Club to Bergen Family Center and the Vincente K. Tibbs Child Development Center and More… Partnership with the Philanthropic Sector enabling participation of other service based not for profits – Laureus Foundation and Coaches Across America The Vision for a Historic Partnership that enhances programming for Englewood’s Youth

Enhanced Year Round, Sustainable and Comprehensive Programming for Englewood’s Youth.

Opened in 1980 under the leadership of Mayor Sandy Greenberg. Residents fondly remember the Arena with Friday night skating and other activities. City signs what becomes a 30 year lease on September 11, 1984 with the operator Larry Reid. After several extensions the lease terminated in Over the next 30 years, ice time available to the community steadily declined with programs for our children becoming nonexistent. Ice Hockey rentals steadily consume more time. The operator fails to maintain the facility leading to the building being returned to the City in an advanced state of disrepair… Background The John T. Wright Arena

Hurricane Sandy heavily damaged the roof of an already decaying building. “Our resident’s should never have to open a newspaper and see a City building looking like this…” Courtesy of The Record published January 21, 2013 Background The John T. Wright Arena

Special Council meeting held February 7, 2012, over 30 residents and children testified. The Council overwhelmingly supports reopening but the late Councilman Jack Drakeford joined by the Mayor and Councilwoman Lynne Algrant emphasized the need for programming. Reopening of The John T. Wright Arena

Jack’s quotes are even more telling now: “I would just like to see a viable program in the ice rink in Englewood, Mackay Park….[I wanted this] to become a viable program of a different sort, then we can talk…and I don’t expect it…” With this in mind, the Mayor, Councilwoman Algrant and others join together to make youth and adult programs part of the reopening. Reopening of The John T. Wright Arena

City offers the John T. Wright Arena to all nonprofits. Boys and Girls Club signs binding agreement with the City on October 2, So what is before the Council at this time?  Capital Improvements necessary to insure public safety and the usability of the building to begin  Improvements necessary to make the John T. Wright Arena shine. Next Steps of the Reopening of The John T. Wright Arena

John T. Wright Arena and the programming for our children are in jeopardy due to lack of support by the full Council. Council members attempted to table the discussion for another day. After years of work, the day to make a decision is NOW. This evening is an open discussion amongst the community on the future of the John T. Wright Arena and programming for the City’s Youth. Tomorrow night’s Council Meeting will decide the future of the John T. Wright Arena. RIGHT NOW - the Reopening of The John T. Wright Arena

Boys and Girls Club of Englewood For the John T. Wright Arena The vision for enhanced community programming becomes a day to day reality through the partnership with the Boys and Girls Club of Englewood at the John T. Wright Arena. I would like to introduce the Boys and Girls Club…

I would like to introduce the following representatives of the Boys and Girls Club: Paul Casey, CEO Gene Bailey, Director of Organizational Development, BGCA Todd Vanderpool, Director of Operations Shane Sudol, Project Director Sid Morgan, Facilities Manager LouAnn Visotcky, Board President Leo McGuire, Board of Trustees Rosalind Piazza, Board of Trustees Thomas Petersen, Board of Trustees