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White Bear YMCA clears legal hurdle and nears finish line

The facility, which will expand with help from the city, township and schools, is cleared after an anonymous complaint over financing.

By ANTHONY LONETREE, Star Tribune

Last update: October 29, 2009 - 10:10 PM

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CONTACT THE STAFF Team leader • Jim Durkin 612-673-7916 jim.durkin@startribune.com St. Paul/Ramsey Co. Chris Havens 612-673-4148 chavens@startribune.com St. Paul public safety Anthony Lonetree 612-673-4109 alonetree@startribune.com Ramsey Co. courts • Pat Pheifer 612-741-4992 ppheifer@startribune.com St. Paul/East metro schools Gregory Patterson 612-673-7287 gregory.patterson@startribune.com Reporter • Kevin Giles 612-673-4432 kgiles@startribune.com Reporter • Jean Hopfensperger 612-673-4511 hopfen@startribune.com

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With questions of legality apparently out of the way, a $6-million-plus proposal to expand and renovate the Northeast Area YMCA in White Bear Lake is nearing final approval.

Tom Brinsko, president of the YMCA of Greater St. Paul, said Thursday that if all goes as planned in the next two weeks, a groundbreaking date could be announced shortly for a facility that will be renamed the White Bear Area YMCA.

The new name reflects what is to be a public-private partnership between the YMCA and the city of White Bear Lake, White Bear Township and White Bear Lake Area Schools. It's a partnership tapping public money for a project now 2 1/2 years in the making.

Brinsko said the agreements with the three entities follow similar deals between the nonprofit organization and cities of Lino Lakes, Hastings and St. Paul, among others.

"Quite frankly, it's how things get done these days," he said.

Said White Bear Lake City Manager Mark Sather, "This provides services and facilities that otherwise would not be available."

The project, which will include an aquatics center designed to accommodate high school swimming and diving competitions, will be financed in part by $2.725 million from the city, $225,000 from the township and $1.4 million over 10 years from the school district.

In September, the City Council gave preliminary approval to its share of the deal, prompting a request that the state auditor's office review whether the $2.725 million payment might be an illegal donation to the YMCA.

In a written opinion dated Oct. 7, city attorneys Roger Jensen and Mitchell Converse rejected that argument, saying that the deal instead was a contract between the entities requiring the nonprofit to use the money for construction and to also provide "specific valuable benefits" to White Bear Lake citizens.

The benefits would include free day passes, open swim sessions, senior health fairs, community events and waivers on YMCA enrollment fees.

Last week, the state auditor's office sided with the city in concluding that "the arrangement does not constitute a donation to the YMCA."

Sather said Wednesday that he was not surprised by the finding, but was relieved it came down before the City Council was scheduled to take its final votes on the project.

"I just didn't want a cloud hanging there," he said.

State Auditor Rebecca Otto said Thursday that state law prohibited her from identifying who reported the deal to her office.

City Council Member Renee Tessier, a mayoral candidate who has criticized the deal, said she wasn't the complainant. But she said she remained opposed to the city's involvement.

"I support the Y, but not with the taxpayers' money," she said. "There should be a referendum."

The City Council is expected to take final action on the project on Nov. 10, Sather said. A public hearing will be that night, he added, where officials expect to be able to put a dollar value on the benefits to be provided by the YMCA.

The project, Sather said, "is going to be an exciting improvement."

Anthony Lonetree • 612-673-4109

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