POTTSTOWN—Borough staff is resisting a council directive to negotiate a way for the borough to take over the Ricketts Community Center in a few years.
The center has been run by the Boyertown Multi-Service Agency for the last five years and was chosen after another outside agency, the Olivet Boys and Girls Club, walked away from the job in 2019 with no notice, right after receiving an extension on their contract.
When Boyertown Multi-Service was hired, Councilman Joe Kirkland, who represents the seventh ward where the center is located, had advocated for the borough to take over the center. He was outvoted.
But last month, Kirkland raised the issue again, without having previously raised it publicly, just as the council was about to vote on a new five-year contract for Boyertown Multi-Service.
He said he had no issue with the job the agency was doing, saying “they’ve done a great job,” but added; “the borough has this mindset that Ricketts is that community’s community center. It’s not. It’s Pottstown’s community center and the borough should run it,”
Council voted 5-2, with President Dan Weand and Vice President Don Lebedynsky, casting the opposing votes, to direct staff to meet with the agency and work out a contract that allows for control of the center to be returned to the borough in three to five years.
But at Wednesday’s meeting, Borough Manager Justin Keller read a lengthy statement outlining the reasons why the staff believes this is a bad idea.
“From both a staff and community service perspective, Boyertown Multi-Service has done an outstanding job operating the Ricketts Community Center,” Keller said, reading from a prepared statement.
“They have consistently met and exceeded our expectations, providing not only the services we’ve requested but also fostering meaningful partnerships for programming with local individuals and groups from Pottstown, as well as contributing funds for capital improvements at the center. What truly matters is not which entity runs the center, but that the efforts are rooted in and serve the needs of our community,” Keller said. “Unfortunately, it seems there is an attempt to create controversy around the center’s operations where none exists, and this unproductive dialogue risks alienating the operator and undermining the center’s successful operation — and this is something we are very familiar with, as we have seen this happen in the past, and it is a situation we strongly recommend avoiding.”
Keller continued: “Staff feels that we have a great organization operating the center that is highly invested in the community, and instead of discussions at a public meeting to replace them — which undermines the trust and the relationship we’ve worked so hard to build between our organizations —those calling for this should be having direct conversations with BMS to see how, as the operator, they can facilitate future changes the community might desire. Again, I want to be abundantly clear: if there is a request for how BMS should operate the center, the issue should first be vetted with the Ricketts Committee, and BMS should be given a fair opportunity to address the operational need before looking for another operator. In fact, the Ricketts Committee that was set up over four years ago is a venue established for this constructive dialogue,” Keller said.
Kirkland did not attend the Oct. 9 work session.
After Keller provided a copy of his statement on Oct 10, The Mercury e-mailed it to Kirkland’s official borough email and asked for a response. As of Saturday, Oct. 12, no response had been received.
Keller said “staff is recommending the renewal of a five-year lease with BMS that will allow us to explore community-based operational improvements that can be implemented in partnership with the current operator, who is a trusted partner, rather than risking disruption with an unproven entity. This approach ensures operational stability, continued dialogue, and a venue for responding to the community’s best interests.”
Keller concluded, “we also note that if there is a separate motion to request discussions on the future operations of the Ricketts Center, that this motion may not be necessary, as there is already a provision in the lease requiring BMS to establish and hold meetings with the Ricketts Center Committee where ideas for operational changes can be discussed directly with BMS and brought to staff and council for consideration.”
There was no discussion at the council work session meeting regarding Keller’s position.
It is also worth noting that in contrast to previous instances of the management of the Ricketts Center being on the table for discussion, this time there has been no outcry for change from the community, no packed council rooms and multiple people making public comments asking for the borough to take over.
Keller provided The Mercury with additional information about grants being sought for the center, an activity he said was a better use of the staff’s time and focus.
The Ricketts Community Center is located at 658 Beech St. in Pottstown.(MediaNews Group File Photo)
He pointed to two grants being sought — $110,000 from the William Penn Foundation to help pay for a strategic plan for the center; and $2 million from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development for capital improvements — as examples of where the borough’s expertise is best utilized while Boyertown Multi-Service manages the daily operations.
“With these grant applications in the pipeline, continuing our lease agreement with BMS will ensure the borough’s focus remains on improving the facility itself rather than being stretched thin managing day-to-day operations. The cost savings and strategic planning made possible by this lease extension will position the borough to deliver better, long-term benefits to the community and set aside more funds for grant matches,” he wrote.
He concluded his communication with The Mercury by noting: “Thus far, no concrete advantages have been identified to support the idea of the borough assuming operations of the community center. The only reasoning provided seems to be a belief that borough operation might somehow be better. However, no specific benefits, such as improved services or cost savings, have been presented,” he wrote. “On the contrary, the borough taxpayers would face higher operational costs, increased liability, and potentially reduced program quality if it took over.”
The Council will vote on the staff recommendation to extend Boyertown Multi-Service’s contract for another five years at the Oct. 15 meeting.
