6/29/2009 2:46:00 PM Southshore in Shorewood's hands
By Brett Stursa
The Southshore Center, built by Shorewood, Greenwood, Tonka Bay, Deephaven and Excelsior in 1996, is now in Shorewood's hands.
All of the South Lake cities have signed off on a deal that gives Shorewood the sole responsibility of managing the center.
The Tonka Bay City Council was the last to review the agreement, when it approved it June 23.
The agreement is hoped to bring stability to the center, as cities have been grappling with what to do after traditional funding streams dried up and the Friends of the Southshore Center, which oversaw operations, dissolved in February.
Under the new agreement, the three-year lease allows Shorewood to terminate with a 90-day notice. The other cities can only terminate the lease if four of them agree that Shorewood defaulted on it.
Although Shorewood will be responsible for the operation, maintenance and management of the center, the city contracted a firm to deal with the day-to-day happenings at the center.
At its June 22 meeting, the Shorewood City Council approved an agreement with Community Recreation Resources to run the building, located near city hall at 5735 Country Club Road in Shorewood.
The Wayzata-based firm, owned by Kristi Anderson, will begin operating the building July 1.
Anderson will be paid $5,000 for her work through the end of the year, and $10,000 for next year.
She will also receive a 15 percent commission on the revenue the center collects from rentals.
In 2011, her base fee increases to $15,000 and she'll receive 20 percent commission.
Shorewood also agreed to pay $6,000 for a part-time employee to assist with the center up to 10 hours a week, and $2,400 for marketing.
Other expenses the city will be picking up include phone and internet services, janitorial work, repairs, snow plowing and garbage.
The council agreed to pay up to $3,500 for a keyless entry system to be installed and to replace the current locks throughout the building.
Anderson will be onsite for at least 17 hours weekly and her firm is responsible for scheduling rentals, recruiting volunteers, establishing a budget and other work required for the programming and management of the center.
The Shorewood Council also created a standing committee, the Center Oversight Committee, that will meet weekly to begin with and then move to a monthly meeting schedule.
The committee's members will include City Administrator Brian Heck, Council Member Scott Zerby, Council Member Dick Woodruff and Anderson.
In addition, Woodruff said the council needs to sign off on a business plan at the council's next meeting, which is scheduled for July 13.
"This is a start. We can amend this thing as we move on," said Woodruff.
The center will continue to be owned by the five cities.
While the other cities aren't required to provide any funding to the center, some have indicated that they will.
