 The building is one of the city's historical buildings and was
originally a bank.Tuesday evening, Mayor Keith Snyder said he had
had an opportunity to speak with Dominic Dalpoas, executive director
of the Oasis.
Snyder said Dalpoas has a lot on his plate right now with working
with the board to determine the direction the senior center will go
in the future.
It is not known if they will be able to rehabilitate the existing
building or have to rebuild. In addition, the center needs a
temporary location.
Dalpoas told Snyder that the Oasis will more than likely set up a
building fund for the future.
Snyder said the Oasis is going to have expenses not covered by
insurance, no doubt. He said he knows that in the past there have
been other fires in the city when the city was not able to help, but
this time they can, and he thinks they should.
Snyder said that with a recent windfall of cash the city had come
into, he thought it would be good to make a donation to the Oasis
building fund. He suggested $5,000.
The money Snyder was referring to comes in the form of a refund
for overcharges by Illinois American Water. The money is currently
not in the budget, so right now it is considered as extra cash,
until it is obligated.
He said his only concern was the feelings of those who were not
helped in the past.
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Marty Neitzel said the Oasis has always been a strong part of the
community and the city. She noted the times that the organization
has been involved with city events such as the Christmas parade,
citywide garage sales and more. She said she felt it would be very
good for the city to show the Oasis support now.
Melody Anderson agreed. She said she wasn't all that concerned
about setting a precedent. She told the council the senior center is
used by individuals who have been a part of the Lincoln community
for many years. She said it was very well used and will be missed
until it is back up and running. She concluded by saying she thought
it would be "awesome" for the city to get involved with helping
them.
City administrator Sue McLaughlin said she was looking only from
the fiscal viewpoint and wondered how the city wanted to distribute
the money when it isn't in the budget yet. She said the $13,000 can
go into appropriations and the funds taken from there, but the
appropriation for the city isn't completed yet and won't be for a
few weeks.
It was decided that the city would call it to a vote next Monday
and pledge the money to the Oasis. With the pledge in place, the
actual check will then be cut when the money is designated in the
appropriations ordinance.
The discussion on this came to an end with a challenge from Jeff
Hoinacki. He said he thought this was good, but that the city should
challenge other governing bodies to match the city's donation.
[By NILA SMITH] |
