Vavrek Seeks Feedback on a Chalk Hill Community Center Survey

The following is a message from First Selectman Stephen J. Vavrek:

The Town of Monroe is currently pursuing an arrangement with the Kimball Group to have them lease the Chalk Hill building and operate it as a Community Center. The town would make an operating cost contribution and various town departments would continue to stay at the Chalk Hill facility.

The town's contribution is $150,000 annually (the amount currently budgeted by the town to "mothball" or close the building). The Kimball Group would pay any costs which exceed the town’s contribution and if the Community Center is financially successful, a profit sharing model between the Town and the Kimball group would be in place that could reduce the town's contribution to zero and potentially create revenue for the town.

In pursuing this Public-Private Partnership model, various town departments would be housed in Chalk Hill and the number, as well as variety, of programs to be offered will increase. The focus of potential tenants that are being pursued has been on Education, Recreation, Wellness, and the Arts, but we need your help as a community member.

If you could, please go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/MonroeCenter and take 5 minutes to provide feedback as to a variety of activities that are being explored, as well as supply the committee with any questions or concerns about a Community Center, it would be greatly appreciated.

The deadline for survey submission is Dec. 10,2012 and the results will be shared with the public through local media and in a January Town Council meeting.