Sea Isle City — With funds running low, the Sea Isle City school board has been considering whether to charge the city for use of the school building after hours and on weekends.

The topic was discussed at previous meetings as well. The board’s Finance Committee looked to establish a fee structure, much like surrounding districts have, for use of the school by outside groups. Unlike neighboring districts, however, members of the committee wanted to extend those fees to the city, and specifically the city’s Recreation Department. Payment for use could be paid in dollars or in trade for other services, such as lawn care, snow removal or plumbing services, according to committee Chairman Dan Tumolo.

Tumolo and board President Valere Egnasko wanted to set a dollar value on the use before the board would give approval for the Recreation Department’s use for the winter basketball season.

The idea of charging the city brought out about a half dozen residents and parents, including Recreation Department representative Vicky Feeney, to speak against the fees. Most of those speaking told of a limited amount of activities available to the children, and lack of other facilities in Sea Isle City.

Parent Andy Ferrilli said to charge the city would be hitting taxpayers. “It doesn’t matter whether you charge this through the city budget or in the school budget, you’re still charging taxpayers to use a public building.”

Resident Rick Morretti said he was at the meeting after hearing rumors around town about the school charging for use of the gym. “I have four little kids and I want to keep them active.”

Feeney asked for examples of any school district that charges its own municipal programs for use of its school building. Tumolo and Egnasko were unable to name any, but noted most or all of the surrounding districts charge for outside groups to use the schools.

Tumolo said that, before the school board approved use for the recreational basketball league, he wanted a formal commitment from the city for helping to maintain the school “in a quid pro quo basis.” Tumolo set the dollar value of use of the building at $60 for a school night, $75 for Saturdays and $90 on Sundays. He based the costs on what the school district would have to pay a custodian to be there at those times, including cleaning up after the event.

School Business Administrator Diane Bitting has been in discussions with city officials to work out a shared services arrangement. She said that progress has been made, although no formal agreement exists.

Board member Terrence Libro said he had also been meeting with Mayor Leonard Desiderio to work out the same type of agreement.

“We are trying to work out an arrangement where everyone is happy and things are taken care of,” Libro said.

He urged the board to approve the Recreation Department’s use of the gym, while details are finalized.

Egnasko, however, said she wanted a set dollar amount set for in-kind services from the city, before the board approved any further use of the facility.

“We have talked about the cost of use for week nights, Saturdays and Sundays, and the city could pay us, preferably in shared services, but they can pay us in cash,” Egnasko said. “But we need to establish the cost of the gym, the cost of custodial services and use that as the basis.”

Egnasko admitted the discussions with the city have been “fragmented,” as the Finance Committee, Bitting and Libro have each been working independent of each other, noting “evidently there has also been some board members doing rogue negotiations.”

Egnasko said she did not understand why there was opposition to the idea.

“It’s not outrageous to ask for this. It’s not outrageous to set a goal for shared services. I was not prepared to debate this here because this shouldn’t be an argument.”

Libro said putting a dollar amount on the use would force the city into a corner, and would likely hurt any shared service agreement.

“Starting to throw dollar amounts out there is ridiculous. Don’t force the city’s hand, or they will look for options and can go to Avalon,” Libro said.

Board solicitor Mark Toscano encouraged the board to let the business administrator work out the details with the city and bring them to the board. Tumolo and board member Jack Birkmeyer insisted, however, to having Tumolo, as chair of the Finance Committee, active in the process. That quickly grew to a committee of several board members to be involved.

Libro and several other board members wanted to approve use of the gym for the city’s recreational basketball league, which begins in a few weeks, while the details are worked out.

“We have to have a little trust in the city to do what they say they are going to do,” Libro said, and made the motion to approve use for basketball through February. His motion failed, with Egnasko, Tumolo, Ellen Ramsey and Dan Organ voting against it.

Organ then proposed a second motion, to approve the same use, but adding that cost of use of the gym would be offset by the city through shared services and supervision during the gym’s use. Despite Egnasko’s repeated requests to attach a dollar figure to those services, Organ’s motion passed unanimously without a dollar total being attached.