Questions for Birmingham

I have some questions for the Birmingham City Commission and city staff:

NEXT/YMCA:

a) The city owns the YMCA facility. What is the one-year operational cost to run the YMCA building and grounds? Heat, electricity, snow removal, cleaning, landscape, maintenance, etc.? b) What are the foreseeable major expenses for the next five years: roof, HVAC, repair, maintenance? c) What are any large capital costs expected in the next five years? d) Is there any plan to make Next facility fiscally self-sustaining, or is it just a big money pit?

THE COMMUNITY HOUSE:

a) If a magic genie gave TCH to the city free of charge, no cost, no debt, what would be the one-year operational cost to run the building and grounds? b) What are the foreseeable major expenses for the next five years? c) Large foreseeable capital costs in next five years? d) Any plan to make TCH fiscally self-sustaining? In the black or a money pit?

CITY PLANS:

a) How do the Next Senior Center and The Community House fit into the city’s vision/plan for the next 20 years? Is there a plan? Or is this all just ad hoc reactive decision making?

Chuck Moss

Birmingham

(Chuck Moss is a former city commissioner, state lawmaker and most recently a member of the county board of commissioners)