Mayor Kahl Offers MG a Plan

November 17, 2010


Mr. Craig Gerlach

Superintendant

Monona Grove School District

5301 Monona Drive

Monona, WI 53716

Mrs. Susan Fox

President

Monona Grove School Board

5301 Monona Drive

Monona, WI 53716

Dear Craig and Susan,

As the Monona Grove School District is reviewing its facility needs for next year and beyond, I would like to offer a concept I feel could provide a balanced solution that can benefit both the District and the City of Monona.

The City’s current Senior Center is located in the lower level of the Community Center. Due to the annual increases in the number of individuals utilizing this facility, we have a significant need for more space. Frankly, this has been a need brewing for a few years now, and we need to make some decisions. As such, I ask you to consider a joint facilities plan that would involve relocation of the Senior Center into the Maywood School building. Specifically, I propose the following:

NICHOLS:

It is my understanding that the Nichols complex is currently about half-occupied with uses including the District offices and the Monona Grove Liberal Arts Charter School for the 21st Century (MG21). I also understand the District has discussed the long-range possibility of moving one or more of these uses to Maywood. I would propose that the movement of District offices to Maywood take place now. As you know, the City has been approached with multiple potential development concepts for the Nichols site and I am confident that any of these potential uses would garner the district income substantially in excess of the recent appraised value of this property. As you also know, nothing can happen to further discussions of these and other unknown potential development options until the District indicates it is ready to seriously consider the possibility of redevelopment of this property. Vacating Nichols would send such an indication that the District is at least willing to open the doors to a discussion on this facility’s future while not obligating the

District to make any final determinations regarding sale or redevelopment. Additionally, I understand that keeping the offices at Nichols would require the District to make improvements to the facility, involving capital costs. It therefore may make better sense to instead put that money into moving the District offices to Maywood now versus spending some money for remodeling at Nichols when the future use of that facility is in question.

MAYWOOD:

Even with a move of the District offices to Maywood, there would still be more than enough space for the Monona Senior Center to also be located within Maywood. Additionally, I would ask you to consider allowing early childhood and 4K students to continue attending Maywood. I make this latter request because this combination would present unique intergenerational learning opportunities for our seniors and very young students, afford the District a great volunteer base of seniors ready and willing to contribute their talents to meet the needs of our very young students, and leave room at Winnequah to meet the anticipated space needs of the charter middle school. I also understand that retaining 4k and early childhood at Maywood would still achieve staff savings related to IMC, food services and administration that are motivating the District’s contemplated facility changes. In such a scenario, I would propose that the City make a financial contribution toward some of the District’s general capital improvement costs at Maywood (e.g. central air conditioning), as some of these would also be necessary for our Senior Center and yet present the City with a cost savings when compared to the investment a newly constructed Senior Center facility would require. In addition, I presume the costs specifically related to redevelopment of the Senior Center space would be borne by the City and trust that the kitchen and cafeteria/gym space would be available for use by the Senior Center.

COMMUNITY CENTER:

With the Senior Center at Maywood, MG21 could be moved to the lower level of the Community Center which currently houses the Senior Center. This location has multiple spaces including a kitchen, computer lab, offices, restrooms and dividable meeting rooms. It is my understanding that the District would not need these spaces during the summer months when our pool is in operation and we would therefore seek to utilize at least part of that space for pool-related rental parties if determined by the City that such a use would be viable.

WINNEQUAH:

To make room for the new uses at Maywood discussed above, I am assuming that kindergarten, first and second grades would be moved to Winnequah. This K-5 grade configuration would hopefully achieve the staff cost savings you need and also leave room for the charter middle school currently under development to be located in the lower level of Winnequah. The charter middle school is progressing on a track that would have the first group of sixth graders attending in the fall of 2012, and locating that school at Winnequah would utilize the recently remodeled science labs, occupy other remaining available space in that facility and provide access to other natural science learning environments given its proximity to Lake Monona, Winnequah Park and the Aldo Leopold Nature Center.

I want to reiterate that this conceptual partnership is one that is subject to approval by the city council and other city boards, and we therefore have a few steps to take in the coming weeks to effectuate these changes if this is a discussion the District is interested in pursuing. I hope you concur that this plan provides the

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benefit of meeting our collective space needs in a cost-effective manner. I trust you will also find that implementation of this plan affords you the opportunity for an open discussion on the future of Nichols School now versus in staggered, drawn-out phases of decision-making that lacks the finality on this topic that residents of Monona and Cottage Grove desire.

Respectfully,

Robb B. Kahl

Mayor

City of Monona

cc: Monona Grove School Board

Monona City Council

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