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12 <br />Based upon direction from the County Commission, County Staff analyzed these issues from several <br />important perspectives including but not limited to: <br />A. Compatibility with existing and future County uses /operations the proposed Cultural Center <br />would create. <br />B. Financial viability of a non- profit group given control of the facility would have to meet various <br />aspects of creating a sustainable operation NOT requiring an on -going subsidy from the County. <br />C. Viability and receptiveness of the Town to become a participant in this venture and assume <br />some level of financial commitment and operational liability for the facility. <br />D. The cost and type of modifications needed to bring the building into compliance with federal, <br />state and local codes required for activities and who /how those obligations would be met <br />E. The potential need for the County to use this space for governmental purposes in the future. <br />Without attempting to (within this memo) summarize each of the relevant points within the group's <br />strategic business plan, it is our opinion that as proposed it is unlikely this group (regardless of how well <br />intentioned their efforts) will successfully achieve their desired outcomes. The business plan depends <br />heavily on assumptions that are likely to be difficult to accomplish. There are elements of the planned <br />uses for the facility that would /could conflict with existing county operational functions at the facility. <br />More importantly, the County has heavily invested in this asset and potential conflicts of use could place <br />that investment at risk. <br />(These issues have been discussed with the group's leadership and they fully understand our concerns.) <br />TOWN INVOLVEMENT —Staff level discussions <br />Overcoming some of the financial and liability issues that the non - profit group's operational control of <br />the former Whitted Library space presented was attempted to be addressed via some formalized <br />agreement with the Town of Hillsborough. Although no formal discussions have occurred among the <br />elected leadership of the Town and County on these issues, town and county staffs have discussed <br />various elements (subject to elected leaders formal actions at some point in the future). <br />ISSUES: <br />It is apparent the Town does not have available financial resources it would be willing to allocate toward <br />this project beyond the $10,000 seed money given the non - profit group that brought forth the proposal. <br />There seems to be some doubt that the Town wants to accept any formalized responsibility or liability <br />for the operational control of the allocated space. (Reminder, the initial assumption under which this <br />process went forward was that the Town and County would enter into a formal agreement where the <br />space would be leased to the Town under certain terms and the Town would then allocate use of the <br />space to this non - profit (or another) BUT the Town would retain the liability and responsibility for the <br />condition, use and upkeep within the walls of the space allocated via the terms of the County /Town <br />agreement. At the Staff level, that does not appear to be a realistic option. <br />