MANSFIELD — The North End Community Improvement Collaborative’s $15 million community center project took a hit Thursday when a divided Richland County Board of Commissioners rejected proposed financial assistance.
Commissioners Cliff Mears and Darrell Banks both questioned the financial planning behind the NECIC’s operational plan for the planned center along Springmill Street on the city’s north side.
Commissioner Tony Vero was the only commissioner who said he still supported the project, provided the NECIC procures other needed funding.
In April 2022, commissioners said they were considering “a substantial contribution” toward the facility, which would be considered a replacement for the former Ocie Hill Neighborhood Center that was closed three years ago.
NECIC had asked commissioners for $2 million toward the project.
The city of Mansfield has committed $1.5 million of its ARPA money to the project. The Richland County Foundation announced this week it was awarding $1 million, and NECIC Executive Director Deanna West-Torrence said Thursday her organization has also secured $100,000 from Park National Bank.
After her remarks, the 50-minute discussion between the two commissioners and NECIC officials and board members became heated at times.
Mears questioned if the NECIC operational plan for the building included sufficient funds for property taxes and utility bills.
He also asked why the NECIC had not included salaries and benefits in the numbers provided to commissioners, and continued to ask why NECIC had not consulted with the nearby Friendly House before developing its plans.
“I’ve done some of my due diligence. It frightens me that those numbers were purported. They don’t seem realistic at all to me from what I’ve been able to determine. In my mind, there’s some serious business acumen that’s lacking with this project,” Mears said.
“From my standpoint and from looking at those numbers, and from what I’ve seen, I would suggest to the Board of Commissioners that this is one project we need to walk away from,” Mears said.
West-Torrence, a Mansfield native who founded the non-profit organization 16 years ago, said she felt insulted and quickly responded.
“I do think you should do your due diligence and I understand what you did and it makes sense. However, to say that we don’t have business acumen is insulting, as has most of this process been for us,” she said.
“I understand that you don’t want to support the program and we are okay with that. What we have is we have a phenomenal organization that has made its reputation on its partnerships. I think that if you look across this room, we have partnered with every organization you see in here.
“And to say that we don’t partner (with others), it is insulting. It’s insulting to my entire career and to my board,” West-Torrence said. “And it’s insulting to the north end residents.”
The director showed commissioners copies of federal I-990 forms from NECIC and the Friendly House at 380 N. Mulberry St. as proof her agency does not duplicate services.
Information on the two forms showed the agencies provide markedly different services to the community.
In October, West-Torrence told commissioners NECIC has been around long enough to know it doesn’t offer the same services as Friendly House.
“They operate camps, a daycare, after-school programs and all that. We have minority business (assistance), we grow food, we put people to work, we do workforce and career development. So we are a totally different type of organization,” she said previously.
The new community center would also provide space for a medical facility through Third Street Family Health Services, providing care in a largely unserved area.
Mears tried to say it was his job to ask tough questions.
West-Torrence sharply disagreed that’s what Mears was doing.
“No, your job was to do your due diligence. Ask me those tough questions. Your job was not to say that there was a lack of business acumen. Your job should have been (to ask us to) answer these questions, which we were more than happy to do.
“The reason that health insurance and those things are not on there is because this is a budget for the building. This is not the budget for our non-profit. You did not ask for that,” West-Torrence said.
West-Torrence, who was joined at the meeting by her board members and other community supporters, was clearly frustrated by the process that began with commissioners almost a year ago and included a meeting in October 2022.
“I’m used to responding to funders. I’ve been applying for grants and talking to folks about money for years. And so if the right questions aren’t asked, we’re not gonna give you the right information.
“So I apologize to you if we’ve wasted your time, but I think that this is very telling. I don’t think you have to give us this funding. You don’t have to. It’s up to you.
“The (countywide ARPA) steering committee, many of whom are represented in this room of community partners recommended that. And that’s why we’re here. But there is no appetite, particularly from some of you, to support anything that we do,” she said.
West-Torrence told commissioners the organization would raise the funds without money from commissioners.
Banks said he was elected to “watch over the taxpayers’ money” and that it appeared to him NECIC would not generate sufficient revenue to cover the costs of operating the new building.
He said he was also concerned NECIC had not raised more money at this point in the process.
“I think we’ve been financially responsible, the three commissioners up here. There’s an awful lot of discrepancy between you making enough money to cover the (costs).
“When that building needs a new air conditioner and new roof, 10, 15 years, 20 years down the road, you’re not putting enough money in there,” Banks said. “I’m not in favor of this project at this time and I cannot support it at this time.”
Banks said commissioners were “doing (NECIC) a favor.” He said NECIC would not be able to maintain the building.
“You’ll be taking money from the fine services that you provide and hopefully will provide in the future. But at what you’re asking for in total, not just our $2 million or whatever, I think we’re doing you a favor by having you reevaluate this, but I am not for it at this time,” Banks said.
Those comments spurred a strong response from NECIC board chair Paul Kemerling.
“With all due respect, Darrell, that last statement was about as condescending and patriarchal as I could ever imagine. You’re doing us a favor? Thank you, daddy,” Kemerling said.
“The challenge here is one of vision. Whether you guys like it or not, these dollars are windfall dollars. They could be put to creative use to build, to amplify, to do amazing things.
“You have an opportunity to do something extraordinary. With the exception of you, Commissioner Vero, you have demonstrated zero capacity for vision, zero capacity. And I hope the voters recognize that when it comes around.
“Look around the diversity of this room of people who are engaged in this project, who are telling you it’s a winner. You’ve asked for figures, you’ve asked for facts. We’ve given you figures and facts from experts in their field and what have you done? ‘Well, I don’t like those numbers,'” Kemerling said.
He asked Banks how many multi-million dollar fundraising projects he had managed.
“Absolutely none,” Banks said.
Kemerling said, “We’re used to people telling us we’re gonna fail. We’re used to people telling us in our neighborhood we can’t have shiny and new, we should deal with repurposed and old.
“If I have anything to do with it — there are other board members here, I’m only one voice amongst the board — we will not be coming back here, but we will certainly make sure that everyone knows your failure here today and your failure leading up to this moment,” Kemerling said.
Aurelio Diaz, who represents the 5th Ward on Mansfield City Council, said he is a product of the city’s north end. He spoke in favor of the project.
“When I was younger and we were bored, we’d still make dumb decisions, like juveniles. But now the crime of that range of folks is much higher because there’s no one to look up to,” he said.
Diaz said residents on the north side feel overlooked over the years and have lost trust in elected officials.
“The north end, consisting of the 4th and 5th wards, if you look at it, has generally historically been people who don’t vote. It’s people who don’t trust any elected officials.
“They’re people, Black and white, Roseland and Bowman (Street). These are folks who I feel have been let down. These are the folks who look to us to change that.
“I think this community center, is much vaster and bigger than a Friendly House or anything else. We’re talking about accessibility for medical needs. Most people in the area, people I’ve worked with in my job throughout the years, transportation is a huge barrier.
“That whole end of town, the morale is so low because they’re not getting the much-needed focus and the resources that every other place is getting. We praise downtown Mansfield, which is something I support, I’m very proud of. But it is very painful to see these other areas that are overlooked time and time again,” Diaz said.
Stephanie Zader, an At-large member of Mansfield City Council, said at the end of the day, the focus should be on the community’s young people.
“This isn’t about us in this room, it’s about the kids. It’s about the future. So I hate to see the emotion that was created in this room today,” she said. “I would hate to see this project go down because we have exchanged words in this room today that hurt feelings.”
The last person to speak was long-time local attorney F. Loyal Bemiller, who began his practice in 1958.
“I probably served this community more than anybody else sitting in this room. I was a lawyer here for over 60 years. I was involved in about every type of community activity you could find.
“I’ve seen funds raised and nice things happen in this community. I see this is something that is going to prevent things from happening in this community that should be happening,” he said.
“I do not agree with the decision you have (made) here today. I’m highly disappointed in it. It’s not in the realm of what I have seen happen here since 1958.
“I see (decisions) being made here on a strictly political basis and not on a need and of support of something happening in this community that will help the entire community.
“I am firmly against the position you’ve taken and that will be reflected in anything I can say in the future,” Bemiller said.
