First Selectman Pat Llodra has told Board of Finance members that within one year, Edmond Town Hall, at its current rate of spending, "will have exhausted all of its [financial] resources, revenue as well as savings."Board Of Managers Respond

Mrs Llodra commented at a February 18 finance board session, in answering 15 municipal spending questions that had been posed to her by new board members.

Among those questions, one board member had asked whether there are ways that Edmond Town Hall's revenue can be increased.

Until October 2009, the town was the prime tenant at Edmond Town Hall, with the 1929 structure at 45 Main Street serving as the local seat of government. While it was a tenant, the town had paid the Edmond Town Hall Board of Managers $150,000 annual rent for use of the facilities. After the town moved out and relocated its offices at Newtown Municipal Center at Fairfield Hills, it stopped paying rent for Edmond Town Hall.

While Edmond Town Hall is a publicly owned building, it is operated by the facility's own six-member Board of Managers, under the terms of a state law.

"The first selectman and finance director have no have authority to guide or direct the [Board of Managers'] business model," Mrs Llodra said.

"For several years, we have raised concerns about dwindling revenue and have encouraged the board to conduct an assessment of their practices, including a review of personnel and policies, building-use fees, limitations to uses, and more," Mrs Llodra said.

"Recently, the board has been very responsive to those suggestions," she added.

"They have sought advice from a variety of sources and are now embarking upon a strategic planning process," she said.

At the current rate of spending, the Edmond Town Hall will have exhausted all its financial resources within one year, Mrs Llodra said.

The Board of Selectmen's budget proposal for the 2016-17 fiscal year "includes a total support value of $130,000 for the Edmond Town Hall," including direct funding of $75,000, she said.

The first selectman explained that several years ago, town officials added Edmond Town Hall to the municipal Capital Improvement Plan at a value of $550,000 to assist the Board of Managers in maintaining the venerable, but aging building.

Margot Hall, chairman of the Board of Managers, said February 23 the board has been moving to suitably address the revenue shortfall issues that the building has encountered.

A business plan the mangers formulated in the past needs to be updated, she said.

Most space in the building that can be rented out is being rented out to various tenants, she said.

The managers will review the building's financial situation and develop a suitable revenue plan for the future, Ms Hall said.

The Board of Managers has had difficulty in generating revenue comparable to the $150,000 in annual rent which the town had paid the board while the town occupied the building, she said.

Ms Hall noted that the selectmen are recommending in the proposed 2016-17 budget that the town provide $75,000 to the Board of Managers for operating costs at Edmond Town Hall. In the current fiscal year, that sum is $35,000, Ms Hall noted.

Ms Hall said the managers are seeking to learn how best to market the use of the building.

The managers have made many improvements to the building over the years, she noted.

On its website, the Edmond Town Hall Board of Managers states that the Georgian-style building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, houses a 500-seat proscenium theater, a formal banquet room with seating for more than 100, a gymnasium with up to 600-person capacity and various meeting rooms.

Those spaces are available for fees for meetings, fundraisers, weddings, and other events. The various fees are listed on the website.

According to the website, maintenance for the building relies primarily on revenue generated through movies and space rentals. Funding is an ongoing challenge, and the Board of Managers works to secure donations, grants, and other assistance for major infrastructure projects.