Monday night, the City Council considered guidelines to develop a long-term agreement between the City and the YMCA of Corsicana for operating the Cain Center.

"The City recognizes the need for youth programs, not only after school and Fridays, but during the holidays and summers," said City Manager Elizabeth Borstad. "The YMCA is recognized for the youth programs they provide and are excited to bring them to Athens."

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) discussed Monday serves as a framework for future negotiations and outlines certain deal points that will be the basis for the final operating agreement. 

Some major points of the MOU include:

• The City and YMCA will work together to transfer operations of the Cain Center.
• Current staff members will be given an opportunity to apply for positions with the YMCA. 
• The YMCA and City will create a plan to minimize the impact on operations during the transition period. 
• The YMCA will be responsible for maintaining the Cain Center, and the City will be responsible for maintaining the parks and grounds around the Cain Center.
• The YMCA and the City will create a long-term Capital Maintenance Plan.
• The YMCA shall pay for all utilities and operating costs of the Cain Center.
• The City will pay the YMCA $248,500 annually for operating the Cain Center.

The MOU is non-binding and is intended to guide future good-faith negotiations.