The Signal Mountain Town Council is considering a partnership that could put fundraising power for the Mountain Arts Community Center in the hands of citizens.
During their June work session, council members discussed the possibility of forming a public-private partnership with a yet-to-be-determined community group, enabling the MACC to become mostly self-sufficient over time.
The agreement would allow the approved group to raise funds to pay for repairs the council has not yet allocated money toward or has chosen not to fund. One such example is the back portion of the historic grammar school building that houses the MACC’s programs. While the council authorized initial repair work to the original 1926 portion of the facility, it has not committed funds to addressing issues in the back portion of the building.
“Not [installing sprinklers in] the back of that building is still an issue, and the town’s not going to do it. But if a group like this said ‘The very first thing we want to do is try to raise money to perhaps [install sprinkers throughout] the rest of the building,’ they can’t do that right now,” explained Councilman Dan Landrum. “We need an agreement so that that can happen.”
The chosen group would be required to sign a memorandum of agreement detailing the terms of the partnership and either have or agree to apply for 501(c)(3) status, allowing it to be eligible for federal tax exemption, town officials said.