Gannon group, mayor to meet

LYNN – The Gannon Building Association has put on hold a decision regarding a $480,000 lease extension offered by the city pending a meeting with Mayor Judith Flanagan Kennedy.Association Chairman Michael Marks said he believed the meeting would take place Thursday “and, rather than reject the plan outright, we tabled it pending that meeting.”The GBA has operated the 18-hole, city-owned course off Lynnfield Street since 2004. City officials want the association to pay $480,000 to run the course through November 2013 but the association claimed it can’t afford the cost and has proposed paying $360,000.The city is not in the position to change the price because the Inspector General’s office said it could only extend the lease as is, which includes the higher fee, Kennedy explained during a Parks Commission hearing Tuesday. The Parks Commission oversees Gannon.Kennedy met with state Sen. Thomas McGee and Rep. Robert Fennell Thursday morning to see if the state legislature could offer any relief on the situation but the answer was essentially no. Kennedy wanted to discuss the possibility of seeking an exemption from the states procurement laws but was told it wasn’t a feasible option for several reasons not the least of which it would take too long.Kennedy has been adamant that she does not want to see Gannon shut down but if an agreement cannot be reached by Dec. 31, the association’s contract will expire and the doors to the entire facility, including the bar and function hall, will be closed.Caught in the middle of the contract debate are a number of employees including Rolly and Wendy Hayes who own Rolly’s Tavern and cater functions booked in the Gannon Clubhouse.The association’s liquor license is also set to expire Dec. 31 and Marks said they are hesitant to renew it.”We will have to talk to the License Commission because if we’re successful (with the lease) but the liquor license is allowed to lapse, I don’t know what we’ll have to do to get it back,” he said. “The other side of this is a $2,500 fee to renew the license.”Marks said if the license cost were double digits rather than quadruple he wouldn’t hesitate to renew but $2,500 is a little steep for a unstable situation.That does not help the Hayes, who have about a dozen functions booked from January through April. Rolly Hayes said he as a particularly fancy function booked for Jan. 15 that includes a sit down meal for a large crowd.The hosts, the Lynn Public Schools Custodial Union, are nervous and told him they need to know by Saturday if the function will go forward because, if not, they have to make other arrangements.Hayes said he’s spoken with the association and with the mayor’s office and everyone has assured them they want the operation to continue without interruption, pending the course going out to bid, but no one can say for sure yet if it will.”I’m hoping the board agrees to accept the extension,” he said. “We’re sitting on several thousands of dollars in $200 deposits. I didn’t turn them over the GBA because, if it doesn’t happen, at least I can go to the people and say ?here’s your deposit back.’ “Chris Stevens can be reached at [email protected].