ROCKLAND — The latest draft version of the lease negotiated by the City of Rockland and the YMCA allows for the Y to assume control of programming of city recreation department services Oct. 1, and to take over operations of the Recreation Center building Jan. 1, 2016.

The lease agreement will be for an original three-year time period with City Council members reevaluating at the end of that term for an optional two-year extension.

The draft lease still needs final approval by the YMCA board of directors, which will meet Sept. 15, and the Rockland City Council, which meets Sept. 14.

In the meantime, a handful of Rockland residents attended the city’s second public forum for the proposed partnership, Tuesday, Sept. 1.

Most of those attendees took a turn at the podium, voicing opinions from both sides.

Though president of the board of directors Jim Nelson, and Executive Director Troy Curtis told the audience of their enthusiasm to serve the YMCA community mission, one public speaker stated a concern of the YMCA’s overall intent.

“The Y has an incentive to operate programs that attract people to become paying members,” said the resident, who spoke of the number of Rockland children without money, home support, or a place to go.

In turn, Nelson listed the community programs already under the umbrella of its organization that are not profitable: The LiveStrong cancer program is free for its participants. Childcare, which Nelson stated the Y to be the biggest provider of in Knox County, is “preciously thin” on revenue. The Teen Center in Camden — ”We are sucking it up.”

And the pool is a $100,000 annual loss to heat and provide two lifeguards regardless of how many people are swimming, he said.

“We are very, very comfortable with things that don’t make money,” he said. “That’s [our] mission. That’s why we exist.”

Nelson agreed that fee-paying members keep the organization afloat, and therefore need to be “loved and treated well.”

Another resident questioned future public use of the playground abutting the Recreation Center, and the use of the building’s bathrooms by playground users. A solution was not readily available, though Rockland City Manager James Chaousis suggested providing access to bathrooms without access to the rest of the building.

When the building is overseen by the Y (during the school year, Monday through Friday, noon - 8 p.m.) membership cards will allow access to the building, provide emergency contact information as well as other identifiers. Those memberships will be free for Rockland children in eighth grade and younger. High school students will pay $17 per month for access to the Recreation Center.

Still to be resolved: What will the children and teens do during summer vacation?

A teacher of at-risk teens questioned the ability of his nonresident students to pay for Y memberships in order to hang out at the center. The we-will-work-with-them response was given, which is the same response to use of the facilities by community groups not already grandfathered into the contract as Rockland District Nursing and the Knit Wits are.

The benefit to having a YMCA membership is that members have access to all YMCAs in New England, according to Nelson.

The definites: Basketball leagues, youth soccer, after-school programs, summer camp at Chickawaukie Pond, and yes, dodge ball, will all continue.

“We’re not going to mess with programs that are obviously working,” Curtis said.

Reach Sarah Thompson at news@penbaypilot.com.