Von Oven and City Reach Agreement to Modify Camp Operations

Posted at 9:53 PM on June 15, 2010

At the completion of the nearly two-year long Caroline Martin Mitchell process, the City Council directed staff to draft an operational agreement between the city and the “scouts”. Since the Boy and Girl Scouts of America use the property but do not operate it, the task fell upon the independent Von Oven Board of Directors. In February a preliminary agreement was reached between the City and Von Oven that would modify the use of the camp. A motion to amend the agreement was made by Councilman Dick Furstenau and approved, successfully altering the final wording of the agreement which was approved unanimously by the council on May 18^th.

At the completion of the meeting, Von Oven President Diane Charles said she had contacted many people and was very pleased. Her hard work was clearly evident as the approved agreement allows the property to remain a camp used exclusively by organized youth groups. Charles indicated the Von Oven Board had been willing to allow youth groups other than the Scouts to use the property for nearly a year, provided they were properly insured. This will now happen through the City Clerk’s office, with scouting organizations retaining programming priority. Von Oven volunteers will maintain the property.

An operational agreement of any sort, much less one modifying the use of the property was never previously thought necessary in the more then fifty-five years since Emma Von Oven deeded the property to the city for the benefit of scouting groups. Several West St. Coalition members addressed the City Council in public forums during the fall and at the February hearing on the agreement including Cynthia Schneider, Tom and Denise O’Hale, Elaine Fischer and others. The hope was the council would re-direct staff to draft a status quo agreement, but this was not to be.

Motives behind the need for an operational agreement are undoubtedly complex, but the agreement is actually rather simple and at least in the short term the land will see little or no change. As well, the green space on site will be saved. The most ambiguous aspect of the agreement relates to the extent that the independent and volunteer Von Oven Board of Directors will be accountable to the office of the City Clerk. The Von Oven organization may now be looking for individuals committed to the mission of scouting, who could lend assistance. Please contact the Coalition if you can help.