The Myrtle Point City Council adopted an agreement Monday at its regular meeting to hand over its $45,000 Umpqua Community Development Corporation grant to the Myrtle Point School District. It is to be used for refurbishment of the closed Maple School, shut down two years ago because of declining enrollment. City and school officials have been pondering what to do with the site over the past year.

City Manager Randy Whobrey said the grant money must be spent before the end of this month or the city will lose it. Under the grant's conditions, to which the School District is subject, the money must be used for school-related recreation.

Whobrey said a previous plan called for the School District to donate the building to the city under the condition that it also be used for school activities. But now the agreement states the district maintains ownership and the city will be allowed to use the gymnasium and meeting room at certain times.

"Our goal is to have a block of time set aside for gym space for a city recreation program," Whobrey said.

The grant will be used to construct a kitchen and bring bathrooms to Americans with Disabilities Act standards.

Though a specific use for the school is yet to be determined by the Myrtle Point School Board, alternative youth education continually has been mentioned.

Monday's agreement also gives the city first right of refusal should the district decide to sell the school building and property.

All councilors - Joe Bouska, Barbara Carter, Denise DeWald, Mike Johnson, Joanne Miller and Bob Thomas - and Mayor Ed Cook were present at the meeting.

In other business the council:

€ issued no opinion on a request to the Oregon Liquor Control Commission for extension to renew a liquor license for Cuahutemoc, a restaurant on Spruce Street. The establishment was one of many sites targeted in Operation Black Ice, a Drug Enforcement Administration-led methamphetamine-related arrest sweep of the South Coast in March. The owner, Martin Gonzalez-Robles, released on his own recognizance last month from the Lane County jail, is facing charges in U.S. District Court in Eugene for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine;

€ followed an executive session for an employee evaluation by saying Whobrey, city manager in the interim along with acting as public works director, will remain in both positions for now;

€ set a public hearing for nuisance abatement under consideration for 907 A St., the residence of Vernon Vincent. Whobrey said the hearing stems from complaints about several vehicles on the property, in various stages of repair or disrepair. The hearing is set for 7:30 p.m. on Monday, May 16, in the meeting room of the Flora M. Laird Memorial Library, 435 Fifth St.; and

€ denied an $1,800 funding request put forth by Coos County Commissioner John Griffith for funding of local public access Channel 14 meeting coverage. The county is attempting to provide stable funding for the station and in exchange for the money, the council meetings would have been televised.

"The council felt that wasn't in our budget capacity for this year," Whobrey said.