It was an interesting display for a municipal landlord June 8 when representatives of Union City gave Kreative Kidz youth enrichment program less than a one-day notice to cease serving more than 140 youngsters in the organization’s summer program. Discussed at the city council’s June 11 work session, council members established six criteria that would potentially allow the program to operate at the city-owned facility on a temporary basis.

Operating a summer program and an after-school program during the school year for more than two years and paying rent to the city, Kreative Kidz is located on the same city-owned property that houses Georgia Military College. Kreative Kidz Director James Rainer said Union City Councilwoman Angelette Mealing arrived Friday at 10 a.m. for a tour of the facility and that Fire Chief and interim City Administrator Ken Collins arrived several hours later, informing him that the program in the city-owned facility would not be allowed to receive children on Monday, the center’s next day of operation.

“Councilwoman Angelette Mealing came in, using a demanding and condescending tone and saying she wanted a tour. I didn’t like her tone. At the end she said we would be hearing from the city,” Rainer said. “That afternoon, interim administrator Ken Collins came and ordered us to shut the doors Monday morning. He didn’t say we couldn’t be open, he just said we couldn’t have the kids here. He said it was a directive from the mayor. After that I called my attorney.”

Collins said Tuesday the city had been concerned about potential exposure to liability, adding that confusion over the program’s location on city property appeared to be linked, in part, to errors made by previous city staff. Collins said he had called Kreative Kidz Friday morning requesting that he be provided with any rental or lease information the company might have, but upon his arrival administrator Jane Danko told him she had not had time to put the information together. Danko agreed, saying that she had spoken to Collins that morning, telling him that she was out with the group on a field trip and would not be back until the afternoon. Collins arrived shortly after the group returned to the site, Danko said, though he did not ask for any documentation, but said instead that he was there under the mayor’s order to let them know they could no longer operate due to liability concerns.

Documents provided Saturday, June 9 by Kreative Kidz showed correspondence with Georgia Military College on Feb. 15, 2005 inquiring about a rent payment methodology. Kreative Kidz was told to make the checks payable to Union City and that GMC would forward those checks to the city, according to an email from GMC-Atlanta Director Jim Price. A May 19, 2006 letter from GMC advised that rent payments, maintenance and other concerns should be directed to then-City Administrator Terrell Jacobs. Rent payments were sent since that time directly to the city, Rainer said.

At the June 11 meeting, Kreative Kidz administrators and attorney Steve Fanning were given six criteria to potentially allow the organization to temporarily continue operations, including the possibility of a 90-day contract, having the city listed as an additional insured on the liability insurance policy, providing proof of compliance with state staffing and facility requirements and furnishing a copy of the 2006 tax return. Those items are currently being addressed with some already complete, such as the insurance requirement, Fanning said.

Addressing the manner in which his client was treated, Fanning said, “(The city) was making them out to be squatters, which is ridiculous. They acted like my clients snuck in there and started operating a business.” Fanning and Rainer also said they found the city’s seeming lack of knowledge about the program’s existence curious, especially since Union City had been receiving and cashing rent checks for more than two years and why it was, if the program had been existing under the city’s radar, that city firefighters had brought a fire truck for on-site demonstrations for the children and why city police had been on-site to fingerprint them.

Noting the organization’s first contact with Union City staff, Rainer said that occurred prior to the program opening more than two years ago. Fanning said his client had spoken with someone in the permits department, where it was suggested that Rainer contact GMC.

In a related matter on the evening of June 8, Kreative Kidz administrators Rainer and Jane Danko along with several parents attended a meeting of the Union City Athletic Association. Rainer said the meeting was also attended by Mealing and Camilla Moore, wife of Mayor Ralph Moore. During the meeting Moore reiterated the city’s requirement that Kreative Kidz shut down its program, Rainer and several parents said Saturday.

Searching for a rationale that would explain the city’s haste in having the facility vacated, several affected parents expressed the belief that the quick departure of Kreative Kidz would pave the way for a Mealing-sponsored athletic program to take occupancy of the facility space. That program began June 7, just one day before Kreative Kidz was told to close its doors.

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