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County pledges $25,000 to help teen club reopen Decision shocks owner of private club By DAVID PRESZLER And today ... Who : Medford City Council What : Agenda includes consideration of VIBES' request for $25,000 to reopen When : Noon today Where : Medford City Council chambers at City Hall, 411 W. Eighth St. The effort to restart VIBES, an under-21 dance club, got a boost Wednesday when the Jackson County commissioners approved a request for $25,000. The county funding is contingent on the Medford City Council kicking in another $25,000. The council meets at noon today to consider VIBES' request. VIBES director Tom Cole said it will take $65,000 to reopen the club in the former downtown bank building at Front and Main streets. He hopes to get $50,000 from the county and city and the other $15,000 from private foundations. VIBES would operate as a service of Kids Unlimited, a nonprofit organization. "I think it shows a strong commitment from the county to our kids," Cole said of the county decision. The commissioners' quick decision sparked criticism from the owner of an existing teen dance center, Club 25. Mitch Hardage didn't learn of VIBES' request until Wednesday morning and didn't make the meeting. He said he was "floored" at the idea that the city and county would contribute money to fund a project that would compete with an existing business like his. He said the opening of another club downtown -- especially one supported by public money -- will likely drive him out of business. "I can't believe they are going to put a profit-making business out of business," said Hardage, who opened Club 25 this spring. "This community's not big enough to support two of these types of businesses." Hardage was upset the request was pushed through so quickly with little time for the public to comment. He said he will be at today's Medford City Council meeting to voice his concerns. At the Wednesday morning meeting, the commissioners initially expressed a host of concerns that stemmed from the suddenness of the request. It was submitted Monday by Hank Collins, who heads the county's health and human services department and sits on the board of Kids Unlimited, the nonprofit that will run VIBES. Collins asked that $25,000 from his department's contingency budget be used to get the club going again. Collins told the commissioners the suddenness of the request was necessary to take advantage of the option to lease the building. Commissioner Ric Holt expressed concern about the county funding a club that could compete with a privately owned business. "I have a problem with government stepping in and duplicating someone's effort," said Holt. Cole, Collins and Jackson County Sheriff's Capt. Ed Mayer -- another Kids Unlimited board member -- eased those concerns by pointing out that the club revenue would be used to support Kids Unlimited's after-school programs and other services. VIBES, which stands for Vitality in Becoming Educated Socially, opened and closed twice in 1998. It last closed in December at the former Ernst Home Center building in the South Gateway shopping center. Since then, Cole has been searching for a new site. Cole told the commissioners the club will be more than a source of weekend entertainment for teens. He envisions a wider ranging teen center that would provide programs throughout the week. The $25,000 would be a one-time donation. Cole assured the commissioners that the club would be self-supporting and wouldn't return for additional money. In the end, all three commissioners acknowledged the need for positive teen activities and approved the request. "For this small contribution and the promise that they won't be back here asking for money for operations," said Commissioner Jack Walker, "it may be a small investment in comparison to what we get for it." Club 25's Hardage said the decision ignores the fact that his business is filling the need. "They are pretending that we are not here," he said. He pointed out that VIBES closed down twice within months after opening while his business has been open for more than seven months. "What happens if they hand this group this money and it isn't successful and we've gone out of business?" he asked. "Then where are we going to be?" Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA