Candidates press to restore Kulik Center as community-first space

Several Ferndale city leaders and council candidates at a seniors forum urged renewed action to preserve and reopen the Kulik Center, a community facility that candidates said has deteriorated while ownership remained with the local school district. Eddie (Eddie Sabertini), a council candidate, told the audience his campaign gathered more than 350 signatures supporting a community-centered solution and said he wants the city to retrieve and restore the property. Incumbent Councilmember Laura Michalski and candidate Quinn Ziegler said repairing and reopening the center would require collaboration with the school district and a realistic plan for maintenance and funding. Mayor Raylon Leaksme confirmed the city does not own the property; “it belongs to the schools,” she said, and noted past rental/maintenance arrangements between the city and the district.

Why it matters: Candidates framed the Kulik Center as a symbol of how they would approach city projects — prioritizing community use and sustained maintenance rather than short-term or cosmetic fixes. Speakers tied the center’s fate to broader concerns about deferred maintenance and the city’s capacity to hold or restore properties when ownership sits with another public entity.

Supporting details: Sabertini said residents rallied around advocacy for the center and that “now that there is tangible movement toward a community-first solution, I want to…” He described watching the building “deteriorate over a better part of a decade” and called that “demolition by neglect.” Michalski said she regrets earlier divestment from the Kulik Center and expressed a desire to “right that wrong and steer us toward reopening the space.” Ziegler and Mayor Leaksme urged negotiations and intergovernmental coordination to clarify maintenance obligations and next steps. Michalski and others emphasized that reusing or reopening city facilities requires a sustainable maintenance plan so the center does not fall into disrepair again.

Context and constraints: Mayor Leaksme noted the Kulik Center is school district property and historically had a rental agreement that included maintenance obligations by the city; any reopening effort will require the district’s cooperation. Candidates repeatedly tied the issue to broader budget pressures and deferred maintenance challenges the city faces, noting that securing long-term funding and clearly assigned responsibilities would be necessary before formal action could occur.

Ending: Candidates said they would pursue intergovernmental talks, community engagement, and funding solutions if elected or re-elected but did not announce formal council directives or votes during the forum.