The future of the Boys & Girls Club's location in Wareham is still up in the air, despite Wareham's top official recommending the town accept the Club's bid on space at the Ethel E. Hammond School in Onset.

Town Administrator Derek Sullivan recommended that the Selectmen vote to accept the bid at its Tuesday, September 17, meeting, which would have the club paying $11,892 annually to lease a portion of the Hammond school.

"The tough thing for the Boys & Girls Club" is that it has lost $50,000 in grant money because there is no lease in place, according to Director Kenny Fontes, who also serves on the Wareham School Committee.

The nonprofit Club offers after-school programs, homework help, and other programs for Wareham kids.

"One of the criteria [for the grant] was, 'do you have a permanent residence,'" Fontes said.

Currently the club does not have a permanent lease, but it did operate at the school on a temporary lease for the summer, and will remain there for the time being.

The Boys & Girls Club had initially obtained permission from the School Committee to use the building on a permanent basis. The club moved to the Hammond school from its former location on Viking Drive in the hopes of expanding its programs and giving kids access to a full playground.

Town officials realized after the fact that the lease of the town-owned building, due to state procurement laws, must be put out for bids to allow any potential tenants to offer a price to lease the space.

The School Department still has control of the building, but the Selectmen must approve any leases.

The town agreed to allow the Boys & Girls Club to lease space in the school for the summer, and when the lease was put out to bid, both the Boys & Girls Club and Wareham Child Care responded. It is unclear what Wareham Child Care bid.

Any rent money collected through the leasing of the building would be put into an account separate from both the town and the schools. The purpose of the account would be, in part, to maintain the building.

Selectman Steve Holmes took issue with the fact that the School Department is still in control of the building.

"It's about the governance of that building. It was turned over," to the town by former Superintendent Barry Rabinovitch.

When the School Department decided to close the Hammond school in 2012 due to budgetary constraints, it initially asked that the town take back control of the building. However, the School Committee took back the offer -- which town attorney Rich Bowen says is within its rights to do -- and that never happened.

"That is a big problem," said Holmes.

In addition, Holmes raised issues about the long-term maintenance of the property.

"There's a way to make this much better for the town in the long run," he said.

The board decided to put off voting on the lease until next week.