MONROE — As of right now, the Snohomish County Explosion is a team without a home.
“We have a coach, a team and 258 season-ticket holders who want to buy tickets immediately,” the International Basketball League team’s majority owner, Nathan Mumm, said. “They’re ready to go, but there is no place to play at this time.”
The Monroe School Board decided last week not to extend the Explosion’s contract to use the Monroe High School gymnasium. The deal allowed the team to practice and play at the school free of charge during the 2008 season in exchange for making $23,000 in improvements to the gym. The team spent around $34,000, adding features including a video screen, projector and lights, the district said.
Because the team spent more than expected, and planned to make additional upgrades before the 2009 season, it sought similar terms for 2009. The school board decided the team needed to pay the normal rate.
“No one’s been tossed out,” district spokeswoman Rosemary O’Neil said. “They can certainly use our facilities just like anyone else can at the same fee structure as any other commercial enterprise.”
O’Neill indicated the team would have to pay around $9,000 to use the gym for the 2009 season.
“Did they say that?” Mumm responded Tuesday. “That (a specific dollar amount) is something we didn’t discuss.
“It was only a three- or four-minute discussion (at the school board meeting),” Mumm continued. “They didn’t discuss our proposal. They just said they weren’t interested in us coming back. They said the gym could be better used by disadvantaged youths or non-profit programs instead of a professional basketball team.”
Mumm said he was encouraged by an invitation he received Tuesday from Neil Watkins, executive director of the Monroe Chamber of Commerce, to join Watkins in a meeting, as yet unscheduled, with Monroe school district superintendent Ken Hoover to discuss the matter.
“It’s our every intention to brainstorm solutions with the school district that will keep the Explosion in Monroe,” Watkins said. “But the decision is in the hands of the school board.”
Mumm said he’s hopeful something can be worked out that will allow the team to play two more years at the high school, giving the team time to find a permanent home.
“We don’t want to have to worry about this,” Mumm said. “We want our fans to know where we’re going to be playing.”
The school board originally agreed to let the Explosion use the gym for the 2008 season only as a temporary home court until the team found a permanent venue, O’Neil said. With fuel and food costs skyrocketing, the district’s budget is too tight to waive fees again, she said.
“We’re raising lunch prices here,” O’Neil said. “There’s not a school district in the state of Washington that isn’t having to make some hard decisions about budgets and ours is included.”
If unable to come to terms with the school district, Mumm said the team has other options, including the possibility of renovating a warehouse in Monroe.
Herald reporter Kaitlin Manry contributed to this report.
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