Jim Thorpe's Memorial Hall is not for sale.

Borough council put the rumor to rest Thursday night, but did caution that a serious discussion on the building's future needs to happen before the end of the year.The topic surfaced when Jim Thorpe Planning Commission member Louis Hall told the town's governing body that potential events such as weddings or banquets could be in jeopardy if clients don't know the status of the facility, dedicated in 1983."It is not listed for sale," solicitor Jim Nanovic said. "Sure, it could be sold at some point. I've been the solicitor since 1999 and I think we talked about it over the past 15 or 16 years. There is nothing new going on here."In January, the borough approved transferring $25,000 from its sanitation department account to Memorial Hall in order to pay bills.Borough officials, however, said it is the lowest subsidy payment it's had to make in recent years.Jim McHugh, who took over management of the venue in September 2013, said there were six events booked in the hall at that time. In 2014, he booked an additional 34 events and increased revenue by 26 percent.However, the hall still lost $31,000 in 2014 and the annual mortgage costs around $40,000."Our options are fund it from our tax base, sell it or keep running it the way it is and try to get 25-30 events a year to break even," said council Vice President John McGuire. "The land was given to us so do we have the right to sell it without talking to the public? I say no."Hall said it would be beneficial to make a two-year commitment with a renewal option after 12 months so that "people can plan an event and see it through."Since McHugh took over, letters about events held at the hall have been positive as the borough tries to gain a consistency in the venue's management.Council acknowledged compliments from organizers of the Jim Thorpe Policemen's Ball, Carbon County Sports Hall of Fame banquet and several wedding parties who booked the hall."Look, we ran it like crap," McGuire admitted. "Jim is the first manager to really turn things around. He got it when the crater was at its largest. We never hired managers and let them do their job. We micromanaged until they quit. We've got to start letting people do their job."The building needs maintenance, council said. Doors and windows need work, the air conditioning system needs repairs and the kitchen needs updating."We're probably talking a capital investment of hundreds of thousands of dollars," Councilman Curtis Jackson said. "As long as the tax base is OK with that, then it's all good."Councilwoman Paulette Haupt suggested sending a mailer to residents, asking their thoughts.A town-hall meeting on the topic was also kicked around.For now, however, the venue is taking bookings in the hope its future is bright."To sum it up, there are no documents stating the building is for sale," Mayor Michael Sofranko said. "That rumor is not true. We are looking at all options."