Butler's lone winter relief center will reduce its services this year because of a contract dispute with Butler County Human Services.

The Grace Youth and Family Foundation's Winter Relief Center, 100 Center Ave., served 1,654 guest nights for the homeless this past winter.

However, Bill Halle, owner of the foundation, said that number will drop this year because of a new contract the county asked the foundation to sign, but it declined to do so.

“It has provisions that we just cannot agree to,” Halle said.

Halle said the county is asking his nonprofit agency to sign a contract that would remove his organization's right to faith-based hiring practices, sign over exclusive ownership and copyrights to the program and to provide “extensive” auditing access to the county.

Joyce Ainsworth, the director of county Human Services, said the contract is a standard agreement it has with each of the nonprofits it partners with.

“It covers all the rules and regulations required for us to receive grant money from (the state and federal government),” she said. “He felt uncomfortable signing it so we're moving on to Plan B.”

Halle said he was told Tuesday morning that the county pulled the $35,000 it was to contribute to the program this winter due to the lack of a contract.

That was just days before the center opens Sunday for the winter.

“That's a huge amount of money we need to come up with,” Halle said, noting it accounts for about 40 percent to 50 percent of the program's budget.

Ainsworth said the department has been speaking throughout the summer with Halle about the contract.

“This is something that we thought might happen,” she said.

This year marks the fifth year of the center, but it is the first year the county has asked for a contract.

Ainsworth said the program has grown over the years and has hit a threshold where it required a contract to keep it accountable.

Halle said the program will reduce the number of people it can serve and will now focus on priority populations: families with children, veterans, adults who are verifiably on their way to mental health or drug and alcohol treatment and adults specifically screened and referred by the foundation.

Halle wants to speak with the county solicitor soon to work out the contract.

“I hope we can get it worked out,” he said. “It's getting cold out.”

Ainsworth said the county will look into alternative options for the homeless but she did not elaborate.

Halle opposes three provisions in the proposed contract, including one on the hiring practices of the organization.

He said the county wants to block his organization's legally allowable exception to discrimination laws for faith-based organizations.

“We're a faith-based organization,” he said. “We hire people who are in-line with our faith.”

Halle also opposes the county's request for exclusive ownership and copyrights to the Winter Relief Center program.

“I don't understand why that's necessary,” he said.

The Winter Relief Center is one of 25 programs offered by his foundation.

Lastly, Halle said the county is seeking full auditing rights to his foundation, including to programs not funded by the county.

“We will not give the county blanket unlimited access and rights to inspect, copy and or audit any records they choose that are not directly involved with the program they contribute partial funding,” he said.

Halle said the foundation does not have an issue showing its financial records.

“As a 501c3 we must provide public access to our financial records,” he said. “You can find them online.”

But Halle said his foundation will not give the county access to other records it keeps confidential, including donor lists.

He said those are provided to the IRS when mandated, but said he would not give it to the county.

Halle added the county also is requesting his foundation pay for any audit done.