Nearly half of respondents want new Indoor Rec Center under YMCA
management
Morgan Hill – A survey commissioned by the city shows scant support for operating the new Indoor Recreation Center as part of the Morgan Hill Recreation and Community Services Department.
Just 19 percent of respondents thought the city should run the facility, while nearly half – 43 percent – believed the center, scheduled to open in September, should be managed by the YMCA.
But it’s not clear yet what financial or community benefits there would be by handing part of the center over to the YMCA. The organization has been in talks with the city since 2001 about the Indoor Recreation Center, and so far, the parties have not been able to reach an agreement.
“Now that it’s being built, it’s at the stage where some decisions need to be made,” YMCA Executive Director Debra Cupp said. “We wouldn’t be doing the whole thing. We would provide a lot of the services the Y typically does or is already doing.”
The Morgan Hill YMCA operates out of the Friendly Inn and serves all of South County.
The city’s new recreation center will have basketball courts, an aerobics studio, exercise and class space, an indoor pool, locker rooms, and wings devoted to seniors and teens.
Whatever agreement the city makes with the YMCA, Morgan Hill will operate the senior and teen services.
The recreation center is the latest addition to the city’s redevelopment agency program. It follows the Community and Cultural Center, the Community Playhouse and the Aquatics Center.
An agreement with the YMCA could lessen the impact of the new recreation center on the city’s budget. The aquatics park and community center have drained about $1 million from city coffers over the last two years.
In addition to asking respondents who should run the facility, the survey also tried to gauge how much people are willing to pay to use it, and if there’s a chance to produce revenue from the Aquatics Center with dual memberships.
Interim parks director Rod Cooper said the city will take extra care to ensure the Indoor Recreation Center doesn’t do further damage to the city’s general fund.
“We haven’t had an opportunity to draw conclusions from the report yet, so its premature at this point to say what we’ll do,” Cooper said. “We’re not willing to make a recommendation until we see the true numbers, at what prices we get what mix of customers. That will get us a close as we can to a solid budget.”
Any contract with the YMCA must be approved by the City Council. Councilman Greg Sellers said he will base his decision on what makes the most financial sense for the city and provides the most services.
“If they can do some things better than we can and build a model that plays to our strengths, good,” Sellers said. “If it turns out that that’s what will be the most sustainable, let’s look at it.”
Want to know more?
The YMCA study will be reviewed by the city’s parks and recreation commission meeting tonight at 7pm, at city council chambers, 17555 Peak Ave.
