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Commissioners and staff discuss community center programming, custodial staffing and future facilities planning
Summary
Board members and staff debated staffing for custodial and recreational duties, program fees and a longer-term plan for a larger community center with facilities for seniors, youth and aquatics.
Gates County staff and commissioners discussed the operation and programming of the county community center during the April 3 meeting, covering custodial staffing, program fees, senior outreach and conceptual long-term facility planning.
Staff said the county inherited facility responsibilities that previously sat with the school system and that the current facilities/grounds and programming staff are stretched thin. The current custodial-type role had been repurposed into facilities maintenance and program support; staff said 20 hours per week could cover custodial needs but that part-time staffing and seasonal programming limit available coverage.
Why it matters: Commissioners noted the community center serves multiple constituencies — youth sports, seniors, summer camps and community fitness — and asked how modest fees and targeted programming could both encourage use and help cover costs.
Program and fee discussion
Staff told the board the center currently charges a small membership fee (discussion referenced $20) and reported about $1,800 in revenue since July 1 (figure given as a partial accounting). Commissioners discussed whether a modest fee increases participants’ sense of ownership and whether the county should invest in more active senior outreach. Staff said past efforts during and after the COVID period suffered inconsistent turnout and that successful engagement requires sustained programming for several months before participation stabilizes.
Facilities and long-range planning
Commissioners and staff discussed potential future investments — including additional indoor court configuration, multi-use ball fields, courts with pickleball lines and possibly a pool or splash pad — and agreed to explore a planning session and to invite state legislators and other stakeholders for project-level conversations. No capital appropriation was approved; commissioners asked staff to consider a planning study in the next budget cycle.
Ending
The board requested staff pursue a planning process, continue senior-outreach experiments and return with specific budget options and possible sites for an expanded community center.
