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Houston County committee outlines plan to use Omni rooms for seniors, emergency and community services
Summary
At a Houston County bidding committee meeting, members described converting rooms at the Omni into a shared community facility with space for seniors, the archives, veterans services, an EMA office and community recreation; members were invited to inspect the facility and the meeting adjourned to the armory for an on-site review.
At a bidding committee meeting, Speaker 1, a committee member, described plans to use rooms at the Omni as a multiuse community facility housing senior programs, the archives, a veterans service officer and an office for the emergency management (EMA) director.
"We've actually got rooms up there," Speaker 1 said, and invited committee members to "look if you got any comments" about how the spaces are assigned. He added, "They've got money for us," indicating funding is available to support the initiative.
The proposal would assign dedicated spaces for multiple county functions. Speaker 1 said the archive would have a vault, Meals on Wheels would use a kitchen on site, and a large room would be retrofitted for health activities and recreation: "We're gonna put, walking track around it. We're gonna put pickleball court in it, and basketball court in it." He said a seniors-only exercise room with equipment is planned and described a keypad-and-card membership system for annual access.
Responding to a question from Speaker 2 about hours, Speaker 1 said the facility "won't be open 24 7" and described the EMA director's room as a disaster-readiness post with computers for use during emergencies. Speaker 1 also said the sheriff and a deputy could use an office there if desired.
Speaker 1 asked that a proposed room layout be added to the county's Monday night agenda for formal approval of assignments: "the body needs to approve it? Like a layout." He again invited members to inspect the facility that evening before the formal agenda item.
The committee also noted an outside booking inquiry for Dec. 20 and said work on the space began around May 18; storage rooms will be used to hold chairs and tables for events. Speaker 1 publicly thanked Bill Hall for helping secure the armory, saying, "We wouldn't have the armory if it weren't for Bill Hall."
The meeting concluded when Speaker 1 moved to close and "adjourned to the armory" for an on-site inspection; the motion was seconded and members prepared to relocate.
Next steps: the committee will present a room-assignment layout for the full body's consideration at the next Monday meeting; members are expected to inspect the Omni rooms before that agenda item.
