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County council reaffirms $300,000 commitment for YMCA youth expansion after scope change
Summary
Trustees told the council the YMCA will reduce the planned expansion (four classrooms to two) and still needs the county's $300,000 pledge to leverage other public funds; council members debated scope and funding before voting to keep the original appropriation.
Representatives of the Henry County YMCA asked the council to reaffirm a previously committed $300,000 toward a youth-expansion project.
Scott Hayes, who identified himself as a trustee, and Scott Welsh, president of the Henry County YMCA, updated the council on changes since the county’s original commitment: the school corporation won a separate $1.4 million grant for before- and after-school services, the YMCA reduced the physical scope from four classrooms to two, and a grant application for $750,000 had not succeeded.
Hayes said the YMCA needs a public-money commitment to launch a public fundraising campaign and cover soft costs such as architectural and construction drawings. He said the youth portion’s design-and-build cost is estimated at $1.65 million and that public entities’ pledges (including the county’s $300,000 and redevelopment commissions) would total about $990,000.
Council members confirmed that the $300,000 had been allocated and earmarked for the project; discussion focused on whether the change of scope required altering the appropriation. Supporters argued the YMCA’s need remains because public funds help leverage private donations and cover soft costs. One member highlighted statewide cuts to child-care vouchers that increased local demand for child-care capacity.
A motion was made and seconded to change the scope of the original appropriation to the YMCA’s revised plan while keeping the $300,000 commitment; a roll-call vote carried the motion.
The council did not specify a new timetable for when funds will be drawn; Hayes said the YMCA expects a campaign and possible groundbreaking next spring and that the county likely would not need to disburse the full $300,000 immediately.
