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Community center director asks Gates County for more part‑time staff, help covering propane and program costs
Summary
The community center director asked county representatives for funding to cover propane costs for a new gas HVAC system, modest increases for program supplies, and one to two additional part‑time positions or interns to sustain morning and Saturday hours after recent staffing losses.
The community center director told Gates County representatives during the meeting that the center is rolling out new software and recently opened a gym addition that uses a propane HVAC system, and asked for modest budget increases to cover fuel and program costs.
"Our brand new software is about to roll out the next week or 2," the director said, adding that startup costs are front‑loaded and recurring costs should fall in later years. The director said the new propane heating for the gym has increased operating costs and that the center needs help so it is not "scraping it out of other places."
The director described recent staffing challenges: the center typically has two part‑time staff but has run with only one in recent months, leaving full‑time staff working split schedules. "We need a little bit of help," the director said, asking for one or two additional part‑time hires or the creation of paid intern positions to cover custodial duties, registrations, phone coverage and equipment setup.
A county member questioned whether full‑time employees who also coach or work for the school create duplication of service. "I have big concerns about the viability of somebody doing a job work with the school and then also working for the county separately," the county member said; the director responded that employees would clock out of one job to avoid duplication and said the center expects cooperation to meet county needs.
The director said the program slate has expanded since before the pandemic — from three youth sports to seven — and restoring morning hours and limited Saturday service is a priority if additional staffing can be funded. The director suggested partnering with nearby recreation programs or creating internships to build a local staffing pipeline for sport management and summer programs.
The transcript contains no formal motion or vote on funding. Officials said they would follow up to clarify budget details and staffing requests.
