Laserfiche WebLink
4 <br /> <br /> Dr. Brown said one proposal had been to use the land on the east side of McIntire <br />Park, but he said he had no interest in giving that up. He said the piece on the west side <br />is mostly used for softball and a smaller percentage of City residents use it. He said there <br />is some inequity if the City is giving up land and being asked to contribute money. He <br />said we should have the County take on more softball. He said the area around that piece <br />of the park could be changed to be more compatible with the YMCA. <br /> <br /> Mr. Kruger said that Albemarle County has set aside $1 million for a competitive <br />pool within the YMCA facility. <br /> <br /> Dr. Brown asked if membership will be required to use the YMCA pools, and <br />whether schools will have access to the pools. <br /> <br /> Mr. Bill Blewitt, Executive Director of the YMCA, said that there is generally a <br />variety of programming for YMCA pools, and they frequently partner with schools. <br /> <br /> Mr. Norris said that transportation is an issue for students, and asked how students <br />would get home from the YMCA if they used the facility after school. <br /> <br /> Mr. Kruger said the YMCA has identified challenges with the proposed site, and <br />transportation was one. He said maybe a City bus route could be expanded or a YMCA <br />bus could be used. He said the YMCA is committed to using a sliding scale for <br />membership. He said they would also like to have City and County representatives on <br />their Board. <br /> <br /> Ms. Hamilton said she is hearing from people with children that they tend to favor <br />the YMCA in this location. She said others have concerns about taking park land, the <br />YMCA’s performance, privatization of parks and recreation services, cutting back on <br />other recreation services, and undercutting private recreation businesses. She said this <br />would be a way for the City to get out of one of its pools and a way to address that <br />without doing it ourselves. She said this could work if the City makes guarantees to <br />citizens and the YMCA makes guarantees to the City. She said she has heard concern <br />about the erasure of African American programs. She said savings from elimination of <br />Crow could be used for African American programs. She said the conditions of a lease <br />need to be nailed down, such as every Charlottesville High School student can go to the <br />YMCA for $5, that it be an environmentally friendly building, and that there be City and <br />County representatives on the YMCA Board. She said we need to talk specifics. She <br />said there would be a cost to the City running a bus line to the facility. She said she <br />would want it to be a tight design, and take four acres, not eight. She said she thinks <br />there will be ongoing costs to the City. <br /> <br /> Mr. Svetz said there is a transportation issue for employment at parks as well. He <br />said savings from Crow could be used for transportation. <br /> Ms. Hamilton said she wants any savings to go to targeted, citizen focused <br />initiatives. <br /> <br /> Mr. Taliaferro said he can agree on the concept of partnering with the YMCA, but <br />said he needs to see details. He asked where does it leave the YMCA if we do not come <br />to an agreement. <br /> <br /> Mr. Norris asked if there any major red flags have been raised by Ms. Hamilton’s <br />conditions, and Mr. Kruger said no, those are all things the YMCA wants to do. <br /> <br /> Dr. Brown said he is gradually warming up to the idea of partnering with the <br />YMCA. He said he has spent time looking at YMCAs on the web and has found that <br />they vary a lot. He said he feels the YMCA can address teen needs. He said he would <br />like to see a proportional number of City representatives on the YMCA Board, would like <br />to see the facility next to CHS, and have CHS students be given priority in terms of time. <br />He said he would also like to have CHS students be able to use the indoor track for <br />practice. He said we need to make sure the YMCA programming reaches our population. <br /> <br /> <br />