The discussion of annual funding for the 8th Street YMCA in downtown Kansas City, Kan., has been delayed by a Unified Government Standing Committee until a special session can be called.
At tonight’s Administration and Human Services Standing Committee meeting, the committee requested that the issue be discussed later at a special session with all UG commissioners present.
The 8th Street YMCA tonight requested $65,000 from the 2015 budget and $10,000 from the 2016 Hollywood Casino grant funding that goes to the UG Parks and Recreation Department be allocated to fund 8th Street YMCA operations from April 2015 to April 2016.
A few years ago, the UG Commission had made a decision to stabilize the 8th Street YMCA until there was a long-term solution to build a new facility, which is now part of the healthy campus plans for downtown, according to UG commissioners.
The 8th Street Y’s funding request is about $11,000 less this year than what was received from the previous year, said John Mikos, YMCA executive vice president and chief operating officer. There is about $17,000 less requested for capital expense for the 8th Street Y, he said.
“We have been increasing the utilization of the services for the Y,” Mikos said.
Currently, the 8th Street YMCA serves about 759 households, more than 3,500 children, teens, adults and seniors, according to Mikos. Eighty-one percent of the members received financial assistance for membership and programs there, he said.
He said the UG’s funding is 15 percent of the 8th Street Y’s total funding, with 71 percent coming from membership dues, 11 percent from contributions and grants, 2 percent from program fees and 1 percent from facility rentals.
Mikos said the Y was able to leverage the UG’s contribution and provide additional grant-funded programs.
JoAnna Rogers, 8th Street YMCA membership engagement director, described several programs at the Y including a backpack back-to-school event; cooking classes in partnership with Harvesters where families received cooking instruction and weekly groceries; an early learning program for ages 0 to 5; three Girl Scout troops at the Y with bilingual leaders; basketball and leadership programs for teens; a science, technology, engineering and math program with robotics programming and summer camp; a Spanish-language healthy lifestyles program for families, with information about weight loss; as well as several community events.
Commissioner Angela Markley asked why the issue was brought up now instead of at the budget meetings, and Joe Connor, UG interim assistant administrator, said it was funded from April to April. UG funding for the Y is scheduled to run out in April.
Commissioner Hal Walker said he had thought commissioners wanted this to become part of the regular budget process, not separately considered.
Commissioner Tarence Maddox asked for a figure on how much the UG has taken from parks and recreation for the YMCA.
According to Debbie Jonscher, UG assistant finance director, the total to the 8th Street YMCA is $175,000 for two years. There was $100,000 the first year and $75,000 the second year.
Connor pointed out this was not from tax funds or the general fund, it was from an outside source, the casino contribution to the parks fund.
Commissioner Brian McKiernan offered a motion to approve the funding, recognizing that they are still waiting for the resolution of it as part of the healthy campus. But no vote was taken.
Commissioner Markley said it would be a good time to have a presentation on the healthy campus at a full commission meeting, such as a special meeting, so these two items could be seen together.
Commissioner Walker said he had been under the impression a few years ago that ground would already have been broken by now for the new YMCA project.
“This issue, oddly, either brings enthusiastic support from the constituents that approach me on it or absolute objection to continuing to fund the YMCA,” Commissioner Walker said. “It doesn’t seem like there’s any middle ground.”
While he said he understood that the downtown development project takes time, Walker added, “I don’t believe we can justify continuing to take money from parks and recreation and other scarce resources to fund the Y with no visible due date on when that new Y is even going to be started to be built, and that may take a year or a year and a half to be built.”
Mikos said the mayor and the Y’s CEO have been meeting about the capital campaign and raising funds to make this happen. He said the next phase of securing resources is already under way.
The healthy campus, also called the Downtown Parkway District, is planned for an area near 10th and Minnesota Avenue, and includes a grocery store, a community center to be run by the YMCA, green space, and play space. It is near Big 11 Lake. The new community center might be expected to cost in the range of $12 to $14 million, and half of it was to be raised from contributions. The center reportedly had a $1 million contribution from a health foundation grant. The UG Commission voted to move the healthy campus plan forward in December after a series of public meetings for community comments.
Commissioner Walker said at the minimum, he would go along with funding it until a determination is made at the budget cycle.
Commissioner Maddox said with the same passion that the UG moves money for the YMCA, they also should look at moving more money to the parks and recreation department at the budget session.
Commissioner Jane Philbrook said she sees the Y as an integral part of a healthy community, and is also concerned that there is an opportunity for those who can’t afford Y memberships to be worked into the budget for the new Y. Mikos said meetings are taking place to provide that.
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