Parks & Rec Committee wants the conversation

It's time to talk with YMCA officials about a potential management agreement

Wapakoneta City Council’s Parks and Recreation Committee members believe it’s time to move forward with discussions about a

potential partnership with the Wapakoneta Family YMCA; however, the continuing lack of a

safety-service director has hindered any forward motion.

“We’re in this goofy muck situation where we’re asking what can we move ahead with,” noted

committee Chair Ross Kantner, adding he knows interim Mayor

Steve Henderson is working on hiring a service director. But in the meantime, there’s been no discussion about a proposed management agreement with the Y to operate the Waterpark.

The proposal’s origin story began when both Tom Stinebaugh and Floyd Gregg were in place as mayor

and service director repsectively, following a summer season that

saw the waterpark operating under limited hours. A lack of lifeguards caused the pool to be open only a couple of days each week, under limited hours, and all but eliminated private pool rentals. YMCA CEO Josh Little was approached to

determine if there was any potential for his organization to manage the waterpark during the summer season.

Little put together a management and operating agreement as a

starting point for the discussion process. Kantner said it was his

opinion that document was just that, a starting point, and is in favor of working with the Y.

“If we go this way, that helps us,” Kantner said. “I’m very open to going in this direction.”

But Kantner was quick to point out his committee won’t make that decision. While he wants them to

have representation on the negotiation team, he also believes the city’s finance committee should be there as well.

Both of his committee members, Brandon Miller and John Sheipline, agreed, as did councilor Terry Campbell, a long-time waterpark advocate, who indicated he’d like to be a part of that team as well.

Jay Sweede, a member of the city’s Rec Board attended the

meeting; he suggested a representative from that group also be

invited to be part of the negotiations.

Sweede, during a discussion

about some of the finer points of the preliminary agreement, thought an incentive to keep the pool open — perhaps a financial penalty paid to the city if the pool had to

be closed due to lack of staff — might be added to to contract. That idea was not met with much enthusiasm. Kantner emphasized the details would all need to be worked out during the negotiation phase.

Rec Director Jack Hayzlett asked if the YCMA had a plan to recruit lifeguards as that continues to be a concern. Campbell

said increased wages was one selling point;

in addition, Little

and Wendy Baldwin, the Y’s aquatics director, will work to recruit life guards from swim team

membership. Certification training will also be paid by the YMCA.

ALSO ON THURSDAY, committee

members learned about a request for a park in the Carnation

Drive neighborhood. Resident Matt Staugler reached out to the city asking if there was any chance the city would purchase an empty lot to create a park within walking distance for those neighbors.

“My first gut reaction is that a developer isn’t going to donate a lot, and the city won’t spend money to create another liability,” Kantner said, adding his wife reminded him the YMCA has a great

children’s play park that is within walking distance from the “flower street” neighborhoods.

“I think we need to focus on maintaining

and improving the parks we have ,” he said.

Hayzlett had met with representatives

of local veterans organizations — the American Legion, AMVETS and the VFW — to discuss potential improvements to the play

space at Veterans Memorial

Park. The discussions are preliminary, Hayzlett said, but center on some long-range planning to repair and replace

existing equipment, and to expand and

improve the overall park. He said they’ve met once and “still

have a lot to discuss.”