Councillors voice concerns over apparent lack of action by YMCA

While city council received an update last night about the ongoing need for people to sign up for YMCA memberships to save the organization from closure, some councillors expressed concern that they have heard very little from Y management on ways it will lessen the burden on taxpayers.

A report presented during Monday's meeting of city council provided an update on the agreements being negotiated between the city, the Sault Y and the unnamed charitable foundation that has agreed to purchase the aging building on McNabb Street. Part of that plan includes a call on residents and businesses to purchase memberships to help the organization once again be sustainable.

Council was informed the purchase of the building has not yet closed and the name of the mystery foundation has yet to be disclosed publicly.

The city has agreed to backstop the lease for the Sault Y, allowing it to effectively lease its formerly-owned building after it is sold to a local charitable foundation. That plan will require agreements between the city and the foundation, as well as between the city and Sault Y.

A formal agreement will be presented to city council on July 15, with an expected closing date for the sale of the building on Aug. 6. 

Brent Lamming, named on the report as the city's director of Community Services, told councillors the Sault Y has signed up "just shy" of 1,500 memberships, with 2,400 memberships needed in the near-term for the organization to become sustainable. (During the same meeting, Lamming was promoted to deputy chief administrative officer for Community Development and Enterprise Services through a vote of council.) 

"Am I understanding correctly that if they don't get about 1,000 more memberships all of the the deal will just fall apart?" asked Ward 3 councillor Angela Caputo. 

Lamming told council there needs to be an increase in the number of memberships to stabilize the organization and it is working with the Northeast YMCA, YMCA Ontario and YMCA Canada on a marketing strategy to drive membership numbers.

Caputo said she hopes to see the Sault Y attain the membership numbers it needs to continue to move forward, but she suggested the organization has not been as transparent as it could be.

"I don't see a lot happening, as I stated when they were here. We didn't get a lot of answers from then and we still haven't," said Caputo. "I really want to see some YMCA participation."

Ward 1 councillor Sonny Spina asked Lamming what the Sault Y's long-term goals were for membership numbers.

Lamming said by the end of the year, the hope is for the number of memberships to grow to about 2,800.

"This is really a key time of bridging the gap for the next five years to have a future build, but you need that time frame to get there. So the memberships need to get back to pre-closure levels," said Lamming.

"So what happens if they don't reach their targets?" asked Spina.

"We would advise council as such," said Lamming.

"And then council would have to make that decision at that point whether we proceed or not?" said Spina.

"That's right," Lamming responded.

Spina went on to ask staff about the funding city council previously promised to the purchaser of the building for infrastructure upgrades, which was worded as "up to $505,000." Those funds would be matched with federal dollars to complete long-needed repairs on the boilers and roof of the building.

"I wanted to see them do some work to bring that number down. I don't want the taxpayers, in my opinion, to have to pay for that up to $505,000," said Spina. "Have they done anything at all to help reduce that burden?"

City CAO Tom Vair said consultants are looking at the boilers to see if that number can be brought down and a committee has been struck to examine creating a campaign for needed capital costs.

"They're just starting a capital campaign now, a month and a bit into this? I sure hope it was started a long time ago, capital campaigns take a lot of work," said Spina.

"I don't know the start date," said Vair. "I know they have a capital committee that's approaching business to ask for donations."

Spina responded: "And they have about 30 days."