YMCA Needs Assessment To Be First Step
Mahaska YMCA (file photo)
Oskaloosa, Iowa – The future of recreation and child care in Mahaska County is part of a study being undertaken by MCDG (Mahaska Community Development Group) and the Mahaska County YMCA.
Andrew Jensen, Director of MCDG, explained that the group’s involvement came after a request for funding from the YMCA.
The financial situation at the YMCA had become great, and after approaching the City of Oskaloosa, initially in 2014, for funds to help keep the YMCA open were rejected, the board of the YMCA then approached MCDG for that assistance in November of 2014.
For those unfamiliar with MCDG, “MCDG is a collaboration of Mahaska County citizens and business persons committed to enhancing the area’s overall economic well-being by encouraging new development, job creation, meeting infrastructure needs, and expanding existing businesses.”
“After a lot of debate back and forth. Whether it’s really the right time to let the Y die, or what are the implications?” said Jensen of the discussion that took place within MCDG. “Agreed it’s big enough of a community asset and really it effects our employers, particularly through child-care.”
Ultimately, MCDG agreed to help the YMCA with gap financing, to the tune of $150,000.00, with the intention that the facility find a way to be self-sustaining. “That way we’re not in the same situation year-after-year,” said Jensen. With that help, MCDG will be closely involved “with putting together the needs assessment and the plan going forward,” Jensen explained.
During the past month, the move has been to ratchet up the community needs assessment. Recreation and child-care are two broad categories that the YMCA fills, says Jensen. “We don’t want to assume the solution to those needs is the YMCA. Although we love the organization, and think it’s a good organization. Let’s get an honest assessment of what the community needs for recreation and child-care.”
So the YMCA Board took the initial steps in creating a joint assessment committee with MCDG by hiring Walker|Coen|Lorentzen to help assess the needs, and how current facilities may help fill those needs. The YMCA will not be leading that assessment because of possible perception implications. MCDG then took the lead on the assessment process.
Matt Coen, a partner in Walker|Coen|Lorentzen is formerly from Oskaloosa, “and he’s going to be leading the effort,” said Jensen.
The total cost of the assessment effort will be $87,920.00. Mahaska County has agreed to provide $5,000 towards the cost of the assessment, while the City of Oskaloosa will provide $15,000. MCDG and the YMCA will be pursuing other grants and opportunities to offset the cost.
The first task will be a ‘Recreation and Early Childhood Needs Assessment’. “Assist with a facilitated, systematic and ongoing process of providing usable and useful information about the needs of a target population to those who can and will use it to make judgement about policy and programs.”
The next task is ‘Master Planning’. “Develop master plan for facilities based on the outcome of the Community Needs Assessment.”
The final task of the process is the ‘Capital Needs Assessment’. “Observe, research and analyze the existing YMCA building. Assess data collected and provide recommendations and cost opinions for deferred maintenance, operations, and capital improvements with the existing facility. The assessment will focus on both short-term/long-term improvements. Both current and possible future uses to be considered.”
“I think there’s some underlying assumption by some people that all we’re doing is moving towards building that new, grand 10 million-dollar recreation facility,” said Jensen. “That’s not what we’re assuming.”
Over the next 4 to 5 months, an online survey will appear in conjunction with focus groups, and community meetings will happen to help gather information during the process.
The process could be classified as a do-or-die time for the local YMCA. “I think a lot of people think it is,” said Jensen. He said that MCDG recognizes the importance of the facility in donating the $150,000.00 “but we cannot be in the same situation a year from now”.
“I think that there is a general agreement that if it’s just back in the same situation a year from now, there’s not going to be the level of support there was right now,” said Jensen.
That time frame has been helped by some extra efficiencies being put into place at the YMCA, since the arrival of Dave Phelps as the interim YMCA Director, which have helped in extending that original $150,000 gift nearly a year longer, making the YMCA viable until the fall of 2016. “It’s really good to have that space in there to put the master plan together,” added Jensen.
