Wellman City Council discusses city codes

By Jeff Yoder
Posted 11/2/21

The Wellman City Council agreed to a 12-month extension of the lease for the Wellman YMCA on Monday, November 1.

Amy Schulte, CEO of the YMCA of Washington County, presented the board with some …

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Wellman City Council discusses city codes

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The Wellman City Council agreed to a 12-month extension of the lease for the Wellman YMCA on Monday, November 1.

Amy Schulte, CEO of the YMCA of Washington County, presented the board with some numbers regarding the facility’s revenue and use.

Schulte explained that while 22 percent of the area households have a Wellman YMCA membership, those membership fees are not sufficient to cover the cost of operating the facility.

Over the last 10 years, the Wellman YMCA has had an average of 804 members, but that number has dropped by about 100.

With the YMCA currently seeing an average of just 38 members using the facility each day, there is concern about the number of members who may not renew.

General contributions have dropped from a high of $55,0000 to $32,000 in 2019 and $22,000 in 2020, although 2020 is not a representative year, Schulte pointed out.

She also shared that while revenues and contributions have dropped, wages have gone up.

The council discussed options for increasing revenue and ways to promote awareness about the YMCA and its offerings.

Council member Tony Evans said while the council could explore ways to close the gap, he recalled that 10 years earlier no one was under the impression that the YMCA would ever be close to self-sufficient.

“We just have to decide how much money the city wants to put into it,” Evans said.

Council members Evans and Shannon McCain were appointed to a committee to work with the city administrator, mayor, and YMCA board/finance committee to decide what the next lease agreement should look like.

Schulte shared that the YMCA was working on a grant for tip-and-roll bleachers. They are also looking at options for a batting cage. Schulte pointed out that batting cages in the area are typically booked a lot of the time, and that investment could bring more use to the facility.

The council approved an expense of $1,610 to replace city hall cameras and put them all on the same system.

The council discussed some aspects of the city code regarding accessory buildings that could be updated and clarified, but tabled the topic to seek more information.

Mayor Ryan Miller congratulated the Mid-Prairie girls cross country team on its fifth state championship.

Trunk or treating was well attended on Sunday. There were 23 trunks and an estimated total of at least 400 kids.

City Administrator Kelly Litwiller shared that the Wellman skating rink plans to have some open skates on Sunday afternoons, and will try some Wednesday afternoons on days with early outs.