Webster, YMCA Seek To Improve Communication
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
NORTH WEBSTER - YMCA Chief Executive Officer Steve Jungbauer sent out a letter to area newspapers recently regarding the Y's branch at the North Webster Community Center.
The NWCC board of directors has taken issue with some of Jungbauer's statements in the letter. They addressed their concerns Monday during an interview.
Based on the letter and other information the NWCC received from the Warsaw YMCA, board member Sherman Goldenberg said the two sides need to improve communications.
In his letter, Jungbauer wrote, "In the first year of operation, the YMCA realized a $35,000 loss at North Webster. Financial projections for 2005 indicated that the operation, without change, would experience an additional loss of $60,000 for the year. This includes a significant rent increase of $20,000 to support the North Webster Community Center."
Jon Sroufe, NWCC board president, said, "That ($20,000) was not an increase." In the early stages of the NWCC construction, a rental fee of $2,000 per month for the YMCA was discussed based on the Y's needs. In the first year - 2004 - the NWCC offered the YMCA space for six months free and then six months at $1,000, with the rent to go to $2,000 per month this year. Since the Y opened two months late last year, the NWCC asked the Y to pay only $1,000 per month for four months after giving them six months free rent, with the $2,000 per month rent to begin in January this year. In total, the Y paid only $4,000 in rent to the NWCC in 2004.
"It was all preordained all along," said Goldenberg. "Yet we see a letter that makes it sound like we jacked the rent up ... we regret the misinterpretation."
The discount on the Y's first year of rent, he said, is testament to how much the NWCC prizes the Y's participation in the center.
"They paid no utilities whatsoever," said Sroufe of the Y. Also, Goldenberg said, the NWCC took care of the maintenance, changed building construction to house TV sets for the Y and completed many other tasks per the Y's request.
In a telephone interview Tuesday afternoon, Jungbauer said the rental cost "wasn't a surprise" and his letter to area newspapers was meant as "an explanation of costs."
He said the loss of nearly $60,000 the Y expects this year is due mostly to paying employees, but includes the $24,000 rent to the NWCC.
Goldenberg said NWCC questions how the Y could experience a $35,000 loss in its first year of operation at North Webster and expect a $60,000 loss this year.
The North Webster YMCA has 327 active members. The original rate for a yearly adult membership is $265; $277 for a single parent; and $350 per year for a family. Sroufe said the NWCC board believes the Webster Y had enough membership last year that it shouldn't be experiencing a loss.
Jungbauer's letter also states: "Without a price increase to cover the costs of operation, it would have been necessary to eliminate the youth center, all babysitting and the front desk staff. ... each program was evaluated. ... Given all this information, the North Webster YMCA Advisory Committee ... recommended 'if a price increase was necessary, the price should go to the Warsaw rate in an effort to provide members with additional benefits available at Warsaw."
Goldenberg said that based on the information the NWCC board of directors received, the advisory committee was not offered an option to keep the rates as they were. The only alternatives given to the committee were to raise the rates to 90 or 100 percent of Warsaw's rate. But Jungbauer's letter makes it look like the advisory committee endorsed increasing the rate.
Chris Farrell, NWCC board member and advisory committee member, said, "I didn't like the fact that 'we' recommended it. We were told 90 or 100 percent."
Goldenberg said the NWCC board is not convinced making the North Webster rates the same as Warsaw's will result in an increase of members in North Webster. "We question the logic there," he said.
Jungbauer Tuesday said the Y can't continue operating the North Webster branch at a loss. Their only options were to shut it down or raise prices. The Y is committed to the North Webster community, he said. "We're a major supporter of the community center." The $24,000 in rent in 2005 is a major support to the center, he said.
The $35,000 in losses in 2004 were for employees in the community and for programs. "A fitness center is all labor-intensive," he said. The K21 Foundation donated most of the equipment at the North Webster Y.
"The Y does an incredible amount of charity work," Jungbauer said. In 2004, the YMCA provided financial assistance and discounts for memberships and programs in excess of $550,000.
Farrell said the rates are increasing, but the North Webster Y will offer fewer hours, less babysitting and no walking program or gym availability. The walking program is a senior center program, and not a Y program, Jungbauer clarified Tuesday.
"And allows us to drive to Warsaw," said Dennis Wagoner, NWCC vice president.
"If they wanted to drive to Warsaw, they would have already," said Farrell.
Jungbauer said people can sign up for Y membership at either the Warsaw or North Webster locations. Seventy-five "Warsaw" members use the North Webster branch, he said, and 52 of the 75 use both facilities.
Sroufe said NWCC is picking up the free walking program and the gym will be open selected hours under NWCC's auspices. There may be a nominal fee for the gym.
Jungbauer Tuesday said the youth center costs the Y an additional $700 per month in rent plus staff. "It wasn't being used," so it was cut. The same goes for the evening babysitting program. It wasn't being used much except by Y staff. "We looked at utilization," he said.
Once the Y's fitness center is stabilized, the North Webster Y can add programs. "Everything was to make a strong commitment to North Webster," Jungbauer said.
As for the gym, he said, "The YMCA can use the gym for programs. We've not cut any programs in the gym. So there's no change in the use of the gym at the time."
The Y, he said, does not compete with other organization's programs, like the Lakeland Youth Center. If there is a need in an area for a program, the Y will try to provide a service to meet that need, but their goal is to not compete with other organizations. "We just want to be supportive of them."
The NWCC board of directors said repeatedly they are looking forward to working with the Y on a long-term basis, but better communication is needed.
The lease between NWCC and the Y runs through the end of 2005.
"We just want to have communication, rather than in the papers," said NWCC board member Jeff Morgan.
Jungbauer said Tuesday, "There were great pathways for that communication to work. I think people just dropped the ball."
Jungbauer said Farrell, as a member of the Y advisory committee, is a great liaison between the NWCC and YMCA to provide that communication. In fact, he said, the advisory committee has become more active since he came on board to the YMCA.
"It's been wonderful working with North Webster. I think it's been good but I think the information just got lost somewhere." [[In-content Ad]]
NORTH WEBSTER - YMCA Chief Executive Officer Steve Jungbauer sent out a letter to area newspapers recently regarding the Y's branch at the North Webster Community Center.
The NWCC board of directors has taken issue with some of Jungbauer's statements in the letter. They addressed their concerns Monday during an interview.
Based on the letter and other information the NWCC received from the Warsaw YMCA, board member Sherman Goldenberg said the two sides need to improve communications.
In his letter, Jungbauer wrote, "In the first year of operation, the YMCA realized a $35,000 loss at North Webster. Financial projections for 2005 indicated that the operation, without change, would experience an additional loss of $60,000 for the year. This includes a significant rent increase of $20,000 to support the North Webster Community Center."
Jon Sroufe, NWCC board president, said, "That ($20,000) was not an increase." In the early stages of the NWCC construction, a rental fee of $2,000 per month for the YMCA was discussed based on the Y's needs. In the first year - 2004 - the NWCC offered the YMCA space for six months free and then six months at $1,000, with the rent to go to $2,000 per month this year. Since the Y opened two months late last year, the NWCC asked the Y to pay only $1,000 per month for four months after giving them six months free rent, with the $2,000 per month rent to begin in January this year. In total, the Y paid only $4,000 in rent to the NWCC in 2004.
"It was all preordained all along," said Goldenberg. "Yet we see a letter that makes it sound like we jacked the rent up ... we regret the misinterpretation."
The discount on the Y's first year of rent, he said, is testament to how much the NWCC prizes the Y's participation in the center.
"They paid no utilities whatsoever," said Sroufe of the Y. Also, Goldenberg said, the NWCC took care of the maintenance, changed building construction to house TV sets for the Y and completed many other tasks per the Y's request.
In a telephone interview Tuesday afternoon, Jungbauer said the rental cost "wasn't a surprise" and his letter to area newspapers was meant as "an explanation of costs."
He said the loss of nearly $60,000 the Y expects this year is due mostly to paying employees, but includes the $24,000 rent to the NWCC.
Goldenberg said NWCC questions how the Y could experience a $35,000 loss in its first year of operation at North Webster and expect a $60,000 loss this year.
The North Webster YMCA has 327 active members. The original rate for a yearly adult membership is $265; $277 for a single parent; and $350 per year for a family. Sroufe said the NWCC board believes the Webster Y had enough membership last year that it shouldn't be experiencing a loss.
Jungbauer's letter also states: "Without a price increase to cover the costs of operation, it would have been necessary to eliminate the youth center, all babysitting and the front desk staff. ... each program was evaluated. ... Given all this information, the North Webster YMCA Advisory Committee ... recommended 'if a price increase was necessary, the price should go to the Warsaw rate in an effort to provide members with additional benefits available at Warsaw."
Goldenberg said that based on the information the NWCC board of directors received, the advisory committee was not offered an option to keep the rates as they were. The only alternatives given to the committee were to raise the rates to 90 or 100 percent of Warsaw's rate. But Jungbauer's letter makes it look like the advisory committee endorsed increasing the rate.
Chris Farrell, NWCC board member and advisory committee member, said, "I didn't like the fact that 'we' recommended it. We were told 90 or 100 percent."
Goldenberg said the NWCC board is not convinced making the North Webster rates the same as Warsaw's will result in an increase of members in North Webster. "We question the logic there," he said.
Jungbauer Tuesday said the Y can't continue operating the North Webster branch at a loss. Their only options were to shut it down or raise prices. The Y is committed to the North Webster community, he said. "We're a major supporter of the community center." The $24,000 in rent in 2005 is a major support to the center, he said.
The $35,000 in losses in 2004 were for employees in the community and for programs. "A fitness center is all labor-intensive," he said. The K21 Foundation donated most of the equipment at the North Webster Y.
"The Y does an incredible amount of charity work," Jungbauer said. In 2004, the YMCA provided financial assistance and discounts for memberships and programs in excess of $550,000.
Farrell said the rates are increasing, but the North Webster Y will offer fewer hours, less babysitting and no walking program or gym availability. The walking program is a senior center program, and not a Y program, Jungbauer clarified Tuesday.
"And allows us to drive to Warsaw," said Dennis Wagoner, NWCC vice president.
"If they wanted to drive to Warsaw, they would have already," said Farrell.
Jungbauer said people can sign up for Y membership at either the Warsaw or North Webster locations. Seventy-five "Warsaw" members use the North Webster branch, he said, and 52 of the 75 use both facilities.
Sroufe said NWCC is picking up the free walking program and the gym will be open selected hours under NWCC's auspices. There may be a nominal fee for the gym.
Jungbauer Tuesday said the youth center costs the Y an additional $700 per month in rent plus staff. "It wasn't being used," so it was cut. The same goes for the evening babysitting program. It wasn't being used much except by Y staff. "We looked at utilization," he said.
Once the Y's fitness center is stabilized, the North Webster Y can add programs. "Everything was to make a strong commitment to North Webster," Jungbauer said.
As for the gym, he said, "The YMCA can use the gym for programs. We've not cut any programs in the gym. So there's no change in the use of the gym at the time."
The Y, he said, does not compete with other organization's programs, like the Lakeland Youth Center. If there is a need in an area for a program, the Y will try to provide a service to meet that need, but their goal is to not compete with other organizations. "We just want to be supportive of them."
The NWCC board of directors said repeatedly they are looking forward to working with the Y on a long-term basis, but better communication is needed.
The lease between NWCC and the Y runs through the end of 2005.
"We just want to have communication, rather than in the papers," said NWCC board member Jeff Morgan.
Jungbauer said Tuesday, "There were great pathways for that communication to work. I think people just dropped the ball."
Jungbauer said Farrell, as a member of the Y advisory committee, is a great liaison between the NWCC and YMCA to provide that communication. In fact, he said, the advisory committee has become more active since he came on board to the YMCA.
"It's been wonderful working with North Webster. I think it's been good but I think the information just got lost somewhere." [[In-content Ad]]