CLDC / YMCA
YMCA Partnership
Y Town Hall Meeting
On February 22, representatives from the Treasure Valley Y sponsored a Town Hall Meeting at the Mountain Home High School.
During this meeting, David Duro, Chief Operations Officer for the Y, and Jim Everett, CEO, outlined to the Mountain Home community the next steps in the collaboration process between the Treasure Valley YMCA and the Western Elmore County Recreation District to bring a recreation center to Mountain Home.
David Duro opened the meeting by summarizing the year and a half process which led to a recommendation by the CLDC (Community Leadership Development Group) to the Y and the WECRD. This recommendation was to “continue to contract with the YMCA to conduct a Capital Feasibility Study for Option 3, along with exploring other partnerships and sources of revenue. The Study will be completed by March 31st, 201l.” In order to reach this recommendation, the CLDC conducted interviews with local business leaders, performed a community survey (832 respondents), hired a professional Research company to conduct a Market Study, and prepared financial analysis of all three recreation facility Options. Steven Dean, a representative from Strategic Research Incorporated, explained how the Market Study was performed, using a Power Point presentation. Mr. Duro said that the financial study performed by the CLDC showed that the facility would need to be built in stages to eventually reach the Option 3 center.
Mr. Duro said the next steps in the collaboration process are to hire a firm to perform the Capital Feasibility Study (estimated to take two months) ; and form a committee (much like the CLDC groups) to oversee this process and the actual Capital Campaign, if the study concludes that a campaign is warranted.
Jim Everett then spoke about the history of the Treasure Valley Y and how Y clubs have improved local communities. He concluded the meeting by taking questions from the audience.
The Town Hall Meeting was videotaped and can be seen in its entirety at the WECRD office.
The Powerpoint presentation by the Y can also be seen on the WECRD website
YMCA/CLDC Market Study Results are In!
The results from a Market Study conducted by an independent research firm commissioned by the YMCA/CLDC committee to study the WECRD proposal for a new Community Recreation Center in the Mountain Home area are now available . This study was prepared by Strategic Research Associates from Spokane, Washington, in August of 2010. Please click on the links below to view the results of the recent Mountain Home Market Study. 
Thursday March 18th, 2009 marked a pivotal day for the WECRD as we took the first step in moving forward with the YMCA.
Billie Bernasconi, Vice President of operations and chief strategic officer, for the Treasure Valley Family YMCA met with me and a diverse group representing Western Elmore County to begin the process of creating a "Community Development Leadership Group". During the meeting approximately 80 to 100 names were nominated by the participants to help with planning the future of this project.
This is our first step together. As explained by Ms. Bernasconi, this is important when developing a YMCA in a community. We agreed it would be a smart move for us as well.
The WECRD has made progress over the past years. At first glance it may look like we are "starting over”, but really we are taking a step back to regroup and take another look at the bigger picture.
The Treasure Valley YMCA board has recognized the Mountain Home area as being in their area of impact. Ms. Bernasconi confirmed that all the work the WECRD has done thus far has much to do with why the Treasure Valley YMCA feels we can be successful and makes them interested in working with us,
Their board feels good about this possible union and has given the green light to proceed.
This is a move the WECRD feels would be in the best interest of getting a facility built, be successfully operated and sustainable. Consequently, the WECRD Board is reviewing and negotiating a proposal from the YMCA to partner for the first steps of assessing the potential of a successful YMCA in our community.
The purpose in this first step is to create more community support and input. We also want to make sure this facility will serve as much of the community as possible. Our recreation center will be created specifically for the needs of Mountain Home and designed around the ideas of a future market study that was also recommended by the YMCA.
The thing that excites me the most is that we are working together with an expert group in the area of recreational facilities.
The YMCA has an amazing track record. We feel this cooperative effort with the YMCA will ease the questions and concerns that are in our community. This will begin a rebuilding of community enthusiasm, support and fellowship for the WECRD. We want this recreation center to fill our needs and be sustainable.
These strategic steps will ensure a successful recreation center that welcomes everyone from every walk of life to become our reality!
We will be keeping you updated as we progress and there will be future opportunity for specific input from the community.
Keep watching and catch our excitement! Help us build a landmark for Mountain Home and a heritage for our children, parents and grandparents.
Great things happen as we work together to seek solutions!
Thank You All for your continued, devoted support.
Jana Borgholthaus