4.0. SR 11-25-2002 - Laserfiche WebLink

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County YMCA proposal should move forward The Sherburne County Board of help kids and save tax dollars. Commissioners - with the help of The city of Elk River is also an the city of Elk River and YMCA interested partner in this project. Metropolitan of Minneapolis -- Elk River officials had previously appears ready to step boldly into expressed a willingness to provide uncharted waters with a proposal land and maybe even some money from Sheriff Bruce Anderson to fund construction of a YMCA for the benefit of government employ- ees and the residents who live here. They will be asked to jump start a YMCA project with jail revenue that flows into the county from the federal governlnent. County officials should embrace this opportunity and city officials from Elk River should be ready to redirect their energy to help land the YMCA quicker than first thought possible. This decision will be popular with residents of the county, because local property taxes will not have to shoulder the expense of this colnmunity facility. And while an entire colunm could be dedicated to the virtues of hav- ing a YMCA located in Sherburne County, county COlnmissioners and city council members already seem well aware of the benefits a Y could bring. The general public also holds the YMCA in high regard. Elected officials need to stay focused on the financial wisdom of decisions they will be asked to make as early as Nov. 25 at Elk River City Hall. Using jail revenue to pay off bonds for a YMCA keeps the county in line with its current policy and practice of tackling capital projects with excess jail revenue. It's critical that Sherburne County stays away from adding programs and staff that could someday outStrip revenue and lead to budgetary mouse traps tbr future county commissions. Helping finance the construction of a YMCA will no doubt start a flurry of other capital funding requests, but the county can take time to flesh out a reasonable poli- cy that spells out criteria under which county funds could be received. The sheriff's proposal, quite hon- estly, is head and shoulders above any of the foreseeable requests, because it will help save county tax dollars in a variety of areas. The rising cost of health insur- ance is one issue it will temper. Premiums for the county are going up 31 percent in January. By locat- ing a YMCA next door to the 500- some employee government center and expanding its wellness pro- grams, health care costs will come down as will insurance premiums. Out-of-home placements are also a drain on the Sherburne County Social Services budget. This has been a thorn in Sherburne County's side for years. YMCAs have a history of working success- fully with county social services, the courts, law enforcement and other agencies and organizations to help get kids and families back on track. The YMCA has already secured a $32,000 collaborative grant to work with families with children at-risk of out'of-home placement. They will be running family camps offering therapy, age-appropriate skill development, team building and family building. An effort is also underway to run a behavior modification program called National Youth Project. This program uses mini-bikes as incen- tives to help youth set goals relat- ed to avoiding police contact, not getting suspended and maintain- lng a C-average in school. These programs ~ proven to 'A YMCA could be the most dra- matic example of the benefit (of housing federal inmates).' for operating expenses. They are now tasked with find- ing a new way to express their support, finan- cially. And finally, the timing for 'this project is right Jim I~oyle with interest rates at record lows. Obviously, there are other ways to land a YMCA, and there are other ways for Sherburne County to spend excess jail revenue. Some have suggested offering an across-the-board reduction in the county's levy. While this may pro- duce short-term results, in the end county official~ and taxpayers will have nothing to show for this approach. Reductions in the levy will only lead to a further expan- sion of lJrograms and staffing that will eventually become too expen- sive and fall victim to a budget knife. A county main- tenance facility and land the county purchased with jail revenue will serve forever as a reminder of the benefits of the county's partner- ship with the fed- eral government. A YMCA could be the most dramatic example of the benefit. The opportunity to take on more inmates and more revenue without expanding the jail facility is helping drive this venture. In order to take on more inmates, SheriffAnderson proposes to trans- form the current fitness area used by his police force into a clinic for inmates with the capability to offer telemedicine. This innovative approach would create further efficiencies in the operations of the jail by reducing the number of inmates who get transported to hospitals overnight for observation. These inmates could be carefully watched right at the Sherburne County Jail, with- out an added expense. Taking over the current fitness center, and embarking on a part- nership with the YMCA would allow for greater strength and con- ditioning of law enforcement offi- cials assigned to protecting our safety. There would be trainers at the Y to help them maximize their training regimen. All other county employees would have access to the same low-cost memberships to the YMCA. This would be a tremendous employee benefit for decades to come. Locating the facility next to the government center would also pro- vide a tremendous source of eco- nomic development to the city of Elk River and the county. Not only would the Y have a great number of job opportunities, it would also be very attractive to businesses considering a move to adjacent business park property. And finally, all the residents throughout the county -- young and old alike -- would have access to a beautiful facility with all the YMCA has to offer. YMCAs are in the business of building strong kids, strong fami- lies and strong communities. Officials should seize the opportu- nity to make a very exciting pro- posal a reality.