City moving closer to agreement with YMCA to operate Galloway Hammond

February 07, 2013, 4:00 pm by James Walker

The City of Burnet moved a step closer to an agreement with the YMCA of Williamson County to take over operation of the Galloway Hammond Recreation Center Wednesday when city council members were briefed on the details of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the city and the Y.

After going over the details of the MOU with City Manager David Vaughn at a workshop meeting, the council members registered no significant concerns regarding the city’s obligations and are expected to formally approve it at their regular meeting Tuesday.

In recent years, the city has been forced to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars annually to subsidize the operation of Galloway Hammond, including $480,000 last year, and has long sought a way to reduce the money drain.

The agreement with the Williamson County YMCA, which has a strong desire to expand its brand in Central Texas but few communities with an existing facility like  Galloway Hammond, has the potential to do that, Vaughn told the council.

According to the details of the MOU, the city would make needed repairs to the facility in two phases  this spring and summer with a goal of having the YMCA take control of the operation of the facility Oct. 1.

Also, according to the MOU, which Vaughn stressed is still nothing but a draft, the city would continue to subsidize the operation of the recreation facility with payments to the YMCA of $175,000 in year one of the 20-year agreement, $150,000 in year two, $125,000 in year three and $100,000 annually for years four through 10.

A review of the contract between the city and the YMCA would take place after year 10 to determine the subsidy level for years 11 through 20, but in no case would the subsidy be greater than $100,000, according to the MOU.