Seek feedback on community center

To the Editor:

I recently read an article in the Sentinel (Feb. 10, 2022), about the Community Center Advisory Board (CCAB) meeting with Tegra, the city’s owner representative for the proposed Fairmont Area Community Center. Tegra stated that they have seen a shift in communities since COVID-19 in regard to how people view a community center. Their suggestion to survey the people of Fairmont to verify what they want is reasonable. It would provide the city council with a much clearer understanding of how the people want to use the revenue from their sales tax.

Tegra’s suggestion is particularly relevant in light of the recent closures of dozens of YMCA facilities across the country. The YMCA is blaming COVID-19 for this situation and there may be some truth to that claim. However, many of these facilities had been experiencing declining memberships for many years prior to COVID-19.

Changes in people’s work habits, the failure on the part of communities to properly maintain and update the community center equipment, and the rise of private-sector fitness centers that provide a focused approach to health and fitness, have all contributed to the decline.

The closing of the Rochester YMCA is a good example because of the huge disparity in total personal wealth between Fairmont and Rochester. Rochester has a population of almost 120,000 people with a per capita income that is just under $60,000. Fairmont has a population of just over 10,400 people with a per capita income just under $30,000. Rochester’s income is more than $7.2 billion per year. Fairmont’s income is just over $310 million per year.

If Rochester with more than 230 times the income of Fairmont cannot afford to keep a community center open, why are we considering spending millions of dollars to build one here? The situation in Rochester suggests that we should be prudent about how we spend Fairmont sales tax revenue.

Tegra is suggesting that before the CCAB invests further time and money in the community center, they first go out and get feedback from the community about what they actually want post-COVID. This seems reasonable. With these thoughts in mind I wish to offer some suggested survey questions which are designed to give voters in Fairmont the ability to express themselves.

Suggested Survey Questions:

QUESTION 1) Are you for or against the construction of a new community center in Fairmont?

QUESTION 2) If you are against the construction of a new community center, please provide your preferences for the use of the revenue from the 0.5 percent sales tax. Check all of the box(es) below that best represent your preferences.

— Purchase or lease and repurpose existing buildings in town for various community center-related activities.

— Improve the cleanliness and appearance of our lakes and shorelines.

— Improve the appearance of and/or add new features to our parks.

— Expand our bike and walking paths and trails.

QUESTION 3) Should the revenue from the 0.5 percent sales tax be equalized for each of the items checked off above?

Conducting an unbiased survey gives all Fairmont voters the opportunity to have their voices heard. It also presents an opportunity for the city council to demonstrate their goal of representing the people of Fairmont. Thank you.

Richard Bradley

Fairmont