City Council splits on YMCA funding vote
RED OAK — After some contention, the Red Oak City Council awarded more than $34,000 in hotel/motel tax dollars to seven organizations to use for tourism and recreation.
The Council approved the recommendation by the Red Oak Tourism and Recreation Committee last Monday in a 4-1 vote. Councilmember Roger Waggener was the dissenting vote because of the $5,000 allotted to the Montgomery County Family YMCA for new weight equipment.
Waggener, along with Councilmember Larry Barnett, said fitting the YMCA’s fund request into the tourism committee’s bylaw seemed like a stretch, adding the purchase of new equipment may not enhance tourism.
“You have to remember, this is 50/50 tourism and recreation,” Councilmember and committee chair Jeanice Lester said.
Lester added, according to the committee bylaws, capital improvements, including the purchase of new equipment, are acceptable projects, if they have the ability to increase tourism.
Committee member Angie Britten cited a recent tennis tournament at the Y in which around 50 families stayed overnight in Red Oak and utilized the weight equipment.
“Our efforts are to support recreation and tourism in the community, and obviously the YMCA impacts recreation,” Britten said. “We felt strongly that the Y made a good case that during that two-day event, there were many of those people who couldn’t go home and come back to watch their loved one play, so they stayed overnight. Also, while they were waiting for tournaments to go on, they were using weight training equipment and using the other facilities at the Y.”
Despite speaking against the allocation of funds to the Y, Barnett made the motion to accept the entire tourism committee recommendation.
“I do see, through this whole process, the desire to increase activity and traffic in the community,” Barnett said. “I just think if we start second guessing all our committees, we might as well not have committees… I would hate to start slicing and cutting the work the committee has already done.”
The rest of the approved recommendation by tourism committee included $1,500 to the Wilson Performing Arts Center for its FAMFEST event, $1,750 to the Red Oak Ambassadors for an AirVentures event, $2,500 to the Montgomery County Fairboard for a band following the bull ride, $10,000 to the Junction Days committee for a band and increased advertising, $7,300 to the City of Red Oak and the Chamber and Industry Association for a new website and $6,000 to the Red Coach Inn for an incentive program to bring large events to the hotel.
More than $8,500 was left over in the hotel/motel tax fund to be carried into the next application session.
The Council also discussed plans for the three recently acquired downtown buildings, 212 E. Reed St., 517 and 519 N. 3rd St.
First, the Council approved an asbestos abatement bid of almost $30,000 for the two 3rd Street buildings.
Next, City Administrator Brad Wright was directed to seek bids for the demolition of all three buildings with a not to exceed amount of $250,000.
In other business, Wright mentioned an electronic recycling event that will be coming to Red Oak May 10.
The Data Shield event, which the Landfill Association recently approved for $4,500, will allow the community to recycle electronic items like televisions and computers in a safe, secure way.
The event is scheduled from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds.