Staff Newsletter | Tuesday, April 5, 2022
“We rejoice in the trials we face, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.” – Romans 5:3-4
It was great to hear Tara Bywater and Tiffany Stewart-Harris share the latest membership numbers with us during last Friday’s Staying Connected call; surpassing the 65% pre-COVID milestone marks an important step for us (we established the 65% mark for our 2022 budget plan). Later that afternoon, Tiffany sent a follow-up report indicating that the membership numbers were actually higher than she initially thought, finishing the month of March at 38,800 units after the adjustments. For reference, prior to COVID, we had 46,600 units; however, as Tara pointed out, the dollars are not tracking quite the same as we saw before COVID – this seems to be a phenomenon that shifted when we adjusted the membership categories during the migration from Daxko to Salesforce. Nevertheless, the number of members back in our centers is definitely increasing, and our program enrollments are getting closer to our pre-COVID numbers, particularly our Summer Day Camp and Resident Camp registrations.
We have had to adapt every step of the way, whether it be adapting to the disruption in the labor market by implementing new strategies in staff recruitment or in our continued efforts to explore new methods in program delivery through our outreach efforts in the schools and in our development of the virtual platform. Resilience has become our most distinguishing characteristic. Our team has never quit, even in the face of the most daunting circumstances. We continue to persevere. Your commitment is inspiring.
Recently, we faced a new challenge, and this one seems even more formidable than the others do. Over the past few weeks, Loren Johnson has been working with many of our partners to gain greater clarity as to what the new cost estimates will be for our projects; in particular, the new Names Family Y, the Gordon field project, the Tom Taylor natatorium repair project, and the repair of the city-owned Bremerton pool roof. I texted Loren to see what he learned, and he replied that he would rather discuss it the following day in our scheduled meeting with Toko Thompson; he added that he wanted me to get a good night’s rest. Well, I knew what that meant and it could not be good. The disruption in the supply chains throughout the world has resulted in an explosion in prices that none of us have ever seen before. As one estimator described it, the new numbers are “scary.” The increases are a reflection of the significant rise in staffing costs as well as the exploding cost of oil. The updated cost estimates for our key projects were staggering: the Names Y project went from $50 million to $60 million; the Gordon field project went from $3.5 million to $6.5 million, and the Tom Taylor natatorium repair project went from $1.2 million to $1.8 million. As if the increased cost was not enough, even scheduling these projects has become problematic. Construction companies are feeling the pinch of the labor market as well and are unable to commit to a timeline to schedule the projects. Loren has been working hard with the company we hired to repair the Tom Taylor natatorium, but that project is still without a date; the natatorium project is very complex, with a four-month timeline and a lot of moving parts to coordinate.
The explosion in cost and the difficulty of scheduling present significant challenges for us. A month ago, we were celebrating a $1 million donation toward the Gordon field project and now we are faced with a steep increase in cost, causing us to pause as we reassess our overall strategy. In addition to the $1 million we received, there is the timeline we agreed to with the City of Sumner when they gifted us the property back in 2019. The field project in Sumner, as with the one in Gig Harbor, has been part of our strategy in developing outdoor activities. In both instances, we will stay committed to raising the necessary funds through community support, but the increase in cost will significantly slow our progress.
Last week, we addressed the Bremerton city council to present our proposal for an amendment to our relationship. For the past two years, we have been negotiating with the City. It does now appear we have reached an agreement that will allow us to continue managing the pool, be relieved of the burden of repairing the roof, and be able to explore the possibility of building a new Y in Bremerton in a different location; the amendment will be formally ratified by the city council on April 6. Harold Shea and I recently met with two groups who expressed interest in supporting a new Y in Bremerton. It was exciting, but there is a long way to go.
We also learned last week that our grant request for state funding for a new early learning center in Puyallup was denied. Even though we were denied, we were encouraged to reapply and Jessie Palmer will do so. Expanding our commitment to early learning education is still a part of our overall strategy, but as in the case of the field projects, we will proceed only as we are able to secure outside funding.
Initially, we were hoping to proceed with the field projects and the early learning center, raising the bulk of the funds as well as using some of our internal funds; however, the increase in cost will require us to raise even more, which is something we will continue to pursue (we’re just not sure what is feasible at this point). As we have done throughout these past two years, with every challenge we have faced, we will adapt. When one door closes or is more difficult to walk through, a new door welcomes us. The Names Y project has always been our highest priority, and as Brian Flattum recently concluded, maybe that is even clearer to us now. Our strategy was to add to our membership model, strengthening it with the addition of new and unique outdoor spaces, as well as early learning centers. For now, we will hone our focus and pour our resources into building a new Y in Tacoma. We will need to engage our community in an even bigger way, capitalizing on the rich legacy of the current Morgan community center. In the meantime, we will continue to draw members back into our centers and add to the 38,800 units we currently have. There is a growing excitement across our association. Our members are thrilled to be back; they are thrilled to be in the programs you deliver. You are the reason they are coming back. Thank you for your service. You make the difference to our Y and to the thousands who are part of it.
#OneY #StayStrong #StayWithUs