Support the Hames Athletic and Wellness Center as a community health and wellness facility — This project will continue the work started during 2007-08, when creating a community health and wellness facility was one of the four goals from the first Sitka Health Summit. Now that the Hames Athletic and Wellness Center is being run by Sitka Community Schools, this project will develop a sustainability plan and look for funding sources to possibly purchase the building and address deferred maintenance issues.

The Assembly has renewed the lease for the Hames Athletic and Wellness Center for another year. Thanks to all who contacted assemblyl members and voiced their concerns. Some rates have increased slightly but it's still a bargain compared to most other recreation centers across the couontry. Stop by today to purchase a membership or punch card and check out the new fitness equipment. Both make great presents, too.

Sitkans will vote in October on whether they want the city to purchase and fund the facility on a permanent basis. The Task Force is working on wording for the ballot and how the funds will be attained. There is still work to be done so If you'd like to help, attend a Task Force meeting or call Megan at 747-5943.

All reports say the new machines are a joy to use. If you'd like a short, free orientation on the machines, what they can do for you and how to safely use them, call Erick Speck or Paul Columb at Sitka Physical Therapy and make an appointment (747-5861). Besides the gym and pool, the Hames Athletic and Wellness center has two racquetball courts, a climbing wall, Pilates classes, an aerobics class, the exercise equipment and weight lifting room and many classes and activities scheduled through Community Schools. The gym can be rented for private functions, also. If you haven't been there lately, stop by for a visit.

Robert Woolsey

SITKA, ALASKA (2008-10-15) The Hames Wellness Center will remain open under city management for another year, if the terms can be agreed upon.

The Sitka assembly last night (10-14-08) directed the municipal administration to negotiate a new lease for the former Sheldon Jackson PE facility. In the meantime, the city legal and finance departments will prepare ballot language for next October’s election that will ask local voters to consider buying the center outright.

(Click link for audio update about this 2007 and 2008 Sitka Health Summit project)

http://kcaw.org/modules/local_news/index.php?op=centerBlock&ID=290

© Copyright 2008, Raven Radio Foundation Inc.

This article appeared in the Sitka Sentinel:

The Hames Athletic and Wellness Center, including gymnasium, swim pool, exercise work-out rooms and handball/racquetball courts are leased for public use by the City and Borough of Sitka. The Center is operated by Sitka Community Schools. The Center phone is 747-8096. Center facilities are available at a cost of $5 per person per visit.  Reduced cost options are available including punch cards and monthly memberships. July building hours are 6AM–8PM weekdays, 12 PM to 6PM weekends.  Pool hours are 6AM to 8AM; 12PM to 1PM and 5PM to 7:30PM weekdays; 1PM to 5PM weekends.  Community Schools webpage has details: http://www.SitkaCommunitySchools.org.

Some Sitkans think that it would be good to maintain a community recreation center. What is in it for the community?  There are at least four good reasons: 

• community mental and physical health and wellness are promoted when individuals use an indoor exercise facility which helps reduce future medical costs and costs of the social ills associated with poor mental health,
• positive social environment is provided for interaction of families, youth, seniors and adults through games, activities and competitions,
• activity areas are available for Sitka and Mt Edgecumbe public schools and private pre-school programs,
• economic benefits of keeping training programs and jobs including USCG Rescue Swimming, Alaska State Trooper Academy, AMSEA, therapeutic exercise facilities and an amenity that will attract new businesses to town and retain current residents. When quality of life declines, so will the population of Sitka.

In addition, Hames provides needed pool and gym space that is otherwise not available at Blatchley Pool and public school gyms because of intensive school use.  No other public, readily accessible, indoor activity/recreation/fitness facility is available in a community that receives up to 100” of rain every year.

The operating cost of the Hames Center is currently about $500,000 per year including Community Schools staff, utilities, maintenance, supplies and fuel.  This is a little more than the cost of operating the Centennial Building.  Center costs are offset by fees collected of about $200,000 per year.  

There is an additional cost for “mortgage” debt service to buy the land and building.  The independent appraisal on which to base a sale price from SJC/AGC will be known in July. The land, building and necessary deferred maintenance work could cost $10,000,000.  Debt service for a thirty-year loan at 5% would cost about $640,000 per year.  (Based on figures from Juneau and Ketchikan a new facility of the similar 44,000 square feet would cost about at a minimum $500 per square foot or $22,000,000.) Any grants would reduce debt service costs.

How can costs be reduced? The center could be purchased turnkey with repairs done prior to sale rather than by public contracts.  A fully operational and programmed facility would attract more users, including more support from agencies, and perhaps justify higher user fees. This could significantly offset operating costs.   Energy costs could be slashed with installation of new boiler, bio fuel or electric furnaces and improved roofing insulation and ventilation balancing.

In the end, if Sitkans want the Hames Athletic and Wellness Center they will need to approve a local financial commitment that can attract matching grants from outside of town. The big question: what’s the fairest way to support the recreation center? The Task Force and Assembly will have to answer that to the satisfaction of the voters

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This article appeared in the Sitka Sentinel:
 
The Hames PE Center, built in the 1987, is located on the SJ Campus just east of Jeff Davis Street. The Center, including gymnasium, swim pool, exercise work-out rooms and handball/racquetball courts are leased for public use by the City and Borough of Sitka.  The Hames Athletic and Wellness Center is now operated by Sitka Community Schools under an agreement with the Sitka School District. The Center phone is 747-8096. In addition to the gym, pool, courts, exercise equipment, ping-pong and weight room there is a privately operated Pilates studio. Community Schools webpage has details: http://www.SitkaCommunitySchools.org.
 
The newly maintained and equipped Center facilities are available at a cost of $5 per person per visit. Reduced cost options are available including punch cards and monthly memberships. July building hours are 6AM–8PM weekdays, 12 PM to 6PM weekends.  Pool hours are 6AM to 8AM; 12PM to 1PM and 5PM to 7:30PM weekdays; 1PM to 5PM weekends. Hames will be closed on the July 4 holiday.
 
Sheldon Jackson College including its Hames PE Center abruptly closed in September 2007. A group of about 30 concerned citizens established the Hames PE Task Force to promote re-opening a community wellness center and to continue providing the pool for Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer training.  In addition to successfully asking the Assembly for a one-year operating budget, the Task Force has coordinated hundreds of hours of volunteer efforts.  Deep cleaning, new paint, yard cleanup, lifeguard training, fund-raising dances and instruction have all been supported by volunteers. Campus operator Chilkat Services and Sitka Dept. of Public Works have done minor maintenance work.
 
The Task Force is currently exploring ways to continue operating the center and to buy the building from Sheldon Jackson College’s creditor Alaska Growth Capital.
 
This is a difficult time to seek public funding for a recreation enterprise. The city budget provides for operation only through November 2008.  Gate fees can cover less than half the operating costs leaving debt service and needed renovations such as a new roof to come from other sources.  Sales Taxes? Not likely, the Assembly was told “NO” by business leaders at the June budget hearings.  But perhaps other Sitkans would prefer that visitors help contribute to the cost to operate Hames via sales tax?  Property taxes? A charter change would have to allow an increase in the property tax cap. Sitka’s mill levy is a comparatively
very low at $6 per $1000 of assessed value.  Legislative grants?  Maybe. The Assembly would have to make such a request and have Governor Palin’s support.  Alaska Dept. of Education funding? That would require actual credit courses to use the building. Private Grants? Maybe. Substantial community support would have to be in place.  Outside private grantees will usually support the last 10% or so of a project.
 
The fundamental question is how much would a Sitka household or business accept to support a community recreation facility? $20 per month?  $30 per month? $40 per month?  To find out, the voters will have to be asked and that may be best done through an initiative process that gets petition signatures on a funding proposal.  In the meantime, will the Assembly keep the center open past November?

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April 21, 2009 - Long Term Planning Committee Meeting	minutes
March 23, 2009 - Long Term Planning Committee Meeting	minutes
January 16, 2009 - Long Term Planning Committee Meeting	minutes
January 8, 2009 - Long Term Planning Committee Meeting	minutes
December 9, 2008 - Long Term Planning Committee Meeting	minutes
October 30, 2008 - Long Term Planning Committee Meeting	minutes
September 4, 2008 - Long Term Planning Committee meeting	minutes
August 19, 2008 - Long Term Planning Committee meeting	minutes
August 14, 2008 - Long Term Planning Committee meeting	minutes
August 8, 2008 - Long Term Planning Committee meeting	minutes
July 24, 2008 - Long Term Planning Committee meeting	minutes
June 30, 2008 - Long Term Planning Commitee meeting. Purchase and repair price for Hames reported.	minutes
June 19, 2008 - Long Term Planning Committee meeting. John Stien is new coordinator, gives report on visit to Ketchikan's facility.	minutes
May 22, 2008 - Long Term Planning Committee meeting.	minutes
March 27, 2008 - Long Term Planning Committee meeting. Fundraising and tax assessment updates.	minutes
March 13, 2008 - Task Force Meeting. New equipment is installed!	minutes
February 19, 2008 - Long Term Planning Committee meeting. Plans for some technical assistance and Sock Hop discussed.	minutes
February 8, 2008 - Task Force Meeting, Plans ofr a Sock Hop fundraiser discussed.	minutes
February 8, 2008 - Long Term Planning Committee Meeting	minutes
January 25, 2008 - Long Term Planning Committee Meeting.	minutes
	notes on steps for ballot initiatives
January 18, 2008 - A meeting to coordinate the various efforts to preserve buildings and programs of Sheldon Jackson is announced.	minutes
January 17, 2008 - Long Term Planning Committee Meeting. Developing a strategy to continue Hames after December 2008.	minutes
January 4, 2008 - exciting news about new equipment and report on membership numbers	minutes
	membership report
December 12, 2007 - the business of managing a large atheletic facility are dealt with.	minutes
November 29, 2007 - The group is giddy after the Assembly agrees to lease the building for one year.	minutes
November 20, 2007 - The group plans for the presentation ot the Assembly.	minutes
November 13, 2007 - Group works to address specific concerns of Assembly members.	minutes
November 6, 2007 - Dennis McMillan debriefs the previous meeting with the SJ Trustees.	minutes
November 5, 2007 - Dennis McMillan, CEO of The Foraker Group, facilitates the meeting. Many of the Sheldon Jackson Board of Trustees are in attendance.	minutes
November 1, 2007 - Strategies for working with the city assembly discussed.	minutes
October 25, 2007 - Revenues are further defined, and plans are set for the work party.	minutes
October 19, 2007 - Concrete steps are made for organizing volunteers, and a report of the OSHA walk-through is given.	minutes
	draft lease
	updated cost estimate
October 11, 2007 - Specific steps towards the transition to the city are happening - the group works through membership issues, long-term management ideas (including the school district or Community Schools playing a role) among other items.	minutes
	estimated operational costs through November 30, 2007
October 9, 2007 - further refinement of proposed city lease agreement	minutes
October 4, 2007 - The Assembly considers Hames.	this link will take you to the supporting documentation provided to Assembly members for that meeting.
October 3, 2007 - a note about Sitka school use of the gym	school use
October 2, 2007 - The group prepares talking points for the upcoming Assembly special session.	minutes, version 1
	minutes, version 2
	talking points
September 26, 2007 - At this early meeting, the city begins to estimate the costs for operations and repairs	cost estimate
	minutes
September 20, 2007 - Founding meeting	minutes