The Lewis and Joan Platt East Palo Alto Family YMCA began offering free weekend services for all city residents on Saturday, through a council-led initiative to use tax dollars to boost recreational services.
Now, all city residents can enjoy full access to the fitness center, outdoor swimming pool, rock-climbing wall, group exercise classes like Zumba, showers and more on weekends. In order to sign up, people must show proof of residency at the YMCA on Bell St.
City council members, staff and local leaders gathered to celebrate the initiative on Saturday morning. The lobby was mostly quiet at the beginning of their facilities tour, but as the group progressed throughout the building, things grew increasingly livelier with children laughing as they played basketball with staff and music leaked out from a studio hosting a workout class.
As they walked through the building, council members shared fond memories about the center. Vice Mayor Mark Dinan, who remembers teaching his child how to swim at the pool, and Council member Ruben Abrica who recalled trying out the rock-climbing wall when the facility first opened in 2007.
“Its a really phenomenal space,” Dinan said, as he peered through gym windows stretching across an entire wall and overlooking the pool.
It’s one of the newest YMCA locations in the region and offers more updated equipment, but city leaders feel that it’s underutilized. YMCA staff hope that at least 300 new residents will use its free services on the weekends this year. They have hit 10% of its goal through signups over the past week.
Dinan championed the effort to increase YMCA funding and pushed to dedicate $175,000 of tax revenue to provide the free weekend services.
“I’m thrilled to see the YMCA partnership with the City of East Palo Alto begin,” he wrote. “When I ran for City Council, I promised to focus on Parks and Recreation and expand services for EPA families. This partnership is a step forward.”
City staff originally pitched using $100,000 of transient-occupancy-tax funds – hotel taxes dedicated to youth-based organizations – to YMCA membership subsidies for low-income residents, but the council was worried that they would not be able to notify the people who may need the services most.
Dinan alternatively asked for greater funding and pitched that the city provide $300,000 to offer free servicing for all residents. After debates on how to distribute the funds, the council compromised on $175,000 at a June council meeting.
“This is a good day for EPA,” Dinan said at the tour.
