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Feb 24

County takes over Total Fitness – Northeast Georgian

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Concerned citizens lined the courtroom and the hallways Monday night as the Habersham County Board of Commissioners had overflow attendance, consisting largely of senior citizens who did not want to see Total Fitness close.

While county leaders did not fully commit to taking over the operation of the facility Monday, they did accept donation of the equipment from Habersham Medical Center (HMC) and make plans to get final numbers for a transition.

The county announced Tuesday afternoon that Habersham Medical Center would maintain the facility until March 3, with the county taking over Monday, March 6.

The facility was set to close today as part of cost-cutting measures by the hospital to survive financially until July 1, when it will be taken over by Northeast Georgia Health Systems. Signs were posted there last week telling patrons that Feb. 22 would be the last day.

But there has been a huge outcry from seniors who use the facility, noting that it is the only gym many of them feel comfortable using. Many citizens called for the county to take over the running of the facility, something county leaders did look into in the last couple of weeks.

The large contingent of seniors Monday showed up to see what progress had been made.

Peggy Berry stressed the importance of socialization for seniors and added that other gyms are intimidating to many older folks. John Anglin was among many who called the gym a family atmosphere.

Sandra White noted that the Senior Center has facilities for wellness and has everything but a pool. Youre already paying for it, White said, so why not use it?

Carol Perkins supported Total Fitness, citing its location in the aquatics center as critical. People of all ages can come together to exercise, she said. It provides a microcosm of our community coming together and playing together.

Jorie Stephens said her 94-year-old father, Johnnie McCollum, is a testament to what the gym has done for the community.

He gets up every day because of that gym, Stephens said. He puts on his pants and drives himself there because their staff has the capability of handling his needs. He keeps up his strength and balance so he can continue to live independently.

Habersham County Manager Alicia Vaughn and Rec Director Brooke Whitmire have worked on the possibilities of taking over the facility, and Whitmire recommended making an earlier hire of a programs manager position the department was going to request in the 2023-24 budget.

The midpoint salary listed in the commissioners packet is $51,765.98, with a total cost of almost $67,000 with benefits included.

I am all for keeping (the facility open), but I cant vote for another $67,000 salary, Vice-Chairman Bruce Harkness said. Not when we have road deputies not making that much, I cant go with it.

Whitmire said that the midpoint salary was listed but they believed they could get someone for less. Vaughn and Whitmire stressed that having a supervisory person over the gym was paramount to keeping it open safely.

Other issues the county is facing include whether they will be able to enroll in a Silver Sneakers program to accept the insurance for patrons, along with the fee structure for use of the facility.

Commissioner Bruce Palmer called it a quality of life issue and supported moving forward with the takeover, but other commissioners had more questions they wanted answered first. Palmer was the only dissenting vote to table the issue for a month.

Commissioner Dustin Mealor said the goal was to take on the facility and have it be a net zero to the county budget.

On Tuesday, the county announced that the commissioners had been given more information about the finances and had given permission to make a hire for the full-time position.

While commissioners were not prepared to move forward Monday night, we have given authorization to post one full-time position to support fitness operations, Chairman Ty Akins said. That decision will be ratified at the next Board of Commissioners meeting.

Vaughn said the position is needed to ensure the fitness programs continue for county residents.

By creating a full-time position, we are confident we can seamlessly maintain the important wellness programs offered by Total Fitness for our residents without interruption of service, Vaughn said. As the population of our county ages, it is important that we preserve every program we can to keep residents active and healthy.

Vaughn said the county is grateful for the partnership spirit of Habersham Medical Center and Northeast Georgia Health System, adding county leaders are appreciative of the donation of fitness equipment to the county as all entities want to see healthier tomorrows for county residents.

Habersham Medical Center is thrilled that the county and the commissioners will continue offering the community health and wellness benefits by keeping Total Fitness open, said HMC CEO Tyler Williams. I know that the members will continue to use the facility and will support it for years to come.

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County takes over Total Fitness - Northeast Georgian

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