gmhTODAY 06 gmhToday Jan Feb 2016 | Page 37

The Partnership that runs the Centennial Center Written By Larry J. Mickartz “Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress and working together is success.” Henry Ford T he quote above was the first line in a 2010 report to the Morgan Hill City Council on the working relationship between the City of Morgan Hill and YMCA of Santa Clara Valley. It is an apt description of the partnership, one of several successful partnerships the City of Morgan Hill has undertaken. While part of the YMCA of Silicon Valley, the local “Y” is known as the Mt. Madonna YMCA. In 2006 the City built the 54,000 square foot Centennial Recreation Center and entered into an agreement with the YMCA to operate the Center. The agreement highlights two major ideas. The City built the Center and the YMCA has experience in operating health and fitness centers. To quote the Operating Agreement: “The parties believe they can maximize the programs offered and better control the expenses of operating the CRC if the City using City employees provides aquatics and teen programming while the YMCA using YMCA employees provides health and fitness and senior services at the CRC.” GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016 gmhtoday.com 37