By SCOTT MCKIE B.P.
One Feather Asst. Editor
CHEROKEE, N.C. – In an effort to save money on repairs, the Planning Board of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) has approved a plan to repurpose the pool at the Cherokee Fitness Complex. EBCI Secretary of Education Sky Sampson presented the plan to the Board during its regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, April 22, and it was approved unanimously.
In an effort to save money on repairs, the Planning Board of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) has approved a plan to repurpose the pool at the Cherokee Fitness Complex. (SCOTT MCKIE B.P./One Feather photo)
According to a slide in Secretary Sampson’s presentation, “We would like to fill in the pool and replace it with a permanent turf workout area for both Parisi and also any other workout classes in one-quarter of the space. One-quarter of this space would be shifted to building our Recovery Package that will include: on-ground aquatics therapy pool, ice plunge/hot plunge, red light therapy, and compression therapy.”
She told the Board the reasoning for the repurposing idea, “We do have a small population of elders, about three to seven, that utilize the pool, most days that it is open, for lap swimming and therapy movements. But, beyond that, we don’t have a big population that utilizes the pool anymore. The past two years we’ve made multiple maintenance repairs to the pool. Every time we make a repair, it closes again because we have something that shuts down and quits working. It is an older pool, and so we are constantly having to make these repairs. In the last year, we’ve spent over $100,000 in just repairs for this pool to be open for minimal days because multiple things keep happening.”
Secretary Sampson related that there are currently 2,200 members of the Cherokee Fitness Complex with just over 500 that utilize it for 24-hour access.
She said the Cherokee Fitness Complex is “a revenue-building program”.
The presentation states, “Our Recovery Package could be billable, and we would also partner with Physical Therapy at the CIHA (Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority) to potentially schedule appointments with us. The aquatics therapy pool would accommodate those elders who need a warm water therapy area.”
The plan is to allocate funding from the pool to maintain the new spaces. That combined with the increase of billable services for the Recovery Package would pay for the plan, said Secretary Sampson.
Ugvwiyuhi (Principal Chief) Michell Hicks said he likes the plan especially the new aquatics therapy pool. “I think this is a good move as long as we accommodate the health needs of the elder population with this pool.”
The plan approved on Tuesday constitutes Phase One of this project. Phase Two is in the planning stages now, but several ideas were put forth including a rock climbing wall and an autism sensory area.
