By Doug Courtney
On May 15 the Flagler County School Board voted to leave operations at Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club open to the public for another year–through next August. The vote included a directive to the administration to work with the members of the advisory committee, the board, and the administration to reduce the operating deficit.
The administration was also encouraged to implement proposals that would enhance the facility. The administration met frequently with the board, the advisory committee, and individual members, crafting a plan they and others believed would significantly reduce if not eliminate the deficit while keeping the facility open to the public.
Included in this plan was a restructuring of annual fees to capture new revenue from previously underutilized resources and to competitively work to gain new members while increasing revenue streams. The plan was debated, vetted, reorganized, vetted again and finally adopted with strong approval from all participants. It was presented to the board for consensus to move forward at the June board meeting with high expectations of acceptance. The administration had done its job and completed the task assigned to it in record time.
At that June meeting, however, School Board member Will Furry strongly disapproved of the new rate structure and demanded it be redone. Apparently due to a personal belief unmoored to any study or research, he insisted that the membership fees in the new rate structure were too low and did not adequately recover sufficient funds from current members, particularly those with insurance coverage.
Furry demanded and got the administration to create a new rate schedule based upon his “gut” and beliefs. That rate schedule was presented at the July 11 school board workshop.
The new rate structure was ludicrous.
It created 15 levels of memberships while restricting access to many areas of the facility to current members. The rate structure relied heavily on attaching new membership rates on insurance plan members that would force them to personally pay for membership usage above the fees paid for by their insurance carriers.
These new insurance rates resulted in memberships that are exponentially more expensive than a basic membership. The new rates were required even though they violated contractual requirements of their insurance carriers and contracts with the schools. The new rate structure also raised basic adult memberships by 40 percent, on top of the two rate increases that went in effect in the last 10 months.
In addition, Mr. Furry has strongly debated against allowing Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club to receive credit for revenues received outside of membership rates. Belle Terre hosts and produces many classes and programs unique to a swimming environment. Included are Synchro Belles, adult aqua exercise, and independent swim teams. These programs generate more than $75,000 a year. Yet while the programs use the club and the club must bear the cost for their use, the club, through a quirk in accounting, does not get revenue credit for the programs.
When School Board members moved to correct the oversight, Furry stood defiantly against the change, insisting that Belle Terre must stand on its own.
At Tuesday evening’s 6 p.m. regular board meeting, Furry is asking that his plan for the rate increase and use of revenue be adopted. The following videos are our comments in opposition to Furry’s proposed plans. Please take a moment to review.
Doug Courtney is a long-time resident of Palm Coast and member of the Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club’s advisory committee. See his previous article on the subject, “Belle Terre Swim Club’s Finances Are Not as Dire as Projected.”
Judith Back-Zack says
It seems that no matter what ideas we have come up with to increase the membership at BTSRC, Mr. Fury has countered with new fees and still hasn’t increased the hours and days of operations so allow working people to attend. It seems he is doing everything in his power to destroy the place! Monies that are paid for use of the facility are still not being credited to BTSRC making us look like we are more in the red than we are. I have been to most of the workshops and School board meetings. The board members should at least listen (which some do) to what the people who have used the facility for the past 30 years have to say. He seems to have made his mind up before had and is not willing to listen to anyone else. These extra fees over and above the $50 administration fee will be the death the BTSRC. I implore all the other school board members to vote this down!! SAVE THE BTSRC!!
Speedy Faith says
The other school board members need to muster the courage to vote down this ludricus proposal of mr fury and approve the previous one that was thoroughly vetted by all parties. The board must vote this bully down!
MM Says says
Mr. Furry has presented us with a diatribe filled with misconceptions. Mr. Furry is taking up entirely too much of the School Board’s time with his juvenile antics. So, as you do with any two year old having a tantrum, let’s ignore him shall we.
I appeal instead to Cheryl Massaro, Colleen Conklin, Christy Chung and Sally Hunt to please not give credence to The Furry Rate Schedule. A simple “no” is the right vote.
The number of people impacted by your “yes” vote will give Mr. Furry just what he wants. If you can’t get rid of the facility any other way, just price them out.
Will you, the voices of reason on the Board, succumb to his childish behavior or do what you know is the correct thing for Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club at this time and give your support to the facility. We thank you for your support.
Mark says
‘It created 15 levels of memberships…” Ludicrous it is, yet figuring it came from Furry it shouldn’t surprise. Time for the Board to do the right thing and pass what was vetted and ignore this unqualified Board member.
Old&TiredofIt says
Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club is basically “stealing” K-12 dollars from our children to subsidize membership used 90% by elderly people like myself. If old people want to use it, come up with the money to purchase it.
MM says
Mr. Furry has presented us with a diatribe filled with misconceptions. Mr. Furry is taking up entirely too much of the School Board’s time with his juvenile antics. So, as you do with any two year old having a tantrum, let’s ignore him shall we.
I appeal instead to Cheryl Massaro, Colleen Conklin, Christy Chung and Sally Hunt to please not give credence to The Furry Rate Schedule. A simple “no” is the right vote.
The number of people impacted by your “yes” vote will give Mr. Furry just what he wants. If you can’t get rid of the facility any other way, just price them out.
Will you, the voices of reason on the Board, succumb to his childish behavior or do what you know is the correct thing for Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club at this time and give your support to the facility.
Greg says
It seems the city has money to burn on pet projects. Just buy the damn pool and make it a community pool. Charge a few busks to swim. Palm coast is almost 90000 people. I lived in Conestoga, Pa, a small community with maybe 6000 residents. Conestoga had a community poll. Almost every town back in Lancaster County had a community pool. Your priorities are confused. Spending millions on a tennis center that loses big money already. Millions on a wasted splash pad, that don’t work. Millions on an eye sore bridge over Rt100 for very few users. Do something for the community besides building houses and changing zoning to build more houses.
Marcus Aurelius says
Will Furry is a cheat and a hypocrite. Additionally, he’s a Jill Woolbright insider, which may be his worst offense.
I hate to keep harping on this, but for those who haven’t read my previous posts, Furry is a cheat and a hypocrite because he committed fraud against the federal government by claiming to be a minority in order to garner $40,000 cash with no payback to the federal government necessary. He’s a cheat. AND a hypocrite.
If you want to know where Will Furry is getting all his idiocy, look no further than Jill Woolbright and her group of followers, many of whom are running for office the 2024 election in Palm Coast or Flagler County. Jill Woolbright was behind getting Will Furry elected to the school board seat.
Are you people out there going to make the same mistake again by voting for these types of people in next election in 2024?
As an insider in the Flagler County Republican Executive Committee, I know what I’m talking about.
Will Furry needs to get off his imagined high horse because he has nothing to be proud about. He belongs in the gutter along with many Jill Woolbright insiders who include some with mugshots after arrest, grand theft, being fired from local government positions, being run out of Georgia as well as the Carolinas, late-night domestic disturbance police calls, etc . . . all in the name of JESUS.
Even Republicans don’t like him . . . except if they’re in the Jill Woolbright’s group.
Having been a long-term lap swimmer at Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club (going back to the mid 1980s), it’s a sorry state to have to listen to Will Furry trying to destroy that facility.
If he knew anything about the facility, he’d know it’s been mismanaged FOR YEARS. That facility has a LOT of unnecessary employees who sit doing absolutely nothing all day. Maybe someone should think about doing an Elon Musk, meaning . . . getting rid of 50-60% of the do-nothing employees who “work” there doing absolutely nothing. That would save a good chunk of money in salary, benefits and school board pensions. For some reason, no one wants to take a look at that.
Unfortunately, we’re early on with Will Furry since he was just elected a year ago.
Maybe all the school board members should take some time to contact those of us who have long-term histories with Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club to get objective input into how to FIX the facility instead of trying to destroy it.
Even Cheryl Massaro had no clue that Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club existed until she was elected to her school board seat 3 years ago.
How can you fix something you know absolutely about?? What a ship of fools.l
Edit Campins says
Having one his best to destroy the Flagler Youth Orchestra, this nincompoop is now moving on to destroy another community organization. This is what you get when you votefor the unqualified…just because they have an R next to their name. He doesnt understand budgets, spreadsheets or facts.
Tired of it says
There is no money to steal from K-12 dollars, DeSantis just gutted school funding to give to PRIVATE, charter schools.
Robert Ronald Ziolkowski says
Furry is just one person, who seems to be in the minority, so why are his unthoughtful ideas given credence at all!? I have used the pool when our condo facilities were being repaired, as part of my insurance coverage; however, I would pay a small fee to use them if it was needed to allow the facility to remain open.
Wonka says
Well the good news is nobody will be voting for him again! I’ll pay dues just to fire this guy!
Vince says
I’m very confused is fury a school board member who should worry about school stuff or is he a gym owner trying to operate the swimming pool/gym?
God help palm coast and the people who run things.
The dude says
“Are you people out there going to make the same mistake again by voting for these types of people in next election in 2024?”
Yes. They’ve done it each and every election cycle I’ve been here for. And they will continue to vote for the same rotating cast of morons and right wing demagogues over and over again.
I can only assume that at some point the hapless Alan Lowe will be running for a seat on the school board having already lost the Mayoral election and the Palm Coast City Council elections.
Lance Alred says
I have been asked if this person is me. It, most certainly, is not.
If I have something to share, I will use my own name. Also, what information I would provide would be verified and truthful. I definitely wouldn’t hide behind an alias while making such claims.
R,
Lance
palmcoaster says
He represents the discriminatory elite all for themselves nothing for the people. He dis away with FYO now is after the Swim Club users again…does he have any developer lined up for the land were the club seats?
Dee says
Will Furry is a cancer and we need to get rid of him and his ladies that follow him like he is the king and knows everything he is destroying are town Sally Hunt and Christy don’t you have a mind of your own he is despicable get rid of him
Duh says
Who ever voted for this idiot, please explain why this Democrat is tearing down the Orchestra, now the swim club
Anyone who voted for him care to explain his position?
Irked says
Privatize it. We can’t afford it.