Gabriel Wells doesn't know what he'll do if the L.L. Melton Family Life Center in south Beaumont shuts down.
"I played flag football here, I grew up here, and when it was a YMCA I worked here," Wells said.
But the cost of running the facility, which only has about 75 full-time members, is higher than what it brings in.
"At the highest our electricity bill was like $4,400... and that's with our members knowing that when they're done using the gym, please cut off the lights," said center director Cheryl Guidry.
Those who run the center are dedicated to expanding its programs and serving the community, so Guidry asked for help. At Tuesday's Beaumont City Council meeting, council members agreed, in a 4-2 vote, to use leftover funds from Hurricane Ike relief grants to help pay the center's utility bills, up to $2,500 a month.
"It's a vote of confidence for community, and I'm very excited about what the future holds. It just makes me feel like our efforts are not in vain," said Guidry.
For now, Wells doesn't have to worry about his favorite training center going anywhere.
"To see this place close, that would be more or less like losing a best friend," he said.
The new agreement will end on December 31, 2013. The amount of money the city will provide to help pay for the utility bills cannot exceed $28,257... which is the total amount leftover from the 2008 and 2009 Hurricane Ike relief grants.
