There have been numerous letters to the editor regarding our Rec center here in Mesquite. As a resident and member of the facility, I concur with many of the frustrations people have mentioned.

I am in the health and fitness industry, and as a fitness professional here are some of my observations and suggestions. I also was the fitness director for eight years for a school district, so I believe my points will have some credence.

As a director or manager of such a facility, you do need to see the big picture, and have back-up plans in place. If something is not working, a dependable maintenance program should be in place. If that company/individual is not able to fix the problem, you need another company on call ready to help you.

There are many aspects in running a fitness and recreation facility, and I do realize that some things take priority over others. But these two points I have found to be true in all places, including the facility I ran.

One, nothing gets members more upset that the facility not being clean. I have been appalled at the conditions of this facility. There is no reason why people employed there should keep the machines, pool and especially the locker rooms clean. I’m sure the powers to be could find some money to pay people for that. Health issues alone dictate that.

Second, nothing is worse than equipment not working, or waiting for a part, etc. to come in. This goes back to my point of having a back-up/company on hand to rectify the problem.

I do realize it’s not as easy as it looks, because I have dealt with business officers and school board members with these issues. I always tried to pride myself on having a safe, clean environment for the members, alone with equipment that was functional.

Because the Rec Center is the only place for people of all ages to go, it’s even more vital for the facility to be what it could and should be.