Hospital grants county easement for a YMCA

The board of directors at Oconee Memorial Hospital granted an easement last night to Oconee County to cross the property that is set aside for the county’s first YMCA, featuring an indoor aquatic center. The board acted after a presentation by Hunter Kome, president of the Oconee Medical Campus, and Phil Shirley, director of county Parks, Recreation and Tourism. Currently, a dirt road connects the main hospital campus with the 22 acres which previously were deeded to the county. According to both Kome and Shirley, by graveling the dirt road those working to build the YMCA will be able to show potential donors where their money will be spent. Kome told the hospital directors that the defeat of the one-cent capital sales tax referendum has not stopped the effort to raise the money to build the Y.