NATCHEZ &8212; A consultant with the YMCA of the USA met with city officials and business and civic leaders Wednesday, throwing out challenges and offering support from the national organization to develop an association in Natchez.

Mayor Phillip West organized the meeting, exhorting the group within the first few minutes, &8220;This group can do anything it wants to do. That&8217;s for sure.&8221;

Dan Hecker, a consultant with the national organization, said he had &8220;fallen in love with Natchez,&8221; a beautiful city. &8220;Unfortunately beautiful cities and hospitality do not get you a YMCA. It takes hard work in the community and the vision and commitment to follow through with the plan.&8221;

Hecker said affiliation with the YMCA requires agreement with the organization&8217;s mission, &8220;To put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind and body for all.&8221;

The YMCA has grown to include more than 20 million members, with 11 million facilities throughout all 50 states. Each YMCA and each facility has had separate and unique challenges, Hecker said.

&8220;A YMCA is built to reflect the needs of a community. Each one is operated by a local volunteer board, which determines what kind of staff and programs they have.&8221;

West, who recently visited a YMCA facility in Augusta, Ga., has a vision for a similar facility in Natchez &8212; a facility that would include swimming pools and more. &8220;We have this recreation void in Natchez,&8221; West said. &8220;A YMCA would fill that void but also would be an economic development device, too. And we know when tourists come, we don&8217;t have enough for families to do.&8221;

Dreaming of a facility is only the first step, Hecker said. He suggested forming a small organizing committee from the group who attended the Wednesday meeting. Next steps are feasibility testing, an open public meeting to test interest, application for YMCA status and a &8220;founders&8217; campaign&8221; to raise approximately $500,000 for three-year startup costs.

The national office lends its name and some guidelines that maintain standards and consistency across the country. The only payment to the national office is a small percentage of revenues generated at a facility.

The YMCA West dreams of building in Natchez could require millions of dollars. &8220;It costs some money to build and it costs money to maintain,&8221; Hecker said. &8220;We encourage a market study prior to building a facility. Be sure you know that if you build it they will come.&8221;

The national office encourages communities not to overbuild, he said. &8220;Find out what people want most and build that first.&8221;

Several who attended the meeting wanted to know about partnerships with other entities &8212; hospitals, schools, city and county governments.

Hecker said he has seen dozens of successful partnerships and collaborations, citing Hattiesburg as the location of one successful partnership between the Y and a hospital. &8220;We believe strongly in partnerships,&8221; he said.

West said he already is in conversations with people whom he can&8217;t name with &8220;requests for millions of dollars&8221; and that he, too, is looking for partnerships. The United Way of the Greater Miss-Lou already is a partner in pushing for the concept and helped to plan the Wednesday meeting.

Jimmy Hibbs, president of the United Way board, said he was encouraged by the meeting. &8220;It takes enthusiasm like Mayor West has to push something like this forward. We will make this work. This YMCA will come to Natchez and Adams County.&8221;