HERTFORD — Hertford officials are gauging public interest in creating a free outdoor fitness center for town residents who can’t get to the Perquimans County Recreation Center on a regular basis because of the distance.

Interim Town Manager Doris Walton introduced the National Fitness Campaign’s Fitness Court concept during Town Council’s Jan. 13 meeting. The National Fitness Campaign, or NFC, is a 40-plus-year-old national wellness consulting firm who says its mission is “to change health outcomes in America,” particularly as the national obesity rate continues to climb.

The NFC’s main strategy for helping Americans become physically healthier are its uniquely constructed outdoor Fitness Courts, which the organization describes as a “world-class outdoor circuit training center.”

Each center is built on a 38-foot by 38-foot square that can accommodate up to 28 people at once, the NFC says. Users rotate through seven exercise zones on the court — core, squat, push, lunge, pull, agility and bend — “designed to provide a full body workout in only seven minutes.”

According to the NFC website, Fitness Courts are designed for people ages 14 and older but the workouts are “adaptable for all fitness levels, allowing participants to move at their own pace.” Users are encouraged to download a free Fitness Court App that serves as a “coach-in-your-pocket,” providing personal guidance on suggested workouts at the court.

During last week’s meeting, Mayor Ashley Hodges played a video explaining the Fitness Courts concept for meeting attendees and those watching online.

According to Mitch Menaged, National Fitness Campaign’s founder, the organization’s team builders, designers and consultants partner with local governments, schools and other entities to create Fitness Courts.

Walton said the cost for creating a Fitness Court site in Hertford is $50,000, which she said could be covered by grants, town funding and other sources.

A story by Jersey Shore Online on the NFC website, for example, notes that Stafford Township in southern Ocean County, New Jersey, opened a Fitness Court in December thanks to grants from Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey.

James David is the partnership development manager for the National Fitness Campaign. In a phone interview this week, he said the $50,000 that Hertford officials are discussing likely would be the town’s cost for a Fitness Course project. However, the overall cost of the project, which would include a concrete pad, equipment, shipping, installation and campaign services and support, would be between $175,000 and $260,000. He said the total cost would depend on the configuration of the court because “there are different layouts.”

The town would be eligible for NFC’s $30,000 Healthy Cities Grant program, he said. The NFC also would work with the town to “generate external funding sources” to help pay for the Fitness Course, he said.

David said creating “health equity” is a big priority for National Fitness Campaign CEO Menaged.

“We often go into communities with a few thousand people as well as bigger cities,” he said. “It’s important for us to give a higher level of access to people who may not have a gym membership or membership to a fitness center. Some (Fitness Courts) have been made in major cities, most notably in Atlanta.”

Currently, there are at least 500 Fitness Courts across the U.S., with others either being installed or planned, David said.

“We are anticipating our 750th partner by the end of 2025,” he said.

According to David, there are 13 active Fitness Courts in North Carolina and two more are in development. An online map shows the closest current Fitness Courts to Hertford are in Selma, Wake Forest and Henderson. The closest planned Fitness Court is at Mattamuskeet School in Swan Quarter.

“While the network of Fitness Courts is currently a bit more concentrated in the Charlotte, greater Raleigh, and greater Greensboro areas, there is work to be done to continue bringing the Fitness Court to more communities in the eastern region of North Carolina,” David told a reporter in an email. “We’re very excited to bring a high level of access to outdoor wellness for folks in communities like yours in 2025 and beyond.”

Walton said town officials have distributed an informal survey about the possibility of a Fitness Court in Hertford to residents who visit the municipal building to pay their utility bill.

Councilwoman Connie Brothers said she filled out the survey but wonders how many others have.

“I would like to know if it (the survey) went out to everyone,” she said. “Some of us don’t read much more than the amount of (our) utility bill. … If I didn’t see it in my utility bill or newspaper, how can I voice my opinion? Everybody can’t get to municipal building. How do we reach out to them?”

Councilwoman Rhonda Waters asked if there is a deadline for qualifying for a grant to help fund a Fitness Court in Hertford, noting that $50,000 is a “huge commitment” for the town.

“I’m not saying it wouldn’t be a priority but we need to know what our other priorities are before we decide,” she said.

Councilman Keith Rouse, who previously has said he often hears complaints from residents about having too few fitness and recreation options in Hertford, said he was eager to hear more about the Fitness Court concept. But he, too, wants to hear from residents before council takes any action.

“One thing I was thinking is we need to do something different so we are the novice. Let’s be the first,” he said.

Rouse said finding a location for the Fitness Center in Hertford “is not a big deal.” He also said “finding a target date” for building and opening a Fitness Court “is not something we need to do right away.”

“But we need to get it out there,” he said, referring to the concept. “I’d like to see people out there working out. We need to hear from the most (number of residents) … before making a decision.”

Walton said town officials will work to get the survey out to more residents.

Hodges asked how many surveys should be completed before council takes action one way or the other.

“Is there there is threshold of positive responses we need to get to consider how much funding we’ll have to spend?” he asked. “What are we trying to receive: 200, 400 survey participants? We can talk to some prospective partners to raise some or all of that $50,000.”