The local YMCA's board of directors is scheduled to vote on forming a committee to see how the two agencies can work together more closely, said Jennifer Trapani, Chapel Hill-Carrboro YMCA board chairwoman.

The local board has been familiarizing itself with the YMCA of the Triangle to see whether a management services agreement, under which the Triangle YMCA would run the local YMCA, makes sense.

No decision will be made today, said Jerry Whortan, Chapel Hill-Carrboro executive director.

"If we were to all of the sudden merge next year ... that would cause huge disruptions between two associations when we're not even sure if we may be able to work well together," Trapani said.

Differences between the local YMCA's and the YMCA of the Triangle's employee and membership policies have some Chapel Hill-Carrboro community members and elected leaders watching the discussions.

The local YMCA has language that treats lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people like everyone else.

The YMCA of the Triangle does not have such language.

In June, the Chapel Hill-Carrboro YMCA extended its non-discrimination policy to organizations that meet at its facilities.

It asked Boy Scout Troop 505 to find a new home because of the Boy Scouts of America's ban on openly gay Scout leaders and members.

The troop moved to the American Legion Post 6 on Legion Road in September.

While the YMCA of the Triangle does not specifically address LGBT people, the local YMCA has not found incidents of discrimination.

"I don't think we have any evidence that the YMCA of the Triangle has hired or fired anyone because of sexual orientation, and believe me we've looked," said Dabney Grinnan, Chapel Hill-Carrboro YMCA board chairman-elect.

But some local YMCA members remain wary.

"Our Chapel Hill-Carrboro YMCA has been very progressive in the way that they define a family and in the way the treat their employees in having a very inclusive non-discrimination policy that includes sexual orientation, said Molly De Marco, 37, a member for more than four years. "I feel like we would be stepping backwards (if we were to adopt the YMCA of the Triangle's policy which does not specifically include sexual orientation)," she said.

Grinnan doesn't foresee any problems.

"I think in this case we are so focused on the words and not on the actions, and I don't think that the actions that our Y would take would every be any less friendly to the gay and lesbian community than they are now," Grinnan said.

Whortan agreed.

"We're committed to serving all the people in this community as best as we can and be as inclusive as we can to everybody in our community as we have been," he said.

There will be many opportunities in the future, before any sort of management services agreement is entered, where the community can be involved and voice their concerns, Trapani said.

The YMCA of the Triangle, meanwhile, is in the process of changing its membership offerings to let applicants create their own membership that fits them, said Jennifer Nelson, YMCA of the Triangle public relations director.

The changes to membership offerings have been under way and are not changing in response to the two agencies' talks.

"We've always let everybody be a member," Nelson said.

The new membership offerings have already begun in the Durham YMCA, which is part of the YMCA of the Triangle, she said.

Both the Chapel Hill-Carrboro YMCA and YMCA of the Triangle are excited to see how working closer together can bring better services to the community.

"I don't think anybody ever loses when two groups sit down at a table and try to look at how best to work together to better serve a community," Whortan said.