The Litchfield City Council wants to meet with the Litchfield School Board to discuss potential future partnership on a swimming pool or recreational center.
On June 4, City Administrator Dave Cziok presented a progress report and "roadmap" of recent aquatic facility discussion to the city council.
The need for a community swimming pool has been discussed for years. An aquatic facility has been at the top of some citizens’ wish lists in recent community surveys.
In looking over its budget and tax capacity, and the estimated costs associated with a pool, the city council determined this past spring that a full-fledged recreational center with an indoor pool is beyond its ability to finance independently. However, a majority of the council members have projected that the city could possibly afford a less expensive outdoor pool at Memorial Park on Lake Ripley, near the new children’s splash pad, which is under construction. Should the school district and/or other entities decide to partner with the city, a larger indoor wellness and recreation center could potentially be built.
Cziok reminded the council that an aquatic facility would be one of the biggest tax-dependent projects ever constructed in Litchfield, and that it would basically start a new city department and operating budget. A consultant hired by the city has determined that a modest outdoor aquatic facility would cost approximately $4 million to build. To accommodate a pool at the Memorial Park location would also involve relocating the park’s access and parking lot, at an estimated cost of about $325,000, according to the city’s engineer.
Since school officials have spoken in the past about their desire to upgrade the district’s current five-lane indoor swimming pool, Cziok asked the council if it wished to obtain input from the current school board on its interest in a future joint aquatic facility.
"We need discussion with the school district to find out about their interest in partnering,” Councilor Ron Dingmann said. "If we get a firm 'no,' then we can go forward."
After discussion, the council agreed to ask school officials for a spot on the agenda of an upcoming school board meeting. Cziok will coordinate this meeting with school officials and the U.S. Aquatics consultant who the city has been utilizing in its research into building an aquatic center.
IN OTHER BUSINESS:
- Representatives of Litchfield High School’s FFA chapter asked the council to include "Proud FFA Community" signs on the Litchfield population signs on the three highway entrances on the edge of town. The chapter would furnish the signs. The council decided that space could probably be arranged on two of the signs, but that the Minnesota Department of Transportation would need to be consulted about the protocols for attaching signs to existing signs.
- On a 4-2 vote, with councilors Loch and Dingmann opposed, the council decided to resume charging vendor fees to people selling products at the Thursday Farmers’ Market in Central Park. The fees had been waived in recent years, but Councilors Allen and Kotelnicki pointed out that other vendors, including those from local non-profits, are being charged fees for conducting sales on city property. The fees are $5 per day or $25 for the season, and all participating vendors must register at City Hall.
The Farmers Market that is located on private property on East U.S. Highway 12 is organized by a group of vendors and administers their own fees, Allen noted. She expressed a desire for the two groups to eventually reunite and run a joint market downtown. Kotelnicki noted that most Farmers Markets in the state are privately operated, not city-administered. - The council promoted temporary maintenance worker Glendon Caron to fill the vacant maintenance worker position on a permanent basis.
- The council OK'd a programming agreement with MnDOT on the upcoming downtown highway reconstruction, contingent on the Historic Preservation Commission’s approval. The agreement spells out responsibilities for the city, MnDOT, and the construction contractor to monitor and mitigate any effects of construction activity on the historic downtown buildings.
