A recently launched website collaboration between Litchfield Public Schools and the city of Litchfield aims to be a kind of one-stop shop for information about the Litchfield Area Recreation Center and November referendums that will ask voters to support bonding and sales tax initiatives to fund the project.

You’ve got questions. The city of Litchfield and Litchfield Public Schools have answers.

At least that’s the goal for a new website the two entities launched last week, which focuses on the proposed Litchfield Area Recreation Center.

More specifically, the site seeks to answer questions area residents — and potential voters — might have about referendum questions that will be on the general election ballot in November.

“This website was designed to be a comprehensive informational resource for residents who want to learn more about the referendums,” Litchfield City Administrator Dave Cziok said. “We understand how important it is to provide voters with all the information they need to make an informed decision on this community issue.”

The website — LiveWellLitchfieldArea.org — previously launched in August, ahead of the Meeker County Fair. At the time, it contained preliminary information regarding the recreation center and the referendum efforts.

The full launch now gives users a wide array of resources, in addition to more detailed descriptions of activities and amenities the center could support. The website includes a tax calculator that allows school district property owners to determine the tax impact that a school district bond, which would be used for construction of the swimming pool portion of the recreation center, would have on their property. In addition, residents can find their polling place and other voting information on the website.

Litchfield Public Schools is asking voter permission to issue $13.5 million in bonds to fund its portion of the center, including an eight-lane swimming pool, locker rooms, office and community space, as well as various site improvements.

The owner of a $170,000 home — the average in the district — would see their property taxes increase $6.84 a month or about $82 a year beginning in 2023, if the bond is approved by voters.

School district Business Manager Jesse Johnson also pointed out at a recent Litchfield School Board meeting that the state’s Ag2School program provides a 70% property tax credit that could fund about 17% of the school’s portion of the facility.

Also on the Nov. 8 ballot will be a question from the city regarding a local option sales tax. The one-half of one-percent sales tax, which would be paid by anyone shopping in Litchfield, must be approved by city residents before it can go into effect.

The state Legislature included $5 million in its bonding bill passed during the 2021 session, with the terms of the grant mandating the city and school collaborate on a wellness/recreation center.

The city’s portion of the proposed facility would include a four-station fieldhouse, elevated walking track, community rooms, fitness space, family changing rooms and additional support spaces.

In public presentations, city and school officials have stressed the rare collaborative nature of the Litchfield Area Recreation Center and the potential it has to serve broad area.

“The process is going good,” School Board Chairman Darrin Anderson said during the Aug. 22 meeting. “There’s a lot of information getting out there.”

While staffing the school district booth at the Meeker County Fair, Anderson said, board members and school administrators “helped educate a lot of people that had a lot of questions, and helped clarify a lot of things.”

Now, he added, the website provides even more “solid footing for people to look at. We have the tools to help get the information out there.”