It's not likely that any citywide sales tax for a swimming pool will be on the Nov. 6 ballot, but discussions continue about building one in town.
The city of Litchfield and the Litchfield School Board are talking about partnering on an aquatic facility. Proposed models have included a wellness/recreation center, which would include an indoor pool and adjoining activity facilities, and a stand-alone outdoor pool.
Building a community pool in Litchfield has been discussed for years. An aquatic facility has topped some wish lists in recent community surveys. Elected officials seem to be ready to turn this dream into reality.
The state deadline for getting such a question on the upcoming general election ballot is early August. The council will revisit the topic at an Aug. 6 workshop, following its regular council meeting. In the coming weeks, the school board plans to do the same. The council would therefore not be able to vote on the tax question until Aug. 20, after the deadline has passed — unless a quick special meeting is called.
Even the most optimistic pool supporters on the council appear willing to wait for the school board to determine and compare its needs with those of the city. “My timeline is flexible,” said Councilor Darlene Kotelnicki, one of the council’s more vocal proponents for an aquatic center.
"We need to move slow, yet we need to move forward," council member Ron Dingmann said July 9 during a long-awaited discussion about a potential partnership with the school board. Dingmann urged that progress continue to be made.
The Litchfield School Board will conduct a “needs assessment,” which will include but be limited to discussions about aquatic needs, at an upcoming retreat, according to Litchfield Public Schools Superintendent Beckie Simenson.
Any type of joint powers agreement would be several steps away, City Administrator Dave Cziok said.
'WE CAN'T FUND IT ALONE'
Overwhelmingly, an agreement for an aquatic facility partnership resonated between both entities during a joint round table discussion in the school board meeting room July 9.
The discussion about partnering was long awaited. "We just want to know what the needs are, what the vision is, and then proceed forward," School Board Chairman Darrin Anderson said.
The consensus is, neither entity can do it alone.
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.
"We can't fund it alone as an indoor project," Cziok said, alluding specifically to a wellness center model.
However, a majority of the council members have projected that the city could possibly afford a less expensive outdoor pool at Memorial Park, near the new splash pad. 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.
Some elected officials seem to favor a year-round indoor pool, field house and wellness center, something they realize that the city cannot manage to finance on its own. Both sides appear open to a phased “master plan.”
INDOOR VS. OUTDOOR POOL
It's apparent both the city and school want a community pool in Litchfield. Councilor Sara Miller said that, prior to her joining the council, several community members spoke in favor of a pool, “to offset the need to leave town.”
The scope and size of a community pool have yet to be determined.
One proposed model, arranged by USAquatics and brought to a town hall meeting in May, was an outdoor pool at Lake Ripley's Memorial Park. The facility cost cost between $3.5 million and $4 million. The concept, according to Cziok, was the "first time that something felt possible."
However, several community members cried out against an outdoor facility. An indoor/outdoor model, according to a proposal from USAquatics, could cost nearly double — between $7 million and $8 million, without any estimated net gain, Cziok said.
And while a partnership is favored, elected officials still posed questions about timeliness and end results.
Anderson said a good target date to get the project underway officially would be 2020-'21, but the far-out date was met with hesitation.
Board member Dave Huhner said that a lack of having "a crystal ball" makes it hard to know if that timeline is worth waiting for in case of financial changes.
“I think now the time is perfect, while the economy is good,” Huhner said.
Board member Greg Matthews also asked the question of whether the outdoor pool fit into community needs instead of a wellness center.
“We need a community to support this thing,” Matthews said. “We don't need a walking track for the high school, but the community does.”
"I've seen an overwhelming desire to have a wellness center," Mayor Keith Johnson said.
Until both entities discuss discuss their separate needs, no decision has been made.
"With 14 minds coming together, we got more done tonight in an hour than in the last three years," Anderson said of an effort to bring a community pool to town.
“The community needs to know we're working for a better plan here,” Johnson said.
SEEKING INPUT
Johnson and other council members discussed having school officials from New Prague, where a joint powers agreement between the city and its school district recently built a recreation center, provide input to both local governments at a future meeting. Such input could provide insight as to how school bonds and a sales tax could potentially be combined to pay for such a facility.
Councilor Vern Loch noted that other communities have had rec centers included on the state’s bonding bills, provided the facility is open to the general public and not just for school activities.
How a pool and recreation center would fit into the city’s current capital improvement plan would also need to be addressed, Councilor Mike Boyle said.
Councilor Betty Allen noted that the school also has capital needs besides upgrading its pool, to be included on any future school referendum.
