Grand Forks Park Board members seemed in agreement Tuesday night that they want more than a $13 million fitness center.
Its consultant determined a $13 million facility could be paid for with rent and membership fees, not requiring additional taxes. However, that size of a center would not include indoor tennis courts and would have only a small aquatic element.
"If we want to build a true family facility, it can't be without tennis and aquatics," commissioner Greg Ladouceur said.
After more conversation, Board President Jim Bollman said, "The general consensus is that we want something more for kids, tennis and water."
The specifics and the cost for additional amenities are uncertain, although $20 million has been voiced as a cost for a building with everything on the wish list. Commissioner Jay Panzer said he was "unhappy and upset" about the consultant's unavailability.
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"This has not gone as it should have gone since day one," he said, referring to delays.
Board member Bill Hutchison agreed, citing a bid by consultant Alter Care, a Skokie, Ill., firm that specializes in fitness centers. The bid was to manage the construction of the project for 3 percent of its cost. "If you were working for more than a half-million dollar job, you might want to make a stop," he said.
The next step will be a conference telephone call with the consultant Monday, when commissioners hope they can come closer to deciding specifics.
Tuesday's only board action on the subject was to officially recognize a citizens group that hopes to do private fundraising to support an enhanced center. Rob Vollrath, one of the organizers, said the group hopes to raise $5 million to $7 million.
"We have a group ready to sell it, but right now, we don't have a product for them to sell," commissioner Julie Jeske said.
The facility would replace Center Court Fitness Club, which Park District director John Staley described as "antiquated" and "not able to compete" with other facilities. In other action, the board agreed to keep the club's membership fees the same, fearing an increase would further erode membership. Through eight months, Center Court is $86,000 behind 2006 membership revenue and $137,000 behind the membership revenue budgeted.
Preliminary approval of the 2008 budget also met a wall after Hutchison said the Park District isn't doing its part to reduce property taxes. It was an argument he also has made in past years' budget discussions.
The proposed mill rate called for a drop of about a half-mill to 42.03 mills.
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The city's taxable valuation increased 10.7 percent from last year, and the inflation rate was 2.6 percent, he said. So why did the general fund increase 8.8 percent?
"I like what the Park District does, but we have an obligation to live within a budget of inflation," he said. "Instead of just taking the additional amount that the mill rate generates because of increased property values, why not budget by setting a percentage we want to increase it by?
"What we're doing now is the furthest thing from budgeting that exists."
Park district staff argued that most of the increase was because of the higher cost of utilities plus utility fees and special assessments levied by the city. Plus, depleted reserves needed to be replenished, they said.
"Also, some of that 10.7 percent is new property and new people you have to lend services to," Staley said. "If you want to go line item by line item on the budget, we'll do it."
After Panzer agreed with Hutchison about the budgeting process, none of the commissioners answered Bollman's call for a motion to give the budget preliminary approval.
Bakken reports on local news and writes a column. Reach him at (701) 780-1125, (800) 477-6572 ext. 125, or rbakken@gfherald.com .
