City, YMCA Ink Aquatic Center Operations Agreement

Meeting in special session Monday night, the Glenwood City Council gave its unanimous approval to an agreement that will have the YMCA of Greater Omaha manage the city’s outdoor aquatic center.

The city council’s approval came with one provision, however, that YMCA members not get a discount on monthly or annual membership fees at the aquatic center. City attorney Matt Woods said previous contract discussions between the city and YMCA did involve a discount for YMCA members not to exceed 20 percent, but on Tuesday YMCA officials agreed to sign off on a one-year agreement without the discount for YMCA members. The issue could be revisited during negotiations for future contracts.

Council member Jessie Lundvall said she’s opposed to a membership discount fee for YMCA members in light of the city’s current financial situation. Craig Florian also voiced opposition to the discount.

Under terms of the agreement, the city would reimburse the YMCA for operational costs of the facility in addition to an annual management fee of $25,000.

Although the YMCA’s projected operating costs for the aquatic center were shared with council members Monday, the actual budget for the facility will be negotiated and approved at a later date. Woods said he provided the projected operational costs because he wants city council members to know up front about the potenital financial obligation that will come with operating the facility.

For the first year of operation, the YMCA estimates annual operating costs of $138,500 for a facility that doesn’t have a Lazy River and $199,250 with a Lazy River. Both of those projections include the YMCA management fee and are based on the facility operating at maximum capacity every day during the 2016 swimming season.

The council is expected to learn the aquatic center’s projected construction costs in the coming weeks. Although the cost was estimated at $4.7 million (Lazy River included) in 2014, an engineer from JEO Consulting, the firm that’s been advising the city on the facility, hinted to council members in March that numbers could come in higher.

Construction funding will come from a combination of Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) revenue, private donations and funds already set aside for the project. Operational funding would come from a combination of LOST dollars and revenue generated at the aquatic center.

The initial agreement between the city and YMCA is for one year, from Jan. 1, 2016 - Dec. 31, 2016. Either side could opt out at the end of a contractual year by providing written notice to the other side at least 90 days prior to the date of the contract’s expiration.

Monday’s special meeting was called so if the agreement met council’s approval, a signed contract between the city and YMCA could be presented at today’s Vision Iowa meeting. The city is seeking a $350,000 grant from Vision Iowa to help pay for construction of the Lazy River.