YMCA Would Likely Manage Aquatic Center
If Glenwood residents approve the construction of an outdoor aquatic center in next month’s $4.75 million bond issue election, the new facility would likely be managed by staff from the Mills County YMCA.
“The city council’s perception is that’s probably the best route to go,” city administrator Brian Kissel said. “They (YMCA) already have what they call a CPO – a certified pool operator. If we could take that person and manage the outdoor pool, that person could serve dual purposes.”
A contract hasn’t been signed, but Kissel has had multiple discussions about the issue with Mills County YMCA Executive Director Diana Burchett and Leo McIntosh, vice president of Iowa operations for the YMCA of Greater Omaha.
“We’re waiting for the city to put together some proposals on what they would like the Y to do,” McIntosh said. “We obviously feel like we have the capability of managing. We feel like there’s a good connection with lifeguards and our trainings that we provide.
“The ability to have one person manage both pools makes sense.”
McIntosh noted Burchett has experience managing the outdoor pool in Malvern and Taylor Graybill, the aquatics director at the Mills County YMCA, previously managed outdoor pools in Council Bluffs.
Kissel and McIntosh agreed that any contract between the city and YMCA would have to be financially feasible for both entities.
“We obviously have to be able to make sure this is going to be a financially good decision for the Y,” McIntosh said. “It would probably be a joint effort to establish the rates. We would probably do some cost studies from other pools of similar size to make sure it’s a feasible thing.”
McIntosh said the YMCA of Greater Omaha, the governing agency for the Mills County YMCA, has expertise in managing both indoor and outdoor swimming pools.
“We actually manage the outdoor pool for the city of Valley (Neb.),” McIntosh said.
Kissel said rules and regulations governing the aquatic center would be established by the city.
“The general consensus from both parties is that the YMCA will staff it with the city of Glenwood’s rules and regulations,” Kissel said. “The city will get copies of other community’s policies and procedures and adopt its own hybrid rules and regulations and have the YMCA enforce those rules.
“We’re paying the insurance and we’re paying the debt, so it should be our rules and regulations. Basically, we’re just going to outsource management.”
Annual operational costs at the aquatic center are projected to be between $150,000 - $160,000, Kissel said. The figure includes the YMCA management fees.
“From that, you have to deduct all of your revenues,” Kissel noted. “They say it’s going to cost $160,000, but you hear of pools making $80,000 - $90,000 a year. You may have a little bit of a budget shortfall, but the good thing is we have some local option sales tax funds that can help back that.”
No time frame has been established for the city and YMCA to sign an agreement and it’s possible a contract wouldn’t be finalized until after the bond issue vote.