Proposed Capital Facility Projects
At the March 6, 2021, Town Hall meeting, the City Council heard a presentation on the state of some of the City’s facilities and how they are not Americans with Disabilities Act compliant. These facilities include the Public Works facility, the Library Annex, both pool facilities, and the Raymond Rimkus Park restroom near the large playground. The ADA requires all municipalities to create an ADA Transition Plan to assure compliance. In addition to non-compliance with the ADA requirements, these facilities are old, are in some state of disrepair, need updating for energy efficiency and internet capabilities, and are costing more and more to maintain.
At that meeting, the City Council administered an informal poll and found that the citizens are in favor of updating these facilities, and also potentially adding a dog park and skate bowl to our park system. The costs for updating and adding new facilities exceed what the City’s General Fund Reserve is capable of funding, so it was decided to form a Capital Facilities Oversight Committee to investigate the needs and wants of our citizens, prioritize the projects, and recommend funding options.
The Committee held its kick-off meeting on June 8, 2021, and plans on meeting each month, with the goal of submitting a final recommendation to the City Council by January of 2022. From there, the City Council will decide whether or not to fund these projects and, if so chosen, decide on the use of General Obligation Bonds, Certificates of Obligation, grants, and other funding sources.
As this involves a commitment from our taxpayers to fund these projects, the Committee will be seeking citizen input as they make their way through the process, so please visit this webpage regularly and be sure to send in your opinions and suggestions as requested!