City approves budget, sees pool report
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Approval of the FY2021 city budget and a first look at the results of a feasibility study for a new pool and/or wellness facility were main items on the Monday, March 3 agenda of the Mount Ayr city council.
Budget
Following a public hearing at which no one appeared, the council approved the city budget for Fiscal Year 2021 which begins July 1.
The budget estimates revenues of $5.265 million and expenditures of $7,346 million.
The difference of over $2 million represents loan funds for upcoming street projects that the city received in the current fiscal year but that won’t be spent until next fiscal year.
The budget estimates an ending fund balance of $1.395 million on June 30, 2021.
The budget estimates a total tax levy rate of $16.81960 per thousand valuation on regular property and $3.00375 on agricultural land within in the city limits.
Feasibility study
The council was presented with a 70-page draft copy of the recreation facilities feasibility study conducted by Stone Planning.
City superintendent Brent Wise reported a representative from Stone Planning will visit Mount Ayr in the coming weeks to provide a final presentation of the study’s results.
The report includes detailed analysis of potential facilities, local markets, potential sites, case studies of similar existing facilities, funding avenues, and an operational costs.
The report examined four main options available to the city: renovation of the existing swimming pool at Judge Lewis Park, replacement of the current pool with a new outdoor pool, a new indoor/outdoor pool and limited fitness facility, and new indoor pool and comprehensive fitness/wellness center.
In its final summary, the report states:
“Renovation of the current pool has the lowest upfront costs, the second-lowest projected annual operating deficit, and the lowest economic impacts.
“A new pool could cost roughly twice as much as a pool renovation, but its annual operating deficit could be slightly lower. Due to higher expected usage, its impacts would be greater than from a pool renovation but less than those from the indoor facility scenarios.
“Based on the high-level analyses, the indoor facility options would have significantly higher upfront costs than the pool scenarios. While their projected annual operating deficits would be the highest of the identified scenarios, expense coverage would be greater than that of the pool scenarios. Because of additional space and year-round usage, the economic impacts of the indoor facilities would also far exceed those of the pool options.”
In the coming weeks the Record-News will examine each component of the report in detail.
Other business
In other business, the council:
• discussed the feasibility of moving a donated house to a vacant city-owned lot, renovation of the house, and sale of the property. Any profits realized would create a fund aimed at generating more new home construction within the city.
• learned from Superintendent Wise that yard renovations left over from the water distribution project should begin as soon is digging is completed within the next few weeks.
• approved a liquor license renewal for Rumors Bar and Grill.
