City Council Considers Loan to Keep Rec Center Afloat

Changes made at the Saline Rec Center in recent years allowed the city-owned facility to go from nearly insolvent to having almost $500,000 in its rainy day fund.

2020 has been one hell of a rainy day.

COVID-19 government orders closed the Rec Center from March 15 through Sept 9. Since then it's re-opened with protocols on social distancing and masks and, slowly, patrons are returning.

The Rec Center paused memberships for the length of the shutdown - basically extending all memberships for six months - causing a sharp reduction in revenue. The recreation department has refunded $68,000 for memberships, classes, leagues and more. The Recreation department maintained six full-time employees during the shutdown. They worked on painting the Rec Center, making plans for reopening, maintaining membership databases and more. Most of the part-time staff was laid off. Some began returning to work with the kids camps in the summer.

The Rec Center began the fiscal year with a fund balance of $484,000. There's about $155,000 remaining - enough to carry the Rec Center for three more months at the current rate, according to City of Saline Treasurer Mickie Jo Bennett.

Saline City Council discussed the situation at a special meeting Monday night. Bennett said one idea is for the city's general fund to lend the money to the recreation department. That figure could be as high as $210,000.

City Council had questions but generally seemed supportive of the idea.

"The Rec Center is an integral part of the city, a jewel of the community. It needs to be sustained by council," Councillor Jack Ceo said. "Hopefully, a vaccine gets people back on their feet and gets people in the community communing."

Councillor Christen Mitchell suggested the city might have to re-program some of its fund balance, used to pay down retirement obligations, in order to fill the gap for the Rec Center.

Councillor Janet Dillon suggested the county should help fund the city's recreation complex. She also said she was disappointed that more CARES millage money wasn't being used to help sustain the facility.

She also voiced concerns about what recreational exercise might look like with more people becoming accustomed to exercising in their homes.

Parks and Recreation Director Carla Scruggs said she was confident that people want to return to the Rec Center.

"There is a need to have an exercise at a facility. A lot of people aren't motivated to exercise at home," Scruggs said.  "Having a rec center in a small town like ours is quite unique. It's proven to be a very essential part of the community. It's providing people with some physical normalcy, and helping people emotionally and socially. We've heard a lot of comments from people who are glad we are there for them."

Mayor Brian Marl said he'd consider re-launching the task force that is credited with helping the Rec Center regain financial strength over the last few years.

"I want to commend Director Scruggs for being adamant on building their fund balance. It proved particularly valuable in light of the global health pandemic," Marl said.

Along with cost-cutting ideas, Marl said he thinks the city needs to do more to promote the facility.

"As an organization, I do think the in ensuing months we should do more to promote the facility, so people know it's a safe and comfortable place to come and work out," Marl said. 

Marl exercises at the Rec Center.

"At no point have I ever felt unsafe, or uncomfortable, or felt like I was putting myself or other at risk," Marl said.

City Manager Colleen O'Toole said the Rec Center may be able to take advantage of workshare programs that help employers bring employees back to work at reduced hours, while they collect unemployment benefits that make them whole.

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