No New Money Identified for Saline Rec Center in Preliminary Talks

Saline City Council received a brief update on what will be happening to sustain the Saline Rec Center over the next six months. City Manager Dan Swallow made the report to council during Monday's council meeting.

Swallow said the Rec Center has engaged in cost-cutting measures. For example, he said, the Rec Center has eliminated some of its printed brochures in favor of electronic versions.

The city has applied for a grant for new lobby furnishings. The goal is to make the lobby a gathering space. 

Swallow said there are new program offerings as well as enhancements to existing programs, including personal training options at the Rec Center.

On Dec. 14 the Rec Center will begin a membership drive.

"We are trying to get membership levels a little closer to what they were before the pandemic," Swallow said.

A big part of the plan is reaching out to potential partners at Saline Area Schools, Washtenaw County and elsewhere.

"We're trying a regional approach to the center as well as a regional funding of the recreational center," he said. 

He said the city has had preliminary discussions with Pittsfield Township, Washtenaw County and Saline Area Schools. 

"There are no formal financial commitments at this point but I think there was a very good discussion, and there were some new ideas that came out of that," he said.

He said the county indicated it could help the city with financing capital improvements.

Swallow said the "process" of stabilizing the Rec Center's financials could take 6-18 months.

Mayor Brian Marl said he was recommending that city staff update city council on the situation in February.

Councillor Janet Dillon said February may be too late for an update.

"We're in the midst of budgeting right now," she said. "I'd like to have a clearer understanding of the funding sources going into the next fiscal year.  I think that this body needs to have a clearer, more precise understanding of these potential partnerships and what's being brought to the table."

She said it's nice the county offered some financing assistance, but she noted council must have the money to pay the bonds.

And if the city is going to attempt a millage, council needs to understand the details.

Swallow said it was unlikely that the city would have those details until the next fiscal year.

Dillon asked when the city council will discuss what will be cut out of the general budget to compensate for the Rec Center.

"The number just keeps getting higher, and so we're going to have to find offsets," she said. "We've done some minor things and we're doing a membership drive. Every year we talk about a membership drive. I appreciate the efforts, it's just not enough to pay the bills."

Councillor Dean Girbach said he heard feedback that the school district was not supportive of a Rec Center millage. Girbach noted the Rec Center was about "$700,000 in the hole" before a contribution from the fund balance. He said the budget was left with only $98,000 for debt service for next year.

Girbach asked about the printing of 5,000 brochures.

Swallow said some printed brochures are being distributed by the schools.

Recreation Director Sunshine Lambert said the department once printed 14,000 brochures and mailed them through the USPS. Now the Rec Center is using the school district to distribute the program guides from pre-K through sixth-grade at no cost. Hard copies will also be distributed around town.

Council is expected to discuss the recommendations of the Rec Center Task Force at one of its December meetings.

Councillors Jack Ceo and Jenn Harmount were absent.,

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