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Now that the City Council has reinstated a committee to work on the wellness center project, the next step is to develop design and research funding options.
Friday, April 12, 2024, 3:29pm MDT
This is the third part of a three-part series.
KIMBALL — Now that the City Council has reinstated a committee to work on the wellness center project, the next step is to develop design and research funding options.
City Councilor Christy Warner said the wellness center could include a basketball court, swimming pool, walking track, meeting rooms and a special pool for therapeutic purposes.
Once committee members create a vision of what it will look like, they will hold a public meeting to receive feedback from community members.
Once the design is complete, the city council can determine how much the project will cost and move forward with financing.
The original Kimball Pool Committee pursued funding avenues without success and canceled the project in the fall of 2023.
The two main sources of funding they expected were public infrastructure taxes and aid from Northrop Grumman, which was expected to bring the missile program to town.
Warner explained that Northrop Grumman may help fund the wellness center. Because they need to provide housing and recreation to bring workers to town for their projects. Therefore, it will be cheaper for them to invest in our own wellness center than to build a recreation center on their own.
However, by mid-February 2023, the committee realized that the missile program had not yet materialized.
At that time, they chose to hold a special election for additional public infrastructure taxes. The tax would fund repairs to the city’s electricity, water and sewer systems, as well as construction of parks and wellness centers.
Unfortunately, it did not pass and we will have to wait two years before the city council can vote on it again.
“Understanding that utility taxes not only help keep existing utilities open, but also have the potential to help renovate newer, more modern wellness centers, “I think it increases the likelihood of a yes vote.” ”
Ultimately, the project will require a combination of funding, including an infrastructure tax and some grants.
