Wellness Center slated for vote March 3

by Marianne Gasaway

A proposed community wellness center will appear on a local ballot March 3, 2020, according to Clear Lake school and city leaders.

School Superintendent Doug Gee, City Administrator Scott Flory and Mayor Nelson Crabb said Monday that community meetings and a survey have yielded a good measure of public support for a joint project.  They are now willing to proceed with plans for a facility, which could be developed in phases at Clear Lake High School.

“We closed our survey last week and feel we got a good sampling.  Seventy-two percent of those responding (742) said they would use a wellness facility,” said Gee.

The list of “wants” most listed by those attending the public meetings and completing the survey included: an indoor run/walk track, gymnasium space, a pool, weight room or cardio space, multi-use activity space, and child care availability for patrons of the center.

Although an indoor swimming pool was favored by a majority of those responding to the survey, only 48 percent said they would be willing to support an increase in their tax rate to include a pool in the facility.

With that in mind, a “phased in” approach to construction will be pursued.

“We want to build something that meets community needs now, but also wouldn’t eliminate a pool down the road,” they said.

Gee noted that the school district approached the city with a wellness center idea based primarily on the fact that it needed more gymnasium and training space for its sports teams and other groups.  The idea was well received by city leaders, who believe the community is overdue for such a facility.

“Clear Lake is a tremendous community in the summer, with a lot of outdoor recreation, but we struggle a little bit providing families, youngsters and seniors with space for activities from Thanksgiving to April,” said Flory.

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Atura Architecture, from Clear Lake, is developing a plan for the proposed wellness center, incorporating three to four courts (basketball and multi-purpose) and an elevated track as its main components.  Additional features will be considered as costs are reviewed.

The City is prepared to commit up to $700,000 for the project, which will go to provide infrastructure needs such as sewer and water lines, storm sewers, as well as parking lot work.

The proposed wellness center would be operated by the City of Clear Lake under a 28E agreement with the school district.  The city would hire staff and operate the facility as a city recreation/health center.

Based upon the building plan developed and approved by the School Board, the school district will then place a bond issue on the ballot in March to fund the remainder of the project.  Gee noted the referendum put to voters will likely also include funding for some safety issues, as well as improvements to Lions Field.  The School Board was scheduled to begin discussion of its bonding capacity at a meeting held last night (Tuesday, Oct. 29).

Costs will be available after Atura creates a master plan and the school district and city will share a detailed description of the first phase of the project and its cost to voters in the months to come.

According to Gee, language for the ballot will be developed in November and a petition to place the question to voters will be pursued in December.  Signatures representing 25 percent of those voting in the General Election this month must be obtained on a petition for School Board approval.  The county must receive the petition by Jan. 17, 2020 to place it on the ballot.

“We are in a good position to be able to bond for a pretty decent amount without an increase in the tax rate,” said Gee. “That is our goal.”

Sixty percent voter approval will be needed for the measure to pass in March.

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