Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Sandpoint officials outline James E. Russell Sports Center budget, usage and youth-access questions
Summary
City staff updated the Parks & Recreation Commission on operations at the James E. Russell Sports Center, reporting early-year revenue and expenditure totals, staffing levels, program partnerships and an unresolved policy question about how donor intent for free youth access should be interpreted.
City staff told the Sandpoint Parks & Recreation Commission on March 9 that the James E. Russell Sports Center has attracted steady use since opening but is running below a full-year operating budget and remains in a start-up cost phase.
Staff said the facility has opened for organized programming, a doubles tennis league and rental use by youth groups and community clubs. The center is open about 75 hours a week, employs seven part‑time staff and several full‑time staff positions shared among city recreation employees.
The update said the facility’s fiscal year (Oct. 1–Sept. 30) budgeted expenditures for the sports center are about $224,000. As of the meeting staff reported roughly $125,000 in expenditures and about $17,500 in encumbrances; admissions and program revenue totaled just under $57,000. Staff cautioned those early numbers are inflated by pre‑opening costs and construction‑era charges and said they will produce a report from Jan. 1 forward for a clearer…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
