Sandpoint officials outline James E. Russell Sports Center budget, usage and youth-access questions

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 operating picture.

Staff described one‑time start‑up costs that have affected early operating results. Examples cited at the meeting included a software migration (RecTrac) that cost about $7,400, equipment purchases for admissions and point‑of‑sale, and initial utility and infrastructure expenses. City staff also noted electricity and heating have been significant line items since October; the meeting brief listed roughly $15,850 in electricity charges since Oct. 1, but staff said some of that reflects construction and start‑up use rather than ongoing steady costs.

Commissioners and staff discussed how the city will treat youth access and donor intent. The sports center’s web materials describe a “Youth First” membership that is free, and the donor who funded the building, Jim Russell, publicly stated he wanted the facility to be available to children. Commissioners asked whether that phrasing creates a binding legal requirement. Staff said the donor’s comments at the dedication were verbal and that no binding memorandum of agreement or legal condition was attached to the donation; the city’s current written fee schedule and website language indicate free youth membership but leave details — including whether daily use is free or only certain hours — open to interpretation.

Commissioners and staff discussed potential revenue and cost responses. Suggestions from the commission included expanding concession or retail sales (small consumables, drinks, basic sports supplies), creating short‑term visitor passes or tourist‑focused passes for high season, partnering with the YMCA and local hotels to market short stays, and more aggressive marketing to families and tournament organizers. Staff said card and concession sales were limited before the software change and that new point‑of‑sale capabilities are being rolled out (the facility has started selling items such as cans of tennis balls and ball-machine usage fees).

Staff also described longer‑term financial planning: the city budget includes a target of setting aside $25,000 annually to fund eventual replacement of the facility’s exterior fabric and other long‑lived capital elements. Staff warned that the indoor turf used by other fields will likely require replacement on a shorter cycle (staff estimated a multi‑million dollar replacement in roughly seven years), and that planning for those eventual costs will be part of the city’s multi‑year capital strategy.

Commissioners said they will continue to collect suggestions and that the mayor has requested a council workshop in May or June focused on the sports center’s business model. Staff also asked volunteers for possible subcommittee work to help with promotions and business‑minded outreach.

The commission did not take a formal policy vote on youth access or the sports center’s operating budget at the meeting; staff said they would return with more detailed, month‑to‑date financial reporting.