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Commission signals interest in third-party partnerships for climbing, pickleball and music programs
Summary
Staff briefed the commission on potential partnerships with nearby climbing and indoor pickleball providers and local music programs; commissioners asked for proposals and asked staff to prioritize in-city options when feasible.
City Parks and Recreation staff on March 3 outlined outreach to outside providers to expand program offerings through partnerships, including an indoor climbing provider near the state line, a new indoor pickleball facility in Spokane Valley, and a local School of Rock franchise for music programming.
Parks staff described how third-party partnerships would work: the city would take registrations and collect a fee, then remit an agreed split (staff cited an 80/20 split as a typical arrangement where the company retains 80 percent and the city 20 percent). Programs would use partner facilities; the city would not provide transportation. Staff said partnerships let the city offer activities it could not run in-house because of location, facilities or specialized staffing needs.
Commissioners supported hearing concrete proposals but asked staff to prioritize options located within Liberty Lake if possible. On pickleball, commissioners asked staff to check existing partnerships at the city-owned sports center (the Hub) before inviting an outside operator. Staff also noted that partnering with organizations in neighboring cities is common; staff will research whether there are jurisdictional or administrative restrictions for crossing state lines.
No formal action or contracts were approved at the March 3 meeting. Commissioners asked staff to invite interested providers to present proposals at a future commission meeting and to prepare standard agreement terms and insurance/venue arrangements for review.
