Marion council weighs $46.1M aquatic center plan, directs staff to poll households

Kim (staff member, filling in for Seth) presented the steering committee's recommendation to the Marion City Council at the June 17 work session: a $46,100,000 base aquatic center project at the Willowwood Park site with optional alternates totaling about $4.5 million.

The steering committee's base proposal includes multiple aquatic amenities, parking and site infrastructure; alternates discussed include additional dry-recreation features (pickleball courts, Ninja course, mat racer slide) and other wet-side attractions. Kim said the site is about 24 acres and that the city holds a purchase agreement for the site.

Why it matters: the council must decide how to present the project to voters and whether to include utility and street extensions, the demolition cost for the existing Willowood neighborhood pool, and whether to treat the wave pool as part of the base plan or as a separately polled option.

What council directed or discussed

- Council agreed staff should proceed with a mailed household polling survey to be distributed the week of July 9 with a proposed response deadline of July 28 and return to council with results at the Aug. 19 meeting. - Staff was asked to format the survey to make the wave pool and other alternates clear to respondents (options included: keep wave pool in base, present two base options with/without wave pool, or present the wave pool as a distinct alternate). Several council members favored explicitly polling the wave pool as a separate item so voters could express a preference. - The steering committee recommended removing Willowwood Park redevelopment from the ballot and instead place those items into the city's capital improvement plan (CIP); several council members agreed, though a minority said demolition of the current pool should be funded in the referendum or clearly flagged because of public-safety and blight concerns. - Staff reported the demolition estimate is about $700,000; road and utility work tied to the project (Alexis Lane and 30th/5th extension and associated utilities) was estimated at about $3.9 million (roughly $4 million) and staff noted those costs are closely tied to the chosen site and access. - The fiscal example shown to council: a homeowner with a $100,000 assessed value would see about $80.90 per year in additional tax debt service for a $46 million bond (staff provided a per-option add-on for alternates such as pickleball courts).

Operational and design questions

Council members discussed the wave pool's potential as a regional draw and as a revenue generator but also raised cost, mechanical complexity and long-term maintenance questions; one councilor recommended treating the wave pool as an alternate or explicitly polling it so voters can decide. Others argued the wave pool was part of the community visioning design and should remain in the base project to avoid deferring a large retrofit later at higher cost; staff said retrofit cost could be higher by about 40% if added later.

Staff noted the survey will include QR links and online completion and that a paper copy will be mailed to each household; households can respond online and multiple household members may participate via the online link.

Timing and next steps

- Steering committee to meet July 14 to refine elements. - Staff to mail the poll week of July 9 with an anticipated return and council review on Aug. 19. - If council directs a referendum, a final bond language review is tentatively scheduled for Sept. 18 and a possible referendum date given as Nov. 4.

Ending: Council took no final vote at the work session but provided staff direction on survey content, presentation of alternates (particularly the wave pool) and messaging about demolition and infrastructure costs.