Seldovia rec service area asks assembly to consider temporary mill-rate increase as community seeks short-term pool funding

The Seldovia Recreational Service Area (SRSA) told the Kenai Peninsula Borough assembly May 6 it is exploring local solutions to keep the Susan B. English School pool open after the school district signaled it may withdraw funding.

Lisa Standish, coordinator for the service area, described SRSA operations and partnerships and cited strong participation in youth programming. "We are the Seldovia Recreational Service Area," Standish said during her presentation, and she noted the area covers about 43 square miles and serves roughly 419 people with a current mill rate of 0.75.

SRSA board president Liz Diamond told the assembly the community has held discussions about short-term funding and that the service area discussed increasing its mill rate from 0.75 to the code-allowed cap of 1.0 for the coming fiscal year. "We did ask that, about possibly doing a mill rate increase... we're asking that in discussions to see if there was community support," Diamond said, adding that a 0.25-mill increase would not fully fund pool operations but could help secure short-term operations while community partners pursue additional funds.

Why it matters: The pool supports swim lessons, lap swims and senior swim programs and, according to SRSA leaders, has certified managers and lifeguards in place. SRSA leaders said closing the pool now would risk losing instructors and momentum.

Partnerships and funding options

Standish and Diamond described a network of partners, including the City of Seldovia (which manages staff/payroll for the Sea Otter Community Center), the Homer Foundation (which recently supplied chess sets through a local contact), and the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District (which supports the ceramics studio and allows campus use). The SRSA is seeking community contributions including potential city, tribal, or local donations to supplement any mill-rate increase.

Assembly response and next steps

Assembly members and the mayor discussed whether a borough-wide solution or a different combination of local service areas and city contributions would be appropriate. Mayor Michicky emphasized that it is early in discovery and that multiple options (borough-wide pool service area, local service areas, or city contributions) may be considered. He also noted that Nikiski's pool would likely opt out because it already has its own facility.

Speakers

- Lisa Standish — Seldovia Recreational Service Area coordinator (government, SRSA), first referenced s=1678.97 - Liz Diamond — SRSA board president (citizen), first referenced s=1678.97 - Mayor Michicky — mayor (government, Kenai Peninsula Borough), first referenced s=2401.36

Authorities

- Kenai Peninsula Borough code — mill-rate cap for service areas (type: ordinance/code) — referenced_by:["seldovia-recreation-service-area-pool-funding-and-mill-rate-discussion"]

Actions

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Discussion vs. decision

- Discussion only: SRSA requested community exploration of increasing the mill rate to 1.0 (a 0.25-mill increase) as one short-term option; the assembly did not take a vote. - Direction: SRSA and community partners will continue outreach and refine funding options; assembly and mayor indicated borough staff will analyze broader options (including a borough-wide pool service area).

Clarifying details

- Current SRSA mill rate: 0.75 mills. - SRSA population cited: 419 people; service area covers ~43 square miles. - SRSA considered temporary 0.25-mill increase up to the code cap of 1.0 to contribute to short-term pool funding.

Proper names

[{"name":"Seldovia Recreational Service Area","type":"organization"},{"name":"Sea Otter Community Center","type":"facility"},{"name":"Susan B. English School","type":"school"},{"name":"Homer Foundation","type":"organization"},{"name":"Kenai Peninsula Borough","type":"agency"}]

Community relevance

- Geographies: Seldovia, Kenai Peninsula Borough - Impact groups: pool users (youth, seniors), swim instructors, residents of Seldovia

Meeting context

- Engagement level: focused presentation and community-board conversation; SRSA held a special meeting with more than 20 community members the night before. - Implementation risk: medium (temporary mill-rate increases require community support and administrative steps; long-term solution depends on partnerships). - History: SRSA formed in 2011 after local service needs increased following the loss of other programming.

Provenance

[{"block_id":"b1710.60","local_start":0,"local_end":120,"evidence_excerpt":"Alright. We are the Seldovia Recreational Service Area. I'm Lisa Stanish..." ,"reason_code":"topicintro"},{"block_id":"b2593.40","local_start":0,"local_end":96,"evidence_excerpt":"Okay. Thank you, mayor. Alright. And and thanks again, Lisa and Liz both, for joining us today. That concludes our, Seldovia Rec Service Area.","reason_code":"topicfinish"}]

Searchable_tags:["Seldovia","pools","recreation","service area","mill rate"]