Regional recreation authority asks Bellefonte, neighboring municipalities to help close $400,000 Kepler Pool funding gap

At a Bellefonte Borough Council work session, the Nittany Valley Joint Recreation Authority asked Bellefonte and neighboring municipalities to help close an estimated $400,000 funding gap for phase one of the Kepler Pool reconstruction.

The authority said the overall cost of phase one is roughly $3 million and that it has secured nearly $1.1 million in grant-funded match so far. “You can see that we have nearly a $400,000 funding gap,” Nittany Valley Joint Recreation Authority Chair Mike Musser said, describing the authority’s request for municipal help to cover the shortfall.

Kepler Pool, built in the early 1970s, was taken offline at the end of the 2020 swimming season because of structural problems and water leaks. The authority said it has been pursuing grant funding since about 2016 and that a primary state-then-federal review of a recent grant application took place in 2023. The authority described the grants it is pursuing as cost-reimbursement awards, meaning vendors are paid up front and the authority later requests reimbursement from state and federal sources.

That reimbursement model, the authority said, increases near-term cash needs. Musser and other authority representatives told council members they expect additional costs such as a construction manager and other contingencies that are not yet final. “Some unknowns that we have to consider is the cost for a construction or project manager,” Musser said, adding that the volunteer authority lacks capacity for detailed grant administration and expects to rely on one of the municipalities for technical grant-management support.

The authority asked the four participating municipalities—Bellefonte Borough, Benner Township, Spring Township and Walker Township—to consider several forms of assistance, including: committing a portion of debt service for a short-term line of credit, contributing a lump-sum municipal share, or helping compare construction bids and provide back-office grant management. Under the authority’s existing municipal “fair share” formula the borough’s share is 22 percent; the authority asked whether Bellefonte could take on 22 percent of the current known gap while additional grants are pursued.

The authority said the YMCA of Centre County has been the pool manager for many years and has signaled interest in continuing that role if the pool reopens; programs there have included swim lessons, meets and daycare uses. Authority members also said community donations to date total about $37,000 and that demonstrating construction momentum—“getting a shovel in the ground”—would likely help future fundraising.

Cindy, an authority representative, told council that the pool property was deeded to the authority for $1 around August 2021 and that the deed includes conditions requiring the facility to remain a recreational swimming pool. “One of the conditions that is applicable is that it would remain a recreational facility swimming pool. And if it doesn't, then the property reverts to the borough,” Cindy said, citing Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) requirements attached to prior state and federal funding.

Council members asked several practical questions: which population dataset the municipal fair-share formula uses, whether a debt-service model or a one-time contribution would be more cost-effective, and how quickly the authority must proceed to keep construction on a viable schedule. The authority said the fair-share calculation is based on the 2020 U.S. Census and that time is “of the essence” for bidding and scheduling; missing a winter bid window would likely push the project out of next spring’s construction season.

No formal action or vote took place at the work session. Authority representatives said they are scheduled to present to each municipality in early November and asked Bellefonte officials to consider attending a joint meeting of all four jurisdictions to finalize a shared approach.

The request highlighted several implementation risks: the grants are cost-reimbursement, the authority currently lacks professional grant-management capacity, construction contingencies remain uncertain, and deed conditions could force the borough to accept property ownership if the authority cannot meet the recreational-use obligations.

Council members and authority representatives agreed on next steps: the authority will meet with each municipality in early November and the parties will aim to schedule a joint meeting—potentially the second week of November—to discuss indebtedness, shared guarantees, and bid timing. The authority said it will also pursue additional local grant opportunities and capital-campaign work once construction momentum is visible.

The council work session then moved on to other agenda items.