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Sandpoint officials say new sports center is drawing users but revenue lags projections
Summary
City staff reported attendance, membership and early operating finances for the James Russell Sports Center; weekly user fees average about $2,000 and total monthly receipts are roughly $13,000, below year‑one projections and prompting staffing, programming and membership strategies.
City recreation staff told the Sandpoint City Council on March 5 that the James Russell Sports Center is drawing steady use but is not yet meeting projected revenue targets and that staff are adjusting programming and operations to reduce costs.
Director Jason Welker provided weekly and monthly attendance and revenue figures to the council, saying the facility is averaging about $2,000 a week in user fees (roughly $8,000 a month) with membership revenue adding about $5,000 a month for total receipts near $13,000 monthly. “That is below what we anticipated and what we would hope for,” Welker said.
Welker said membership sales have been weaker than forecast: staff expected a larger membership base this year but were seeing roughly 20 to 30 monthly members since memberships began Dec. 16. He said the original budget assumed a much larger member base (the consultant estimate referenced during planning was about 300 members), and that the annual revenue target for the facility was roughly $240,000; current trends would leave the city on track for about half that amount if conditions do not change.
Welker outlined several adjustments: programming designed to drive membership (leagues for tennis and pickleball), expanded outreach to tennis and pickleball organizations, and operational changes such as reduced open hours in warmer months when outdoor courts are used more and staff can be redeployed. He also said the city recently launched RecTrac for streamlined check‑in and online reservations and has added auto‑renewal for memberships.
Councilors asked about utility and labor costs. Welker said utilities are “shockingly high,” estimating minimum monthly utilities near $3,000; labor is adjustable by reducing open hours in lower‑demand times. He also noted that the facility has attracted a range of users including local schools, Sandpoint Lacrosse, Panhandle Pickleball Club and several high school teams.
Welker urged council support for continued monitoring and for creative solutions to increase membership and revenue, saying the city borrowed against parks and recreation reserves for the first year of operations and will need to limit ongoing drains on those reserves.
Why this matters: The sports center is a new municipal facility with ongoing operating costs; revenue shortfalls could affect general fund or reserved park funding if not addressed.
What’s next: staff will continue targeted programming, outreach and operational adjustments and return performance data to council as the city refines expenses and revenue strategies.
