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All seven trustees resign from Indianola Wellness Campus board; residents and city leaders press for plan
Summary
Seven members of the Indianola Wellness Campus board resigned, prompting multiple residents to urge council action; city officials said the council has committed about $800,000 to the facility’s transition and outlined short- and long-term steps to close a roughly $300,000 operating gap.
Seven members of the Indianola Wellness Campus board of trustees resigned last week, and multiple residents urged the Indianola City Council on Monday to move quickly to stabilize operations and preserve the facility’s long-term role in the community.
The resignations and public comments came during the council’s public-comment period and city-manager remarks. Residents described the campus as an important community asset and said they feared recent planning and agreements could limit future opportunities such as adding a therapy pool.
“Many other cities would love to have such a fantastic facility as ours,” said Angie Jensen, a resident who noted the campus has “driven economic growth and attracted people to the community.” Lowell Jocelyn, another longtime user of the facility, told the council he and other regular members are “very worried about the future of the facility.” Bonnie McKinney, who said she uses the competition and recreational pools for medical reasons, described the campus as welcoming and urged the council to ensure access and transparency for users who travel from nearby towns.
The city manager told the council the resignations were “surprising” and said the mayor and council remain committed to keeping the campus viable. The city manager said the council previously reallocated funds and committed roughly $800,000 in combined resources to support the campus during the transition from the YMCA to city operation. He said membership revenue is about $1.2 million annually while operating costs are roughly $1.5 million, leaving a shortfall of about $300,000 that the city, trustees and staff are working to close.
“To be clear, we need to put a priority on taking care of our staff going forward, not only in paying at market rates, but having a staff that’s not so thin,” the city manager said, adding that the council had hired a consultant, Power Wellness, to review operational options.
Officials said some immediate fixes have been identified — for example, the city had not been charging sales tax on certain fees and bringing those collections current could reduce the shortfall — and longer-term solutions are being pursued. Council members and the manager described plans to engage the IWC staff, potential partners including Simpson College and the school district, and the community to seek sustainable revenue and operational arrangements.
Council members expressed appreciation for IWC staff. At the meeting the manager said the council would accept the trustees’ resignations and planned further discussions in January to develop next steps for governance, staffing and finances.
Discussion vs. formal action: Council members and staff described a series of directions and studies (consultant engagement, outreach to Simpson College and the school district, and internal financial steps such as beginning to collect sales tax on applicable fees). The transcript records the council’s acceptance of the trustees’ resignations and the manager’s statement that the council will return to the issue in January; no detailed replacement plan or formal vote on a new governance structure was recorded at the meeting.
Community context: Residents who spoke said the campus — built after a voter-approved project and opened in 2013 — is a north-side anchor that serves seniors, families and school teams. Speakers raised concerns that a separate development plan for adjacent land could restrict physical expansion of the campus and limit future additions such as a therapy pool. Several speakers urged improved transparency, a council liaison to the campus, and mechanisms to accept donations.
What’s next: City staff and the council said they will continue outreach and will place more detailed IWC items on agendas in January, including financial follow-ups and possible governance options. The manager said the consultant’s work, staff follow-up on tax and fee collections, and talks with local partners are the immediate priorities.
Votes at a glance: The council recorded acceptance of the trustees’ resignation at the meeting; no formal roll-call motion text, mover/second, or recorded tally was provided in the transcript for that acceptance. Council members said they will revisit governance and funding options in January.
