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Facing $1.8M preliminary shortfall, Crookston council signals intent to close aging pool
Summary
City staff presented a preliminary $1.8 million budget gap driven by capital requests and corrected expense lines; after public comment and engineering findings about the pool’s condition, the council indicated consensus to close the municipal pool while staff pursues alternatives and a special budget meeting was scheduled.
City staff told the council the preliminary budget shows a significant gap: combined operating budgets total approximately $10.93 million (general fund $8.54 million; parks $2.39 million) while total revenues of about $10.56 million leave a preliminary deficit near $1.8 million when capital requests (~$1.4 million) are included.
Staff outlined short-term and longer-term options to reduce the gap, including better expense reconciliation, drawing limited interest income, prudent use of utility reserves and carefully targeted capital deferrals. The city manager noted some savings may come from interest income and correcting misallocated expense lines; staff proposed a departmental prioritization process and a possible small bonding program for high-priority infrastructure in the coming years.
A central, time-sensitive issue was the municipal pool. Staff and an engineering assessment described structural deterioration under the pool (including a failing underwater window and deteriorating concrete) and estimated repairs between $1.6 million and $2.0 million. The city reported annual pool operating costs of more than $300,000 against roughly $28,000 in revenue. After extended public comment and council debate about alternatives, several council members expressed that the city lacks funds to repair or sustain the pool and that operations should be paused. One council summary comment from staff noted the savings of closing the facility: "We can save close to a quarter million dollars by closing that facility." The mayor asked for council direction; members agreed to pursue closure while staff seeks short-term alternatives and investigates grant opportunities and partnerships.
The council scheduled a special budget workshop for next Monday (05:30) and requested a line-by-line budget draft be circulated in advance so members can evaluate cuts, potential interfund support and priority capital projects.
What’s next: staff will distribute the revised budget draft before the special meeting, look for grant matches and lodging-tax balances, and provide a timeline for pool-closure steps and outreach to affected users.
Representative quote from staff: "The operating budget for the general fund is 8,540,000.00..." (staff budget presentation).
