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Study recommends school-district or nonprofit model for Simon Recreation Complex; county seeks more time
Summary
An IPA study on the Simon Recreation Complex recommends the school district as the top near-term steward, citing fund-80 financing and potential state innovation grant funding. Committee members expressed concerns about tax shifts and capital needs and asked staff to continue stakeholder discussions.
Richland County’s Executive & Finance committee reviewed an IPA study on the future of the Simon Recreation Complex on March 10 and discussed several transfer models, financing options and a time-sensitive state innovation grant that could provide supplemental funding if an agreement is in place.
The consultant identified five options for sustaining Simon’s operations: keep the current city–county status quo, transfer operations to the school district (recommended), create or identify a nonprofit operator, have the county or city take sole responsibility, or pursue hybrid arrangements. Staff said the school district could place Simon in its fund 80—funding outside the school levy limit—and that if a transfer were agreed by June 30 the project might qualify for a five‑year innovation grant that could add roughly $120,000 per year in early years.
Committee members emphasized that the innovation grant would not cover all capital needs; staff estimated a major HVAC replacement alone could approach a half-million dollars and overall capital work could approach another $500,000–$750,000. Supervisors also raised equity questions about shifting the tax burden to a smaller school district tax base and recommended more intergovernmental discussion before any transfer. The Simons Foundation board and the complex’s governing board discussed the study and recommended either a nonprofit or school-district model as viable approaches.
Because the school board was scheduled to review the proposal the following day, staff recommended continued engagement rather than rushing a binding agreement. The committee asked staff to keep exploring potential nonprofit partners (though none currently has the endowment capacity comparable to some county case studies) and to return with updates; members agreed to reserve the possibility of a special meeting if a timely school district decision would require rapid county action to secure grant eligibility.
The committee took no binding action on a transfer at the March 10 meeting.
