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Council hears five‑year plan for Casper Recreation Center; staff to pursue senior partnerships and shared maintenance
Summary
Staff outlined a business plan for the Casper Recreation Center that keeps the current 50% cost‑recovery goal, proposes shared custodial staff, outreach to senior housing for on‑site programming, tiered income‑based senior fees and pursuit of Medicare Advantage billing and grants to expand offerings.
Staff told the council the Recreation Center plan emphasizes sustainability through shared custodial services across facilities, targeted senior programming, moderate fee adjustments and sponsorships.
"We plan to centralize facility preparation and equipment maintenance into a shared service unit," Zulima said, explaining four full‑time custodial maintenance employees will be shared among the Recreation Center, Aquatic Center and Ice Arena. Staff said the change has already been implemented and early indicators show fewer cleanliness complaints and cost savings from a work‑order fee model.
The plan includes partnering with low‑income senior housing to deliver programs on site, piloting tiered fees based on income, exploring Medicare Advantage programs for eligible fitness billing, and expanding scholarships through the Community Recreation Foundation. Staff also flagged the possible need to cut some low‑performing classes while adding revenue drivers.
Why it matters: the Recreation Center is one of the highest‑subsidized operations; staff said historically a personnel reallocation produced a funding anomaly that will be corrected in future reporting. Councilors asked for an annual or biennial review schedule; staff said performance is reviewed during the budget and the council can request annual updates.
Next steps: staff will continue grant searches, return with detailed performance comparisons to earlier business plans when available, and present rate proposals when changes are recommended. The council did not adopt rate changes at the meeting.
