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Rec director pitches $24M plan, steering committee backs quarter‑cent sales tax for Emporia recreation expansion
Summary
Manny Gutierrez told the USD 253 board the community has outgrown the Lee Baron facility and the steering committee recommends a $23.96M package—funded by a quarter‑cent sales tax over 20 years and placed on the November ballot by the city commission—to add gym and pool capacity while renovating Lee Baron.
Manny Gutierrez, director of the Emporia Recreation Center, told the USD 253 Board of Education on July 8 that the community has simply outgrown the Lee Baron Recreation Center and recommended a two‑part plan to expand programming space.
Gutierrez said the steering committee’s preferred option calls for a new facility near the Jones Aquatic Center with two gymnasiums and two bodies of water, while channeling roughly $6 million into renovating the existing Lee Baron building. “The community has simply outgrown one gym and one pool,” Gutierrez said, arguing that current facilities are fully booked and limit evening and after‑school program options.
The steering committee, which included city representatives, USD 253 officials, the rec commission, Lyon County and community members, reviewed survey results—one with more than 800 responses and another with about 400—and evaluated multiple options before choosing a mid‑range plan. The recommended funding mechanism is a quarter‑cent sales tax over 20 years, which Gutierrez said would raise about $24 million and would be placed on the November 3 ballot if the city commission approves the measure for voters.
Gutierrez described the rationale for siting the new facility at Jones: the site is city‑owned (avoiding acquisition costs), has room for growth and shares parking with the aquatic center; it is also adjacent to the middle and high schools. He said the Lee Baron building would remain in district use and receive interior and exterior updates, including an expanded fitness area and a more welcoming lobby.
Board members sought details about larger, earlier concepts the district had considered and about access for residents if the new facility sits farther from some neighborhoods. One board member noted the original concept had a higher price tag (about $46 million) and more amenities, and asked how a half‑cent tax would change funding—Gutierrez said a half‑cent sales tax would approximately double revenue and approach that larger budget.
Gutierrez emphasized the final step is for the city commission to place the measure on the ballot. He said the steering committee selected the option it believes is likely to be funded by the quarter‑cent sales tax and will pursue grants to close any remaining gap.
The presentation drew board support for the idea of giving schools and community programs more dedicated space; no formal board action was taken on the funding plan during the July 8 meeting. The steering committee’s recommendation and supporting materials will be part of the city commission’s process to decide whether to send the question to voters in November.
