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Leisure services seeks grants and revenue changes as facilities run at a loss
Summary
Leisure Director Rob Salazar outlined a budget that increases funding for facility repairs, a $1.6 million LED light conversion project, a $150,000 grant‑assisted pickleball phase, and staffing needs; commissioners pressed for event‑level revenue and attendance data and a plan for Coronado/Brandon/Live Oak facilities that currently run at or below break‑even.
Leisure Services Director Rob Salazar presented a package of operating and capital proposals aimed at shoring up aging recreation facilities and shifting the event strategy to higher‑quality, higher‑revenue programming.
Salazar said the department added $77,000 to repair and maintenance for Babe James Community Center and City Gym flooring and restrooms and proposed a $1.6 million LED lighting conversion for athletic fields; a $110,000 line to hire a firm to solicit naming rights was included to offset capital funding so no general‑fund subsidy would be required for the lights. He also listed a planned Phase 2 of the Peach Park pickleball complex with a $150,000 request (50% reimbursable through a county ECHO grant) and described a skate‑park expansion scheduled for an August agenda.
Salazar told the commission the state is mandating level‑2 background checks for youth volunteer coaches and the department had budgeted roughly $15,000 to run checks through its vendor (Mac Data) to ensure compliance rather than relying on partner organizations. “This year the state is mandating all youth volunteer sports coaches be able to pass a level 2 background check to be eligible,” he said.
Commissioners asked for program‑level profit/loss and attendance figures. The director said Brandon Center and Coronado Civic Center run near break‑even on current revenue, Live Oak operates at a roughly $45,000 annual net operating cost (about $30,000 in revenue if open year‑round), and the golf course projects about $200,000 net for the fiscal year before capital replacements; commissioners asked staff to produce a business plan showing pricing adjustments and payback timelines for proposed capital investments.
Salazar said he would return with a detailed pricing model, attendance data and a lineup that distinguishes city‑run events intended to break even from community service events that the city subsidizes.
The commission requested that staff present event revenues, attendance and user fees broken down by facility and that any new capital ask be accompanied by a clearer path to recovery or dedicated funding source.
