Council favors refining conservative Fitness Center plan, prioritizing pool repairs and locker rooms

Staff presented two conceptual Fitness Center options and asked the Council for direction. Option A included a new above-ground weight-room addition and larger reconfiguration; Option B prioritized locker-room renovation, a gym swap or more conservative reuse of existing space, and necessary pool repairs. Derric Rykert described the tradeoffs and said the concepts were developed around a maximum $4 million budget.

Council members emphasized preserving long-term flexibility and the condition of aquatic facilities. Council Member Ryan Hunter and others favored Option B and asked staff to focus on essential maintenance (pool replastering, bubble replacement, deck and infrastructure repairs) and locker-room improvements while minimizing reserve depletion. Finance Director Anna Montoya confirmed the $4 million would be funded from General Fund reserves and said the expenditure would reduce reserves from about 35% to roughly 25% of annual revenues. Council asked for itemized cost estimates and directed staff to return with refined designs and tighter budgets.