City waives impact fees for Mission Valley Aquatics

POLSON — Monday night, the Polson City Commission voted unanimously to waive $66,688 in previously paid impact fees for the non-profit entity Mission Valley Aquatics, which has begun construction for a community indoor swimming pool in Polson.

“If it’s for the public good, then we tend to waive the impact fees,” city manager Todd Crossett said, noting that building permit and water/sewer construction fees were not included in the current discussion. “It’s being built on donations for the public good.”

Crossett went on to explain the value of the impact fees charged to MVA were based on a commercial building site, but in this case, he didn’t feel the impact was equivalent to what a normal commercial building would be.

“They are really designed to mitigate an increase in impact to the infrastructure services,” Crossett said of the fees. “So, it’s not money out of our pocket, it’s just money we won’t receive.”

A two-minute time limit was enacted for members of the public who were packed into the council chambers to share their opinions on the matter at hand.

“The only way these projects work is with a public-city partnership,” resident Jan Tusick said. “Polson should have a pool — let’s get this done.”

Other members of the community expressed their excitement for the pool’s completion and hoped the city would take this opportunity to show support for the project.

Polson resident Murat Kalinyaprak switched gears to say that while he was a supporter of the pool project, he did not feel it was an asset to the community like the schools, library or the new fire hall were.

“Because when you ask that money from the tax payers, they get those services for free,” he said. “This is for money. It’s not the same.”

His comments spurred a long line of public rebuttal.

“We are not taking tax payer money because we are not asking for money from you guys — we are just minimizing what we have to pay to you,” MVA board member Raina Stene said. “With this money we will be able to enhance the facility and offer programming for the entire community, including low-income families.”

MVA volunteer Connie Plaissay added further clarification.

“[Mission Valley Aquatics] is giving $3 million worth of a building to a recreation district,” he said. “We are the instrument that is building this building, we are not going to get the funds once it’s built.”

Finally, local fitness instructor Melinda Leas said that while the pool’s rates aren’t free, they are still going to be outrageously low compared to similar facilities nationwide. The facility will offer low seasonal and annual passes and daily rates anticipated to be $3 per child or senior, $4 per adult and $10 per family pass.

“The price they are offering is the gift to the community,” she said. “If you walk into a private pool, you will pay $15 to just walk in the door.”

Commissioner Elsa Duford was the only city board member to hesitate even slightly on her vote to pass the measure.

“With support like that, I guess I have to vote yes,” she said.

In other Polson City Council news, the commission approved the sublet of the Tamsco property located on Kerr Dam Road. Representatives from Core Outdoor Power, the proposed subletee, introduced their company, which makes light industrial gasless power tools. The company anticipates the creation of 25-30 new jobs and will hope to expand from there.

Billie Lee, the executive director of Lake County Community Development Corporation, shared her excitement for the good things a company like Core Outdoor Power would bring to the community.

“It’s a very exciting technology that is already happening there in Ronan,” she said. “We are in strong support of them, so cheer for the jobs that they are bringing to the community.”

Mayor Pat DeVried and commissioner John Campbell echoed her delight.

“That’s what this building was always about,” Campbell said. “Jobs.”

Crossett reported that the search for a new chief of police will begin with an assessment of the current department as it was under retired Chief Doug Chase, followed by an interview process based on the newly-formed scoring criteria. Skyline Project/TIGER grant construction is ongoing and should continue for another month before they start to wrap things up for winter. The majority of the project work will take place next summer. The Boy Scouts have finished work on the walking trail in the Travis Dolphin Dog Park. The resurfacing and curbing of the playground at Riverside Park had been completed. And finally, the golf course restaurant will be shutting down earlier than it has in the past.

“We haven’t done well in the shoulder seasons,” Crossett said. “Last season came in about $4,000 in the hole, which isn’t bad — we lost money in the spring, but made it back in the summer. So, we’re going to really focus on those primary months where we can make money.”

A resolution to adopt fiscal year 2011-2012 final budget passed unanimously after some debate as to whether the council needed to approve the transfer of funds internally, within the budgeted parameters, or if the city manager was able to do so without council approval.

“Will it delay funding streams or allocations of money from one pot to another?” commissioner Todd Erickson asked the city manager.

“It’s possible that it may,” Crossett said, asking commissioner Lies, who proposed the amendment, “At what level of detail would you want us to come to the council?”

“Where the money goes,” Lies replied. “It’s nice to be informed.”

Ultimately, the motion to amend died 2-5.

“As long as it’s within the fund and it doesn’t exceed it, I don’t think that’s necessary,” Campbell said.

Lies made a second motion to pass the budget with the amendment that city treasurer Bonnie Manicke receive a $1 hourly raise, increased from the $.50 raise they city was already going to give her. That motion passed unanimously.

“She is no doubt a valued employee,” Crossett said.

The budget specifies the general fund mill levy is 124.88, permissive mills at 4.6 and municipal services special mill levy at 19.95, valued at $8,997 per mill.