Now that the Emporia Recreation Commission’s Future Funding Task Force lineup has been set, it has a lot of work ahead in a relatively short period of time.
As part of the Rec Commission board’s monthly meeting Monday, the board approved Jon Geitz, Scott Briggs, Jerry Fair, Christian Keisler, Deon Morrow, Yahaira Ibarra and Jami Reever as voting members. Trey Cocking, Pam Stranathan and Tom McEvoy are ex officio, or non-voting, members.
Board chair Dave Harding says the goal is to have a recommendation in hand by late August. It’s tasked with researching potential funding streams, possible locations and future amenities.
Harding also says the task force membership is bigger than initially planned. The early plan was to have five members, but the Rec Commission board felt a larger task force — approved at seven members — will give better representation of the community.
One item that isn’t moving forward — not yet, anyway — is Rec Commission approval of the Jones Aquatic Center management agreement, including a significant increase in city funding for salaries. The board tabled action Monday so it can add language on “acts of God,” including pandemics and significant weather events like tornadoes, that would negatively impact the Rec Commission’s operations of the facility. Harding says the adjustment was approved for the prior agreement due to COVID-19 but needs to be installed in the new agreement approved by the city earlier this month. The revised agreement will need City Commission approval, and that could come in early May.
The city is doubling its payments to the Rec Commission from $47,000 to $94,000, in large part to account for wage increases benefiting facility managers and lifeguards.
