There has been local speculation about the $7M recreation center whose construction is planned to be underway by the end of October. County Commissioner Celeste Meyeres penned a thoughtful post on the project, including some Q&A, that she shared recently on social media. The SUN has excerpted part of the post and summarized some of the comments here, with her permission.
“Several people have raised concerns about $7M for a recreation center in Kanab, often wishing that we would spend the money instead on roads, or structure fire response ... Part of my thought process on the rec center is that:
1) It’s a one-time cost, because Kanab City is covering the ongoing operational expenses, whereas roads are an endless, black hole of ongoing needs. If we waited until all the roads were perfect, we’d never be able to pay for anything else.
2) The rec center money is not coming from general fund taxpayer dollars but is mostly special and one-time dollars. It seems fitting to me that a one-time project would come from one-time funding.
3) Residents of municipalities pay just as much county property tax as those who live in unincorporated areas ... Kanab City residents make up 5/8 of the total population of the County. Yet, there is very little that the County pays for, for them, comparatively. Every once in a great while I think it’s fitting to fund a project for Kanab City residents, especially a project which will be used by the entire county, will help with economic development … and be something for families and people of all ages to enjoy.
4) Lastly, my thinking is that … there is already a rec center, the North Events Center, which was purchased by the County and is run by the municipality of Orderville. So, there is a precedent and a working model for that type of arrangement, which has been going well for over a decade.
I am very happy to discuss [this project]. Phone is the most feasible way for me to communicate in real-time. My number is 435-689-0907.”
Questions from the comments section included:
Q: Is it correct that this project did not go out as an RFP for competitive bid? A: No, that is not correct. The project did go out as an RFP for competitive bid.
Q: Is it true that this will not be a public recreation center? A: No, that is not true. Just like the Kanab Center gymnasium, the rec center will also be open to the public.
Q: Where will the rec center be located? A: The rec center will be located behind the Kanab Center next to the construction site for the community outreach building, which is a separate project that will house the Care & Share and Drug Court programs. The county is coordinating the construction of the two buildings to reduce costs, as both have the same contractor.
It should be noted that no property tax or money from the general fund has been committed or promised as funding for this project. After extensive input from the public and negotiations with the City of Kanab in public meetings, plans and funding for the rec center were unanimously approved by the county commission more than a year ago, the details of which can be found in agendas and minutes posted to the Utah Public Notice website at utah.gov/pmn.
