New long-term agreement will be in place for five years
By Dave Fidlin
Correspondent
The two local government entities jointly operating the Whitewater Aquatic and Fitness Center have inked a new long-term agreement with the hopes of addressing a persistent issue – an ongoing budget deficit for the amenity.
The Whitewater Unified School Board and Whitewater Common Council each have signed on to a pair of new agreements, one addressing lease and operations and the other pertaining to lease programs.
At its core, the new agreements set the stage for funding contributions in the next half-decade.
For the duration of 2021, the city and school district each will contribute $153,000 toward the facility. In the ensuing years, the entities each will provide $178,000 annually to keep the lights on and programs afloat.
“The facility has accumulated a deficit over time,” Finance Director Steve Hatton said, laying out the premise of the new agreement.
“One of the features of this five-year renewal is both the city and the school district is committing an additional $50,000 a year to help bring that into balance, and ultimately, into a surplus,” he added.
While it might not happen overnight, Hatton said the goal behind the restructured agreements is to chip away at the center’s deficit, which currently hovers around $300,000.
The city and school district previously had a similar five-year agreement in place, which began July 1, 2016, and ended June 30. With the new document in place, it will run through June 30, 2026.
When it began operations two decades ago, the aquatic center initially was run by a third-party entity, Whitewater Aquatic Center Inc., with funding from the city and school district.
Over time, however, oversight simply shifted to the city and school district. The jointly governed Parks and Recreation Board handles policy-related recommendations directly related to the facility.
