County to pay to keep pool running for a year
City of Bonners Ferry and county officials discuss paying for city pool operations. (left) Councilman Prion Poston, City Administrator Lisa Ailport, Mayor Dick Staples, County Clerk Glenda Poston, Deputy Clerk Michelle Rohrwasser and County Commissioner Dan Dinning.
(Photo By: EMILY BONSANT)
BONNERS FERRY — The city pool will stay open for the coming year — thanks to the use of American Rescue Plan Act funds.
Boundary County commissioners approved a request for the funds on Monday from Bonners Ferry Mayor Dick Staples, Councilman Brion Poston and City Administrator Lisa Aliport.
Due to an Idaho Supreme Court case ruling, Bonners Ferry officials announced in October that the city now has a general budget shortfall of approximately $450,000. This is due to the case ruling that utilities cannot be used to fund the general budget.
Since the city’s budget had already been published, that has caused officials to look at other funding options and what services could be cut. With the shortfall, the city has to decide what needs to be cut, but at the same time, life-saving departments need to be protected, Aliport said at the Dec. 19 meeting.
“The pool definitely classifies as that,” Ailport said. “In the eyes of the community when we look at all that it does, it’s still one of those areas we have to look at as being a potential cut this year.”
She said she has had an overwhelming amount of calls from community members requesting that the pool remain open.
The city pool has no cost for admission and many people value it from a safety standpoint as a place for children to learn to swim.
The city has budgeted just under $80,000 for the cost of the pool and budgeted $18,500 for review, Ailport said. Last year across the general fund the city was too modest in adjusting for inflation as costs went up. The cost of chlorine alone is three times what it was a year and a half ago and is a major expense necessary to keep the pool clean.
Receiving funds this year is really critical, because maybe next year the city will have another way of covering the shortfall, Staples said.
The city charges for swim lessons at the pool, but not admission. The city is still considering selling property to cover the shortfall.
The commissioners agreed to pay $80,000 of ARPA dollars to the city for operating expenses for the city pool, but are getting legal advice on the transaction before making a resolution.
The city shortfall will be an annual issue until revenue options are found. The city council is requesting community input by way of a special council meeting in the form of a community workshop on Jan. 10, 2023, at 5 p.m. At this time, the meeting’s venue is not yet decided and may require a larger venue to accommodate members of the public.