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CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) The Valley City Parks and Recreation Department in cooperation with Valley City State University are advocating the concept of a community focused Wellness Center that would serve people of all ages.
The proposed $16 million dollar Health, Wellness and Physical Education Center would have three full size basketball courts, 2 aquatic center pools, locker runs and on the second floor a walking track, weights and cardio equipment overlooking the gym.
A public input meeting on the proposal will be held Monday, September 8 at 5pm inside the Valley City Eagles Club. Public input on the direction and feasibility of the project will be discussed.
A consulting firm has been gathering public input and ideas about the project since August. The firm plans to present annual maintenance cost figures for the facility to present to the public in mid-October.
During the first public input meeting in August a number of tennis players and their advocates supported the idea of turning one basketball court into a year round indoor tennis court.
A few people in the audience said using a hundred percent of the city sales tax funding for permanent flood protection was more important than building and financing a Wellness Center.
Other people wondered who would pay for the cost of maintaining the facility and how much would it cost to man and upkeep the facility annually.
The committee advocating the concept will make a formal request to the city commission on August 19 to ask the commission to vote up or down on holding a public advisory vote November 4 with the general election. The measure would extend the ½ percent city sales tax like the one now used to finance the construction of the Hi Liner Activity Center.
George Gaulker is with the Valley Development Corporation. He says the plan is to ask the city commission to place the issue before the voters, under the proposal the city would use (89 percent) for permanent flood protection and infrastructure projects. He says 11 percent would be used to finance a $3 million dollar bond issue for the Wellness Center. Gaulker says the model is based on a 40 year payment plan. But he says at the projected rate of sales tax revenue the bond could be retired within 30 years.
Construction of the Wellness Center would be financed using a state grant of $1 million with private contributions to match the state grant of $2 million and $4 million in additional private contributions. And if approved by the voters, $3 million from the city sales tax fund would also be used to finance the bond. Valley City State University would bring in an estimated $2 million in student fees. And the remaining $4 million would be raised through additional grants and a public fundraising drive.
Valley City Parks and Recreation Board President Dick Gulmon echoed George Gaulker’s statement that funding for permanent flood protection is most important but both projects are feasible for a city the size of Valley City.
Gulmon says a Wellness Center will attract more students to the University as well as other incoming residents in the future for Valley City.
Mercy Hospital CEO Keith Heuser says the Catholic Health Initiatives owned company is prepared to make a substantial contribution if the concept proposal is approved.
Heuser says insurance companies are making changes associated with the federal Affordable Health Care Act. He says insurance companies who once did not cover the treatment of chronic diseases and certain types of physical therapy are now covering a portion of the cost or will be soon. Heuser says this Wellness Center will be much more than just a fitness center.
The location of the proposed 60,000 square foot facility is still up for discussion. Earlier proposals suggested the facility be built east or west of the W.E. Osmon fieldhouse. Other sites have also been suggested in Valley City.
Meanwhile, Valley City residents will vote up or down on two separate advisory votes during the November 4 general election.
One measure will ask if you approve extending the existing 1/2 percent city sales tax over a 30 year period and use 83 percent of the money collected to fund construction for permanent flood protection.
The second measure will ask if you approve extending the existing 1/2 percent city sales tax to fund the construction of a new Wellness Center up to $3 million dollars plus interest over a 30 year period.