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Capital Improvement Program Memo <br />Page 2 <br /> <br />include a kitchen facility for catering meals in order to accommodate banquets <br />or small conventions has been discussed. Large and small multi-purpose <br />meeting room space has been repeatedly noted as an unmet basic need in the <br />community. This need is highlighted when groups such as the Chamber of <br />Commerce have to go out of town for their annual meeting because no facility <br />in the community is large enough to accommodate them. <br /> <br />Other space needs seem to be either addressed in the short term or to be too <br />expensive to be dealt with at this time. For example, in the long term a city <br />senior center facility is definitely something to consider, but in the short <br />term, continuing to work with Guardian Angels to have the public city senior <br />center in their private facility is working to the satisfaction of most everyone. <br />However, as the city grows it is unrealistic to expect that this relationship <br />would continue forever... Also, discussion has taken place regarding a <br />health]fitness center type of facility being included in a community center. <br />Some people however believe that this need is most appropriately addressed by <br />private industry. There is also the possibility that the city could invest in this <br />type of operation and then have a facility that is unused due to private <br />competition...A third space need deals with the youth, but a youth center <br />seems to have been addressed for the time being by the establishment of the <br />Boys and Girls Club and the city-run Emporium facility. Again, like the senior <br />center, in the long run I believe that the city will need a youth center, but this <br />is not on the immediate horizon...Regarding an indoor pool, this topic has <br />yet to be seriously discussed, but it is very expensive for both the construction <br />and operation and, as we all know, the outdoor pool was not well received by <br />the public based on the failed bond referendum. Nonetheless, an indoor pool <br />like we see in other community centers is certainly worth exploring, but this <br />may be a long term desire versus a short term type of need...Finally, the arts <br />center and theatre complex has had extensive publicity in the local paper <br />and has generated a great deal of discussion from a very active, although <br />small, community group. This type of facility is very expensive and, while it is <br />important for the overall cultural well being of the community, it also may not <br />be on the immediate horizon due to funding concerns. <br /> <br />If meeting room space is the number one concern and the only immediate goal <br />of the City Council, then I think it is safe to say that this space need can be <br />addressed in the not too distant future. This type of space can be developed <br />along with a 2002-03 City Hall expansion or can be done in combination with <br />the school facilities that were discussed on 1/24/00. Adding meeting <br />room/auditorium space to the Community Education, Early Childhood, Special <br />Education (and Community Recreation?) facility is probably the easiest "joint" <br />facility to undertake by both the city and the school district. This type of joint <br />facility may even be able to be accomplished without a public bond referendum <br />if the total city cost is kept low. However, I don't want to mislead anyone and I <br /> <br /> <br />