City, School District Ink 99-year Agreement

The city of Glenwood and Glenwood Community School District have come to terms on a long-range real estate lease and shared-use agreement for the Charles E. Lakin Aquatic Center proposed on property adjacent to Glenwood Community High School.

The school district will receive $1 a year from the city over a 99-year period, according to the agreement approved by the Glenwood City Council at its regular meeting Tuesday, Dec. 9.

“We needed a long-term lease because the pool has a life expectancy of 40-60 years,” city attorney Matt Woods said. “This is important to the city considering the investment that’s being made. The school district has been very agreeable in working with us.”

Woods said terms of the shared-use agreement call for the city to be designated as the primary user of the pool between Memorial Day and Labor Day, with the district given primary access during the school year.

“The agreement recognizes the city having primary use from Memorial Day to Labor Day, but the city also agrees to be flexible,” Woods said. “We would like the school district to get some use out of it.”

The real estate and shared-use agreements were approved in November by the Glenwood Board of Education.
A seven-member steering committee, made up of three representatives from the city, three from the school district and one person with no affiliation to either entity will be put in place to address issues of concern.

“The purpose of the steering committee will be to work with scheduling events and other issues that might arise,” Woods said.

Woods said the majority of the pool site will be on land owned by the school district, but some of the parking will be on city-owned real estate. Pool patrons will also be allowed to park on lots belonging to the school district.

The aquatic center is being built near an auxiliary gymnasium under construction at the high school. Some consideration was initially given to having the gymnasium locker room also serve as a bath house for the aquatic center, but that idea has been nixed, city administrator Brian Kissel said. The bathhouse will be located near the main entrance to the aquatic center.

Construction of the $4.7 aquatic center is projected to be completed in time for the start of the 2016 summer swimming season. The gym is scheduled to be built in time for the start of the 2015-16 school year.

One of the next orders of business for the city council is to enter into negotiations with the YMCA for an agreement concerning the management of the aquatic center. The YMCA has experience managing swimming facilities in other communities, but no agreement has been reached for operation of the Glenwood facility.

“The city has reached out to the YMCA to see if they’re interested in operating the pool,” Woods said. “It’s certainly my impression that the city and YMCA have had a good working relationship. It’s my opinion that the YMCA is interested so we’ll be starting to discuss terms.”

* Another prominent item on the council’s Dec. 9 agenda was the approval of major renovation projects on South Vine Street and Railroad Ave.

Kissel said a stretch of Vine Street, from south of the post office to the Keg Creek bridge, will be completely milled before being resurfaced over a rock and sand base. Storm drains will be installed and concrete gutters, sidewalks and driveway approaches will be poured. The street will be widened by about 18 inches on each side, Kissel said.

The renovation of Railroad Ave. will take place on a stretch of road south of the Mills County Law Enforcement Center to the school district’s bus barn. The project will involve milling gravel and asphalt and resurfacing with concrete.
Kissel said the total cost of carrying out both projects is estimated at $1.1 million with 80 percent of the funding coming from the Iowa Department of Transportation. Assessments will also be levied onto property owners along both roads.

The council approved the two projects despite receiving several oral and written objections from property owners and Glenwood-area residents during a Nov. 18 public hearing.

Council member Craig Florian said the Vine Street and Railroad Ave. projects have been on the city’s long-range radar for several years and property owners along the two roads will benefit greatly from the improvements.