Progress on the management of Williston's indoor swimming pool went into a stalemate Thursday at the Williston Public School District 1 Facilities Committee meeting as the matter of a Recreation mills the school district once levied for the Park District remained unsettled.

What was intended to be a negotiation meeting between District 1 and the Williston Park District over the management of the E.J. Hagan M.D. Aquatics Center, lasted a mere 15 minutes.

Williston Park Board President Larry Grondahl's request to discuss the Recreation mills which were formerly levied by the school district was denied. In its June 18 meeting, the District 1 School Board voted 4-1 to rescind the Recreation levy which dates back to 1947.

Representing the School District on the Facilities Committee were Superintendent of Schools Warren Larson, Board member Dave Hanson, Board President Daryl Pederson and Sharon Scott, assistant superintendent of business services/personnel for School District 1.

District 1 School Board member Kim Egge sat in the meeting as an audience member, but did not participate in negotiations with the committee. Egge had given the dissenting vote earlier this month. Representing the Park District were Grondahl, Park Board Member Bruce Kaiser and Parks and Recreation Director Darin Krueger.

SCHOOL BOARD's proposals

Larson offered a list of what he called the top 10 shared beliefs on the indoor swimming pool to move toward a consensus for continuing the school district's standard agreement.

This identified keeping the indoor pool open for an all-seasons recreational facility, that District 1 continue paying utilities, that Williston Parks and Recreation maintain programming and maintenance, that improvements continue to be made on the aging facility, that the two entities work together in increasing the development of the indoor pool as an aquatics center, improving the air quality of the indoor pool, and coordinate together on short-term/long-term

That didn't get too far as Park District representatives questioned the effectiveness of an air exchange system purchased by the school district.

Park representatives also were non-committal about the future management of the swimming facility, citing financial concerns over the loss of the Recreation mills through the school district.

In previous meetings, Grondahl has said the Park District and the city of Williston also have the option to levy the Recreation Mill, but the land property base is less than that of the school district. When the school district levied the Recreation mill it generated about $100,000 on behalf of the Park District, having the Park District or the city levy it, would only bring in $80,000.

Larson stopped any discussion about the Recreation mill, saying it was not identified on the committee agenda. Larson said the recreation mills were a matter that should be covered by the Finance Committee instead.

Grondahl, expressing his frustration, simply handed out his proposal over the indoor pool and the recreation mill proposal.

“It might be two things for you, but it is the same thing for us,” Grondahl said, referring to the indoor pool agreement and the loss of Recreation mills revenue.

“Since our last meeting, there have been a lot of concerns brought up,” Grondahl said. “There are some serious things that need to be discussed ... The mill levy has to be discussed as part of our concerns.”

While the school district owns the pool facility, the Williston Park District has managed it since the early 1980s. In the current pool agreement, the school district pays utilities, and the Park District pays out about $101,000 annually toward its operation, maintenance and staffing.

PARK DISTRICT PROPOSAL

“Apparently the park district issues don't tie into this,” Grondahl said. “So I will give you our proposal, and it's tied into the mill.”

“You guys can take a look at that, and we'll leave it at that for this meeting.”

Grondahl offered two options relating to the indoor pool agreement; both hinged on the outcome of the school district levying the Recreation mill.

The first offered a positive outcome if the Recreation mill were levied status quo:

“If the school board rescinds its vote to discontinue the Rec Mill:

The Williston Park District will continue to manage and operate the Williston Indoor Pool for the school district, and the school district will pay for 100 percent of the actual expenses, less revenues. The Park District will continue to provide administration and full-time park staff as needed (a $30,000 to $40,000 commitment of the parks).

The Park District will move forward from today, and will ask the full school board to begin to give the park district the true and full value of the recreation mill - effective immediately.”

The second option spelled out that the Park District would withdraw from the maintenance and staffing agreement if the school district wouldn't levy the Recreation mills. It questioned the legality of the June 18 vote to stop levying the mills and if the Park District received the money it was owed by school district in previous years through the mill levy:

“If the school board does not rescind its vote on the recreation mill:

€ The park district will relinquish immediate management and control of the Williston Indoor Pool to Williston School District 1, and will rent as needed, pool time for all recreation pool programs from Williston public schools.

€ The Park District will request the district court to render an opinion of the legality of the vote of the Williston Public Schools in regard to North Dakota Century Code Statute 40-55, as it relates to the establishment and discontinuation of a public recreation system.

€ The Park District will take action to investigate, and possibly audit the recreation mill that the school district has been levying since 1947, to find out if the park district has been receiving the full and true value of the recreation mill as far back as records allow.”

“There's our proposal for you. I will give you documentation of anything you want,” Grondahl told the Facilities Committee.

Grondahl asked if it were possible to meet with the Finance Committee and the Facilities Committee at the same time. Larson said that would be a full forum of the school board, and hinted it may not be legal meeting from the committee standpoint.

Grondahl said that would spare park district representatives from going back and forth between the two school committees.

“You have our proposals up in front of you; you'll have to take it up with your board,” Grondahl said.