Aquatics center backers now favor $12.6 million facility

Supporters of an aquatics center in Libby will ask voters to approve a mill levy adding about $30 to the bill of a taxpayer with a home valued at $200,000 to fund the facility.

Tony Petrusha, a member of the Kootenai Wellness Aquatics Center (KWAC) committee, presented the funding details while delivering an annual parks report at a Feb. 18 Libby City Council meeting. Petrusha also serves as the city’s parks districts manager.

The mill levy would pay for about $400,000 of the anticipated $500,000 in operations and maintenance cost, he said. User fees likely would cover the remaining $100,000.

“Hopefully, the community of Libby will accept that. If not, our intent is to back up and try again,” Petrusha said.

Organizers made a splash in October when they unveiled plans to build an aquatics center in Libby, which has gone without a pool for decades. Promising to find private funding for construction, KWAC presented three options to residents at a series of meetings and forums.

At the time, supporters said the project would cost between $9.8 and $5.2 million, depending on the array of amenities.

Updating city councilors earlier this week, Petrusha said KWAC was now thinking even bigger. Based on public response, the group wants to build a six-lane facility capable of holding school-sanctioned events, featuring a wading pool and therapy pool.

The expanded project will cost roughly $12.6 million, Petrusha said. He reiterated that private donations would fund construction.

Petrusha said the most prevalent sentiment received from residents was, “If you’re going to go for it, build a full pool.”

KWAC has filed for nonprofit status, he said. Ensuring the mill levy proposal ends up on the spring primary ballot is the next step.

Pressed by City Councilor Rob Dufficy on the pool facility’s potential location, Petrusha said the group’s first choice remains Lincoln County Port Authority property in Libby. Port authority officials have tentatively agreed to support the effort, he said, but negotiations still need to occur before KWAC secures the land.

“Would it be a lease, a sale, a swap? All of those are just property [issues],” Petrusha said. “Once the voters decide it’s time to move forward, we’ll put a little more effort into the details. Those things will shake out.”

Dufficy said his concern stemmed from potential liability incurred by the city, were the eventual site of the facility on Libby property.

“We’ve always said it would not be on city property,” Petrusha told the city councilor.

Petrusha said KWAC members planned to launch a public information campaign ahead of the mill levy vote. They also are working on developing a business plan, which should be finished in the coming weeks, he said.

“We’ve had some pretty good successes, I think,” Petrusha said.