Memorandum 11-025 Re: Old Intermediate School

CITY OF HOMER
Community Recreation Telephone (907) 235-6090
600 E. Fairview Avenue Fax (907) 235-8933
Homer, Alaska 99603 Web Site
www.homercommunityrecreation.com
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Memorandum 11-025

To: Walt Wrede through Sheri Hobbs
From: Mike Illg, Community Recreation Coordinator
Date: 2/7/11
Re: Old Intermediate School

The City of Homer Economic Development Committee has been recently delegated by the City Council to explore possible uses of the City’s Old Intermediate School/Educational facility once the local college vacates the building in June 2011.

The City of Homer Community Recreation program has a significant vested interest in the present and future usage of this facility. We currently use this building for a number of CR activities that many city residents and surrounding community members utilize and depend upon. We only utilize the gym through communication with the Boys & Girls Club manager as long as we do not conflict with their programs and activities. Because it is a city owned facility we are not charged to use the building but we pay $100 annually to the Boy’s and Girl’s Club for restroom supplies.

The CR program has an agreement with the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District to use the Homer High and Homer Middle School facility for the amount of $6,000 annually. The KPBSD programs and activities have priority over CR use. We are experiencing a constant increase in KPBSD activities creating a decrease in space/time availability for CR activities. The school must only give CR one week notice to move or cancel a CR activity creating more difficulty in the flow of providing our activities to the public. According to our agreement we are also limited in offering new CR programs.

The need to find additional or alternative space for Community Recreation activities is paramount for the continuation and success of the program. If KPBSD continues to raise the costs to use the facilities while decreasing the space availability at the same time, our revenue and participation may gradually decline.

Here is a list of our present and future activities at the Old Intermediate School.

Present use:

Children’s Playgroup
During the months of September to May, on Mondays and Fridays (10:30am-noon), we open the gym for parents and toddlers to come play, run and romp in a large, warm, clean indoor space during the cold months in Alaska. I estimate we have over 60 different kids that attend (thankfully not all at the same time). Many parents have expressed how important and fortunate they are to have this activity for their children’s health, well being, socialization and the parent’s sanity. We charge $2 a visit for each child and we rely on volunteers to monitor the activities, obtain signed release forms and collect fees. The CR program does not have access to the other school facilities as schools are in session making gymnasiums unavailable.

Youth Basketball
We offer youth basketball through a program called Bruins Basketball. The use of the Old Intermediate School is important as often other school gymnasiums are not available due to after school sports and activities. We charge participants a CR fee and the program is operated by volunteers. This is held in the evenings and sometimes on the weekends.

Future Use:

Archery
Community Recreation was recently awarded a grant to start an archery program. We tentatively have an instructor, purchased some equipment and will be planning on using the gym once or twice a week in the evenings pending enough interest. This activity was reviewed and approved by our AML risk management staff. This is a great option as the local schools do not have the time or space available to accommodate this activity.

Yoga
We are planning on offering beginner yoga when the instructor is healthy enough to start once she is healed from a recent injury. This class would be held in the evenings.

Boot Camp Fitness
We are planning on offering Boot Camp Fitness when the instructor is healthy enough to start once she is healed from a recent injury. This class would be held in the evenings.

Indoor Roller Skating/Derby
We have been approached with the idea of having indoor rolling skating pending a trial run to see if the special indoor skates will or will not cause damage to the floors. This activity was reviewed and approved by our AML risk management staff. The program is exploratory at this time.

Lunch Time/Mid-Day Activities
Recent trends show that some people seek and enjoy physical activity during their lunch time break. We could offer basketball, yoga, Pilates, indoor walking, etc.

Early Morning Activities
There is also a potential for early morning recreational activities like basketball and soccer for those who like to exercise before going to work.

Home School Activities
There are many students in the Homer area that participate in a home school academic curriculum. There is a potential market for home school based recreational and educational activities. We could offer the programs or they could rent the space.

I would like to offer two proposals.

1. The Community Recreation Program manages the area currently being used by the Boys and Girls Club for a one year trial period. This would allow the Community Recreation program to continue our existing programs and to pursue additional classes/events or rentals during other times of the day the space is not being utilized. Unfortunately I have had to turn away classes and instructors due to limited time and space in the local school facilities. Utilizing this facility for the CR program and other events could potentially expand local commerce in the Homer community. Revenue collected from activities in the facility could help offset utility costs. A rental agreement could be developed with the Boys & Girls Club to continue to use the area.

2. The second proposal would be to give preference to the new tenant willing to allow Community Recreation programs to continue in the gymnasium area. We would work with the tenant to continue to offer our existing programs and add new programs.