As Kirkland voters consider the City’s Proposition 1, “Formation of Kirkland Aquatics and Recreation District,” they must be clear on the issue of cost recovery for the proposed Kirkland Aquatics/Recreation/Community Center. In a recent letter to the editor, “Get the Facts right on ARC” (Oct. 20, 2015), the author questions the City’s finance plan for the proposed ARC and shares information he obtained from other municipal pool operators.

The level of cost recovery for city-owned aquatic centers is set by the agency operating the facility. It is set by policy and a policy may set the level below 100 percent. For Kirkland’s proposed ARC, the City Council has set its policy at 100 percent. This means that fees to use the new facility will offset the cost of operating the facility. I urge voters to read the Operating Plan in the ARC Conceptual Plan which is available at www.kirklandwa.gov/kirklandarc and shows a 104 percent cost recovery.

Mr. Harris asserts that the City claims that similar multi-use community centers owned and operated by the cities of Lynnwood, Federal Way and Vancouver are doing so “in the black.” That is not what I wrote in my Sept. 22 letter to the editor “Kirkland Parks, Council have considered operating costs.” My response clearly states “We have learned from the recent experiences of nearby communities such as Lynnwood, Federal Way and Vancouver that these popular public facilities are able to generate sufficient revenues to meet their policies for cost recovery.”

Mr. Harris fails to explain that the City Councils of these facilities have set their cost recovery policy levels lower than 100 percent.

Vancouver’s Firstenburg Community Center – The cost recovery budgeted for this 80,000-square-foot center is 72 percent. The 2014 actual cost recovery was 75 percent.

Federal Way Community Center: The cost recovery budgeted for this 72,000-square-foot center is 74.5 percent. The actual recovery was 85 percent. As of September 2015, cost recovery is at 90 percent.

Lynnwood Community Center: The cost recovery budgeted for this 44,800-square-foot center is 53 percent. The actual cost recovery was 70 percent. As of September 2015, cost recovery was at 75 percent. This facility does not have kitchen/banquet facilities nor a gymnasium (as proposed for Kirkland’s ARC).

For reasons unique to each community, none of these facilities set their revenue target at 100 percent.

However, each facility is in fact exceeding its targeted revenues. Community centers are designed and programed to meet specific community programing needs.  Each facility is different in size and type and number of program spaces built, all of which influences cost recovery.

The proposed ARC, a multi-use facility combining swimming and other family aquatics components with classrooms, fitness areas, sport courts and community gathering spaces designed to appeals to the broadest segment of the community and is intended to serve residents of all ages will support the anticipated revenue needed for a full cost recovery ARC Center.

Jennifer Schroder, Kirkland Parks and Community Services Director