Cedar Rapids Today

Park and Recreation Director Lance Hinschberger provided the Belle Plaine City Council with an update on local parks during the Jan. 4 council meeting.

During the meeting, which was streamed on YouTube, Hinschberger told the council that the department had $36,718 in total receipts, similar to the previous year. Pool rentals were booked each weekend of the season; and annual events, including July 4 and Longest Day of the Year, proved successful.

“But then still taking total expenses minus the pool receipts and minus concession receipts, that equals out to be a total operational loss of $56,878.34, which in my time here has been the highest,” he told the council during the meeting.

The council also learned that the department sold 131 season passes this year, a figure similar to years past. During the 73-day season, the pool closed just one day due to weather.

Improvements were made to the aquatic center’s concession area, and an attendant was hired to help out in that area. The council also learned that some unexpected expenses occurred when leaks were found just before the pool opened, along with rising costs for pool chemicals throughout the season.

Hinschberger told the council the leak cost the department 8,000 gallons a water each day during the week that it took to make repairs, and as a result the facility had a choppy financial year. Despite this, the council was not put off by numbers in the red and lauded Hinschberger for his efforts in keeping the pool operational.