The city of Merriam's community center and aquatics center could soon get a makeover after studies of both facilities revealed structural and maintenance problems.
"We spend a great deal of money band-aiding problems. This year we had problems with the A-Track system. We lost 2 pumps, we've lost ceilings," said Anna Siocum, the city's parks and recreation director.
The city has formed a steering committee and hired consultants to help with a decision on how these problems should be addressed. According to Siocum, the city will be evaluating three choices and making a decision in the spring.
The three choices for the community center include keeping the facility as it is, renovating part of the center or building a new community center with an aquatic center attached.
"Everything right now is conceptual," said Siocum. "We are waiting for our draft proposal to come back that will come forward to the public in December and the city council as well. Then a final proposal will come in January and we will have budget discussion and capital improvement discussions."
The project could cost the city millions of dollars. Siocum declined to tell 41 Action News if consultants had provided the city with an estimate of how much it would cost to rebuild the community center.
"I'm not for or against spending money for the community center or swimming pool, I know we need it. Whether or not we should spend our money on that rather than use all the various facilities around here that's up to the residents to decide," said Sam Matier.
Matier has lived in Merriam for years and considers himself "the city's watchdog." He is asking city council to put this project up to a vote.
"Johnson County, they built a multi-million dollar courthouse and coroners facility and they asked the residents to vote. Merriam on the other hand is saying no we know what's best for the citizens, we will take your money and we will decide," said Matier.
The city of Merriam has held public meetings on the project. Residents at a meeting in August showed a preference for an indoor track, community meeting rooms and in indoor leisure pool. They also showed a preference for diving boards, lap lanes and slides at the aquatics center.
The next public meeting is scheduled for December 13 at the community center.
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Ariel Rothfield can be reached at Ariel.Rothfield@KSHB.com.
