|
City seeks input on shared facility By Chris Strunk Last Updated: February 05, 2015 Before they go any further, members of a group putting together a proposed community center want to hear from you. The Valley Center Community Center Committee — and an architect the city hired this week — will host a series of public meetings to get input from residents about what they'd like to see in a shared facility. "We need the community to be interested," said Marci Maschino, city council member and chair of the Community Center Committee. "We need to find out what the community wants so we can create something that meets the needs and wants of the community." The architecture firm, Spangenberg Phillips Tice of Wichita, is putting together an online survey residents will be invited to take. Maschino said she encouraged the public to attend a forum at 6 p.m. Feb. 17 at City Hall to discuss the community center idea. Maschino said the group wants to know how residents would utilize a community center. "Whatever people can dream up," Maschino said. Leading up to the public forum, the architect is setting focus group meetings with the Friends of the Library and Library Board, the senior center and the general public. The Valley Center City Council formed the committee last fall in an effort to put together plans for a facility that could be used as a library, a senior center, a community center and a space for teens and younger groups. The facility would be built in Lions Park, replacing the current Community Building. The Valley Center Public Library has been studying the possibility of a new facility for several years. "We don't know what people want if we don't hear from them," Maschino said. After the community meetings, the architect is expected to develop concept drawings for the committee to consider this spring before taking the proposal to the city council with a recommendation for funding. The city council discussions likely will take place this summer as the city puts together capital improvement funding plans for the next few years. The community center could be included in funding for 2016-17. During the city council's meeting Feb. 3, the council: •Approved a list of Valley Center Chamber of Commerce events and requests for city assistance. New this year, the chamber is planning to have a fireworks stand. The chamber asked the city to waive the city fee for the stand. However, the council denied that request and said it would discuss the matter as the event approaches. •Approved the sale of $1.12 million in temporary notes to Country Club Bank. The sale will help fund infrastructure improvements in Valley Creek, which will be repaid in specials, as well as other city projects. •Approved the sale of the city's old street sweeper to the City of Haysville for $9,000. •Approved a proposal to include The Ark Valley News on the list of groups receiving the preliminary agenda for city council meetings. Council members wanted preview stories about upcoming meetings to be included in The News. |
|
||
Contact Ark Valley News | Archives |
||||