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Loss at city pool pleases council By Chris Strunk Last Updated: December 07, 2017 The public pool in Valley Center isn't as far under water as usual. The pool didn't make money in 2017, but it didn't lose nearly as much as it did last year. “It's a great asset to the community, and for us to get by at $3,000 a year, it's well worth it," city council member Jake Jackson said during a council meeting Dec. 5. The news may have saved the pool for another season. When losses came in at $6,000, $9,000 and even $15,000 during the past few years, the pool was the subject of much debate as some city council members toyed with the notion of shutting it down. Last year, the pool lost $9,590. This year's loss of $3,222 was the lowest since 2006, when the pool actually made $2,800. The Valley Center Recreation Commission runs the pool, collects revenue, pays the bills and then sends a request to the city at the end of the year to make up the difference. Revenue from the pool in 2017 totaled more than $52,300 ($6,850 from lessons and $7,573 from concessions), while expenses were over $55,700. It wasn't the strongest sales year for the pool, either. Last year, the pool brought in $55,400 in revenue and $56,700 in 2015. Expenses in 2017 were the lowest since 2007, when the pool spent $46,400. In 2017, lessons brought in $6,850 (and made $2,929 after expenses), while concessions garnered $7,573 (and lost $268). General pool revenue was $38,161 (losing $5,882). Rec director Steve Geddes said pool manager Sam Weldon did a good job this summer controlling expenses, especially wages. In other business during the city council's Dec. 5 meeting that lasted 11 minutes, the council: •Approved cereal malt beverage licenses for package sales at Casey's, Kwik Shop and Leeker's and for on-premise consumption at Pizza Hut. •Heard council member Al Hobson describe an experience he had calling Sedgwick County 911 to report a possible grass fire on Meridian Dec. 2. He said the call went to a recording that said all lines were busy. “I found that troubling," he said. Council members Lou Cicirello and Brendan McGettigan were not at the meeting. |
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