From the Johnson County Daily Journal:
The pool in Franklin could pay for itself one day, but first the city needs some help from taxpayers.
A nearly $3.6 million loan will pay for upgrades to city parks, trails and the pool, with work starting this year.
The city plans to spend $970,000 on upgrades to Franklin Memorial Swimming Pool, including a new slide and a play structure in the zero-depth entry wading pool.
The projects will be paid for by taxpayers for the next 15 years, but city officials hope the additions will help the pool bring in enough money to pay for its operating costs and potentially fund other projects, Franklin Parks Superintendent Chip Orner said.
For example, since 2008, the pool has more than doubled its revenue, increasing from $108,000 to $212,000 this year.
“The trend over the last four years is the park budget has grown, where most budgets have not, because we’re raising our own revenue,” he said. “That means that, hopefully, as we grow, the taxpayers don’t have to pay for our growth. We’ll pay for ourselves.”
Other projects include a $725,000 expansion to the city’s recreation center, which will double the size of the fitness center, allowing up to 2,000 members instead of the roughly 1,000 members the center now has. The city also plans to enlarge parking lots, repave streets, extend trails and repair other parks facilities.
http://www.dailyjournal.net/view/local_story/Loan-will-pay-for-parks-upgrad_1345431754/
