Voters to Consider Community Center Improvements

On Aug. 17, the Shakopee City Council approved action to ask voters at the Nov. 2 General Election to consider the sale of bonds to fund improvements to the Community Center. (See Aug. 17, 2010 memo to Shakopee City Council.)

The question for voters to decide, entitled "Issuance of General Obligation Bonds for Improvements to Community Center" will be:

Proposed Facility Improvements

• Senior Center. This would provide a new space designated for older active adults to meet, socialize and hold activities, and would include a lounge, two meeting/classrooms and restrooms.
• Second Floor to Fitness Areas. The addition would provide expanded programming and aerobics space and a location for exercise equipment, which currently has no permanent space in the lower level hallway and storage room.
• Second Sheet of Ice. This would allow for a full-size sheet with bleacher seating for 200 people.

Design Plans

(Please note, some of the designs show future facilities to illustrate the long-term campus plan. These facilities are not part of the referendum.)

• Master Site Plan
• Floor Plans

Budget and Homeowner Impact

The total costs for the improvements in the bond referendum would be $8.01 million. This amount includes $1.985,500 to fund the senior center and fitness area improvements and $5,870,000 for the second sheet of ice.

See the Cost Estimate from the Architect

Assuming the City is able to issue tax-exempt bonds, the annual additional tax levy increase for bond repayment would total $613,000 annually. The additional annual anticipated operation and maintenance cost totals $331,000. The additional operations and maintenance costs will be included in the general City budget. These increases could have an impact on the operational levy set each year by the City Council.

If approved by voters, Shakopee homeowners could expect to pay the following estimated additional amounts per year for the facility additions to repay the bonds.  The additional operation and maintenance costs will require an increase in the operational levy in the following amounts:  (Note that the operational and maintenance amount would be determined each year during the budgeting process):

The tax levy would begin in 2012 and bond levy payment would continue for 20 years.

Neighborhood Meetings

Residents were invited to come and learn more about the Community Center Bond Referendum at one of the following informational meetings held the first half of October. Information was presented by the “Coming Together for Shakopee” organization (The aforementioned link is to an advocacy group's website and was not created by the City of Shakopee.). City staff also were available to answer questions.