Point of contention

MONTROSE — A public forum Monday night regarding expansion of the Montrose Recreation District opened stimulating lines of communication among varying perspectives.

“I think it was a good dialogue,” Montrose resident Joe Bagnara said Tuesday.

The seven-person panel included voices of the district, the opposition, the Black Canyon Boys and Girls Club, a physician and a local athletic club owner. For more than two hours they exchanged opinions and statistics and answered audience questions.

The district wants to expand because it has no indoor programming space aside from the Aquatic Center. Several of its programs occur in Montrose County School District Re-1J facilities, Friendship Hall and other locations.

MRD youth coordinator Justin Mashburn said Monday that in 2007, the district had 120 cancellations. Some of these were the result of scheduling conflicts with rented space, as the owners’ events and programs take precedence to those of the district.

Efforts to expand district facilities through tax increases have been shot down by the public, most recently in November 2007’s ballot initiative for residents to pay for $5 million of a $6 million Aquatic Center expansion.

MRD executive director Dean Palmquist said Tuesday that the district is exploring alternative methods of financing as well as how to avoid duplicating services.

“I’m still wondering to this day if the Rec District should join with the Boys and Girls club,” Palmquist said. “I think we need to revisit that — that’s what we came away with after that meeting.”

Communication and collaboration among entities with similar goals were topics brought up numerous times Monday. Residents questioned whether it’s necessary for MRD to function as an entity separate from Montrose County.

“I think that we as a community need to have either an office, an ombudsman or some entity that really works with every one of those (separate) entities,” Bagnara said. “If we’re gonna have all these special districts, then we need to have somebody who is coordinating.”

Residents have questioned why MRD lines don’t include Olathe, though Olathans are allowed to participate in district activities.

“I think that the Rec District outline — or the border — needs to be the county outline,” Bagnara said.

Bagnara’s “position paper” Monday included concerns that low-income families wouldn’t be able to afford admission fees to MRD programs.

Palmquist said the scholarship programs the district offers give out $1,200 to $1,300 annually, allowing anyone to participate.

“We’ve never turned a kid away from our programs,” Palmquist said.

Olathe resident Richard Harding was on Monday’s panel. He explained statistics showing that youth delinquency prevention costs significantly less to communities than incarceration.

“I’ll guarantee you we’re gonna pay for it one way or another. We’re either gonna pay to confine them in Grand Mesa (Youth Detention Facility) or we’re gonna provide the facilities here to address the needs of those children,” Harding said.

He has taken an active role in helping MRD find grant money.

The district has expressed its intention to be a family-friendly facility as opposed to local fitness centers, which cater more to adults.

Montrose Athletic Club owner Mead Serra said MRD expansion will inevitably interfere with local private fitness centers.

“When you build a facility that mimics the exact same facility I have, it’s competition — but then it’s not competition because ... rec districts and rec centers notoriously run in the red and they don’t pay taxes,” Serra said. “Its gonna be a butt-kicking at the end of the day, because I just can’t compete.”

The possibility of MRD purchasing the MAC for its programs was addressed, as it would cost less than for the district to build a new facility. Palmquist said Tuesday he had some concerns with this.

“We could explore it out further, but the initial (thought) is, I believe, you’d be trying to force-fit a building and it wouldn’t adequately meet the needs of the community,” Palmquist said.

Montrose County hosted Monday’s forum, but stated it remains neutral regarding the MRD expansion issue.  

Contact Robert Allen via e-mail at roberta@montrosepress.com