Cape city, school officials still working on new pool costs

(Editor's note: This story has been updated.)

Despite both the Cape Girardeau City Council and Cape Girardeau Public Schools Board of Education approving the operating agreement for Jefferson Elementary School Pool that extends to Dec. 31, neither group has updated estimates for operating expenses or revenue for the facility.

The pool is expected to have a “soft” opening in March.

Kristin Tallent, public information officer for the school district, said in an email Monday afternoon, Feb. 6, that the school district is planning to use estimates created in conjunction with the city in February 2020 during the planning phases of the two-pool solution that encompasses both Jefferson and Central Municipal pools. She said after Jefferson pool is opened they’ll work on “finetuning” the numbers.

The 3-year-old presentation — which predates the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent historic inflation — includes revenue and operating estimates for Jefferson and Central for three years. Jefferson’s estimates span 2022 to 2024. Central’s estimates cover 2023 to 2025.

The 2020 presentation estimates it will cost $354,212 to operate the pool in 2023 with an estimated $234,937 in revenue. The figures factored in a 3% increase in expenses and a 5% increase in revenue each year.

The presentation states the revenue picture is “conservative” and the pool has the potential to be cost-neutral in five years.

Under the recently approved agreement, the city and school district will evenly split the operating expenses for the pool. However, the two entities will be responsible for taking the lead on separate costs. The city is solely responsible for expenses related to the aquatics supervisor and coordinator.

The city will receive 25% of the revenue as a “management fee”, and the remaining 75% of revenue will be split evenly.

As part of the city’s most recent budget — ending June 30 — the Parks and Recreation Department allocated $208,270 for nine months of operating expenses at Jefferson Pool. Original plans were for the pool to open last October. Those estimates are only for the up-front expenses the city is responsible for — pool operator salary, part-time staff, equipment and chemicals — and are not half of the total operating costs for the pool. The budget also estimates $160,063 in revenue during that nine-month span.

The city is in the midst of its budget process for the next fiscal year, and Mayor Stacy Kinder said Tuesday, Feb. 7, officials expect expense estimates to have fluctuated in recent years because of rising personnel and material costs.

Kinder said she was excited about the pool opening. The mayor said she understands that while many weren’t thrilled with the imperfect process that resulted in the Jefferson pool project, she said she thinks it will be a valuable asset to the city and those on the south side.

“It’s now the city and school district’s job to ensure these (both pools) are places our community can enjoy for many years, through sound fiscal and operational management,” Kinder said in an email Tuesday afternoon.

Danny Walter contributed to this reporting.