HomeMy WebLinkAboutInformation Only 020926AGENDA
INFORMATION UPDATE
February 9, 2026
4:00 PM,
I.Information Update
I.A ACRA January Destination Marketing Report
I.B Follow-up Report - Recreation Facilities Masterplan Update
I.C 2026 Grants Program Updates and Selected Cultural Vibrancy Fellows
I.D Information Only Report - Update for 2026 Aspen Recreation Center Facility
Improvements
January2026_DMReport.pdf
251110-Worksession_FollowUP_Memo_Recreation_Facilities_MP_rev1.docx
02.09.2026_2026_Grants_Programs_Update.docx
Attachment A - 2026 Cultural Vibrancy Fellows.pdf
2026-02-10 ARC Facility Improvements Info Only Report-rev01a.docx
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January 2026 Des.na.on Marke.ng Report for Council
Destination Marketing: Eliza was promoted to Senior Vice President, bringing the visitor services team
under the destination marketing & management umbrella. We continue lots of “behind the scenes”
work towards our aspenchamber.org website redesign – slated for launch next month. We
sponsored (and danced!) our way through a successful Gay Ski Week. We have begun our work with the
Colorado Tourism Office, Wheel the World and Snowmass Tourism on our Accessible Travel Grant. We
will have 25 sites mapped between Snowmass and Aspen allowing travelers to be better informed on
accessibility. We are producing video content that supports our Winters for Non Skiers blog which has
been well timed with this winter snow situation. Staff has participated in the North Star Working Group
Meetings. They are nearing the final stages of the plan update, if you are a user of North Star please
review the plan update, project website and public questionnaire (open until 2/4). North Star Project
page:, Plan Summary, Draft Management Plan Update, and Public Survey. We have approved our
summer media plan with both BVK and TwoSix Digital. Please click to view the 2025 Public Relations
Report. The Month at a Glance Data report is available here.
Group Sales kicked off 2026 with an incredible first fam in partnership with Aspen Snowmass and the
Aspen Meadows. We hosted 5 corporate planners for this intimate and intentional ski focused program.
We look forward to continuing the Women’s Edge Fam in January 2027. Nichole was selected to join
Destination Colorado’s Board of Directors this year. She participated in the board retreat in Boulder.
ACRA is participating in a media and trade mission to the UK with the Colorado Tourism Office. ACRA
and Snowmass Tourism also organized a media day in Dublin with Black Diamond. We hosted several
journalists for the group media fams the past couple years from these markets and continue to build on
the Aer Lingus and United service into DIA to pitch media stories. ACRA will host our annual wedding
fam August 3-6. ACRA and local partners are working on the event coordination for Retreats Resources
Destination University being hosted in Aspen August 31 - September 2. This will be a hosted buyer
program with corporate, third party, and incentive meeting planners. The team is working on a new
digital proposal platform and creating video assets to promote meetings and events in the destination.
Special Events: Looking back at December, Wintersköl’s It’s Cooler with Ullr was a big success. We saw
increased participation across all events throughout the weekend, with a special shoutout to the 14
restaurants that took part in Soupsköl—congratulations to Bangkok Happy Bowl for taking first place! To
kick off 2026, ACRA sponsored AGSW’s Bingo Brunch, assembled another downhill drag team of
Taylor Swifties, and showed up at Limelight Après handing out Defy Ordinary bags. Now, the Special
Events team is gearing up for Food & Wine, June 19–21. The New York team will be in town this week
for the second round of planning meetings. We’ve staffed up for the Volunteer Program and are
ramping up for registration beginning next month, with public registration for new and returning
volunteers opening on April 2.
Airport Guest Services: January was a very smooth month at ASE as the weather has been fair. We had a
few cancellations and diversions, but the staff did their best to assist in the best way possible when they
did occur. Solar flares occurred which caused disruptions to the electronics in the new E175 which
caused a few issues around January 20,21st. Airport management, the airlines and TSA are working out
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ways to handle line management when the capacity is full, which happened over the
holiday. Transportation options have been plentiful, and ACRA remains grateful for their services. We
have updated the transportation list per SP Plus for valid drivers at ASE. Casey met Kelsey Petersen the
new Communication Specialist regarding Metropolis parking and the up-coming closure.
Visitor Centers: Visitor numbers have been steady as visitors are shopping in town more often with less
snow. The attitudes are extremely pleasant as they are exploring other options in addition to downhill
such as ice-skating, cross-country skiing, visiting Ashcroft and enjoying the coaster in
Snowmass. We are preparing for X-Games and communicating transportation and parking information.
Sales Tax Reports: As of the November 2025 Consumption Tax Report, released in January, the 2025
Tourism Promotion Fund came in 3.41% above projections and 6% ahead of 2024 collections.
Recent Press Coverage
Occupancy statistics and commentary, as well as visitor center counts, website data and air service
information can now be found on the following page in the Defy Ordinary Dashboard. All data points are
sourced from our monthly report with Blue Room Research and can be found in the Data Center on the
website.
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HOTEL
OCCUPANCY
ASE
PASSENGER
DATA
VISITOR
CENTER
COUNTS
KEY
TAKEAWAYS
WEBSITE
STATS
JANUARY 2026
•Occupancy decreased by 9.2% YOY to 57.1%
•Average Daily Rate increased by 6.5% YOY to $1,324
•Room Nights Available increased by 5% YOY
•Room Nights Booked decreased by 4.6% YOY
In December, total passengers increased by 2.9% YOY.
Total passenger numbers in 2025 exceeded 2024 levels by 1.7%. In 2025, April and September saw strong YOY growth, extending both the winter and summer seasons.
All United and Delta flights at ASE are now operated with E175s, with additional deliveries scheduled for 2026 and 2027.
In 2025, ASE added two new nonstop flight routes. American Airlines launched service between Charlotte and Aspen, and semi-private jet service, Aero, introduced service between Aspen and New York City.
Aspen website top performing blogs and pages for December 2025
Blogs:
1. What's New This Winter in Aspen (13,879 views)
2. Winter Arts and Culture Events (6,131 views)
3. Celebrate New Year's Eve in Aspen (5,087 views)
4.This Week in Aspen (1,526 views)
5. Winter for Non-Skiers in Aspen (732 views)
Pages:
1. Aspen's Winter Season Highlights (15,933 views)
2. What's New This Winter in Aspen (13,867 views)
3.Aspen Event Calendar (11,299 views)
4. Skiing and Snowboarding (7,769 views)
5. Aspen's Wintersköl Celebration (6,705 views)
o “We move into the peak months of the winter season at something of a disadvantage this year. A
very late start to the season in many--but not all--western resorts has created a revenue deficit
that’s going to require some careful management and the cooperation of Mother Nature to
overcome.”
o “Ongoing price pressures are creating several challenges for destination travel, with consumers finding daily
price pressure making expensive travel less palatable, while suppliers struggle to find the combination of low
rate and occupancy that drives enough revenue to stay ahead of the CPI. “
o “Looking to 2026, a cooling labor market, lower tax rates, and persistent uncertainty are likely to temper both
willingness and ability to spend — elevating the importance of policy, access and experience.”
Sources: DestiMetrics, Blue Room Research Report & Fly Aspen Snowmass
Regional Insights and U.S. Market Review
In December 2025, Aspen's lodging
properties reported the following:
ACRA's 4 Visitor Information Centers experienced a
36.1% increase in traffic in December 2025
compared to December 2024. Staff assisted 14,142
individuals last month.
*Due to a recent change in ACRA’s phone system, this number reflects only in-person and
trackable calls.
- DestiMetrics & U.S. Travel Association, Blue Room Research
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FOLLOW-UP REPORT
ORIGINAL MEETING DATE: 11/10/2025
FOLLOW-UP MEMO DATE: 01/12/2026, revised 01/14/2026
SUBJECT: Recreation Facilities Master Plan Update:
Aspen Recreation Center and Aspen Ice
Garden
PRESENTED BY: Scott Chism, Business Services Director
Desiree Whitehead, Recreation Director
Mira Theisen, Perkins & Will (Consultant)
COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT: Mayor Rachael Richards, John Doyle, Bill
Guth, Christine Benedetti, Sam Rose
______________________________________________________________________
WORK SESSION DISCUSSION SUMMARY: Staff and the Consultant presented an
update on progress of the Recreation Facilities Master Plan project.
1. Topic: Aspen Recreation Center expansion concept: Staff presented a
summarized history of the community’s recreation facilities including the James E.
Moore Pool, Aspen Ice Garden, Aspen Recreation Center and Red Brick building.
A building expansion concept including a gymnasium space, indoor walking track,
fitness/weights spaces, staff workspace, and recreation programming storage
space would enable the Recreation Department to offer expanded recreational
programming.
Council agreed that planning work should continue to address current and
future needs, however there is not an urgency for that facility planning. There
was not unanimous consensus, but the majority of Council members
supported the consideration of an indoor multi-purpose gymnasium space
and improved work out spaces at the Aspen Recreation Center. Some
Council members also recommended consideration of a field house on the
site. Council members supported an initiation of a community outreach
effort.
2. Topic: Accommodating recreation programming with a flexible gymnasium space
at the Aspen Recreation Center, housing, and parking are primary considerations
for any future development at the Aspen Recreation Center.
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Council members acknowledged that the presented vision could meet
community recreation needs. Consideration of addressing current and
future parking needs at the Aspen Recreation Center was identified as
necessary with any type of facility expansion planning. Community
recreation joint use agreements with the Aspen School District were
discussed with identification that Aspen School District was ending adult
use of school gyms, which negatively affects what recreational programming
can be offered by the Recreation Department. Council members agreed that
project planning should continue, but slowly. City Council was hesitant to
proceed quickly with a generational project. City Council members
suggested to improve where possible and to maintain facility functionality.
3. Topic: The Aspen Ice Garden facility condition requires significant capital
improvement to building spaces and systems in order to keep the facility
operational, including short term needs for building ventilation and heating as well
as roofing. The ammonia refrigeration system will be replaced in 2026.
Council members expressed a general consensus to retain a sheet of ice at
the Aspen Ice Garden and to retain the Aspen Ice Garden as a community
recreational facility. Council members acknowledged nostalgia, charm and
convenience of Aspen Ice Garden location as an in-town recreational
amenity.
NEXT STEPS:
City Council expressed interest in having a site visit of the Aspen Recreation
Center in early summer 2026 to gain a greater understanding of existing
conditions. City Council identified the need to identify private funding partners
for future capital improvements at both the Aspen Recreation Center and Aspen
Ice Garden. Staff will identify funding necessary to enable the planning to proceed
at a measured pace in 2026, including public outreach efforts later in 2026.
Staff will continue to coordinate and collaborate with the Aspen School District on
the topics of possible future development of a field house, and community use of
school gymnasium spaces.
Staff will continue efforts to clarify the community's recreational needs and will
collaborate with interested community partners regarding the development of a
field house.
The Aspen Ice Garden will require ongoing repairs, updates and maintenance to
the facility’s interior spaces and operating systems. Staff will focus on keeping the
facility operational, which may result in larger building renovation efforts.
CITY MANAGER NOTES:
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_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
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INFORMATION ONLY REPORT
TO: Aspen City Council
FROM: Arielle Lyons, Grants Administrator, Strategy and Innovation Office
THROUGH: John Barker, Director, Strategy and Innovation Office
MEETING DATE: February 10, 2026
SUBJECT: 2026 Grants Programs Update
INTENDED OUTCOME & SUMMARY:
The intent of this report is to update Council on nonprofit grant applications received for
the 2026 cycle and to inform Council of the selected participants in the Cultural Vibrancy
Fellowship.
Overall, the city’s nonprofit grants program saw moderate overall growth, with 149 total
requests totaling $3.75 million following policy updates. Demand shifted across
divisions, with increases in Arts & Culture driven partly by program realignment, while
Community Nonprofit requests decreased due to new tiering and the pilot mini-grant.
The Cultural Vibrancy Fellowship saw significant growth in interest for 2026, receiving
64 applications with the most dramatic rise among youth applicants. A new
programming model which expands traditional discussions to shared immersive
experiences commenced on January 8 and will continue through May 14 .
There are no requests of Council at this time.
DISCUSSION:
Nonprofit Grants Program Update
During a work session on August 11, 2025, Council approved policy recommendations
by the Grants Steering Committee for the nonprofit grants program. These were:
1. Shift eligibility from physical location to operating presence
2. Provide a preference for Aspen-based nonprofit organizations
3. Provide focus for the Community Nonprofit division
4. Begin shifting to multi-year funding
These policy recommendations resulted in a tiered funding approach within the
Community Nonprofit and Arts & Culture divisions in addition to the creation of a pilot
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mini grant within the Community Nonprofit division. No changes were made to the
Health & Human Services division request limits.
Arts & Culture Tiered Funding Request Limits
o Aspen-based: up to $100,000
o Non-Aspen-based: up to $75,000
Community Nonprofit Tiered Funding Request Limits
o Aspen-based: $50,000
o Non-Aspen-based: up to $37,500
(Pilot) Community Nonprofit Mini Grant
o Low barrier-to-entry pilot program intends to deliver funds to organizations
with requests of $5,000 or less through a simplified application and revi ew
process. A total of 25 awards are available in this pilot year.
Health & Human Services
o All organizations: $30,000
In addition to division-specific request limits, requests are capped at no more than 20%
of an organization’s current-year operating budget. This approach is designed to
promote long-term sustainability by encouraging diversified funding and ensuring city
support compliments, rather than replacing other revenue sources.
Applications for the 2026 grant cycle opened on October 8 and closed on December 10,
2025. Two informational sessions were hosted in October to inform nonprofit partners of
policy and program changes. A total of 80 nonprofit representatives attended
between both sessions. The program received a total of 128 cash and 21 in-kind
requests from 128 organizations totaling $3,732,294.00.
$1,114,585
$598,600
$300,000 $174,684
$1,903,330
$1,161,364
$571,600
$223,337
Arts & Culture Community
Nonprofit
Health & Human
Services
In-Kind
Budget Requests
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Overall demand for city grant funds increased moderately as expected from FY25–
FY26, with total number of requests rising from 140 to 148 and total dollars requested
increasing from approximately $3.52 million to $3.72 million.
Division FY 2025 FY 2026
Arts & Culture
37 organizations
requested
~$1.5M
39 organizations
request
~$1.8M
Community Nonprofit
50 organizations
requested
~$1.2M
48 organizations
request
~$1.1M
Health & Human
Services
33 organizations
requested
~$599K
30 organizations
request
~$571K
In-Kind
20 organizations
requested
~$206K
21 organizations
request
~$233K
Moderate increase in demand: application volume along with total dollars
requested has increased year over year, though growth was uneven across
divisions.
Request type concentration: general operating requests (104), which support
an organization’s core operations significantly outweighing programmatic
requests (30), which are generally tied to a specific project or initiative.
Community Nonprofit demand reduction: the combination of tiered Aspen-
based request caps and the new mini grant is helping streamline requests and
more sustainably balance demand within the Community Nonprofit division.
Program realignment impacts: transitioning applications that were historically
part of the Community Nonprofit division, but are most closely aligned with Arts &
Culture, has helped right-size demand in the Community Nonprofit division while
supporting healthy growth both in the volume and dollar value of requests.
Division No. of
Applications
Total $
Requested
Avg. $
Request
No. of New
Organizations
Arts & Culture 37 $1,964,330 ~$52K 2
Community Nonprofit 48 $1,150,265 ~$23K 5
Health & Human
Services 30 $571,600 ~$19K 4
In-Kind 21 $223,337 ~$10K 0
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(Pilot) CNP Mini Grant 10 $43,599 ~$4K 3
Over the month of February, the grant review committees will review and score
applications. Once complete, these scores will be converted into initial funding
recommendations using an objective funding formula. These initial recommendations
will be reviewed and approved by the Grants Steering Committee before being
presented to Council for final approval in early to mid-April.
Cultural Vibrancy Fellowship
On September 12, 2023, Aspen City Council adopted Resolution #132, series of 2023,
establishing the Cultural Vibrancy Fellowship as a means to distribute funding directly to
local artists while fostering connection and collaboration within the arts community. Ten
aspiring high school student artists and twelve community adult artists have been
selected to receive the 2026 Cultural Vibrancy Fellowship. Applications opened in late
October and closed in late November. A panel of five community reviewers evaluated
applications based on four criteria:
Demonstrated commitment to artistic pursuit
Impact of funding
Artistic merit
Community contribution (youth are not scored on this criterion) A total of 64
applications (17 youth and 47 adult) were received during the month -long application
period. The 2025 program received a total of 42 applications (7 youth and 35 adult).
AGE GROUP FY 2025 FY 2026 Change
Youth (under 18) 7 17 +143%
Adult (18+) 35 47 +34%
An increase in application numbers in both groups indicates a growing desire to
participate in the program, especially among the youth demographic.
Broad artistic disciplines are represented across the youth and adult cohorts:
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Artists were notified in January and will meet regularly until the final celebratory
gathering in mid-May. This year, fellowship gatherings will go beyond traditional
discussions to include immersive shared experiences between the youth and adult
cohorts. Fellows will now attend performances at the Wheeler Opera House followed by
intimate conversations with the presenting artists, fostering artistic exposure and
inspiration. New orientation models were also introduced: adults began the program
with a full-day retreat, while youth participated in an art-making activity and shared
dinner to build community from the outset.
NEXT STEPS:
Staff will plan to return to Council in early to mid-April with initial funding
recommendations for approval, following the completion of assessments by volunteer
reviewers and the grants steering committee
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment A – “2026 Cultural Vibrancy Fellowship Participants”
CITY MANAGER NOTES:
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2026 Cultural Vibrancy Fellows: Adults
Artist Name Artistic Medium Final Funding Award
Agustina Flores Maini Immersive/ Installation $5,000
Andy Curtis New Media $5,000
Axel Livingston Visual Arts $5,000
Chris Macdonald Film $5,000
Daisy Mayer Performing Arts $4,700
Hector Chacon Performing Arts $5,000
Jessica Mansor Visual Arts $4,000
Josefina Mendez Cattaneo Performing Arts $5,000
Michael Bonds Visual Arts $5,000
Miller Ford Performing Arts $4,000
Tristan Trincado Performing Arts $5,000
Whit Boucher Visual Arts $5,000
Total Amount Adults $57,700
2026 Cultural Vibrancy Fellows: Youth
Artist Name Artistic Medium Final Funding Award
Aaron Levey Visual Arts $750
Bo Pfaffmann Film $750
Dante Clark Performing Arts $750
Jacob Barrow Visual Arts $750
Koston Tanner Film $750
Liloo Oppenheim Edible Art $750
Maya Calle Visual Arts $750
Micah Scott Visual Arts $750
Norah Glasgow Visual Arts $750
Yaroslav Loboda Visual Arts $750
Total Amount Youth $7,500
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INFORMATION ONLY REPORT
TO: Aspen City Council
FROM: Scott Chism, Business Services Director
Desiree Whitehead, Recreation Director
THROUGH: Austin Weiss, Parks and Recreation Director
MEETING DATE: February 10, 2026
SUBJECT: Update—2026 Aspen Recreation Center Facility Improvements
INTENDED OUTCOME & SUMMARY:
This report is to update City Council on the progress of the 2026 Aspen Recreation
Center Facility Improvements project. No action is requested from the Council currently.
Staff is seeking opportunities in mid-February to provide tours of the Aspen Recreation
Center Natatorium to Council members to help clarify project challenges discovered
through the work of the engineering experts on the project team.
Discoveries made by the project team have led to cost estimates provided by the
construction manager/general contractor (CM/GC) that exceed the current budget
authority for the project. Staff have identified a potential supplemental funding scenario
utilizing the Parks (100) Fund to meet the anticipated Guaranteed Maximum Price
(GMP) that will be delivered to the City on 02/27/26. A contract for construction with the
project’s CM/GC, PNCI Construction, that reflects a guaranteed maximum price (GMP)
for the work will be presented for City Council approval at the 03/24/26 regular Council
meeting consent calendar.
DISCUSSION:
This project originated from the need to address original construction issues that have
resulted in significant operational challenges over a period of decades at the facility.
Correcting each of these issues singularly would result in extensive and repeated
closures of the Aspen Recreation Center, so a coordinated effort was envisioned to
address the issues while minimizing public impact.
The major infrastructure issues City staff is facing in the Natatorium include:
Considerable earth settling under the concrete decks around the swimming pools
over the last 20 years has damaged the pool drainage and deck drainage
infrastructure across the Natatorium footprint. In some conditions, water lies in
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place stagnating inside pipes due to changed slope and in other conditions, the
drain lines have broken due to earth movement and water is flowing into the
ground under the pool deck and pool shells. This problem will continue to
worsen as time progresses. Recent field testing with ground penetrating radar
show some areas have greater than a 4-inch hollow cavity between the bottom of
the concrete deck and the top of the gravel fill. The proper intervention involves
removing the concrete deck slabs and original fill layers. That material removal
is a significant part of the project’s workscope and greater in quantity than project
planning estimates. Following concrete deck and existing compromised backfill
removal, the contractor will have access to the damaged drainage infrastructure
to repair/replace before structural fill and concrete decks are replaced.
The Boiler room floor also shows signs of considerable settling under essential
building mechanical equipment (water heaters, storage tanks, pumps, water
softening equipment, building heating infrastructure, etc.). Within this part of the
project scope, the domestic hot water storage tanks, which are exhibiting signs of
failed interior lining, negatively affecting water quality, will also be replaced
together with removal and replacement of the compromised concrete floor and
subfloor drains.
The lap pool is in need of replastering, including installation of new perimeter tiles
and perimeter drain grates. This work is expected pool maintenance activity
since the 2002-2003 construction that City staff recommends completing while
the Natatorium is affected by other necessary work.
Capital planning for the project work to address known deficiencies was established in
late 2024 and early 2025 using industry standard placement costs for stamped colored
concrete, pool shell replastering and pool perimeter drains/infrastructure. After retaining
a multi-disciplinary design and CM/GC team in late 2025, a thorough analysis has been
completed. That analysis has included extensive review of original construction
documents, review of hundreds of original construction process photos, utilization of
ground penetrating radar, hours of interviews with Facilities staff and core drilling in
multiple locations inside the Natatorium to gain a detailed understanding of the existing
conditions.
The results of the extensive analysis are that the expert team has determined that
structural aspects of the original construction must be corrected in order to successfully
complete the necessary repairs to the drainage infrastructure and concrete deck
replacement identified in the original scope of work. Actions like sawcutting and
removing a top portion of the entire lap pool shell to enable creation of a structurally
sound pool perimeter for correctly functioning deck drains and structurally sound swim
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blocks/diving board anchoring as well as 8’ depth removal and replacement of fill
material to mitigate structural deficiencies in some areas of the Natatorium were not
included in the 2024/2025 Capital project planning effort. The extensive fill removal and
replacement together with new, extensive structural steel support in the replaced pool
deck and drainage infrastructure has contributed to an increased cost of the workscope
to what had been budgeted.
In summary, the complexity of the project and associated logistics to complete have
expanded with greater study and analysis to ensure current problems do not reo ccur in
the future. The team has taken an approach of ‘cannot fail again,’ and ‘address root
cause of problems,’ as opposed to simply ‘repairing’ compromised infrastructure.
PNCI Construction will be developing a Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) for the
project in February 2026, following receipt of the complete construction documents and
bidding to a group of vetted sub-contractors. Input from PNCI Construction following
provision of the permit drawings that were submitted for permit on 01/19/26, indicates
that the cost to complete the work will increase in value from what had been identified in
the schematic pricing. The value increases are due to a variety of factors, all related to
ensuring that drainage systems, below-deck infrastructure and concrete pool deck will
not fail in the future.
When the final GMP is provided to the City, a potential funding increase authorization of
~$3.25M, including contingencies, is currently being anticipated to fully fund the
necessary facility repair work.
NEXT STEPS:
Staff are organizing visit/tour opportunities of the ARC to pairs and individual City
Council members in mid-late February to provide an increased understanding of current
conditions and issues that would be addressed with the proposed work.
ATTACHMENTS:
CITY MANAGER NOTES:
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