Aquatics Center design unveiled

A proposed aquatic center, as drafted in a conceptual design, will cost $6.5 million to construct and will likely be funded through a sales tax increase.

Kale Nelson, co-leader of the Acquatic Center Visioning Committee, released a conceptual design of the project at Tuesday's city commission meeting.

What the committee and the city haven't determined is how much of a tax hike is needed and over how many years. They proposed a one-half cent sales tax, but that would have to be for 21 years to raise the needed $6.5 million, according to preliminary financing numbers the city ran.

An informational meeting letting people know specifics about the proposed center will be conducted at 6:30 p.m. Monday at the Fort Scott Middle School. At that meeting, Nelson said, more concrete financial numbers could be revealed.

"Our committee is still charging forward, and we're working hard on this," Nelson said.

Other items discussed at Tuesday's meeting include:

* Commissioner Nick Graham announced his resignation from the commission effective April 3, which will be his last full meeting. (A full story on Graham's resignation will be in the March 8 issue of The Fort Scott Tribune.)

* The commission approved entering into an agreement with the Kansas Department of Transportation for engineering services toward a solution to the traffic problems on National Avenue from 18th Street south to the U.S. Highway 69 intersection. The city's portion of the cost is 20 percent, which equates to $30,000.

* The commission approved plans to move forward in repaving Wall Street by agreeing to a design contract with Professional Engineering Consultants. The city is moving forward with relocation of water lines on Wall Street before the construction begins.

* Local resident Mark Hall, speaking on behalf of the owners of Fort Scott Lanes, requested financial assistance from the city to rescue the business from closing. The Talbots' insurance declined to cover water damage incurred by the snow storm last December. The business will have to close mid-March, he said, if they don't get some financial help.

* City Manager Richard Nienstedt said the Miller and Nelson Block buildings will be taken down within the next couple of weeks.