McKinney ISD's bond vote postponement irks some City Council members counting on money for aquatics center

Jan. 25--There is a water fight in McKinney, which has plans to catch up to its neighbors with a $44 million aquatic center.

The McKinney school district has postponed a May bond election to fund its $15 million share of the project, angering some City Council members. They fear that the grandiose water park may sink because of uncertainty over funding.

"To pull this at the 11th hour is unfortunate," said McKinney City Council member Ray Ricchi. "It definitely puts a speed bump in the plans for the aquatic center."

Other council members, however, don't fault the school district.

"I'm still optimistic it's a great joint project," council member David Brooks said. "I'm not overly concerned about the bond election delay."

Lewis Isaacks, president of the McKinney school board, said the district hopes to conduct the bond election in November and remains enthusiastic about the project.

The district postponed the election to give Superintendent J.D. Kennedy, who started this month, time to develop district priorities and help plan the next bond proposal, Isaacks said.

"He's going to be responsible for implementing the bond issue that's passed," he said. "It seems only fair to let him have some involvement in what the bond issue looks like."

To show its support for the aquatic center, the district plans to approve splitting the $3.6 million design cost, Isaacks said.

McKinney City Manager Frank Ragan, who helped initiate the project with previous Superintendent Tom Crowe, said completion might be delayed about six months, to summer 2012.

"I'm still confident we'll move ahead," Ragan said.

He said residents have consistently ranked a water park as their top recreational priority. In 2006, McKinney voters approved $8.5 million in bonds for an aquatic center. The city now proposes adding $1.5 million from the capital improvement fund and $19 million from the McKinney Economic Development Corp.

But council members Don Day and Pete Huff question the need for the aquatic center now because of other pressing needs in rapidly growing McKinney.

"We have a lot of places to put money and a limited amount of money," Day said. "I can't sit here and tell you I'll vote for it or against it."

A 12-acre site has been selected at Hardin Street and White Avenue in central McKinney. Plans call for a 50-meter competition pool, indoor and outdoor recreational pools, a fitness area, gym, indoor track and meeting space.

At $44 million, the McKinney facility would be one of the largest and most expensive publicly owned water parks in the country.

In comparison, Plano's Tom Muehlenbeck Center opened in 2007 at a cost of $18 million. Allen's Don Rodenbaugh Natatorium cost $9.1 million and was completed in 2002.

Ragan said lawyers for the city and school district are reviewing a joint use agreement that would cover operating costs and usage.

Huff said he wants to make sure that agreement doesn't slight the city because it's contributing more money.

"I've told the city manager my test is going to be, is it fair economically and in terms of use?" Huff said. "If not, I'm going to speak out and vote accordingly."

School officials want an aquatic facility because the district has only one pool to serve three high school swim teams.

When a bond election is held, its passage is critical to building the water park as envisioned. If voters don't approve the bonds, the city could build a scaled-down version, and the school district could add a competitive pool later.

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