The Mandan Park Board approved an operating agreement for pool costs at the Mandan Community Center on Monday. In separate action, it hired a firm to craft a concept design for a $5 million recreation center.

The park board agreed to share in the pool costs by:

n Paying $65,000 for subsidies to pool with a 3 percent annual increase.

n Paying its share of the parking lot special assessment near the community center.

n Participating in major repairs exceeding $50,000 in the pool portion of the community center only.

n Paying $5,000 toward long-term maintenance of the pool area.

The agreement also allows park district access to the former junior high school building for three years.

At Parks and Recreation director Cole Higlin's request, the board made the pool agreement renegotiable in three years.

Monday's actions are intended to gain support for school district ownership of the community center in September. The former junior high gym will function as its temporary fitness center.

In September, the city of Mandan offered to sell the Community Center to the park district for $1.

After negotiations between the three partners of the community center, the school board said it wished to own it for office space and its vocational program. The city and park district have agreed.

To speed up the process, the city has agreed to pay off the $1.4 million in long-term debt of the community center. That would be its only financial obligation to the building and it would forfeit ownership to the school district.

Its current tenant, the park district, has stated it supports the idea and is willing to move out by July 2010.

Higlin has identified the Raging Rivers water park as possible office space short-term, but there are other options. Monday's action means the the school system and park district will split pool costs.

The park district also has phased out public rentals of the community center gym after July 2010 to allow the school district to move in.

Before it can move in, the school district must still ask voters to accept renovating the community center with $700,000 bond money instead of the former junior high school.

In another move, the park board agree to hire Ohlson Lavoie Corp. of Denver to design a concept plan of a recreation center at a cost of $4,600.

Higlin said that paying for the architectural design was not a long-time contract with the firm, only a draft of what kind of recreation center could be built for $5 million.

Last week, the Mandan Visitor Committee gave a favorable response to using up to $2.2 million in Visitor Funds to assist in the recreation center. No action was taken by that board until more plans are in place for a recreation center. Visitor fund revenue comes from a city tax for lodging and restaurants. It must be used for increasing visitors to the city.

Higlin said the park district can legally finance up to $3.7 million for a new recreation center.

Discussion moved to the Raging Rivers Water Park. Higlin said the park district closed the purchase on the water park last Wednesday.

Some 73 seasonal people will staff the facility. The park meets new federal drain safety requirements.

Staff said the facility has been thoroughly cleaned and repainted. Doors that comply with Americans with Disabilities are expected to arrive within three weeks. The laser tag portion has been removed, and the arcades have been moved there in its place.

(Reach reporter LeAnn Eckroth at 250-8264 or leann.eckroth@;bismarcktribune.com.)