A fee schedule was set for the public and contracts were accepted for two user groups of the Bismarck State College Aquatics and Wellness Center at Thursday's city park board meeting.

Bismarck State College agrees to pay the park district $300,000 a year for students to use the facility. The money comes from student fees paid to the college.

The park board's operating agreement with the college sets up an advisory board made up of three BSC representatives and three from the park district.

Bismarck Aquatics and Wellness Inc. agreed to pay the park district $4,166 per month for the club to use the pool for five years.

The park district pulled a "hold harmless" clause from the club agreement against all legal actions involving the aquatics center. That contract change will be sent back to the swim club. Bismarck Aquatics and Wellness Inc. must obtain its own liability insurance.

Prices also were set for the general public's use of the building. Non-park membership rates will be:

$4 per day for children 12 and under for swimming only.

$5 for students 18 and under and those with college identification.

$6 for adults 19 to 64.

$5 for those 64 and older.

$25 for a household/family.

The park board also tied the building's fee schedule to Capital Racquet and Fitness Center for aquatics center memberships and college students.

In other action, a community-wide arts policy has a new timetable for completion, two years after it was first called for.

Jeff Weikum, president of the Dakota West Arts Council said a committee on the task aims to finish a policy in March and base it upon a vision of how the city wants to present itself. Then local entities must decide.

Weikum called it a fairly aggressive timeline.

"We're going to try and get it to you in a way that is workable for you," Weikum said. "If it's done correctly, Bismarck can really decide from a vision standpoint where they are headed."

Park Board member Mike O'Brien doubted the deadline would be met. "If you get this done by March, I would be very surprised. ... I would love to see this done by the end of 2010," he said.

Weikum said many groups were involved and they wanted more people's input. "The process has changed. To really do this effectively ... all of the entities really need to get involved," Weikum said.

He said the committee consists of artists and non-artists.

"We're going to give you the capability to do what needs to be done and where it goes from there is up to the government," Weikum said.

O'Brien said he called for an update because he feared the policy had gone to the back burner.

"You will have a policy that will be workable at that point, but it's going to take some tweaking," Weikum said. "You are going to incorporate different pieces of whatever puzzle you want to include."

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