Work is continuing to progress on the Johnson Park Youth Center. Administrative decisions are in the work, but on a lighter side, color schemes are being arranged as plans for the interior of the center are well underway. The current price of the new youth center is $3,013,876. Payment for the youth center is coming out of bond funds approved by the council in 2006.

Photo By: Don Rice

By Michelle Berry
Reporter
Renovations on the Johnson Park Youth Center are continuing to progress well.

Plans are currently underway towards the possibility of a youth center board, which was discussed at great length by the Borger City Council at a work session on Tuesday.
Wanda Klause, city manager, said there is an ordinance that was passed in 1960 pertaining to the city’s participation in the youth center that allowed for the setup of a board, but after review of minutes from various meetings, she found that no action was taken by the city in this area.
Under the 1960 ordinance, a park/recreation board would be the ones to select a board for the youth center. However, there is no park/recreation board currently active within the City of Borger.
The council is currently considering the option of rescinding the old ordinance and putting a new ordinance in place that will establish a board, and all the operations, policies, and procedures. It is keeping its options open as to how to handle concessions at the youth center and how to use the revenue
Currently in the city budget, there is budgeted expenses for a full-time person to operate the youth center. City staff and council are considering the possibility of having the full-time operator also be over the rec program and pool, and are also considering a board that would be over all three programs as well.
Gary Ferguson with Parkhill, Smith, and Cooper, the architecture firm aiding the city on the youth center, presented some color schemes to the council during the work session.
Plans are to use greys and tans on the exterior of the building, and maple flooring the gymnasium area. The bleachers in the gymnasium will be red and black. The flooring will be a mix of tans and greys, making a random color pattern.
The floors of the showers will be ceramic tile, with tentative plans in place to have a natural concrete floor leading up to the showers.
Payment for the youth center is coming out of bond funds approved by the council in 2006. One of the city’s other projects pertaining to water wells has actually come under budget, so consideration is being given to possibly putting ceramic tile throughout the entire locker room area.
Ferguson said that an engineer did some examination of the concrete deck around the diving board area and found there was some cracking in the top surface. For the safety of those who use it, the engineer recommended the entire deck area be replaced.
Ferguson said he would get prices on such a proposal and let the council review them.
With several change orders having been approved in recent meetings totaling $6,949, the current contract price for the new youth center is $3,013,876.