August 21, 2023 |
Photo – Hanna Recreation Center – Bigfoot99 file photo
Hanna officials are investigating turning the town’s recreation center over to a nonprofit entity.
When Hanna was booming with coal mining, the mine companies built a large recreation center to attract workers and their families. The Hanna rec center has a heated indoor pool, a weight room, a large gymnasium, and a racquetball court. The town took responsibility for the rec center after the last mine closed in the early 2000’s.
Since then, the town has struggled to pay for the facility. Impact assistance money has made up the bulk of the rec center’s budget. Changes to the way impact assistance money is distributed have resulted in less outside funding for the town. In a June public meeting to discuss the recreation center, town officials said the facility was $267,587 in the red during the previous fiscal year.
Hanna officials are looking for ways to take some of the financial burden off the town’s budget without shuttering the facility. One of the most promising options is turning the rec center over to a non-profit entity.
At the August 8th Hanna town council meeting, Recreation Director Kim Coonley said she was investigating the steps needed to create a nonprofit to manage the rec center. Coonley said the Wyoming Secretary of State requires the town to appoint a board of trustees to hold joint ownership for the recreation center. Coonley also said the board would have to obtain 501(c)(3) status.
Coonley said the government requires an abundance of information before the rec center can apply for tax exemption status. The rec director said financial assistance programs exist to help with the process. Coonley said she is having a difficult time finding out exactly what she needs to do.
Coonley said turning the recreation center into a nonprofit requires an entirely new staff to manage the facility. The rec director said the state can help with the required tax exemption paperwork.
Coonley said she and town treasurer Ann Calvert have been working on the state’s questionnaire to determine if the recreation center is eligible to become a 501(c)(3). Coonley said the largest obstacle standing between the rec center and tax exemption is funding. The rec director said 33% of the total expense of the facility must come from the public.
In the last year, the recreation center brought in $32,321 in membership fees, or less than 11% of the total operational costs of the facility.
Coonley said she expects to receive more information from the state. Hanna Mayor Jon Ostling countered disappointment from council members, saying the process had just begun.
Coonley said once the rec center is turned over to a 501(c)(3) the town cannot provide financial assistance to the facility. The rec director said even as a nonprofit, the community will still need to use the facility far more than they do now. Coonley will come to the next Hanna town council meeting on September 12th, with more information.
As reported by Bigfoot99, the pool at the Hanna recreation center is closed while the town awaits the arrival of a new pump motor. The rec center said in a Facebook post that the pool is not scheduled to reopen until April of 2024, at the earliest.
