By ROD ZOOK
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The City of Hutchinson and Hutch Rec came together for their spring meeting and workshop. Tony Finlay with Hutch Rec says the meeting is part of an overall plan laid out for recreation in the city.
“The purpose of the meetings actually came through the master planning process,” Finlay said. “ Through that process it was identified that while on the staff level between city parks and rec commission, we have a great working relationship, regular meetings and so forth, they really wanted to focus on the governing bodies.”
Finlay says that trying to find a balance of what is trendy for quality of life issues and what is sustainable recreation.
“Our role at Hutch Rec is to always advocate for those quality of life issues and put our best cose forward for why those things should be funded,” Finlay said. “The meeting was really about trying to balance what’s in the master plan, what we’ve heard from the public, what our residents are saying they want us to invest in, and making sure that our funding, both our operating funds and our capital improvement funds, are matching those needs of the residents.”
One thing that was at the top of the discussion on Tuesday is the future of the Salt City Splash and the future of aquatics in Hutchinson.
“The biggest item is going to be the feasibility study of what to do with Salt City Splash,” Finlay said. "The life span of those types of facilities is in that 25 to 30 year range. And so we need to figure out what the next phase of that looks like.”
Finlay stressed that there is nothing set in stone about what to do with the swimming facility.
“There is no preconceived idea of what that is, that’s why we’re doing the plan,” Finlay stressed. “ We’re in the process of selecting a firm to walk us through that.”
Finlay says there will be a lot of public input throughout the summer in regards to aquatics and the future of the pool.
Finlay says Hutch Rec and the city have what he feels is a good balance when it comes to addressing quality of life matters in the city.
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