Rec Center Poll: Residents Want Renovation But No New Taxes

Brentwood could be closer to a decision about what to do with the aging Brentwood Recreation Center/Ice Rink, as of Wednesday.

To help the city decide, it hired Kenneth Warren, Ph.D, of the Warren Poll, who polled 646 Brentwood residents from April 1-15 on their opinions of the Brentwood Recreation Center, City Hall and Library.

Warren was chosen by the Public Works committee in December 2012.

On Wednesday he presented the results of his polling to the Public Works Committee.

Among his findings (percentages rounded):

• 11 percent say the Rec Center’s adequacy is excellent
• 37 percent wouldn’t want to pay any extra property taxes for renovation
• 42 percent favor paying for a Rec Center renovation through user fees
• 48 percent say they didn’t use the Rec Center in the past year
• 49 percent would continue to subsidize the PARC program rather than modernize the Rec Center
• 68 percent support moving the library to a renovated community center if it would save the city money
• 74 percent support moving city staff to a renovated community center if it would save the city money
• 84 percent are satisfied with the PARC program
• 85 percent support modernizing the Rec Center

Warren said the bottom line is that residents want renovations but only a trickle of them are willing to pay more than a $100 more in property taxes per year to fund it.

He blamed that on the poll being administered at the worst possible time: immediately following the school board passing a 10 percent property tax increase.

Ward 2 Alderwoman Cindy Manestar said she didn’t need a poll to know the residents wouldn’t want to pay for expensive renovations. She recommended simply updating the Recreation Center. She said we don’t need “our own little Brentwood Heights, just like Richmond Heights has.

“I keep saying, we do have a new facility, and it’s called The Heights, and people in Brentwood can use it at resident rates," she said.

She said all Brentwood needs to do is update the ice rink, and leave it at that.

Ward 1 Alderwoman Maureen Saunders said a question the poll didn’t ask was, would residents be willing for the city to sell the City Hall property. She said she had wanted that to be included, but it was cut from the poll.

Ward 3 Alderman Keith Robertson said selling city hall was implied in the question about moving city staff to a renovated community center.

“Do they think we’re just going to hold onto it forever as a vacant building? That’s a really bad idea,” he said. “I don’t understand how someone could not infer that we wouldn’t be selling this building.”

Saunders said she wants to keep the City Hall property because the city doesn’t have an updated comprehensive plan, and might want the property in the future.

Manestar said she was blindsided by a suggestion that City Hall be sold at a previous public works meeting, and thought residents might be too.

Robertson went back to the survey.

“The survey results are that most people would support moving city staff to another building if it would save a substantial amount of money, and we should look at that,” he said.

Resident Nancy Akins, who has three children who skate at the rink, said in the meeting that the delay is hurting the Rec. Center. She said skating clubs don’t want to schedule a facility that they keep hearing is going to close. She also said that it's in embarrassing condition.

Warren will present his poll to the complete Board of Aldermen at the next meeting.

• 50 Questions: Brentwood Phone Survey to Come in April
• Brentwood Public Works: One More Rec Center Survey on the Way
• Brentwood Public Works Considers Moving City Hall to Rec Center; Watch for New Survey

A PDF of the complete poll results will be added to this article when it becomes available.