Lisbon City Council approved Southeast Linn Community Center using the $4,000 allotment for the after school program to spend on any programs that caters to youth in the community.
SELCC director Nicole McAlexander explained that the after-school program had not returned to the offerings of SELCC following the pandemic, but the city has continued to earmark $4,000 of support for the program.
McAlexander said there are a number of programs at SELCC that cater to youth, including recreation scholarships for parks and recreation programs, the school supplies drive the center offers every year, the pool passes to Mount Vernon pool, the free gardening and crafts program offered by Iowa State University Extension services during the summer and early outs.
“Many of these programs are popular and just growing in interest,” McAlexander said.
She noted that the parks and recreation scholarships have not been used by a lot of families, mainly because it comes about via word of mouth.
Council members Mike Williams and Nathan Smith had minor concerns with the passes to the Mount Vernon Aquatic Center, noting that the city has a splash pad. McAlexander explained most families applying for swim passes were dong so for upper elementary and middle school students who would better use the aquatic center than the splash pad.
“Typically, our biggest problems at the splash pad come when teenagers are at the splash pad and causing mischief,” said city administrator Brandon Siggins.
Siggins said while the funding for this program has come from Local Option Sales and Service Tax funds, he is researching if the funding could come from Tax Incremental Funding, as that fund has ability to cater to low and moderate income individuals as well.
Council member Sara Nost said she trusted McAlexander’s judgment on knowing where that $4,000 would best serve the people of the community, and John Bardsley and Smith concurred. The council passed the decision unanimously, though Rick Scott was absent from the meeting.