This story was updated March 10 at 6:34 pm to correct the authorization amount going to referendum.

After months of gathering input from thousands of town residents, and receiving multiple rounds of praise for their volunteer work, members of the Newtown Community Center Commission (NCCC) appeared before three elected boards over three days receiving endorsements to send an appropriation request to public vote to authorize spending just under $15 million for development and operation of a new community center.

On Thursday morning, a fourth meeting - this time with the Board of Selectmen who started the approval process four days earlier - set an April 5 referendum so residents could endorse or reject spending $9,550,000 given to the community by General Electric in the weeks following the Sandy Hook tragedy, along with an added $5 million in bonding approved in the current year's Capital Improvement Plan (CIP).

Polling will occur April 5 at the Newtown Middle School gym between 6 am and 8 pm.

The four-day process began February 29 during a special meeting of the Board of Selectmen, as commission members Brian Hartgraves, Andy Clure, and Brian Leidlein gathered with colleagues at the Newtown Municipal Center to make the first of those three final presentations, seeking required approvals to send the authorization request to voters.

If those measures are approved, the town will move forward developing a planned community center on property adjacent to the municipal center and NYA Sports & Fitness facility at Fairfield Hills. The plan, as proposed by the NCCC, would be to build a public multipurpose building between 13,000 and 18,000 square feet containing community gathering spaces and multipurpose rooms suitable for various indoor activities, along with an aquatic complex containing a zero-entry activity pool, and a separate 50-meter competition-size pool.

According to language in the

NCCC final report, the commission "adhered to GE's intent with their donation, provided a final proposal reflective of the majority of town residents, and above all, never lost sight of how a center could potentially be a place our community could come together after the tragedy of the Sandy Hook School shootings."

Other members serving the NCCC included John Boccuzzi, Sr, Bill Buchler, Rob Cox, Sean Dunn, Nicole Hockley, Carla Kron, Shiela Torres, Kinga Walsh, and David Wheeler. Mr Wheeler and Ms Hockley were among parents who lost children on 12/14.

During the three presentations, NCCC leaders reviewed estimated costs, as well as potential revenues to help sustain and improve the center. One of the major points commissioners made during those presentations was a commitment to eliminate any ongoing operational expense to local taxpayers.

A financial projection illustrated a combination of anticipated revenues from nominal local membership costs, a small percentage of higher cost memberships that might be made available to nonresidents, as well as rental costs for the 50-meter pool for sanctioned swim meets and competitions.

During the council meeting March 2, Commissioner Dunn explained that use of the 50-meter pool for nonresident or competition or swim team access would be minimized, and that the complex would only be closed for weekend-long competitions once per quarter. He said rental fees for those weekend competitions alone is expected to generate $125,000 in annual operational revenue.

That, along with other incremental revenues like rental fees for private parties, would be combined with $5 million, which is part of the GE gift. Responding to a question by Council Vice Chair Paul Lundquist, Mr Leidlein noted that by year three of operation, various anticipated revenues would offset any need to draw more than about $13,000 from the GE funding each year to sustain operations and maintenance.

If that model holds true in the long run, Mr Leidlein said the $5 million GE operational gift would last "over 300 years".

A Public 'Hub'

Over the course of the three meetings this week, correspondence and public comment centered around how much of the spending would be designated to the pool facilities, leaving the remaining funds to complete the multipurpose building. Several officials shared concerns that a 13,000-square-foot main building or public "hub" would be too small.

But Commissioners and First Selectman Pat Llodra countered that the goal was to create as large a "hub" building as possible, aiming for the 18,000-square-foot goal. Mr Leidlein pointed out that since the pools would be the main revenue generators to offset the costs of the main building, it is appropriate to ensure the pool complex was developed for maximum revenue-generating potential.

During the Wednesday meeting, Councilman Ryan Knapp asserted that although the major bulk of funding and operations costs would be derived from the GE gift, the $5 million in capital borrowing would put a "burden on taxpayers" to cover debt service. Council Chair Mary Ann Jacob confirmed that debt service on that borrowing would be $400,000 in year one, graduating downward over the course of the 20 years of interest payments.

Councilman Dan Honan questioned who would manage the center once it is eventually built.

Commissioners had maintained throughout much of the process that an outside individual with specific expertise should be hired to manage the facility. Mrs Llodra responded that in the short run, her priority is to get the spending and bonding authorizations through the referendum process.

The first selectman did venture that if spending is approved at referendum, she envisioned the center's oversight would be handled by an appointed committee, likely with day-to-day management being handled by a director with experience working in and around public community centers or similar operations.

Officials' Views

During the February 29 meeting, Selectman Herb Rosenthal said he liked the project and hoped the public would support it, but was in the minority voting No on the appropriation because he told

The Bee he did not support the process. Mr Rosenthal said he did not appreciate being pushed to vote on the appropriation with no time to discuss the matter before the February 29 meeting convened.

"There was no discussion [among selectmen] ahead of time," Mr Rosenthal said. "I was presented with the way [other officials] wanted to do it. The first time that was discussed was that night."

Mr Rosenthal, who previously served as first selectman, favored designing the optimal community center complex with all requested options, putting the project out to bid, and then going to the public for a spending endorsement once a firm price for a specific project was defined.

"The public needs exact prices when they go to vote on a project of this size," he added. The appropriation measure passed the selectmen on a 2-1 vote.

During a subsequent finance board meeting, its members heard a similar presentation, but because of an error on the agenda, finance officials had to reconvene Tuesday, March 1, to approve the appropriation. The measure passed on a 4-0 vote with finance board Vice Chair John Godin abstaining because of his involvement with distributing the gift funding as a GE employee.

During questioning February 29, finance board member Sandy Roussas asked about no-cost access to the center, versus any added benefits for members. Mr Leidlein explained that all common areas of the center would be accessible to residents at no cost for gathering, socializing, or utilizing any type of café of refreshment services that might be available.

He said membership would give users priority access to rental opportunities, to open swimming time at the pools, special programs, or other premium benefits to be determined.

Finance Chairman James Gaston, Sr, expressed his understanding that the pool was a revenue-generating component of the project, and that he was glad to see such conservative revenue estimates, as well as what he characterized as generous building cost estimates.

"I've spoken with builders, and I think you're going to be pleasantly surprised with the [bid] numbers," Mr Gaston said.