Hermiston to Form Task Force for Possible Indoor Aquatic Center

The city of Hermiston will put together a task force in the coming weeks to look into the feasibility of an indoor aquatic and recreation facility.

The task force, made up of regional stakeholders, will study various types of facilities, capital and operational costs and possible site locations for an indoor Health, Wellness and Aquatic Center or HWAC.

Representatives from the Wenaha Group spoke Monday night to the Hermiston City Council about the role of the task force in determining the feasibility of an indoor HWAC.

City Manager Byron Smith said an indoor aquatic center has been a top priority for the city since a Livable Hermiston Committee was formed in 2016.

The committee identified four needs in the community – an indoor aquatic center, downtown revitalization, a youth/family activity center and more parks, trails and open space. In 2018, the city hired an architecture firm to study area facilities, develop a facility draft plan and study cost as well as what the city’s subsidy would be.

“Frankly, these (facilities) don’t ever pay for themselves,” Smith said. “It’s a community asset and the city needs to be supportive in some way.”

Hermiston Parks and Recreation Director Brandon Artz said a 2019 needs assessment gathered feedback from the community which showed a desire for a year-round recreation and indoor aquatic center. Artz said 60 percent of respondents chose indoor aquatic/swimming as the top priority.

The city’s 2040 Community Action Plan named an indoor recreation and aquatic center as the top goal for a safe and healthy Hermiston.

“We get numerous asks, ‘When is an indoor facility coming?’ ” Artz said.

Smith outlined what a potential task force of stakeholders would look like. He anticipates partners could include the cities of Hermiston, Umatilla, Stanfield and Echo, Umatilla County, the Port of Umatilla, the Hermiston School District, Blue Mountain Community College, Good Shepherd Health Care System, Umatilla Electric Cooperative and Amazon Web Services.

“Some of these we’ve had conversations with, and they’ve shown interest,” Smith said.

Smith said it would be a city manager task force and would not be appointed by the council.

Cassie Hibbert, senior project manager for the Wenaha Group, said community support “is a great springboard for being able to take it forward to the next step. Part of our role is to keep the momentum going on this,” she said.

Hibbert said the task force, once formed, will meet five times between September 2024 and June 2025. It will be responsible for reviewing the existing aquatic center’s needs and conditions and determine what can be improved.

Other responsibilities of the task force will include:

• Study different types of facilities and options for programs
• Study possible site locations
• Study operational funding models
• Consider operational funding partnerships
• Consider capital funding options
• Collect and consider community feedback when making a recommendation
• Recommend to city manager the preferred operational approach and capital construction options

Councilor Maria Duran said she is aware of the community’s interest in an indoor facility.

“I’m very excited there is going to be a task force and that we’ll also be seeking community feedback,” she said.

Mayor Dave Drotzmann asked Hibbert if the Wenaha Group and the task force will look at the 2018 architectural design as part of its work. Hibbert said her group will work with the architect of the 2018 design “so we know exactly where we left off. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel there.”

Councilor Jackie Linton asked if any potential funding partners have indicated how much they would be willing to contribute. Smith said some “numbers have been tossed around, but right now we don’t really have a solid number from anybody. That’s what part of this process is all about. Who wants to be a partner and how much do they want to be a partner.”

Smith said other municipal partners will be asked to contribute financially if possible.

Hibbert said potential task force members will be contacted in the near future with a kick-off work session scheduled for the first meeting in September. The October meeting will focus on operational funding with capital funding being the subject of the November meeting.

In January, the task force will create its draft recommendations followed by a report to the city council in February. Hibbert said community feedback will be gathered March through May of 2025, and those findings will be reported in June. In July, the task force will present its final report to the council.

“That’s when the work of the task force comes to an end and that’s the go-no go as to whether or not you want to proceed with next steps on actually constructing and committing to a facility or if you want to basically conclude the discussion,” she said.