YPSILANTI, MI - As the Ypsilanti City Councilworked through its new budget in June, it looked like funding for two popular programs might be on the chopping block.
Ypsilanti has contributed around $10,000 annually toward the Rutherford Pool and Senior Center in recent years. Elected officials and city staff have said each are important assets, but this year's budget situation demanded the city defund something else to offset the cost.
And that's where the decision got difficult. The city is already running out of savings in the face of nearly $1 million in annual Water Street debt payments, and officials say there's nothing else left to cut.
But a proposal by Council Member Pete Murdock will allow the city to use money it saved by investing in energy efficiency projects.
"These are strong assets used by the community, and if we don't want them to shut down, and we have the ability to keep them going, then we should," Murdock said.
The city will use money generated from an energy efficiency fund that has been more profitable than anticipated.
In 2009, Murdock proposed, and council approved, creating the fund, in which the city put $250,000. That money was used to to pay for energy-saving projects, like switching to LED lighting at city hall, installing solar panels on city buildings, installing energy efficient furnaces and installing new windows at the fire department.
Until this year, Ypsilanti only used the money it saved on utilities to replenish the energy fund and invest in other energy-saving projects. But the fund now has $329,000, the city is saving around $120,000 this year and both figures continue growing annually.
Part of those savings will now go to the Rutherford Pool and Senior Center.
"I thought we could get along with replacing the energy efficiency fund at a slower rate, so we'll see what other projects we have," Murdock said, adding that the city is next planning to partner with Solar Ypsi to install solar panels on the fire station's roof.
Lisa Wozniak, a board member with the Friends of the Rutherford Pool, said the pool makes money by selling pool passes, collecting entry fees, offering swim lessons and selling sponsorships, but that doesn't cover all the expenses.
She highlighted that its life guards are the best paid in the county, and it offers scholarships and assistance to kids who can't afford to use the pool.
"That $10,000 is really critical to helping us do wonderful things and deliver a great service to the community," Wozniak said.
By Tom Perkins | Special to The Ann Arbor News
on June 29, 2016 at 1:14 PM, updated June 29, 2016 at 1:15 PM