I’ve been beating myself up lately for the initial confusion over additional funding for Greensboro’s new aquatic center, which the outgoing City Council will more than likely approve at a special meeting right before the new council is sworn in on Tuesday.
I don’t feel so bad now:
Just the notice of the special meeting caused a stir amongst old and new councilmembers because it is enormously confusing, and there was an even more confusing revised notice sent out on Monday, Nov. 23. The revised notice added verbiage about the $6.875 million that made it sound like the money was coming from the parks and recreation bonds. However, Young explained that was not the case. But the notice also included language that made it sound like the entrance to the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Hall of Champions was going to be built with the aquatic center money.
(City Manager Rashad) Young said that was also incorrect, although he agreed the sentence was confusing. He said the same contractor would be building the entrance to the ACC Hall for about $900,000, but that would be paid for with the state funding already allocated for the ACC Hall.
Both old and new councilmembers are confused by the whole deal, which is understandable considering it was put together since the last meeting on Nov. 17.
Coliseum director Matt Brown tells the N&R that “his earlier estimates did not reflect the reality of what it would cost to build a competitive facility with all the required elements.” Imagine that.
