NEWMAN – Funding for a new aquatic center could come from a number of sources, ranging from new development fees to state and federal grants.

City Manager Michael Holland said he will present a proposed funding plan for the $6 million aquatic center to the City Council in early October for its consideration.

The city recently decided to delay ground-breaking on the new pool project until 2010. The decision allows the city to move forward with its downtown plaza project next year rather than trying to juggle two major projects at once, and provides additional time to secure financing for the more expensive aquatic center.

The city has about $1.75 million in money committed to the aquatic center.

Holland said city staff is piecing together a strategy which draws from a number of funding sources to obtain the remaining funds required.

Future development will pick up part of the tab.

A development agreement approved last week by the City Council for a 106-unit residential project establishes a pool fee of $2,000 per unit and a community benefit fee of $3,000.

“Those are fees that the city will be collecting into the future,” Holland commented. “If the council chooses to allocate the community benefit fee to the aquatic center as well as the fee designated for that project, we could have just collected over $500,000 for the project.”

The council will have wide discretion in deciding how the community benefit fee is used, he noted.

“Those fees are buy-ins to the community,” Holland said. “The residents who have been here a long time have already paid taxes for the infrastructure and amenities that we now have.”

City officials are also asking the state transfer $300,000 in grant funds earmarked for a West Mariposa Street park to the aquatic center park. That money could be used for an irrigation system and turf if the transfer is approved.

The city will also ask Stanislaus County and the Newman-Crows Landing Unified School District to participate in the pool project, and is working with Assembly member Cathleen Galgiani and Congressman Dennis Cardoza to identify possible state and federal funding sources.

“If the school district participates, then we can go to the state and federal governments as a joint project, which they love to see. That would strengthen any grant application,” Holland pointed out.

He said the city is exploring all its funding options.

“There are a lot of different pieces to pull together. We are trying to put together a comprehensive plan and figure out how to make this all work,” he reflected. “We are developing a short-term and a long-term funding plan, as well as an operational funding plan.”

The pool funding plan will be subject to approval by the council.

“We are still working toward breaking ground on the aquatic center in 2010,” Holland explained. “The funding plan will show the council how to achieve that goal.”

Much preliminary work has already been done on the aquatic center, which will be located west of T Street between Fresno and Merced streets. The city has acquired the property.

“We are at the construction document stage. We’re really only two steps away, completing the construction documents and bidding the project,” Holland said. “We are very close to getting it going.”