Quincy regional parks district board in process of formation

QUINCY — Selecting board members will be the next step in the formation of the Quincy Valley Regional Parks District. Quincy City Council members approved an interlocal agreement for the city’s participation in the district’s governing board April 2. 

The agreement must be approved by all three governing entities that make up the district, which includes the cities of Quincy and George and Grant County. The proposed district was approved by voters in November 2023.

The five-person governing board must include at least one representative from Quincy, George and Grant County. Quincy Parks and Recreation Director Russ Harrington said how many seats will be allocated to which city and the county is still under discussion.

Board members appointed for 2024 will serve through the end of 2025; after that, board members will serve one-year terms. Board members must be city council members in George or Quincy, or a Grant County Commissioner. 

Quincy Mayor Paul Worley said Quincy’s representatives could be appointed at the April 16 council meeting.

The board also will have the option to appoint a citizen advisory committee, although that’s not required. The advisory committee would be asked to make recommendations on park district operations.

“The board shall consider, but is not bound by, comment and recommendations given to the board by the (advisory) committee,” the agreement said. 

The parks district’s boundaries are the same as the Quincy School District boundaries, minus the QSD’s Douglas County portion. Property owners in the district will pay 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value. 

“It is the intent of the parties that the (parks district) will construct, own, operate and maintain the Q-Plex facility,” the resolution said. The district also will own and operate the new Quincy pool, to be known as the Q-Aquatic Center. 

The money raised through the district must be used for specific projects, in this case, to build and operate the fieldhouse and the pool. 

The Q-Plex is the indoor sports facility planned for Lauzier Park, 13th Avenue Southwest. 

The Q-Plex will be about 143,000 square feet, enough room for a football field or multiple soccer fields, two or four soccer fields depending on the number of players. The fieldhouse also will have indoor courts that can be configured for basketball, volleyball or pickleball, among other options. 

The building’s frame will be covered with a membrane rather than having solid walls. City Administrator Pat Haley said in an earlier interview that over time the membrane will have to be replaced, but that will be cheaper than rebuilding. 

The goal, Haley said, is to make the Q-Plex a regional draw for people who want to play soccer, or what would otherwise be outdoor activities, when it’s cold outside. 

The existing Quincy pool is actually two pools, the original community pool, now called the lap pool, and a separate waterslide. The lap pool was closed for a portion of the 2023 season while city officials replaced drains that were no longer in compliance with state regulations. Haley said that the lap pool also appears to be leaking. The new pool will remain in East Park but will be relocated. 

Design work is ongoing in 2024; council members approved continuing work on draft design contracts for both projects in February. Public Works Director Carl Worley said the goal is to have drafts ready for board members to consider once they’re appointed and start holding meetings.

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at cschweizer@columbiabasinherald.com.