Lori Cook, Allegheny:  I would be very sad to see this place go.  There's no babysitting service here after work hours.  There's no pool.  But when I found out the Field House may be sold, I kept my membership.  There are so many families and kids out here.  Families don't want to pay that membership at Lifetime Fitness.  That's crazy.
Noel Miller, Allegheny:  When we built here, our developer was excited to tell us about the Field House being built.  The biggest gem at Edina is the outdoor swimming pool.  We've got 28 kids here on my street alone.  I know where they'd be if there was a pool here. 
I think it'd be really shortsighted to sell this place now.  If Victoria can't get it together, I don't know why we'd stay.  If we could just hang onto it.  I'm not a pro-ponent of more taxes, but if that's what it takes ...
Gina Holman, Allegheny:  The Field House is beyond a fitness center and a sheet of ice.  It is a community gathering place.  It is a community center.  Our developer told us about the parks and the fields and the Field House.  I'm so thank-ful we have the Field House.  This is a jewel in the community.
I am now a member of Lifetime Fitness.  We get there about once a month.  If the Victoria Field House had a pool, we'd be here every day.  We need to invest in our children and our community.  Please invest in a pool.  My fondest memories of growing up in New Hope are of the pool.
I am the director of a multi-million dollar facility in a nearby community.  I do a really good job.  I know you can find a very good person for this multi-million dollar facility
Craig Parsons, Kochia Lane:  This is a great community asset.  I'd like to see the city take greater pride in it.  You wonder why it isn't better used.  It's the least expensive.  Some centers don't have pools and they still make it work.  The biggest problem has been no lead person and not advertising properly.
What is the city's definition of finan-cial success?  How much of the Chaska and Chanhassen city budgets support their facilities?  I'd hate to see this place sold.
James Haugen, Bavaria Road:  It's good to see so many Victoria resi-dents here.  It's a difficult issue.  Whether it was the right decision to build it or not is another question ...
There's something I want you to hear about this situation:  The private sector is also supplying what the government is supplying here in Victoria.  I am not inter-ested in seeing my personal taxes used to support this place.  There's a lot of people here tonight, but not enough.
The Waconia Community Center was funded through the sale of a Waconia City Hospital.  Victoria doesn't have a hospital.  Chaska owns utilities to fund things.  Chanhassen built their community center in partnership with the school.  The Rec Center there has been struggling as well.
Hear it again:  The private sector is providing what you are providing here.  Maybe you should increase user fees for those who are going to use it.  I'm a mem-ber at Lifetime.  I don't want to pay more for this place.
Mark Lynum, 81^st Street:  The last time I was at a city meeting we were fighting for the Victoria Elementary School ... Southwest Christian High School doesn't have to have the Field House ... Government can provide things that the private sector provides.
I've only heard one person say they don't want their taxes raised.  It's easy to sell things and shut things down.  This land was hard won!
Mary Meuwissen, Clocktower Bldg.  I was the mayor here when this Field House was built.  I'm proud of it.  Springsted did three or four different scenarios for their Study at that time related to the Field House.  It said it would cost $187 per household.  The cost per household is falling pretty much in line with that.
We were going through huge growth at  that time ... The developers' fees could pay for this facility.  We've taken in $1.6 million and not all of that money from developers has gone into this facility ... $800,000 has gone toward this facility but $1.6 million has come in.
We had 383 members that first year and 424 the following year, down some to 367 and now 292, which is probably be-cause of what you're saying about the marketing.  A study said we could have 700 memberships ...
This facility can have a pool and an additional sheet of ice.  We planned for it.  I hope the city council will look at this as a huge opportunity for the City of Victoria.
John Thomas, Carriage Drive:  We just moved here.  I am a friend of Mary Meuwissen.  I grew up in South Minneapolis.  If it were not for the com-munity center there, I'd never had the opportunity to play basketball.  I think it's important to keep this facility open.  The Timberwolves could do a camp here.
Maryse Thomas, Carriage Drive:  This place is better than Lifetime Fitness.  It's beautiful.  My husband would like to do a camp here.  Maybe friends of ours or the Minnesota Vikings.  Kids could pay whatever they can afford.
Tim Vadnais, Kirke Lachen:  Our challenge here is not like the challenge of the tornado at Greensburg, Kansas.  That challenge is greater than what we face here.
I love this place.  It's a great facility.  But there is a problem here.  This facility is significantly underutilized.  I'm not sure that marketing will take care of things.  How do we free up capital to put in other infrastructure?  I'm asking that you keep on the table a sale to Southwest Christian High School and lease-back option.  There is great opportunity here for shared use of the facility for the bene-fit of Victoria.

Click here for Council Remarks on Victoria Field House.