Sale worries west-siders

A proposal to give Salt Lake County control of the Sorenson Multicultural Center has west-siders worried about fee increases they say could leave some of the city's poorest children out of sports and after-school programs.

The potential transfer would knock $260,000 off the city's current $1.1 million contribution to the center. Should the deal fall through, however, city officials estimate the capital would have to cover an additional $400,000 annually to take over control of the Steiner West Swimming Pool.

While the savings might be great, some say the social costs are even greater.

"On paper, it looks like a great deal," said Mark Harline, a volunteer coach at the center for the last two years, "but the lives of those kids are not lived on paper. They're lived on the streets of Glendale."

Under the current proposal, the county would take control Jan. 1 and lay off the center's 18 employees. Some of those employees could be rehired for lesser salaries and benefits would be cut to part-time employees.

But on the west side, the biggest concerns are over a potential bump in fees.

For children who qualify for free or reduced lunch, estimated at the Sorenson Center to hover around 70 percent, programs such as T-ball and softball would cost more under the county's fee structure than under the city's standard rates. And the after-school program for a student who qualifies for free lunch could jump from $35 a month to $25 a week.

"A lot of those kids rely on that after-school program," Harline said. "If they're not participating in that, where are they?"

For Jesus Ramos, a University of Utah student who volunteers as a soccer coach, seeing the number of kids who show up without shin guards is enough to know what kind of impact a sizeable fee bump might have on families.

"If you have a family of two or three, that $10 turns into $30," he said. "You slowly just start adding those up."

Officials in Mayor Ralph Becker's office, however, said the city and the county would work together to ensure no child is kept out of those programs.

"We are very committed to the Glendale and Poplar Grove communities," spokeswoman Lisa Harrison-Smith said. "We want to make sure every family in the community is able to continue to use the resources, the facility and the programs at the Sorenson Multicultural Center. Our discussions, and the way this all developed, were really looking to offer the best solution for the residents."

Should the deal go through, the city and county would each contribute $10,000 to help subsidize the difference in costs, an amount Harrison-Smith said should be sufficient for all the children who use the center.

"Yes. It is going to be enough," she said. "If not, we'll look at other ways. There is no intention of leaving one person out."