By MELISSA MARTIN

Brunswick Post editor

With membership levels the highest they have been since the recreation center opened in 1992 and the fact that the facility is now a self-sufficient operation, Parks and Recreation Director John Piepsny said the recreation department is looking to reinvest some of its newly found profits back into the facility this year.

"The rec center is 20 years old now and is starting to show its age," Piepsny said. "Now that we have a rainy day fund in place, I would like to put the money back into the facility to help keep our customers."

Whereas the rec center had to be supplemented by as much as $400,000 in general fund revenues, Piepsny said that through cuts in staffing and an increase in memberships, marketing and programming, the facility no longer requires any city tax dollars to operate.

"We are one of only two recreation centers in the state that are truly making money," Piepsny said, noting that the other facility that does not use general fund allocations to fund rec center operations or salaries is located in Grovesport.

Because of the facility's turnaround, Piepsny said he's been contacted by more than 40 cities in recent months requesting information on how his department has been able to boost its bottom line.

"Because of our aggressive efforts, people are starting to take notice," he said.

To make sure that the city retains its membership levels, he said the city intends to reinvest a portion of its profits back into the facility this year.

In addition to needing some new equipment, Piepsny said the recreation center also needs to upgrade its locker rooms to include new showers and lockers. He also said that half of the building is in need of a new roof and that the walkways and parking lot outside the facility are in need of repair or reconstruction.

"Without equipment and a good facility, we're not going to be able to continue selling memberships," Piepsny said.

At city council's request, Piepsny is in the process of assembling a list of capital needs for the facility and plans to present a prioritized list at the March 5 meeting of the parks and recreation committee.

"We're basically going to try and use this money to tackle as many projects as possible," Piepsny said.

At-large Councilwoman Patricia Hanek said she believes the upgrades are warranted.

"We are definitely long overdue on repairs and refurbishings over there," she said.