The city of Whitewater and the Whitewater Unified School District (WUSD) have entered into a six-year partnership to jointly fund the operational costs and capital equipment needs of the Whitewater Aquatic and Fitness Center (WAFC), information released Friday by city officials states.

Particulars about the signed agreement were not included within the release.

City officials, within the release, noted their gratitude and satisfaction in securing the agreement.

Negotiations between the school district and the city council have been ongoing since March of 2023. 

As stated in the release, “the city is committed to enhancing the WAFC by making significant improvements to locker rooms, and birthday party offerings, and upgrading technology for a better user experience. With the security provided by this agreement, the city is now able to move forward confidently with staffing, operational, and equipment updates.”

Additionally, the release noted, the city will soon launch a fundraising program to “ensure the WAFC receives support from a diverse range of contributors.”

The release identifies contributions as coming through such resources as memberships, taxpayers, fundraising efforts, donations, and programming fees, including birthday party rentals.

Through use of contributions and facilitated by the recently signed agreement, the release describes next steps as establishing a “sustainable future for the WAFC, providing essential amenities to the community and securing the necessary resources to attract and retain crucial staff.” 

“The WAFC is an important asset to our community, and I am thankful an agreement has been reached to ensure a stable partnership between the city and school district. I am extremely grateful for the hard work both organizations put into making this a reality. The efforts for an equitable and sustainable agreement mark a pivotal moment for our community, ensuring the WAFC’s continued operation and growth. We look forward to seeing the positive impact this will have on our community for years to come.” Patrick Singer, Whitewater Common Council president, was quoted as saying in the release.

“I am extremely grateful for the school district’s partnership in the WAFC and want the community to understand that it truly is a joint effort and we couldn’t have done it without them. I especially want to thank the new school board president for seeing this agreement over the finish line,” Whitewater City Manager John Weidl noted in the release.

Within the release, Weidl additionally noted contributions toward a signed aquatic center agreement made by the late council president Jim Allen. He added: “On behalf of the city, I want to extend a special thank you to former Council President Jim Allen. His dedication to pushing for a longterm agreement and his participation in the negotiations were crucial. He would be happy to see this agreement finalized.”

Kevin Boehm, Whitewater Parks and Recreation director, also quoted within the release, said: “I have been down at the WAFC helping implement new software and working closely with the staff. I see the improvements firsthand and I’m very excited for this next chapter in the WAFC. This agreement allows us to build on our successes and continue providing top-notch services to our community.”