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Whitewater Challengers Inc. owner Ken Powley took a risk in 2010 when he agreed to lease and manage Luzerne County’s money-losing, 35-acre sports complex in Forty Fort.
Powley said he came through in the black by being prudent, but he informed the county last fall he wasn’t interested in another three-year renewal.
“As much as we’ve enjoyed doing it, my wife and I are scaling back on our commitments to different things,” he said, stressing his White Haven-based rafting adventure business is still “full steam ahead” and attracts tens of thousands of customers annually.
Now Forty Fort is interested in taking over management of the complex, which includes athletic fields, according to a proposal up for discussion at Tuesday’s county council work session.
Under the proposed agreement, the borough would operate and maintain the complex for recreational activities benefiting all county residents.
In lieu of rental payments, the borough must use any money collected from usage fees and other sources to maintain the complex and provide programs and recreational activities. The borough also plans to operate and maintain a compost facility on a portion of the land and allow the Forty Fort Soccer Club to lease some fields for its youth soccer program, the agenda said.
If the lease is approved, the borough must mow the grass and keep the property “in good repair at all times” in addition to maintaining personal injury/accident insurance.
Prior county commissioners had publicly sought requests from entities interested in running the complex in 2010 because it was operating at a loss. The county had closed the facility but later opted to reopen it with increased rental fees, prompting a usage decline.
Whitewater Challengers was the lone proposal respondent. Powley said he stepped up because he didn’t want the fields to deteriorate and close due to county budget cuts.
“We had a lot of clubs and tournaments that depended on those fields. I just didn’t want to see it get mothballed,” he said.
After the first year, his agreement required him to turn over 8 percent of gross receipts, regardless of whether or not he made enough to cover expenses.
Powley said he typically brought in around $20,000 from field rentals annually, leaving the county with at least $1,600 instead of losing money.
The county’s operating expenses for the complex had been around $150,000, he said. Powley reduced costs to approximately $15,000, largely by cutting much of the grass himself. Two part-time seasonal workers assisted with mowing and trash removal, he said.
“With me taking no salary or income at all from it, it was a little better than break even,” he said. “It’s not a huge moneymaker for anyone.”
Powley advised the next caretaker to be “very efficient” and not “go overboard on personnel or equipment.”
In dry summers, the grass gets parched because there is no irrigation, he said. When the nearby Susquehanna River rises, a flood gate prevents a nearby stream from draining into the river, causing it to back up in the park, he said.
“I can’t tell you how often the park was underwater, and that’s pretty traumatic for grass,” he said. “It has its challenges. It’s a tough little place to maintain.”