Manhattan expects to be anywhere from 3 to 8 million dollars short in sales tax revenue as a result of COVID-19. City Manager Ron Fehr explained to the city commission that was taken into account in the elimination of spring and summer recreation programs for this year. "When we looked at initially where we could make reductions we did not believe with self distancing and other parameters that we would be able to get back to large groups over 50 any time soon."
Fehr noted officials thought that it could be mid-summer before large group activities could have been allowed.
He noted that generally over the course of a year the City hires approximately 750 to 800 seasonal employees. "So those numbers add up fast. In order to gear up for those pools we need to train those lifeguards and other staff. We just felt like we owed them an opportunity to try and find something else if they could."