Voters in Bonney Lake may see an $8 million YMCA bond put before them by the end of next year, according to a Jan. 18 letter sent from Mayor Neil Johnson to officials at the organization.

The letter serves as the city’s intention to do four things in hopes of beginning construction on a new 50,000-square-foot facility with a competitive swimming pool in Bonney Lake by the end of 2013.

The bond measure, designed to cover 75 percent of the cost to construct the facility, is to be put in front of voters by the fourth quarter of 2012 or the first quarter of 2013. The measure would also require City Council approval.

“I think the people want it and this is the time to act,” Johnson said Friday.

Johnson said the YMCA’s traditional model of collecting large donations from rich donors is difficult because many in the area have already committed to Sumner’s facility.

But a bond could lead to money coming quicker and would also give citizens a chance to vote on the issue, instead of the council simply committing the cash to the project.

“We can get that done now,” Johnson said. “If they want to make it happen, here’s the opportunity.”

The letter also states the city’s intention to pledge $1 million to the YMCA, approved as part of the 2011-12 biennial budget; structure a long-term lease for up to 10 acres of land for the facility and parking in the former Washington State University Demonstration Forest; and to have an official agreement between the YMCA and the city passed by the end of this year to allow monies pledged to start the design process for the facility.

Presently, a pair of complimentary YMCA facilities are set for Sumner and Bonney Lake, scheduled to open in 2013 and 2018, respectively. Bonney Lake has been pushing to have an earlier opening, however, and YMCA Communications Director Michelle LaRue said a bond would be a step in the right direction.

“It drastically pushes that timeline up,” she said, adding that if a bond passes in 2012 or 2013, a 2014 opening could be on the horizon for Bonney Lake.

The YMCA traditionally only constructs one building at a time, meaning the plan would be to build and open the Sumner facility before one in Bonney Lake.

But the openings are tied primarily to fundraising. So far, the city of Sumner has pledged $2.5 million for the project and has had land donated at the corner of state Route 410 and Wall Road in an area known as Orton Junction. The city does not have the money in hand for its pledged donation.

Sumner’s YMCA is projected to be between 50,000 and 70,000 square feet at a cost of $13 million to $18 million.

Last year, Bonney Lake’s facility was estimated to cost between $8 million and $13 million for a 30,000- to 50,000-square-foot building, but the Jan. 18 letter seems to lock the city into the larger building and will include a swimming pool, something the city presently lacks.

“The biggest driver is the competitive pool aspect,” Johnson said, adding that a new swimming pool in the city would be a long term solution to the pool issues facing both Bonney Lake and Sumner.

Any bond issues would have to approved by the City Council before being placed on a ballot, but Johnson said at the end of the day, the decision on whether to fund a new YMCA, which is often among the top priorities in surveys conducted by the city, will be up to the people.

“I think it’s important for the citizens to decide,” he said.