On August 28th, Kathy Whitman (Director of Aquatics for the Seattle Parks Department) and Elizabeth (city-wide coordinator for Project Seattle Pools) will each present 5 minute briefings to the Parks Board of Commissioners.
There is a small amount of time available for public comment; however, this is not a full hearing on pools, so we are not calling on pool supporters to attend and testify. You (and all members of the public) are certainly still welcome.
Supplemental Materials:
- Our Comprehensive Aquatics Plan Proposal
- Preliminary Outdoor Pool Study (2008, prepared by Parks)
- Trends in Pool Modernization and Seattle Status (2002, prepared by Parks).
Overview
The CAP would provide a timely “case study” of possible ways to address costs (operations, maintenance, capital and programming) — from optimizing existing facilities to identifying potential new revenue streams. Its recommendations may include new facilities and/or retrofitting existing facilities to meet evolving needs (e.g., slides for teens or warm water pools for seniors that double as teaching pools for kids). It would not commit funds; rather, it would evaluate a range of funding options that could be considered by city leaders and communities.
Inputs
- Analysis of Funding Mechanisms (both capital and long-term)
- Targeted outreach to underserved populations, plus outreach via traditional channels
- Analysis of demographics, accessibility, transit and needs (both baseline and trends)
- Review of existing infrastructure, programming and Parks studies
- Modern best-practices for sustainable facility design (both new and existing facilities)
- Basic design and engineering sufficient for costing
Deliverables
The plan would provide a blueprint for improving our pool system as funds become available through a future levy, grants, fundraising efforts or other mechanisms. Plan deliverables would include:
- An analysis of funding options for ongoing operational and maintenance costs that would provide a “case study” for an issue broadly challenging the Parks Department.
- A review of existing conditions and needs, spanning both programming and facilities.
- Prioritization of future projects and programs based on equity, community feedback, site practicality and all costs, from capital to long-term.
- Estimates of costs sufficiently robust for projects to be included in the 2010 Parks Levy.
Prioritized projects could include modifications to existing facilities that would reduce ongoing costs (e.g., converting wading pools to spray parks), enhance revenues (e.g., adding warm-water teaching pools to increase the capacity) or meet the needs of underserved populations (e.g., adding slides to attract teens). Its recommendations could also include adding new facilities (e.g., outdoor pools that follow Mounger pool’s model to achieve high cost-recovery rates).
Cost Estimate: $225,000
- $50,000: Financial Planning (analysis of funding mechanisms for ongoing costs)
- $75,000: Urban Planning (professional services)
- $50,000: Design and Engineering (including life-cycle facility planning and site analysis)
- $50,000: Parks Staff Time (costs off-set by in-kind contributions)
Deadline: Next Parks Levy
The plan must be finalized and approved in time for its insights and recommendations to be used in shaping the future capital facilities levy for Parks. City Council Resolution 31073 recommends that this levy address unmet swimming needs, among other needs.
Note: This Word file contains the most recent, revised CAP proposal.
When you’re done drooling over the unbelievable "Water Cube" Olympic venue (see the official photos), you’ll find the following two articles on gold-medal swimmer Cullen Jones thought-provoking:
- Cullen Jones Makes Waves: Swimmer Aims for the Games, And a Safer Community (Wall Street Journal, 6/28/08)
- Despite Olympic Gold, Swimming Statistics Are Grim (New York Times, 8/11/08):
"Watching the American men’s relay team swim for gold in Beijing, it’s hard to believe the United States has a swimming problem.
But there’s little to celebrate about the state of American swimming at home. In 2005, there were 3,582 unintentional drownings in the United States, averaging 10 deaths per day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Drowning is the second-leading cause of accidental death among children.
But the most worrisome statistics involve black children and teens ages 5 to 19, who are 2.3 times more likely to drown than whites in this age group. For children 10 to 14, the rate is five times higher.
Nearly 6 out of 10 African-American and Hispanic children are unable to swim, nearly twice as many as their Caucasian counterparts, a concern often highlighted by U.S. Olympian Cullen Jones, who is African-American and swam the third leg of the winning men’s relay this week.
In June, The Wall Street Journal profiled Cullen Jones and his efforts to raise awareness about swimming among African-American children. In that report, Mr. Jones said members of his own family still ask him why he chose the sport. “They’ll say, ‘Don’t you know blacks don’t swim?’ ” Mr. Jones told the paper. (To read the article, click here.)…"
An inspiring Olympic story: A Disabled Swimmer’s Dream (NY Times, 6/18/08)
"SAN DIEGO — As Kendall Bailey swims, his praying-mantis limbs flapping him forward, something about the water disguises his many maladies: cerebral palsy, mental retardation, autism and more. Only in a swimming pool do they dissolve and allow his troubled body and mind to be all but normal. He is happy, safe and possibly the fastest disabled breaststroker in the world…"
