Overview

Planning is necessary to build the long-term vision of how our city can meet its citizens’ needs for healthy swimming opportunities.  Only through the public process such a plan would provide can we build broad consensus on priorities and methods for addressing all aspects of costs.  Ongoing maintenance and operational costs are a mounting challenge for the Parks Department as a whole, but these issues are particularly problematic for our aging pool system. 

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.