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Responds to concerns on swimming pool fees |
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June 26, 2015 |
June 25, 2015
To the Editor:
Regarding Larry Bauer's letter concerning the
city pool fees:
I can appreciate that a price increase from free
to $10 for a city resident over a four year
period may seem like a lot, however it was
certainly not without notice, by any means. The
fee increase was discussed at several City
Council meetings, notices were posted in the
Herald before the increases went into effect,
and fee increase meetings were held for the
public to give comment.
The reason for implementing a fee (and the
subsequent fee increases) is due to the fact
that, as Mr. Bauer correctly noted, we live in
an area that is economically depressed, and the
city could not continue to afford the pool's
upkeep. Even with the increased fees, the pool
will likely operate at a loss and have to be
subsidized out of the general fund. Our city
unfortunately has a lot of aging infrastructure
and a limited budget, which means hard decisions
have to made when it comes to what it can and
can't afford.
In this case the choices were closing the pool
or charging a small fee in order to offset some
of the costs associated with keeping it open.
The cost to replace the pool heater was
estimated at $10,000; additionally, there are
upgrades that need to be made in order to meet
the requirements of the Americans with
Disabilities Act.
It would have been fiscally irresponsible to
keep the pool open without a fee, and I think
that the council made the best decision that
they could have, under the circumstances. If you
compare the fee to what other pools charge, I
think you'd find it is more then a reasonable
and fair amount, as are the wages paid to the
lifeguards.
I encourage Mr. Bauer to attend City Council
meetings, especially if he has not done so. They
are held the first and third Tuesday of the
month at 7:00 p.m. Agenda and minutes of
previous council meetings can be found on the
city's website, as well as notices for things
such as budget workshops, fee increases, etc.
The best way to be informed is to be involved,
and attending council meetings is an excellent
place to start.
Sincerely,
Jessica Tingley |
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