Are they insane?
The hole in the ground Astorians throw money into each year which some call the Aquatic Center just cost us another consultants fee. A little under $14,000 to figure out how to make the center return as much revenue as possible. FINE. That constitutes about half the revenue the Center returns annually teaching kids to swim. Yes, it's that bad.
The committee formed to save the Aquatic Center has come forward with a proposal to allow Seaside's Sunset rec district to annex the Astoria pool complex. My understanding is that Mary Blake from Sunset is excited about the idea. Mary is easily excited. Voters who currently support her district may be less so.
Astoria should instead come forward with a tax levy that reflects the true operational costs of the ACC and let the voters decide whether to support it or not. If not, close it.
The Astoria Aquatic Center management allows homeless people to clean up in the facility, creating a health hazard for all who use the same facilities. Does the Seaside facility have similar problems with certain citizens? How does Seaside operate their fine facility within their economic base? My wife contracted a toe infection in the shower area. She no longer pays to attend. I hope one could discuss this situation without political correctness!
ReplyDeleteTom, couldn't agree with you more. The only thing that's good about the economic slowdown or recession is being finally forced to scrutinize non-essential functions of government. But, if the voters want to fund it, then so be it, but close it if not.
ReplyDeleteThis should be done with all services and functions of government, with full transparency of expenses, operational costs and infrastructure costs.
Art Hyland
Astoria
Tom,
ReplyDeleteThe problem with closing the pool is that Astoria taxpayers still have to pay off the bond they agreed to several years ago. Astoria has combined a great deal more than it should into its Parks Department without giving it the support to do any job well. Giving the pool to Mary Blake seems like a good option. Mary knows how to run this type of activity and can probably make money at it. While the threat of closing the pool combined with a consultant report may be a ploy to get the public to come up with a solution, I would be surprised if the City actually closed the pool as there it a small, but loud, contingent that uses it (including lots of people that don't pay taxes in Astoria).
Simple fact of the matter is, in my view, it all boils down to covering overhead to operate it plus revenue generation to perpetuate growth and program enhancement which cooks on down to an hourly rate to cover it all and the creativity, on someone's part to keep it going on a daily basis.
ReplyDeleteFor the life of me, I just can't see how that facility will be able, based on our own demographics, to support itself but, good good luck to the genius who will figure out how to do it.
Put it up for private sale. It is not being run properly at all. Swimming lessons should be more plentiful and easier to attain, and offered at more convenient times for working parents.
ReplyDeleteKeep it running, but put it up for sale. Not that I think many will clamor to buy it, but how about giving the YMCA or Boys and Girls Clubs the $50,000 seed money they need to come in and run it? Seems better use of funds than another study.
Tom, thanks for chatting with me on the phone about the Astoria Aquatic Center (AAC) Tuesday morning, even though the conversation was cut short. By the way, I would suggest you let people know that if they try to call you they will get the answering machine most of the time. I did anyway.
ReplyDeleteFirst, I wanted to respond to a couple of the previous comments to your blog. People who live outside the city limits who become members of the Aquatic Center pay a higher rate than Astoria Residents (except for annual members such as me). See their website at www.astoriaswim.com for rates and schedules. People who pay the daily use fee for the ACC, homeless or not, have the right to use the facility. A person can get a toe infection or athlete’s foot anytime in public shower, or, even in a private one. Most people concerned with this wear water shoes or thongs.
One of the questions I think people need to answer and the City needs to ponder is: Do you want a kids play park swimming pool, or, an aquatic center that serves a more diverse group of users. Tapiola was a play park, a good one at that. The ACC is a facility for all including people such as myself who are trying to improve health. Due in part to using the ACC, Columbia Fitness and diet improvement I have lost 102 pounds over the past year, the healthy way. I see many other people in the pool getting or staying fit.
Tom, I do like the idea of putting it on a ballot as a tax levy thus letting the voters decide once and for all. I believe this was the original intent of those who worked on the ACC project. At the same time there is nothing wrong with pursuing the Sunset Rec proposal. Both would prompt facts about the actual cost to operate the pool to be made public as well as calculations of the cost per thousand for a property tax levy to support the ACC as either a City of Astoria facility, or, Sunset Rec facility. I would actually like to see a North County Parks and Recreation District formed. I’m sure that Sunset Rec already has a boundary for their tax base. The North County district could start at that boundary and encompass the remainder of the County. Just a thought anyway.
Speaking as a user of the AAC, I would be willing to pay a higher rate. If you were to go into the facility at the time I do, around 5:45am, you will see 10 – 20 people, mostly seniors and a few younger folks trying to stay or get fit. Some of the seniors are there to stay mobile. Later in the morning you will see water aerobics classes. More swim classes for kids and adults need to be held I’m sure. Closure of the pool would be a huge loss to family centered activities. The ACC provides an excellent service, with a good quality staff and needs to be continued in one form or another.
Some people need to look beyond their own fogged glasses and realize that some things are bigger than an individual’s pocket book. I don’t disagree that the ACC could be privatized, however, when a government run service is privatized the quality of service almost always drops. Since the ACC does generate its own income, privatizing it could be successful. The Post Office is an example, one of the very few, to show that a government service can be privatized. However, even the USPS is struggling with a deficit now.
Thanks Tom. I have been enjoying your show in the mornings on my way to work. To bad your phone system is inadequate. I think you would have more participation if your system was upgraded. Tell Paul I said so :)
Steve Hawks
Steve-
ReplyDeleteInstalling another system for the phone hopefully in the next couple of days. Having the guts ripped out of the station tower last month by some thief has set us back on other projects like this one.
Another question I would like to have answered is; If the Seaside Aquatic Center is a model deemed sucessful, what is it that defines its success exactly?
ReplyDelete