Proposal to Close Pools at Rec Center Surfaces

The only swimming spot open year-round at the New Port Richey Recreation and Aquatic Center is the lap pool.

Now, city leaders are being asked to consider a proposed cost-saving measure that would close it part of the year.

City officials are proposing closing all facility pools from Sept. 4 to May 24, with the lap pool open to swim teams through Oct. 31 this year only. The measure would mean the swim season would last from Memorial Day to Labor Day next year. Also, due to the city's financial issues, officials are proposing cutting the positions of an aquatics coordinator and swim coach which starts Oct. 1, 2012 . 

The city is confronted with dire financial projections and the reality of a recreation center that doesn’t pay for itself and requires subsidies from the general fund. The rec center received a general fund subsidy of $1.69 milliion. 

Shortening the swim season would save the city $93,500, according to city officials. Outside of the swim team, only a scant number of folks use the pool in colder months.

The proposed cost savings would be realized by no longer paying to heat the lap pool in winter and reducingifeguard hours in summer. Cutting the positions  of an aquatics coordinator and a full-time swim coach accounts for a combined  $64, 253, out of the $93,500 that would be saved. The swim coach is propsed to be cut to part-time in October and then eliminated in November.

Some potential problems with the measure?

The center could lose money due to folks canceling memberships because of the change.  

Also, the New Port Richey branch of Tampa Bay Aquatics, a youth swim team, uses the pool year-round, could face an additional fee to rent and heat the pool in the colder months. TBAY currently pays a monthly fee of $50 per swimmer to use the pool.

High school swim teams that use the pool could have their rent for using the pool raised.

Tampa Bay Aquatics swimmers and adults who use the pool have since weeks ago been Hal Blethroad, parent of a TBAY swimmer, has attended city council meetings with TBAY swimmers urging city leaders not to close the pools. 

Schneiger said he’s talked with Tampa Bay Aquatics and they might be willing to pay an additional rental fee. Right now, however, the cost has not been defined.

Blethroad indicated the team might be willing to pay a rental fee, but he the doesn’t know what that is. He’s still concerned about the coach, who trains the swim team, could be gone after budget negotiations are over.

Blethroad said that "at $50, we're not paying anything, so let's get out of that and start paying more. We just need to know how much the team needs to raise versus individuals paying, and we're good."

Deputy Mayor Rob Marlowe said he’d like to know how much it costs to heat the pool in individual winter months.  if the city can work out something where Tampa Bay Aquatics pays a fee to keep the pool open and use it and the city tries to keep costs low. 

“We just need to work smart,” he said.

The city council will be discussing the issue again later this month.