Any funds from the operation of the Pool, admission fees etc. where do those funds go and roughly how much is collected each year, just roughly?

$10.000 annual city subsidy. 63 day season... approx. $160.00 per day public funds. I know it's fuzzy math but please don't pick it to death. I'm sure yours will be more percise.

 

As I said to Vietvet... let's agree to disagree.   There are many wonderful assets in Middletown and I feel strongly a pool should continue to be one of them.

 

Concerning  the splash pads, I don't expect any drop in pool attendence.  

The are used by very young childern who mostly don't swim yet. 

 

Best regards......

 

When I moved here it was of no interest to me whether there was a pool much less where it was.

 

If the City was doing fine financially then having and maintaining a pool is a great bonus for the residents.  But when the City is in the Financial mess that it is and we can't even maintain the roadways we have to prioritize what is important, having a pool at this time is a low priority for many citizens I would suggest.

 

When I moved here my son could not swim he learned when he joined the Cub Scouts/Boy Scouts and learned at the Downtown Y for about $7.00.  Learning to swim is really a minor issue if you want your child to swim you will find a way to do it.

 

If the Ak money is gone after this year how much money will have to be raised for next year? $50-60K.  

 

I also have to agree with the fact that over a 60+/- day period only 7-8,000 residents using it is a small percentage of the citizens and yet much time and effort has been spent on the Pool issue for the 5-6 years I have been here. 

 

On another note West Chester has no Public Pool and yet they seem to be a booming community that doesn't miss this quality of life issue that we seem to constantly year after year spend a tremendous amount of resources on.

 

If money was plentiful then have a pool otherwise the effort put into just a 2 month recreational activity is to much.

 

Having a Golf Course is also a nice amenity but it should be sold it can't pay its way or use the land for a more productive use.  We are  talking $250-300K a year for these two amenities alone.

 

Merrel is it predicted that the Splash pads will cause a decline in Pool use this year?

 

 

We must NOT look at these items individually!!  If we do, they are all basically "good" things so how can we say "NO!"?  Yet, if we look at the grand scheme of things and consider them as "either / or" choices" versus, say, fire protection or police protection or similar items, how can we say "yes"?

 

These are difficult choices, but they must be made, and they must be made RESPONSIBLY, even if the "correct" choices are unpopular choices.

 

If one would ask one's children whether the family should go to Disney world next month, or pay the mortgage, I think that we all know what the most popular chice would be.  Which would be the RESPONSIBLE choice?

 

In my view, providing a place to swim for those children who cannot afford the existing local choices is the purview of charitable organizations or service groups.

 

This is a sad case, and I wish that it were not so, but it is what it is, and it is time to face it.

 

Of course NONE of the above is as important as holding a SECOND "ribbon-cutting ceremony" for those politicians that may have missed the first one. 

 

Vietvet,

Let's agree to disagree. Hope you can use some of the info to get a better handle on the particulars behind a few of our recreational facilities. Park board will review the numbers at the end of season and make a recommendation to council about Sunset's future. I'm sure we both can agree that we should support and promote the many assets our city enjoys while at the same time work to create new ones that will serve all of the citizens of our community. Best regards...

 

jmo

just one time a year. I'd be curious to know the number of folks who visit Smith Park every year and what number are repeat visiters. The cost to the city is pretty much the same regardless of how many citizen visit more than once a year. I don't recall hearing  that rational being used to justify it's expense. As to the drive to Sunset, it's pretty much located right in the middle of the city and a lot of kids arrive by bus. I don't see backyard pools much of a factor because among other reasons, I don't remember wanting to just swim with my sister when all my friend were at the pool. Your right about the issue of behavior problems during the first season. It was addressed by both the guards who became more agressive inside the fence while the police did the same outside. Also there was a crusing issue but is now closely watched by the police as part of their patrol. Anyone identified as a trouble maker is ejected  and the more bothersome can be excluded for a longer period of time.... possibly for the season. Many of the guards are local kids. Adults have exclusive use of the pool for one hour before opening and swimming lessions are offered. Many feel it's much more important for a kid to know how to swim than to swing a nine iron. Again.... the city's actual cost for such a summer destination is extremly low and in my opinion is an important  part of the quality of life in our city. It certainly beats sitting home and playing video games. If I were moving to town with kids I would certainly count it as a plus for a reactional destination. The pool does need an overhaul but there's no reason the city shouldn't endorse a private sector effort to do so. The huge number of "baby boomer" are gone and to compare that era and those numbers to today simply does not reflect it's true value and importance to the community. Not every recreational destination should be or can be a direct profit center for the city and when the cost to provide such a facility is kept low, it may be one of the best example of getting the most "bang for the buck" we have. Best to all....