UPDATE: It’s a Pool Party (just not for the poor kids)

UPDATE: Here is the proposed changes (DOC); Poolratesproposed

I would first like to thank the Sioux Falls city council for releasing their pool rate plans at least 5 days in advance of the first reading, unlike the mayor’s office that releases their plans 5 minutes before a meeting.

I’m not sure what to think of the council’s proposed changes (I will want to see a more in depth document after the agenda is released this afternoon at 4:59 PM)

Now offering an alternative, the council plans to present a proposal of its own next week that includes more modest rate hikes on season passes and establishes one-size fits all passes that can be used at any public swimming facility in Sioux Falls.

. . . the council intends to develop a seasonal pass system that would offer access to the entire public pool system – indoor and outdoor. A $250 family annual pass, for instance, would entitle a family of five to year-round pool access, and a summer-only family pass would be $80, up from the $70 pass families paid this year.

I like where this is going, and I know the council has been in discussions for months about how they would tackle the indoor/outdoor debacle. It’s the FREE passes that are hitting a major snag. I support keeping them, but I suggested to the council that people who apply for them should be asked to give a free will offering to the Parks Department of any amount if they ‘can’. Not sure if that will be in the final package (or if the genius’ over in the attorney’s office nixed it?) Either way, whether you support FREE passes or not, if the passes do get approved, it should be eligible at ALL of the pools (indoor and outdoor). The councilors differ in their opinions on that;

Continuing to provide passes at no charge is about ensuring the entire community has access to the entire pool system – indoor and outdoor, said Councilor Kenny Anderson Jr., who helped draft the pending proposal with input from his colleagues.

“This is something that will allow our youth to access all of our public pools in Sioux Falls,” he said. “As far as I was concerned, all of our public pools are public pools and people should have a selection of what pools they would like to go to.”

Exactly! (Even though Kenny and Michelle have been making a habit lately of changing their minds when it comes to the final vote after telling their colleagues in private that they support something). Hopefully Kenny holds steady on this one. The way I look at it is if we are subsidizing the outdoor pools in the exact manner as the indoor pool, what does it matter where they use their pass? Like I have said in the past, I don’t use the public pools (I can’t swim) but I have no issue with subsidizing them, even for FREE use, I use the bike trails and other parks frequently, and I feel we are all in this together. But some councilors feel that the indoor pool is too ‘special’ of a place for the poor kids to swim;

“I would prefer right out of the gate (to see) no free annual passes for the indoor pool,” Karsky said. “Once it’s free, it’s hard to go back because then you’re taking something away.”

Yeah, Dean, those free pass kids might dirty up the water too much, because as councilor hat hater Rex Rolfing said, “for some of those kids, it’s the only bath they get all week.” Maybe with their free pass we could give them a bar of soap also?

Why don’t you just admit it Dean, the indoor aquatic center isn’t being built for ‘those kids’ it’s being built for those who can afford it. Why else would we put in bleachers? So the special interest parents can come watch their kids compete. I don’t want this to be a ‘special interest’ pool, I want this to be like all the other public pools, a community pool used by all, young and old, rich and poor. If Snow Fox or any other special interest has an issue with that, they can buy the pool or build their own (BTW, still waiting to hear how much they are kicking in for a sponsorship at the place. They must have blown their wad on consultants and t-shirts before the last election).

Parks Director Don Kearney said while the graduated fee schedule that has season passes escalating through 2018 does more to account for rising operating costs than leaving rates static for long periods of time, the council’s plan won’t do much to reduce the subsidy the pool system requires.

As for cost recovery, puuuleaze! You should have thought of that before building an indoor pool that is going to cost well over a million to operate each year! A project that Sanford was willing to build, taking taxpayer’s off the hook. Don’t come crying later that we have this monster subsidy because the consultants, city attorneys and finance officers are bad at math and planning. We were telling you that before the election, just another dirty little cover up by the Parks Department and Mayor’s office.

I have a feeling that the second reading of this proposal will be a firestorm, not just from the public but from the council and administration. Brace yourself. We will all probably need a good bath after the dust clears.