PORT ANGELES — It appears that saving William Shore Memorial Pool won’t cost property owners more than they were promised.
The five William Shore Memorial Pool District commissioners will consider approval of a 15 cent per $1,000 assessed valuation property tax levy for land within its boundaries — which are the same as the Port Angeles School District — at its Oct. 27 meeting, commissioners Mike Chapman and Dan Di Guilio told the Peninsula Daily News on Wednesday.
The 15 cent levy was the amount that park district proponents estimated would be needed to save the pool prior to the May 19 election.
It would cost the owner of a $200,000 home — the median price of a home within the park district — about $30 a year.
Chapman, who sits on the commission’s finance committee and is also a Clallam County commissioner, said a 15 cent levy would allow the park district to maintain current levels of service and staff, pay back its debt to Clallam County and put away about $70,000 a year for future capital projects.
“It’s what the voter was asked for,” he said, referring to the levy.
“There’s no compelling reason to go any further.”
The levy would go into effect Jan. 1, but the park district wouldn’t begin to receive any revenue until April.
County, city help
In the meantime, the county is loaning it money to cover its costs with an interest rate tied to the state’s municipal loan pool.
The park district’s biggest expense is paying the city to manage the pool until it begins to receive tax revenue.
On average, that cost equates to about $30,000 a month.
On Wednesday, the City Council voted 5-0 — with council member Di Guilio absent and council member Cherie Kidd abstaining since she also serves on the park district’s commission — to continue to manage the pool through March 31, which required a three-month extension with the park district.
Di Guilio said the purpose of the extension is to allow the park district time to find another organization to manage the pool on its behalf.
The commissioners have sent out a request for proposals to see if anyone else is interested in filling that role in April.
If they receive any responses, Di Guilio said a decision will be made in late December.
Chapman and Di Guilio said they are interested in continuing to outsource management of the pool and its staff — with fiscal oversight from the commission — because it could save the park district money.
“We hope and believe that someone can do it cheaper,” Chapman said.
Di Guilio said, “I think many of us think that voters didn’t want us to create a whole new agency to gear up and run the pool but to take over its finances.”
Chapman said the Clallam County YMCA has picked up an application, but has not submitted a proposal.
Di Guilio and Chapman said the park district’s other option is to hire a pool manager and transfer the facilities 35 staff members directly under its employment.
They said they are still reserving that option in case they do not receive any proposals.
Chapman said that under any new management agreement, the contractor would be required to maintain current programs and classes.
Di Guilio said the city is still interested in contracting maintenance to the park district.
The park district received ownership of the pool from the city on June 24.
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
