PORT ANGELES — Save the Pool PA plans to finalize its recommendations to the city of Port Angeles on specifics about a metropolitan park district to fund the William Shore Memorial Pool, when the group meets on Monday.
Krista Winn, Save the Pool PA chairwoman, said the public is welcome to provide input before the group sends its recommendations to the city on Tuesday.
The meeting will be at 5:30 p.m. in the basement of Olympic Medical Center, 939 Caroline St., Port Angeles.
The City Council and Clallam County commissioners have voiced support for holding a special election on the creation of a park district, but they have not approved it.
Proposed boundaries, taxing authority, and how the city and county would share the cost of a special election have not been decided.
If it goes on the ballot, the measure would need approval from a simple majority of voters within its proposed boundaries to pass.
A special election could cost up to $82,000 if the district has an elected board, and if its boundaries include both the Port Angeles and Crescent school districts.
While facing budget constraints, the City Council announced in September that the pool at 321 E. Fifth St., would close unless a firm plan was proposed to fund its operation costs. That plan, advocated by Save the Pool PA, is forming a park district.
Winn said that members of Save the Pool PA met with city staff members last Monday on the topic of forming a park district.
“It was a positive meeting,” she said. “We are feeling that we are working together now.”
Joint meeting
A joint council and commission meeting to discuss these issues was postponed so that new City Manager Kent Myers could participate after he starts work on Monday.
Mayor Gary Braun said on Friday that the meeting has yet to be rescheduled, and that will likely be done this week.
At the meeting, the two elected bodies also will discuss:
•âÇWhether or not the district’s board members should be elected or appointed.
•âÇWhen to hold an election.
•âÇWhether or not to limit the taxing authority or other authorities the district would have.
Winn said a special election could be held around May.
The pool’s revenues don’t meet its expenses, and the gap, up until now, has been made up by the city’s general fund.
In 2007, the pool had a gap in revenue and expenses of about $320,000 a year.
Jayna Lafferty, city aquatics manager, said that the pool raised $182,000 in revenue in 2008, which is up about $20,000 over 2007.
The pool’s expenses for 2008 weren’t immediately available. The pool’s expenditures were just over $500,000 in 2007.
In late 2008, the pool received $15,500 in donations from the Olympic Medical Center Foundation, James- town S’Klallam tribe and community members.
That figure does not include the 4,428 swim passes for 2009 purchased by the Lower Elwha Klallam tribe for its members.
The City Council decided in December to fund the pool operations through March, while it and the Clallam County Commission sort out the details of a special election.
Save the Pool PA is raising money to fund the pool from April through June while the issue of a park district is put before voters.
Raising money
Winn said the group has raised just under $30,000, which is a third of it needs to raise to fund the pool through June.
“Pledges keep coming in every day,” Winn said. “It’s like Christmas every day. The community has been really supportive.”
Save the Pool PA also has five fundraisers planned, including one scheduled this month. “Rescue Relays” will begin at 4 p.m. Jan. 24 at the pool.
Teams of four can print the registration form from the group’s Web site, www.savethe poolpa.com.
Registration costs $100, and Winn said 15 teams have registered so far.
Other fundraisers include:
•âÇDinner/silent auction on Feb. 21.
•âÇLonely H benefit concert, date to be announced.
•âÇMovie night at a local theater, date to be announced.
•âÇIt’s Time for a Change, which will include placing donation jars at Port Angeles businesses.
The park district, if approved, would fund the pool’s operations through a property tax levy.
Without considering administration costs, it would need to levy about 12 cents per $1,000 assessed valuation — if its boundaries were the same as the Port Angeles School District — to make up the gap in the pool’s revenues and expenses in 2007.
If approved by voters, Winn said state loans and grants would be available to fund the pool until the new public entity can receive property tax revenue.
She said the amount needed to pay back loans would be figured into the levy amount.
Winn said that pledge money that has already been submitted won’t been deposited until the City Council and Clallam County commissioners agree on a funding arrangement for a special election.
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@ peninsuladailynews.com.
