PORT ANGELES — William Shore Memorial Pool will double its rates for those who live outside the Port Angeles area.
The move is to be fair to taxpayers who fund its operations, say pool officials.
Fees and annual memberships will be the same for those who live inside the metropolitan park district, which has the same boundaries as the Port Angeles School District.
The change will take effect Monday or Nov. 2, depending on the responsiveness of in-house systems, district Executive Director Steven Burke said Friday.
District commissioners approved the two-tier pricing structure in July.
SARC closure hastens switch
The change was originally slated for January, but officials hastened the switch because the Sequim Aquatic Recreation Center, known as SARC, is set to close Oct. 30.
“While William Shore Memorial Pool District understands this is a difficult time for the citizens of Sequim who have been using SARC for exercise and therapy, we have an obligation to the taxpayers of our district who have chosen to make the sacrifice to subsidize the William Shore Pool,” Burke said in a Thursday news release.
District property owners
The Port Angeles pool is subsidized more than 50 percent by district property owners, who pay 17 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation.
Taxpayers in the Port Angeles area should not subsidize rates for non-district residents, Burke said.
The new prices for non-district users — $10.50 for a single adult admission and $6.50 for youth— is set at the actual cost of operating the facility at 225 E. Fifth St.
In a Friday interview, Burke said he worked with SARC officials to try to make the Sequim pool and athletic center financially viable.
SARC officials hope to reopen the center at 610 N. Fifth Ave. through a partnership with the Olympic Peninsula YMCA.
District users get first priority
While it supports SARC in its effort to reopen, the William Shore Memorial Pool District will ensure its district users get first priority if swim lessons and exercise classes become overbooked, Burke said.
The only service that will not double in price under the new cost scheme is swim lessons.
Lessons, which cost $44 for district users, will be $50 for those who don’t pay property taxes to support William Shore Memorial Pool.
“Out-of-district kids’ swim lesson pricing will only go up $6 since we have made the decision that keeping kids safe around the water is worth subsidizing regardless of where they live,” Burke said.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5072, or at rollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
