PORT ANGELES — The fifth member of the William Shore Memorial Pool District Board of Commissioners will be selected today.
The four current commissioners — City Council members Dan Di Guilio and Cherie Kidd and Clallam County commissioners Mike Chapman and Mike Doherty — will interview the three candidates at the pool commission’s 2:30 p.m. meeting in the council chambers at City Hall, 321 E. Fifth St. A decision will be made after the interviews, which are first on the agenda.
Three candidates
The three candidates for the fifth position are Thomas Bock, Gary Holmquist and John Shield. They each were part of Save the Pool PA, which raised money to keep the pool in operation and pushed for passage of a district to support it.
The voter-approved pool district, which has the same boundaries as the Port Angeles School District, came into existence June 3.
The city stopped funding the pool from March 30 through about June 5, when it agreed to help fund it until the district could acquire a loan.
Other business
At the meeting, the commissioners also will consider approval of:
• Contracts for legal, financial and clerk services.
• A contract with the city of Port Angeles for the city to operate the pool for up to six months. The pool district will have to refund the city’s expenses.
The commissioners will also discuss:
• Liability and property insurance.
• Budget development and potential loan sources.
The district will fund the pool through a property tax levy estimated at 15 cents per $1,000 valuation.
The levy, which the commissioners will have to set, will take effect Jan. 1. By state law, the levy can be as high as 75 cents per $1,000 valuation.
The district isn’t expected to receive much property tax revenue until April, but it will begin to receive revenue from pool fees as soon as it takes ownership of the facility.
$550,000 a year
The total cost of operating the pool is about $550,000 a year.
Pool fees do not cover all expenses.
The city estimates the gap in expenses and revenue for the pool will be about $400,000 this year. That gap was $350,000 in 2008.
The commissioners are seeking loans, up to $750,000, that would cover paying the cost of the election, estimated at $64,000, as well as establish a $50,000 reserve, cover the costs of a pool director, employees, insurance, utilities and maintenance and reimburse the city for once again covering the costs that pool fees don’t meet.
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
