SOUTH WHIDBEY: Parks and rec nixes pool deck enhancement, decides deductible options
Kira Erickson reports from the South Whidbey Parks and Recreation District board meeting on Wed., Sep. 18, 2024 for the South Whidbey Record.
South Whidbey Parks and Recreation District officials are considering scaling back some design elements to stay within the budget for a new aquatic recreation facility.
In November 2023, voters approved a $27 million bond for the pool project, which is expected to begin construction sometime in 2025 or 2026.
Parks and rec commissioners decided during their September meeting to forgo a three-foot expansion of the pool deck, a choice which will save an estimated $475,000.
They Said It
Commissioner Matt Simms was the sole vote against the reduction.
[Explaining potential cost-reduction changes,] Brian Tomisser, the parks and rec district’s executive director, explained to the board that the reduction in staff offices would go from roughly 1,000 square feet to about 250 square feet, which could include an office for an on-site manager and space for another desk or two, but not much else.
Commissioner Erik Jokinen pointed out that they told the public that the facility was going to have certain elements, like the party rooms.
“I just want people (to) keep that in mind, that as we start to take things away, that’s also not what we told people they were going to get,” he said.
Tomisser said the big decisions will come six months down the line, and nothing has been taken away yet.
Simms said he toured Oak Harbor’s brand-new concrete pool that had to be drained and closed because of one kid’s accident, which is one of the downsides of concrete because it potentially leads to higher maintenance and operation costs. Myrtha pools, on the other hand, have a 25-year warranty. [Switching from Myrtha to concrete is one of the potential cost-saving measures under consideration.]
