PORT ANGELES — The William Shore Memorial Pool is expected to close for the month of June while management of Port Angeles public pool transfers into the hands of the Clallam County Family YMCA.
William Shore Memorial Pool District Chairman Mike Chapman said the YMCA needs the time to hire staff and get its accounting and other management services in place.
It will coincide with the pool’s annual maintenance shutdown, which usually lasts about two weeks.
The taxing authority, known as a metropolitan park district, owns the pool but has agreed to contract management of the facility to the YMCA at a rate of $363,552 per year.
That includes the cost of keeping the pool open — such as paying employees and other related expenses — plus a 15-percent fee to cover administrative costs.
The park district will pay the YMCA through a property tax of 14.8 cents per $1,000 assessed valuation. Its taxing jurisdiction is the same as the Port Angeles School District.
Any pool fee revenue above the average of $15,600 a month will be split 50-50 between the YMCA and park district.
Chapman said the commission agreed to that arrangement because the nonprofit organization would likely need additional funds to cover higher labor costs if the pool sees higher usage.
He added the contract is intended to cover the costs of keeping the pool open and is not intended to allow for the YMCA to make revenue.
Kyle Cronk, YMCA executive director, also said the organization does not expect to make a profit off of the contract.
“It’s just to cover the costs,” he said.
Cronk said a date has not been set for when the YMCA will hire staff for the pool — such as lifeguards, swim instructors and a pool director. The positions will be open to anyone, including current pool employees, he said.
The five commission members chose to pay someone else to manage the pool because they said it is more cost-efficient. The YMCA was the only organization to submit a bid on the contract.
The details of the three-year contract with the YMCA are still being worked out, but the park district commissioners expect it to be done by the end of the month.
Chapman said representatives of the nonprofit organization and the park district hashed out several details on Tuesday.
They include:
• The commission will be responsible for vetting all user contracts, such as with the Port Angeles High School swim team.
• Hours of operation cannot be diminished.
• The pool will remain open to all, and there will be no price break for YMCA members.
• The commission will set all fees.
• The YMCA will provide the commission with monthly reports.
When commenting on the Tuesday meeting, Chapman said:
“We’re off to a good start. I believe this will be a long-term relation and will save the taxpayers money as we go forward with operating this pool district.
“I believe that it will be a really good private- public partnership.”
The city, the former owner of the pool, has managed the facility on behalf of the park district since June. The park district has used loans from the county to reimburse the city for that service.
The park district’s agreement with the city for managing the pool is set to expire March 31, and the park district will seek a two-month extension, Chapman said.
He said the city has offered to contract pool maintenance at $56 per hour, including benefits for the single staff person, adding the commission likely will accept the deal.
Voters approved the creation of the park district last spring to fund the pool after the city declared it could no longer afford to keep it open.
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
