PORT TOWNSEND — The only public swimming pool in East Jefferson County is expected to stay open at least until the end of the year, the city manager said.
The future of the Port Townsend Municipal Pool at Mountain View Elementary School, 1919 Blaine St., has been uncertain since September because neither the city, which operates the pool, nor the Port Townsend School District, which is responsible for utility costs, had sufficient money to pay the bills.
City officials had said that the pool might have to close.
“The arrangement we worked out [with the school district] is that we will close out this year, and then see how much we come up short,” said City Manager David Timmons.
“Right now, there is a $5,000 commitment from the city, the school district, Puget Sound Energy and Make Waves! so we might be OK.”
More will be known in December, Timmons said.
“If it comes in higher than we can afford, we will have to borrow against next year’s money to keep it open,” he said.
“But then, we will be in next year’s budget and might run into the same problem again.”
Current agreement
The current agreement has the city paying for up to $72,000 of the pool’s operating costs each year.
Anything over that is paid by the school district.
Because of the soaring cost of utilities, the $72,000 ran out in September, and it is estimated that the cost of keeping the pool open until the end of December will be about $30,000 above the amount originally budgeted by the city.
The overage was considered to be far too much for either agency to absorb, prompting Timmons to request $5,000 each from the school district, the county, Jefferson Healthcare hospital and Make Waves!
The city also pledged $5,000, and Puget Sound Energy volunteered a donation of $5,000.
Now, Timmons awaits decisions from the hospital and county commissioners.
Not convinced
While neither board of commissioners from either entity have voted on the matter, both are leaning toward a “no” vote.
Hospital commissioners have said they would not give $5,000 to the city without receiving an appropriate return in services.
“The commissioners have consistently said we would need to be rendered a service, such as an allotted amount of time, to give that money,” said Vic Dirksen, CEO of the hospital.
“Right now, we don’t see that level of services being available to us.”
Dirksen said he did not believe the issue would come to a vote unless the city presented the hospital with a proposal.
“Our role has not been to operate a pool,” Dirksen said.
“We support having a pool, and would like to play a role in utilizing it, but our message has been consistent here.”
The three county commissioners’ most recent consideration of the $5,000 request came after a group of more than 20 people filled the commissioners’ chambers, asking that the county help keep the pool operating.
The commissioners were cautious about donating money.
“I wanted to make sure it’s a real partnership,” said County Commissioner Phil Johnson, D-Port Townsend, adding he also wanted the county to look at a joint venture having to do with parks and recreation.
“I think the pool is extremely important,” Johnson said.
Looking toward April
Timmons said the numbers may change in April when revenue from a levy lid lift voters approved for the Port Townsend Library in August begins to be collected.
Voters approved increasing property tax by 75 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation on a home, but the Port Townsend City Council has said it will raise taxes by only 38 cents per $1,000 assessed valuation the first year.
The tax increase will provide the library with $916,000 in 2009.
That will free money from the general fund for parks and recreation services and facilities — such as the pool.
Timmons said that, even if neither the hospital nor the county donate, the city will do its best.
“We will see how far we can stretch it out,” Timmons said.
“We are going to try to keep it open.”
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Reporter Erik Hidle can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at erik.hidle@ peninsuladailynews.com.
