Aquatics panel outlines pool options

After seven months of study, an advisory group has come up with a set of options for the future of Spokane’s pools.

The Aquatics Citizens Advisory Committee group presented its recommendations to the Spokane Park Board at its Dec. 8 meeting.

The committee concluded that something has to be done with deteriorating city pools. Otherwise operating costs will increase, and some pools may need to be closed.

The panel’s proposals would cost about $45 million, to be funded through a voter-approved 20-year bond issue. Taxpayers would pay approximately $32 more per $100,000 of assessed property value. Money also would come from admission fees at two facilities, and concessions and rentals.

The next step, the committee said, should be a poll of public support for the bond issue and the pool options.

Park Board president Jeff Halstead said a lot will depend on the results of that poll.

“If you get wildly ecstatic response to the proposal, you might try for the whole thing, but I think probably a prudent response would be to do the things that we have to do; we need to replace Shadle and we need to build spray pads and figure where the public would go beyond that,” said Halstead.

“We’ve taken care of the roads, and the citizens have approved a tax increase to make sure that firefighters, police and libraries stay open. Are we next in line, and if so, what is the proposal that citizens will be open to, and what’s the proper time for it?”