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Bill,
As you are all too aware I'm a candidate for City Council, opposing David Baker. I take this task very seriously and have been spending a fair amount of time trying to come up to speed on a variety of issues which would otherwise not rise to the level of personal concern.
One of these issues is aquatic resources. You have done a great job of consolidating information in an effort to keep us informed. I'm discovering it's a complex issue that's difficult to understand. In my effort to gain at least a fundamental understanding I've met with several of the principal players to include Steve Anderson and Bill Evans of Kenmore, Manny O'Campo, Bothell Assist. City Manager, and Ty Taylor, Program Director NW Center. Each provided a bit of grist which I'm now slowly going over. I hope to write a summary sometime soon.
In the meantime, it continues to perplex me that pool-using citizens of Kenmore are not receiving the kind of support they need to get information about pool operations to include hours, cost, etc. In the past it required a very deliberate search to find information about the Carol Anne Wald Pool at St. Eds Park. Since then the City has added a link to *Area Pools* in the *Parks and Recreation* area of the website. However, testing it again today takes one to a dead link at the NW Center. Bottom Line: No Information
My research has also lead me to the City's Parks and Recreation Master Plan. The plan is comprehensive and requires a fair amount of patience to wade through. Unfortunately, it is replete with redundancies, unsupported conclusions and some conspicuous omissions. Notable among these is the absence of substantive discussion about pools. This is particularly puzzling considering that the report was issued in 2003 coincidental to the publication of the Northshore Aquatic Study by the PRSA of which Kenmore was and remains a member. Apparently a case of right hand not knowing what the left is doing.
My conclusions at this time is that the Parks and Recreation Master Plan is out of date and needs to be redone in order to reflect the current conditions, nearly five years later. Swimming pools are a vital resource to a mature and well-rounded community. Granted, what we currently have available may be dated and only partially capable of satisfying community needs. However, it has become an integral part of many citizens lives. It is incumbent on elected officials to recognize this dependency and work constructively with concerned parties to ensure the continued availability of aquatic resources in one form or another.
If I'm elected I will make the needs of the aquatic community a high priority. I will work to ensure that families, competitive swimmers, exercise enthusiasts and others have access to a publicly supported pool.
Question to you: Has anyone seriously investigated the possibility of expanding the CAW Pool to include modern amenities such as a separate leisure pool, hot tubs, sheltered solarium, etc? Rather than start from scratch in building a large regional aquatic center perhaps building on existing facilities would be feasible.
~Dennis Hill
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