Report to City Council

Tom Hemphill, President, WSCS Board of Directors

Dear City Council members:

Providing the City of Sebastopol City Council a State of the Pool Report is an endeavor the Western Sonoma County Swimmers has wanted to do for many years. We decided to wait until this year, when we are hard-pressed to deliver any bad news to you.

The state of the pool is very good.  We are poised to finish the year in the black for the first time in many years, balancing a $225,000 budget entirely through fees collected from our pool users. Over 50,000 people used the pool for lap swimming, aqua aerobics, aqua therapy, Masters swimming, underwater hockey, safety classes, mothers and tots, family swim, public swim, and parties.  And, of course Ives Pool is home of one of Northern California’s premier swim teams, the Sebastopol Sea Serpents as well as the Analy and El Molino swim teams.  I would like to make a special note about the Rotary Club Learn to Swim program at Ives Pool.  Over 250 second grade children were the lucky recipients of this wonderful program.  During the summer, Ives Pool provided swim lessons to over 900 young swimmers.  In our continued efforts to reach out to the Hispanic community, we distributed fliers promoting water safety events and classes.

Numbers do not tell the most interesting and compelling part of the story, though.  The formula for our success is rather remarkable:

            One part unique and collaborative relationship with the City of Sebastopol

            One part excellent management by our manager Ricardo Freitas

            One part enthusiastic support from the swimming community, and

            One part dedicated and forward thinking Board of Directors

I would not be full of good news and cheer were it not for the willingness of the City of Sebastopol to provide the resources necessary for us to continue to attract and retain swimmers.  I would especially like to express our appreciation for the hard working support we receive from Dave Brennan and Rich Emig and his Public Works staff.  Clearly, the tale of Ives Pool would be a sorry one were it not for the attentive and loving care provided by these people.

 The two biggest examples of City support are the resurfacing of the pool bottom and the photovoltaic-energy efficiency project.  The City paid for the resurfacing, while the photovoltaic-energy efficiency project was made possible by a loan from the City to WSCS.  The new pool bottom continues to receive rave review from our swimmers who are thrilled with the water clarity and new look.  The energy project will eventually save the pool over $12,000 annually in lower electrical charges.  Both these important projects are major reasons why Ives Pool will continue to operate year round while in a challenging and uncertain financial environment.

At a time when many public pools are closing or reducing programs, Ives Pool is looking for ways to expand the programs offered and broaden our outreach to the community. In keeping with our desire to assure the long-term health of Ives Pool, we have formed a marketing committee to help us more fully utilize the pool during the slower winter months, and make for the best swimming experience during the busy summer months. WSCS is exploring changing our name to be more readily identified with Ives Pool, while looking for ways to strengthen the bond between the pool and the community.  We also look forward to working with the City in identifying the long-term capital needs of Ives Pool and developing a comprehensive plan of action to address those needs.

In concluding this report, I would like to give a special thanks to you, the City Council, for your on-going and steadfast support of Ives pool.  Together, we will continue to provide our swimmers with the high quality and friendly swimming experience at Ives Pool.

Respectfully submitted,

Tom Hemphill

President

WSCS Board of Directors

(points to emphasize)

1. Successful separation from SSS.  Last year elations were poor.  I would like to commend the leadership of Kathleen Andersen.
2. We will continue to look for ways to reach the Hispanic communities.
3. Students from Analy and El Molino High Schools use Ives Pool for the high school swim team program.  The swimming community at Ives is very supportive of this activity.
4. We currently have about 80 members, down from 141 last year.  This is due to a less active membership drive and the absence of controversy!  Our plan is to grow the membership by offering value other than civic.
5. I’d like to emphasize how valuable the Rotary Club of Sebastopol’s Learn to Swim Program is to our community.
6. I would like to offer the City Council an opportunity to purchase a solar panel.