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Home My WebLink About07-13-2022 Parks & Recreation Commission Public Comment and QuestionsParks & Recreation Commission – July 13, 2022 – Public Comments and Questions Staff responses to questions are in blue. Update: RAL1. “Surplus of lifeguards is phoney” changed to “Shortage of lifeguards is phony” Mercer Park Aquatic Center 1. Would the warm water pool be zero depth? (Carin Crain) The schematic design shows a ramp leading in along one side rather than a full side zero depth entry. Final design, however, not yet determined. Robert A. Lee Pool 1. I will deliver my comments directly to City Council. Credibility problem alleging shortage of lifeguards – fact – there is actual surplus of lifeguards. Alleged low usage – low usage considered with constant reductions in open hours. The longer the pool is open, the more the usage. Pool now is idle most of the day. Pool now is idle most of the day – often closes before open swim and lap swim due to congestion during shortened hours. Surplus of lifeguards is fact, while the shortage is phony. If utilized, increased usage would logically follow. I use the pool every day it is opened if anything I have observed gradual increase in usage. I will confirm to make same points directly to the City Council with the consistency in claims of low usage and lifeguard “surplus” raising questions of credibility of other claims. (George Tresnak) 2. What year were updates done to the infrastructure of RALRC Pool such as pumps, filtration system, piping, and HVAC Systems? (Justin Fishbaugh) • RALRC Pool Facility Upgrades (p.55 of handouts) • Robert A. Lee Recreation Center Phase II Improv.- On-Deck Shower Restroom 2020/21 $96,051.05 • New chemical feeder system September 2020- $5,000 • New auto-fill system 2019- $2,000 • New Pool Pump 2019- $9,000 • Digital Pool Monitoring Controls 2016 • Installed digital regulating valves and digital controls for pool temperatures better and more efficiently releases and regulates the heat for the pool water. Also switching the gage from strap sensors to a waterproof sensor in the return tank sensor communicates the pool temperatures more accurately and efficiently. This was complete at RALRC in October 2016 and in January 2017 at Mercer Aquatic Center. • Boiler Replacement Project and Building Automation System (BAS) installation 2016 • The project involved the replacement of building’s heating system with high efficiency boilers and separating out the domestic hot water supply of building heat and pool water from showers with high-efficient water heaters. We received a rebate in the amount of $30,396.00 from MidAmerican, including a bonus incentive of $6,293.00 from the Commercial Energy Solution program. The annual cost savings projected by the new system is $6,293.00. 3. Why can’t a ramp be put in place of stairs? Or in addition to stairs if that is considered more accessible? (Mark Cannon) It could be with a new design, but limited space and the deck conditions make it difficult at RALRC. 4. Are their plans to dehumidify RALRC? Why or why not? (Carin Crain) Potentially, yes, once the long-term future of the space is determined. 5. How will P&R accommodate all of the demands on the pool is RALRC closes? (Carin Crain) Data of recent RALRC use suggest that current use could be accommodated at the other two pools if and addition is added at Mercer. 6. Where is the schedule for events? (Carin Crain) Events are publicized through the Recreation Brochure, flyers at our facilities and on social media. 7. Why are aquacise participants excluded from the usage numbers? Without including water fitness, you are undercounting many people per week. (Carin Crain) Aquacise participants are counted by registrations for each class rather than an actual head count of each class. P. 149 of the packet has the 2022 enrollments. The use is being considered in the overall picture of pool use. 8. I have seen staff teaching in the splash pool. Why did Kate say it was not usable? (Carin Crain) Instructors use the wading pool occasionally for free times and introduction to shallow water at RALRC but it’s not ideal for learning how to safety enter the water, water acclimation, and introduction to initial skills for smaller children. 9. Why didn’t Parks & Rec staff research the bomb shelter issue before going public with inaccurate information? (Carin Crain) Staff had been under the understanding that the building’s reinforced concrete lower level was because it was constructed to serve as a fall out shelter. Although there were Fallout shelter signs on the buildings and the actual depth and reinforcement of concrete verified during renovations, the reason for the reinforcement was not verified. Staff is both surprised and embarrassed to find out it was legend, not truth. However, the importance to future renovations is not whether or not it was a bomb shelter, but that lower- level floor is very difficult to break up or access pipes in due to the amount of reinforcement and depth of concrete. This has been verified in the renovation projects done in the building during recent years. 10. How does the City decide when to spend money to maintain aquatic facilities? Please provide overall expenditures for recent fiscal years? (Carin Crain) In general, aquatic facilities compete with all other City capital project needs for funding each year during the budget cycle. Staff recommends renovations consistent with best practice for each facility. Funding is based on need and priority of all City projects (parks, buildings, street projects) Long range plans such as the Park Master Plan, Bicycle Master Plan, Senior Center Master Plan and this recreation plan that is under development help guide long term decisions regarding projects. Budget information is found on page 150 of the handouts. 11. Please wait on your decisions on the pool facilities at Iowa City parks for 2020 Census data, GIS representations of bus routes, population densities and diversity, vulnerable populations, etc. As a GIS Librarian on research leave I would like to help with your ESRI GIS analysis. (Cynthia Dietz) While we appreciate the offer to assist, a great deal of this information was used by the consulting team from Berry Dunn in the gathering of data and analysis for the full report. The full report will include more of the background of what and how this information informed the recommendations. Iowa City Transit has also completed a full transit study that was considered during the master plan process. 12. What have other facilities spent to repair similar pools? (Cynthia Dietz) Staff does not have that type of information. However, the cost estimates in the final report are from an architects who have complete numerous pool projects in other communities. 13. Why wouldn’t the staff be clear as to whether the estimates included locker room updates? It seems that that would be critical information for the commission and city council to base decisions on. (Mark Cannon) This will be very clear in the final report. With the number of questions on all topics fielded during the meeting last night it simply slipped my mind while in front of the group. I felt it was better to say that I wasn’t sure than to give inaccurate information. (Juli) 14. Why did one of the commissioners ask about the “price tag” to repair RALRC – that would imply she hadn’t read the consultant report. (Mark Cannon) A full range of questions were fielded during the evening. Staff does not know why any particular question was or was not asked. City Park Pool 1. It was gratifying to hear Kate Connell’s emphasis on the flexibility of the pool design for different uses throughout the day, including additional lap swimming at sometimes. I urge the commission to maintain this level of flexibility in any new design and don’t choose a shape that severely limits flexibility. Zero-entry and accessibility can be accommodated while maintain flexible use by maintain a more rectangular shape for the pool. (Amy Dobrian) 2. Lazy river – I don’t feel it’s necessary. We have an obesity epidemic; we need to encourage activity at the pool. Thank you for this opportunity. Thank you for the expanded lap times (Judie Hermsen) 3. Great programming. Great site. As an ESRI GIS analyst I may help rebuild, as a rebuild will be very costly and require analytics. (Cynthia Dietz)