Many years ago Dave Brude with Associated Pool Builders estimated the total costs to operate a pool the size of our three local pools at $300,000 to $350,000 per pool per year. I imagine they take into account all costs including major maintenance. One of the big costs is the utility costs associated with having to heat 210,000 gallons of water to 82 degrees, then bring in large volumes of fresh air and heat that air to 84 degrees and exhausting this air just as fast to keep the humidity down, and this happens 24/7/365, bathers in the pool or not.
My advice to the borough and school district would be to have a thorough cost analysis done so that we all know the real costs to operate. Also, look at daily and weekly bather loads as well as scheduling, hours booked and hours available to book from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. 7 days a week.
Another thing that needs to be looked at is user fees and how far they go toward the operation of a pool and whether or not they are in line. Then with all this information the borough and school district can make a decision based on facts and science rather than all the emotion that seems to be going around. I am just saying, maybe we might find that we can accommodate all user groups with 2 pools and run these facilities much more efficiently at a time when federal and state coffers are drying up, which will lead to borough and city coffers drying up.
Dennis “Moegy” Moeglein
Soldotna
