HomeMy WebLinkAbout112023 email Pool ProjectALERT: BE CAUTIOUS This email originated outside the organization. Do not open attachments or click on links if you are not expecting them.
Good afternoon,
I am writing in support of the Healthier Together Center for Jefferson County. I live in the Port Ludlow area and three times a week I drive 24 miles to the Mountain View pool for water
aerobics. I drive this distance because I need to do it for my health and it's the only public pool in Jefferson County.
My understanding, from complete word-of-mouth information, is that currently if any major repairs become necessary the City of Port Townsend will not be putting any money into the pool
and from reading the feasibility study I know that the 2023 roof inspection shows the pool roof "has reached the end of it's life". It is unimaginable to me that soon, anyone wanting
to use a public pool will have to travel to Port Angeles or Poulsbo.
Although you probably already have, I urge you to look again at the big picture: decades worth of school children continuing to get swimming lessons, class after class of students having
competitive swim meets, hundreds of people over the life of the pool who will take advantage of water aerobics and free-swim activities for health and leisure. Now imagine the many
years worth of health benefits provided by Jefferson Healthcare and potentially countless numbers of social and possibly civic activities in the additional spaces that will be part
of this facility. Plus, and I'm going out on a limb here, should the full build-out occur you know that the percentage of persons using the facility will increase and there will be
income generated. There is no way in my mind not to see this as a tremendous asset to the community, and one worth paying for.
After reading the first 35 or so pages of the feasibility study I feel that I have a pretty good idea of the projected costs and intended sources of funding. Regardless of the fact
that there is a row over "no pool taxes", looking at the income demographics in the study make it seem that paying an additional two cents for every $10 spent on taxable goods is not
an excessive tax burden. And yes, there are people complaining because they won't be using it, but my tax dollars go to a lot of places that I may never directly benefit from. Sometimes
you have to look at the greater good.
I keep getting the image in my mind of the first home I bought. Do you remember that? We thought that $80,000 was an incredible amount of money and started to get cold feet. How would
we ever afford it? But the numbers we penciled out said it could be done so we took the leap of faith and never looked back. I'm asking you to please take a leap of faith and to continue
to support the building of our new pool.
Thank you for taking the time to read my letter.
Patty Kraft