HomeMy WebLinkAbout121123 email Pt Townsend Aquatic CenterALERT: BE CAUTIOUS This email originated outside the organization. Do not open attachments or click on links if you are not expecting them.
Dear Commissioners,
I am asking you to vote NO for any action that would cause the county to pay in whole or part for an Aquatic Center in Pt Townsend.
The discussion around the pool has been going on for years and keeps being stymied by the lack of corporate or local sponsorship of the expense. We are not Kitsap or Pierce County with
much larger population and corporate business bases to help underwrite this activity. In addition, the ambitions of the project moved from pool repair/replace to something much more
expansive (and expensive).
Some key points that concern me about this project are;
* Why would someone build such an expensive county supported public recreation facility in a corner of the county that effectively precludes most southern, central and western residents
from using the facility?
* County residents that live near the bridge (of which I am one) already have aquatic and other recreational opportunities in Poulsbo and Silverdale which are closer that PT.
* This started as a PT initiative and there was not (as far as I know) county wide input on the scope, expanse or other details of the project. But now PT wants the rest of the county
to help pay for it without having been part of the planning process.
* If one assumes that the construction funding could be arranged how would the operational costs of such a facility be recovered? We are the ‘grayest’ county in the state, have a significant
base of lower income residents, and should assume that many people can not afford to pay full rate membership rates or would be covered by medical insurance at rates that do not bode
well for operational cost recovery. I can easily see that ongoing support for operational costs will be needed (beyond covering bond expenses) from the county for this facility.
The details of this project are murky at best and certainly not ready for a county wide vote or financial support.
George Gebert
Port Ludlow, WA