Discussion on the Status of the Emma Hood Swim Center at Alameda High School and Provide Direction as to Options for Swim Facilities in Alameda. (Recreation and Parks 280)
Discussion on the status of the methods swim center at Alameda High School and provide direction as to options for some facilities in Alameda. We have speakers on this item. We want just one. Good evening, mayor and council. I'm Amy Aldridge, interim assistant city manager and Recreation and Parks Director. So tonight, here it is. We're going to discuss the status of the AMA, heard from center at alameda high school and various options and really, most importantly, immediate next steps. I do want to introduce Shahrukh Khan, who is the Alameda Unified School District's chief business officer, who's here who was gracious enough to come tonight. So he is here in the audience for some quick background. This is an overhead of of the facility. There is a locker rooms, swimming pool and a dove pool. The dove pool is smaller and deeper. And that's just a quick overview in terms of background. It is an old facility. It's approximately 60 years old. The swimming pool itself was retrofitted in 1990 and the dove pools retrofitted in the mid 1980s. Some background of of our history with county health is in 2010 they issued a notice of closure due to public safety and other concerns and code violations. The Health County Health School District City got together at that time and developed some short term fixes and there are quite a few new filters, new heaters, new chlorine system, a new chemical feed controller that increase the water flow rate and at that time promised the county health that a long term solution would be put into place in 2013. Additional mechanical equipment repairs were done. Most of the pump room was replaced. There was pipe leaking, pipe pipe replacements. And in 2015, the new pool opened at an Arsenal high school. That one was chosen to be replaced first because it was in essentially worse condition than than Amad. So this is just to give you a background that really this has been discussed for quite a few, many years. Some additional background is that we do have a joint use agreement between the city of Alameda and Alameda Unified School District that used to be that the city operated and maintained the pools. That was changed a couple of years ago. So AOC now operates and maintains the pools. Throughout that time, both the city and school district pay half of the total operational costs. Just recently, county health, which is why we're here tonight, issued a notice of health concerns and they informed the school district that the facility would be red tagged, essentially closed May 31st after the school swim season. So per this notice, they are clear that the pools will be closed unless they are repaired, fully repaired, replaced or removed. So the school district, city and city has a standing subcommittee meeting. They met on February 13th and they asked both staff of both agencies to prioritize this issue and bring it back to their respective board and council. So these are the primary code violations. I'm not going to go into great depth. I'm happy to answer any questions. One is that at this facility, the two pool, there are two pools, and they're essentially is one pipe system and one pump room that serves both pools normally. And per code, the pools would be separate to a separate pump systems, essentially, so that you can verify that each pool is meeting the turnover rate of water. I did meet with County Health last week and I'll explain a little bit more about that meeting in a minute. But there was a recent relatively minor fix to an area that was able to increase the rate of that flow. And and county health was was happy to hear where that was at. Some of the other code violations are refinishing the plaster and the pools slip and fall cracks and concerns about the pool deck as well as a lack of overall ADA access and clearly overall and they're just generally in very outdated, poor condition. I wanted to give you a sense of the current use, both of the pools. Obviously, we have the school, water polo, swim and dove teams and then the community has very large and active youth swim and water polo teams as well as adult masters swim and polo teams. Our city programs are primarily in the summer. We have swim lessons and lap swim. Limited amounts of those in the spring. A huge amount of use for about 8 to 10 weeks, depending on the summer. For youth swim lessons and for lap swim, family swim. Recreation swim. We do not use the city does not currently program a use of either pool during the school day. Also, just to give you a sense that during the school year, those groups combined, not including our PD programs, are using it from 530 in the morning until school start. And then as soon as school is out until 9:00 at night and all day on weekends and then on the weekday weekends, I'm sorry, in the summer times, it's really all day. Every day. So it's it's despite the poor condition, it's a heavily used pool facility. This is really just to give you a sense of the numbers of people using the pools, but also the fact that when you look at the percent of Alameda residents, it's really Alameda residents using this pool. It's extremely high numbers compared to other cities and their program uses and residential rates. It's it's really this is Alameda Pool. I do want to note, because sometimes these numbers are comparative of percentage wise of city use and school use and community use. These numbers aren't exactly apples to apples because for all of the teams, both the community teams and the school teams, you're talking about actual individuals participating in that team . Whereas for our programs, for something like if you think about lap swim, you're going to have ten people on each go five times a week. And so there are duplicated numbers and same things for there are swim lessons. So 607 registered, but generally those kids taking those lessons week after week after week. So the school district, once they were informed by county health, they engaged their expert consultant on on swimming facilities. They were involved in the design of the Sentinel High School swim facility, and they created an assessment report. So these numbers are from the school district and from their consultant. And the numbers also, I want to be clear assume a projects under DSA requirements to depart the vision of California vision state architecture who oversees and approves all school projects. So it's a little bit different when there's a project on a school versus on city land. So starting from the smallest that's shown on the screen. One option would be to repair the swim pool and close and fill the dove pool. That would provide continued practice for the teams in the community and in a more limited way because now you don't have the dove pool but would be an option. It doesn't meet the the district's CIF their league requirements. Another and that's again from the report is 1.7 million to repair both pools to based on to make the repairs that count in full that county health wrote up is violations that we discussed earlier would cost per the report about 3.6 million and again still doesn't meet schools requirements but would continue the facilities as a practice facility . Another option is to replace the pool on these numbers. 5.2 million to 7 million are based on the internal high school swim facility. It would be based on that same layout that would meet schools facilities. It mostly meets the cities and communities needs, but I would say not entirely. And all of these numbers include a 20% allowance. And on top of the cost that's included in because when you're doing a project would dare say they often open up the entire facility. So the entire Alameda High School for ADA compliance. And so there's additional costs that that adds to the project. And then the least desirable. But an option is to demolish both cool pools or close them until further until further options are identified. Obviously, it doesn't meet anybody's needs. There is still a cost because unless you close and fill them, you still have to keep the the water at certain chemical levels and make sure the flow is happening. And there's certain basic safety aspects and maintenance that has to continue. I want to pause at this point because this PowerPoint was issued prior to my meeting with Alameda County Health. And so I want to give you an update on that. City staff, myself and our parks manager and our other staff person who's very familiar with the pool, met with three of their three, the county health staff, who are all very familiar with this project. And I think there's really opportunities for a significantly lower cost option and for something that can hopefully keep this going in the short term. And I think there's a real opportunity for collaboration here. What they said is they are willing to consider essentially patching. They reckon, well, let me back up. So they recognize that the swim pool plastering is in decent enough condition. It's not a safety hazard. The dove pool is a problem. And but they're willing to look at patching the problem areas in a dove pool rather than a full plaster. Same thing with the concrete deck. They're willing to look at repairs, repairing and fixing safety problems, but not necessarily replacing the entire concrete deck. Also similar with the co-mingling water issue. If as long as we got a verified engineer's report that the flow is happening to rate, that is makes it again safe for the public because it's really what it's about is making sure we have a safe facility for the public that that would be acceptable in all of this. I just want to be clear is pending, you know, their final directors report, you know, collaboration. And there's still a lot to happen between here and there, but it was an encouraging conversation. I also want to clarify that all of this, you know, lower cost option is also contingent upon the city and school district, bringing them an action plan. They want to see movement and they want to see concrete move in movement that happens moving forward for full replacement of the swim facility. They also want us obviously to work very closely in what those short and long term plans are and what that action plan is, and make sure we're getting the required permits through them. I also want to be very clear that the May 31st deadline is not changing, and they were clear on that. And I agree that. If we can make the repairs that are sufficient, suitable that they agree upon the county health and that we are able to make if we can make those before and get them done before May 31st, the pool will stay open. If we can't get that done, that May 31st, despite whatever great plan we may have put in front of them, will still close until we get those repairs in place. So there could be a period conceivably of of disrupted service in there. So I just want to be forthright with the community that that we're moving as fast as we can. But that May 31st deadline is still there. So obviously, all this requires final approval from the county, as well as action and agreements between our partnerships with the city and the school district. But I do think it's an opportunity to work collaboratively together. Yes. So any clarifying questions about the staff report and then did the. I had a couple of more slides, but I'm happy to answer questions. Let's hear the can we hear the rest of the report? You have a question. To this. Specific to this. Okay. Go ahead. What's the cost? You said it's perhaps it's a little bit different from the other numbers previously listed. I'm hesitant to give a clear cost because we haven't gotten contractors out there to identify exactly how much patch work needs to happen. I mean, it would be a fraction of the lowest cost is, you know, somewhere south of half a million, certainly. But. But I don't want to give. I don't. But that's what the big caveat of not having contractors looked at it. And I just wanted to. Okay. And then and these are for, as you put it, repairs kind of to keep it going for a period of time. These would be repairs to make it safe for the public for a short term fix until we can put a long term action plan in place for the long term replacement. How long would that short term fix me? How short is that short term? Well, in my conversation, they you know, they felt like as long as you say for the public, though. So, for example, if the pool were plastering, if we fix those areas, but then other areas show up that continue to do laminate and deteriorate, we would need to fix that. But they're okay with the patchwork approach as long as it remains safe for the community. And where where would we potentially be looking at to get these funds from the general fund? I have not yet identified funding. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Another clarifying question, Mr. Odie. I have more, but I'll hold those. Just want to follow up on on the last one. I really didn't I wasn't sure if I heard an answer. So how long would the short term how much time with the short term fixes bias? Six months? Nine months. One year until the new pool is replaced. Until the pool is replaced. So that was they were okay with patching it, providing them with an action plan, with some kind of milestones showing that we're making progress towards a full replacement because they recognized the fact when I met with them that we can't even if we had all of the money and all of the design done, it would still take us a year or two, you know, to get really get moving, right? So they recognize it'll take 2 to 4 years, but they felt like if we have clear milestones that are agreed upon that we meet, then they're okay with us continuing to essentially limp along with this patchwork until we get a new pool in place. Thank you. Thank you. Any further clarifying questions? Okay. Please continue. Line. Perfect. Please continue your presentation, Ms.. So some ideas for short and long term solutions that have been discussed in the short term. What was discussed at the subcommittee is potentially appointing an ad hoc working committee that would be comprised of potentially members of this body, as well as members of the school board, as well as staff and potentially a couple key community members to provide input as well so that it's a truly collaborative process. Clearly, we would need to have more meetings with county health. That was part of my conversations and they were more than willing because they recognized the need for this in the community to meet on site with the contractor, with the school district and say, okay, here's exactly what work needs to be done to their satisfaction, for example, in terms of long term. There's been a long list. I think this is an opportunity in that for many years even predates me. There's been conversation about the need for a city swimming pool, and this is potentially an option to do that. An opportunity to do that. Clearly, it would still be available to the school teams, just like all of our facility, athletic facilities are available to them. We would need to consider locations whether we work with the school district somehow to identify that a good area for land and that for to replace it there or potentially look at another location. All of that really could be stressed out by this ad hoc committee and then funding to the earlier question. It could include the infrastructure bond. And this is for replacement, full replacement. It could include a potential infrastructure bond in 2020. It could include a combination of private donors. So there's that, again, would need to be identified as the funding. In terms of opportunities for Citi Swim Center, it would provide for year round programing, which is not an opportunity we currently have. Year round programing would allow us to program four tiny top programs, senior aquatic programs, lunchtime lap squats, swim, or other times lap swim. That's a constant request that we get from the city is regular year round lap swim and more year round swim lessons depending on the the weather. And also just to expand our programing in other ways. Although what a lot of cities do is add a small splash pad, which is basically like a playground with water coming through it, which is really I also get quite a few requests for that from residents just in since I've been here or slides going to the pools . There's a lot of different ways that many other cities add these components when it's a city pool so that you still have the competitive aspect. But you can add these components to bring in more families and any time you bring kids to the water to get them comfortable is a good in the water is a good thing . In terms of cost considerations, it definitely is a big, high, high price tag for a pool, both initial construction and finishing the pool as well as ongoing maintenance. And I am always upfront that anything we build cost annually to maintain and will be an extra burden to the general fund or rec fund or other for ongoing maintenance . Pools do not recover costs. They are far from recovering costs and they are inherently a money loser if we did. It's also been discussed, you know, would the city and again, this is more a long term conversation, but would we look at an indoor facility versus an outdoor facility? And we can certainly look at all those. An indoor facility is appealing in some ways because you can use it year round all the time. One in East Oakland, there's one in Newark, and they're both heavily utilized. And the construction of an indoor pool facility is generally the highest per square foot cost of any public building. You can build it. They're expensive and they have a higher maintenance cost just because of the nature of how you have to move the air and all of that. And yet they tend to have higher cost recovery than outdoor pools because you can program them all the time and you can do a lot. If you look at aquatic over in here in Alameda that is used constantly as an indoor pool, there's always folks in there when swim lessons. So that concludes my report. I'm happy to answer any further questions. And as the gentleman from the school district stroke, you're not planning to present. No. Okay. So we do have, as I have, one public speaker, is there anyone else who is interested in speaking on this? So get up speakers and clarifying questions before the public. Speaker Mr. O.D. Thank you. Just a couple quick ones, Amy. Sorry, before you walk away, I'm sorry. On your on your slide when you talked about the history so the 2011 commitment for a long term solution, what was our long term solution for M0 or did we have one or. We do not currently have one between the school district in the city? That was a hope and I think I came in after that. And I think what happened is, is, is resources were put towards internal swim center. Okay. And then on the summer plans, I mean, if if it stays red tagged or we don't figure out a way to fund these these repairs, that may be a path forward. I mean, what happens to those programs? I mean, do we just not do them? Do we kind of absorb them somewhere. Else for our city program? For the city we've already because there's so much uncertainty and we have to put out our activity guide. Now, it's actually being printed as we speak. We have already planned for everything to be moved to and snowstorm center. And so that's something that will just make it work. What the reality is, it actually means less pool time for the community swim teams. Okay. And then the last clarifying question, so that there was a discussion about, you know, transferring property and DSA, can you kind of go over what just high level what the difference between a DSA approved pool that would be presumably on some school property versus a non DSA approved pool that would be on presumably city property? Yeah, sure. So DSA, I'm not as familiar with that, but my my understanding is that so they essentially provide do the full permitting for any school project versus on city land where it goes through the planning board and the city permitting process and plan check and all of that. DSA also. Has certain requirements, be it earthquake safety ADA requirements and certainly the city on city land, we would have ADA requirements as well for the facility itself. But DSA looks at not only the facility itself of that swim facility, but looks potentially at the entire school facility for ADA improvements. So that's why the consultant built in the 20% additional cost for those potential other ADA schoolwide improvements, it's arguable whether it takes longer. I think it depends on DSA staffing. Sometimes it takes longer than city plan checks, sometimes similar. Those are the primary differences is what the plan check process is and the potential for higher cost with ADA and potentially earthquake improvements. Okay. My last question is of our interim city manager. Do we have an eye? Do you recall? And if you don't, I can wait for the information what our budget surplus was last year. No, I do not have that. Or the year before. No. And do. We gather that and. Do we have an idea where we are? Like, we're six months in and we're more than six months and so we should have at least first and second quarter numbers. I mean, do we have an idea where we're where we're trending I think for the current fiscal. Report for your mid-year coming up in. Okay. Okay. Thank you. Any other questions before we go to Speaker? Councilmember Vela Uh, for the subcommittee. I understand that it would be a couple of members of council. I think we've we've that's been designated and a couple of members of the school district. What would the report back or the process structure look like and what would be kind of the the. The issues that would be discussed by the subcommittee and what would be the process for actually getting it. But are we going to sunshine who they're talking to, who's involved? You know, what are the opportunities for the community to get feedback and for the various boards, for the two different boards to actually weigh in? A couple of things. So there's a lot in there, I think. I would like to see this committee when they get together, really talk about process. We really haven't flushed that out. And I was hesitant to lay out a process with before that group has convened in terms of sunshine ing and report out. You know, I'm certainly happy to report out each council meeting through made to this body as needed or once a month to report out to the community. Here's what's happening with that. There may be other potential ways we can potentially post minutes or find other ways to let the community know what's happening with this group. It could be onerous if it were fully public, and now we're getting feedback from anybody who walks in. Really, it would. We have a very short time frame. So I would I my own opinion is that would be very helpful to have a tight working group that can really make make some decisions and choices. I envisioned that any action plan that came from this group would clearly have to go to each body for final approval and full approval and full discussion. And this is just for the short term. Yes. So there would be perhaps a different process relative to having a conversation about the long term, like we would lay out parameters of like potential locations, ballpark costs, indoor outdoor. Those sorts of questions would be answered by a separate working group. This this subgroup would really be working on the immediate concerns. I think I envision the subgroup working on immediate concerns and getting twofold. One is on media concerns and getting final buy in with county health on a plan. But that plan to county health also has to include a plan for long term replacement. They don't care if it's going to be indoor or outdoor or how we're going to fund it. Those questions can be answered farther down the road when we're not on such a tight timeframe, but they are going to want to see some kind of milestone plan, such as and some of the examples of what a possibility. Possibilities. I was very clear with them. These were all possibilities pending final approval. But possibilities could be, you know, identifying a location. And so, for example, if we ask the school district to deed over that land so it could be a city project. You know, seeing in my view of that or if we chose to go the route of funding it through an infrastructure bond, a milestone might be when this body chooses to place that on the ballot and then if it's voted in at the ballot, those are all milestones, examples of milestones that they would want to see. So this action plan, this committee needs to come up with some kind of action plan that will essentially satisfy county health. And so I imagine the group will also at some point be the representatives of or the whole group will be meeting with county health to to flush out this this action plan to make sure it is does meet their needs. So there's there seems to be a parallel track kind of going on that there would be both the short term and long term discussions with the short term obviously taking priority. But there would need to be I guess what I'm getting at is, is are we going to have an opportunity, Madam Mayor, to agenda? Is this in terms of having a long term conversation from the council so that we can actually give authority, it seems to me, before you actually have the long term conversation. The council needs to. So I think that's a really reasonable question, and I think I even have an answer for you, but I want to save that for when the Council deliberates on after we've had our public speaker. But hold that thought, it's a good one. Did you have any other clarifying questions? I did have one other clarifying question, and that is, you had also mentioned that there would be potentially members of the community on the subcommittee. I'm throwing it out as an option. I think in terms of a collaborative approach, it's always nice to have constituents be part of a conversation, or even if they're not part of the committee, some way to be checking in with the constituent groups. Did you have an idea or somebody in mind? No, not yet. The number of people because I noticed on one of the slides you make Slide seven, you list different the different organizations that make use of the pool. Mm hmm. And so how many individuals would we be talking about? And it seems to me like the smaller the group agreed, the better that we also want to have members of the community obviously involved. There's a lot of crossover between the groups. So I think I would agree, I think the smaller working group would be more effective. So I imagine just a couple to three most. And I would look to the swim community and aquatics community to help us identify who those people may be. Yeah. Okay. I have another clarifying question. Singular, plural, whatever, from Mr. O.D. and then we're going to go to our. Sorry, it was just a follow up follow up on Councilmember Vela's discussion with you. So this potential infrastructure bond. I mean, are you envisioning like a global infrastructure bond? And this would be a piece of it. And if so, how do we actually guarantee that there's money that goes to the poles? Because I think I believe the threshold is different. If we say, you know, it's a project, a, you know, versus it's possible projects A through Z. I think that's a larger discussion as part of an overall infrastructure discussion. But yes, I had imagined it'd be part of a larger global infrastructure bond, not just a bond for a pool. I have seen other cities do that. That's certainly an option as well. And I think then this body needs to look at an infrastructure bond and whether you identify projects and it's two thirds vote or, you know, 50 plus one vote, I think that's a larger discussion. But we could and I want to just interrupt for one minute to just look to the acting city attorney to make sure we're not going beyond the scope of this agenda item. I do realize that an infrastructure bond is one of the options to be considered, but I'm not sure the deep dove, if that's not too much of a pan into all the particulars, is that I'll defer to the city attorney. I would say a deep dove into the mechanics of an infrastructure bond or outside the scope of this particular hearing. But I also agree with Amy's quick assessment about. Well, let me just ask it a different way. If we do a global infrastructure bond, is there any guarantee that this money will end up going to poor construction? If it's you know. Absolutely and as best you can identify. Funny but. Really but it becomes it in the deep end here maybe stay a little. I don't think we're in the deep end because I think if we're going to if we're going to be making a promise to people and say that this is a possible solution, I think we have to be clear with people that it's not a guarantee. I completely agree with you. And when we have that discussion, I think that's the time to do that. But we would probably want a legal analysis of the the structure of a of an infrastructure bond before that time. And I think we could I think we could structure without going into too much detail, but it's all in councils, resolutions, etc.. In terms of the mechanics of issuing the bond, you can be as specific as you want to be or as general as you know. But I think if you're going to be specific about this, about that, it goes for a particular purpose. And that was the point. So we were clear with the public and if we did do a specific one, what that would require, and if we didn't, what that would require and what that would guarantee. I'm not finished talking I or what, what that would guarantee or what that would not apparently. Okay. So that's what I was looking to have an information of. Any further questions. Okay. We have one public speaker, Barry Parker. Mr. PARKER. Thank you, Miss. By the way, Mr. Voltage. Really well done. Staff report. Thank you. Dr. Parker. Sorry. Doctor. Okay. Now, look at my clothes. No tie. Good evening, Mayor Ashcraft. City Council Persons. And, Amy, that was a phenomenal description. Took everything. The one thing I want to sort of point out is that although the citizenry of Alameda probably looks at that pool as being in the high school pool, go to other communities, there are high school pools and then there are community pools. We as a city and you as city council people and have an obligation to the citizenry of this town to provide them with something they can use probably the most injury free form of exercise that is known to people. I swam in that pool for about 64 years. That was a a bond issue gym that that was to help the Parks and Recreation Department. But it was earmarked with $600,000. And that built that pool in 1954 for swimming. It was 1955. But I think behind the scenes, if you realize that, that it not only provides the high school with great swimmers, but we have a lot of different programs besides swimming programs. We have we don't have diving programs. We do have the Neptune's. And I look at these teams like the Alligator Islander combination now called the Gators. I look at Neptune's sort of like you would look at Little League football or a Little League baseball or the Wolverines. Now I think we call them and they are the they are the teams that are going to make the high school teams both Alameda and and so now the great teams that they have become because they have these feeder kids, they just really have excelled in the last few years. I swam age group, high school, college master's. Now Amy was right. That pool is 530 in the morning till 9:00 at night. The part in the middle, though, is where the city of the city owned that pool. We wouldn't have to do school background checks and all those are things we get have water aerobics programs which are really, you know, filling up in a lot of pools. We can have, as you say, lap school, lap swimming. It would be nice to try and think of it on the site that it is now with limited parking. But it also could be maybe the school district would consider one of their other properties since they want to build more football fields and track and soccer and everything else. But maybe there'd be a little bit bigger footprint that you could put a pool on with a plunge. Splash pool. I'm hoping that it still has water polo. I did water polo in that five foot pool. It's really hard to practice when you can't touch the bottom in a regulation pool. You sort of get fouled all the time. But I just really hope that we think outside the box on this. I think it's a wonderful thing that you're taking on and I hope it works. I'll be I'll be there helping. Thank you. Thank you, Dr. Park. Okay. That's our only public speakers. So council discussion. So to look at what we're asked to do is we are asked to come up with some recommendations and these include short term options, appointing a working subcommittee. And as Councilmember Vela mentioned, I think we spoke about this last time this came up, and I do believe the vice mayor and I were agreeable to being a subcommittee. I will just add that I learned to swim in this pool and I told my waters the story when she took me to to tour the pool that I was that kid who was terrified to let go of the edge of the pool because the waves in the pool, you know, those waves or the sharks or whatever, we're just going to come get me. And I had the most patient instructors through the Red Cross Swim to Live program who is very patient and work with me. And lo and behold, one day she got me to trust her enough to hold her and paddle. And I swam all through college and law school. That was my form of exercise. And and I believe that a city like Alameda, we're an island, all of our kids should learn to swim for their own safety, but also just for their own health and enjoyment. And it isn't just kids. It's one of those sports activities from cradle to grave. I mean, Councilmember Vela, you're going to be doing some little tiny, tight swim lessons, I bet you, before long. And for our seniors and everyone in between, as Dr. Parker said, I think it was Dr. Park, it's a low impact way to stay heart healthy and and exercise your muscles and and all those good things. So I think as a city, we can do better. I'm always a little chagrined when I'm in other cities and see these beautiful pools and think, Ooh, why not us? It's because of money. But I do believe we're ready to to move forward finding directions. So so the the long and short term options and I would say. But chime in folks when I call on you, it is probably we should consider everything on the table. I mean, I think with an eye toward keeping the pool open through May 2019 to get through the school year and then figure out what we're going to do to try to move forward with better swim facilities in Alameda . And I do understand that there's a short timeline because Ms. Wooldridge, when it's by May, the beginning of May 2019, there you are that we need to when you tell us when you need the. Early open until May 31st, it will be closed after May 31st. Okay. Okay. Thank you so okay. That's those are my thoughts. Chime in starting with okay counselor Avila. Yeah. So so I was a swim kid. I learned to swim at Franklin Park, not at Emma Hood, but I was a swim kid and I grew up spending my summers going to the pool. And I used to give Dr. Parker the updates on my swim times, every orthodontics appointment that I had with him and I swam through college. I did club water polo, I taught swimming lessons, was a junior lifeguard, all of that stuff. And I think we are an island and we are a water community and there's a lot of families. I think those numbers aren't really full numbers because you have to think about all the families that are involved in addition to those individuals that have signed up for the different classes or teams. Because the one thing about swimming is that it's it really is a family sport and your whole family goes and you spend the whole day there. And I think it's just a great opportunity. And I want to expand what we do for our kids and what we offer to our kids. It's a little bit selfish because I have a kid on the way, but I, I do want to make sure that there aren't you know, I think one of the hard things for me is that we're having swim lessons only in the summertime and we should be having an ability to offer swim lessons before the summertime so that when it's summer, we can have all of our kids enjoying our pools. So I'm fully ready to support the, the request to to have the subcommittee work and to work on all the short term things. I think we need to do it sooner rather than later so that we can buy time working with the county on what those fixes are. I think we need to get a handle on what the current expenses are for the current repairs and then identify kind of second tier repairs that could could happen in year, you know , a year from now or six months from now and then and then even after that, because I think the long term goal, at least from my end, is I think we do need an indoor facility. I think that's what gets us year round swimming programs and water programs. I'm swimming right now. I'm pregnant. It's a great exercise for for when you're pregnant, there's a lot of things you can't do. But swimming is one of the things you can do. And I think it's also great exercise. I have grandparents who have used it, you know, aquatic programs as part of their physical therapy. They've had to travel in order to do that. I think we're doing a disservice to our aging community by not being able to offer those programs, and I think you need an indoor facility for that. I think we need to look at multiple locations. But I also think that I would like to develop a five year plan or a four year plan because I think it's a long road to actually getting the funding. And so I would like us to have a more robust conversation about what those milestones are, where we can get the money for that, and how we can go about partnering with different private partners, community partners, the school district. And I also understand that the city is going to need to put funds into that. But I also think it's very worthwhile. And I think it's it's counted in the lives we save by making sure people are water safe, as well as having an opportunity to stay healthy. And I think oftentimes we we end up treating acute illnesses. You go to the hospital because you have heart disease or diabetes. And we need to really be thinking about lifestyle changes. And I think an indoor facility would do that and it would allow people to really participate. We could increase those numbers. I also want to make sure that when we look at the short term, we're looking at both pools because we do have a robust and growing water polo program. And I want to make sure that, you know, we have a number of other programs. We need both of those pools. So I would want to make sure that the subcommittee is looking at the repairs to the decks, the the dove pool and also to the locker rooms. They're not to call out the locker rooms, but they're really bad. And and I think that that's the last thing you want to be thinking about when you're coming out of the pool is how gross the locker room is. I don't think we need to have a $43 million facility like Dublin, but I do think we need to think about a little more, a little bigger, a little more creative. I think splash pads are good things to get people, especially younger kids, comfortable with water. So I'm really open to all the suggestions, but I do want to have a report back so that we know from a counsel standpoint if there are going to be budget expenditures, that sort of things and we can plan on it . I would also I also think that it's important to have the subcommittee and keep it small. But I do think we need to have a work session on this at some point. Perhaps the summer would be a good time to have it so that we can actually have a robust conversation about what this big vision might look like and then kind of refine it a little bit so that the subcommittee can stay focused and do the deep dove. And one other pun. You know, I know we're going to be busy keeping our head above water, but but I do I do think that it doesn't mean that we ignore the long term. And that's why I would like to have kind of a five year plan. So I think it counts. Everyone gets one person per speaker. I see is one of mine. So that didn't count. And now just in the locker room, I was trying counsel before when when I did do the tour of the locker room, I walked in and it was like I never left it. It just pathetically it looks the way it did when I learned to swim. So we just go down the line. Vice Mayor Knox White. Thank you. So and as one of the members of the school subcommittee, I think I was I'll just reflect for those who weren't at that meeting or many of you, especially in that corner, were, I think we're in a very unique place where the school district, the city and the community are all in the same place. We all agree that things are not good now. We all acknowledge that maybe we could have done better over the last ten years and that county health is now calling us on that. And I think we're now all committed to two to working together. So I've been speaking with people in the swim community kind of about how we can move forward. I think this subcommittee is a really important way to do that. I think it's likely going to have to probably meet weekly or so. And I think just putting a standing item on the council agenda, because I don't think that the work of this subcommittee is for two members to go off and just do whatever they want. I think it's really for a way to get input from the council, from the full council every two weeks and move forward on what is going to have to be a really quick six week plan of action at the end of the six weeks. We're not going to know where the pool is going to be exactly. We're not going to know what the pool looks like, etc.. But we are going to need to know that the council and the school around the same place. And, you know, I guess I think if if there are concerns that that folks have right now around the idea of the city pass, I think something I'd like to look at is the city running the pool, taking over the pool, as it were, and building and building that pool. And so if I think if there are concerns about that, you know, now is a great time to time to talk about that. Yeah. Sorry. Okay. And then before I go to Councilmember, decide something for the council to just think about. So as far as the two members of the public and I'm thinking it should be two rather than three, because then each entity is represented equally. So would we just put it back out? To the pool users swim groups to designate their representatives. What do you think? Vice Mayor, you're a little closer to those groups. So last last week, I, I met with members of just about every swim group together, including school sports masters, special ed club and club teams, parents, etc.. And the goal of that meeting was to start to help support them in organizing themselves to identify a leadership structure that that that can communicate among themselves and then identify some folks who could participate. I think that the right way to do that would be allow that group to identify a couple of people. That's what I said. Okay, great. You'll keep in touch with them and can communicate back to your subcommittee member. Okay. Thank you, Councilmember Desai. Great. Well, thank you very much. Thank you very much to HPD director Amy Warwick for her presentation and for the staff report. Very much and very much appreciated when the topic was brought before the School District City of Alameda Subcommittee, we meet regularly. I found this topic to be very exciting, not just exciting in terms of, you know, trying to fix something that the Alameda High School is having to deal with. But exciting in the sense that I think this is something that's really a community, potentially a community wide benefit. So even though I am a member of the city council, a U.S. board subcommittee for purposes of this item, that I do think that the mayor of Alameda should be involved because this is going to be a signature citywide kind of project. So I so I think in the short term, we do need to move forward in terms of dealing with the county issues and to figure out, you know, how best we might deal with it. You know, the plastering issue that that director wore, Richard talked about. But also I think that the subcommittee that we come up with, we should also let them be in a position to kind of help us in the long term. So I would expect them to be participating in the long term visioning. My largest contribution to this right now would be to say that we really will need to involve the community in this because this is really a community wide project and it's something about which so many of us, whether on the West End or the East End, can be quite proud of and like in a similar way that many years ago, in 1955, Dr. Parker, who shared with us a photo of him as a youngster in the newspaper touting the 1955 1956 bond measure. Maybe there will be young youngsters today, the will who will also be touting this. So we need to involve a lot of people in this. So I don't have much else to say, except I thank you very much, Director Woolridge, for your presentation. Thank you, Councilmember Odie. Thank you. I'm not going to add too much more than my colleagues have already added, except to say I mean, I agree that we should we should work on the the three items in the short term and the three items on the long term. I'd like to, you know, hear back sooner rather than later on the cost estimate of of getting the repairs that county health thinks we can do at that's something we can do before May 31st in order to keep the pool open through the summer and not have to have any closures. I think that would be be the better idea. I do agree that we do need to have a robust community process because I think we kind of fell down as a city on this, you know, eight years ago when everyone identified this as a problem and we took care of one and we didn't take care of the other. And I think we knew this was going to happen. And the reason I asked the question about the budget is because, you know, we are in a period now and maybe it's ending. I'm not sure of, you know, we're going we're having excess reserves over what we what we agreed we should have in 25%. And we're having, you know, what I think are really significant surpluses of one time money. And I mean, to me, what better thing to do with one time money than to spend it on one time projects? And a new pool is a one time project. And I do think it's important and I brought this up earlier, but I do think it's important that we are honest with the public and what we're going to ask if we think we're going. The public thinks they're going to pay for a new pool. We better be damn sure we're giving them a new pool and we better not leave any ambiguity and we better not leave any wiggle room and any opportunity for anybody to welch out of that deal. So I think that's supercritical. I don't know how we do it. We'll go through that. You know, and as far as the Working Subcommittee and I was a little disappointed because I thought that was an item we were going to discuss in open session, because I really like to be a part of it. I mean, it was disappointing to hear that that had been decided in closed doors, not transparently and not here with the five of us having a discussion about it. But I'd still like to be a part of it, so if that's possible, I'd be interested in doing that. That in mind. Thank you. All. Is that a decision that the council makes or is a decision that's unilaterally made by one member? I seem to recall that we came to consensus in open session. Right here in this dais. I'm not sure we came to consensus. I think it was proposed and there was nobody who spoke against it at the time. But I don't know that there was ever a decision that was made. I think the vice mayor opposed it at that point in time. But I don't know that I would stop short of saying that we all voted to agree on that. Because I also know that, you know, I think, John, Vice Mayor, next, what you did an amazing job running that meeting. And, you know, the subcommittee we have with the USDA, you know, also is pretty well versed in this. So, you know, I would just like to be a part of this. And, you know, I would hope that, you know, we would consider who's going to be on this man. Madam Mayor? Councilmember Avila. Um, perhaps if we have the agenda item coming back to us and we schedule a work session, I mean, I think all of us are interested in and have been hearing about it. So I think the purpose of the subcommittee is to get an expeditious resolution to get us through this year. And then I think after that, if we can find a way to to really include the full council and have that robust conversation, I think we all would appreciate it. I agree. All right. That's all I had. Thank you. All right. Thank you. Okay. So does this give you sufficient direction staff to direction to to move forward? This. Yeah. In general, yes. I was hoping to have a group identified in terms of who I am, still not clear. Who it is. The two of us vice the mayor and vice mayor. Just sort of expeditious. And able to move quickly. And we are going to and I'm going to delegate to the vice mayor to reach out to the poor committee that he is conversant with and and get to representatives from that community. And then I will get the scheduling done ASAP. The school board will be it has scheduled appointing two members next week, I believe. I just wanted to thank Shak for coming. He obviously you didn't have a role in the presentation. We knew that when you came. But, you know, I really appreciate the show of commitment that we are working together. And I also just want to recognize, beyond Amy's great PowerPoint, the amount of work she has done in the last two weeks to get up to speed on this, to fix help fix the existing poor already, and then also to start meeting with the county health care. Mental health has been really awesome. And thank you so much. Appreciate it. Yeah, thank you. Thank you. Anything else? And I wanted to clear one quick question clarification. I will do my best to come back every two weeks given our staff report process, that's a little bit challenging, but I will absolutely do my best to provide some kind of report each couple of weeks. If anything, a written report or some sort of report. And I'm not sure my colleagues were asking for a written staff report every two weeks. I was I was more asking that it be basically placed on the agenda as a rolling item so that if we if we need to have a conversation, we can if we need to make a vote on something, we can amend the agenda item to include whatever the specifics would be, and we could attach whatever supporting documentation . But I also think that Councilmember Otis point, I think because all of us are getting questions from the community, and rightfully so, that any new information that comes down, if it can be provided to all council members, even though we're not necessarily weighing in, that would be helpful and appreciate it. Absolutely. And I was thinking that that would also be an opportunity for the subcommittee to report to the full council and every meeting and a vice. Did you ever hear it? No. Yes. Sorry. I was going to say. It wasn't really the question. It was, do you want to speak? Sorry. I just want to say I don't know if you all want it. I don't think we are asking for a staff report. No, I think this is supposed to be quick, quick and fast. And I think we agree with our legal counsel to find an adequately noticed agenda line that will allow us to talk about the things that were heard in those meetings. And agenda as anything. Agenda is decisions that need to be made in time. Absolutely. Because the rest of the audience might not know. In addition to being an amazing recreation parks director, Mortgage's also our acting assistant city manager right now, and she's just given up eating and sleeping, just put everything in. But we don't want to do that for too long. Okay, we are completed. Thanks, everyone. Good discussion. That ends item six B. We are going to take a brief break and I do mean 5 minutes and we will be back to hear item six eight on the rest of the agenda. It's not a lot to stick around. When to take your place, please. Counsel, I have a question for you. We have not too much more on our agenda, but. But the next one is meaty, sexy. But then we also have a council referral that has a number of high school students of tender age here past their bedtime . Now, I know you guys stay up late, but you shouldn't. Anyway, I'm just wondering, and it's not both council referrals, but I'm just wondering what the council's pleasure is. On nine A This is to consider approving a resolution of support for HB 31, the No Tampon Tax bill. What? Where do people think we could bump it up ahead of the agenda of the next agenda item? I don't think to take too long, but I'm only one person. How many speakers are there, Madam Clerk? 515.