MINUTES
CITY OF GLENWOOD SPRINGS
REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING
SEPTEMBER 20, 2001
PRESENT AT ROLL CALL: Mayor Sam Skramstad
COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT: Bob Zanella, Jean Martensen, Don Vanderhoof, Mary Steinbrecher, and Don Gillespie
COUNCIL MEMBERS ABSENT: Rick Davis
ALSO PRESENT: Mike Copp, City Manager; Teresa Williams, City Attorney;
Mike Harman, Director of Finance; Robin Clemons, City Clerk; Mike Piper, Fire Chief; Andrew
McGregor, Director of Community Development; Dan Rodgerson, Director of Parks and
Recreation; Terry Wilson, Director of Public Safety; Larry Thompson, City Engineer; and Steve
Vanderleest, Assistant City Engineer.
Mayor Skramstad announced that the ground breaking ceremony for the new City Hall was held earlier in the afternoon.
ITEM NO. 2 Citizens Appearing Before Council.
Glen Chadwick, 705 Silver Oak Drive, noted that a lot of supporters of a pool at the Community Center were in attendance with him. He thought Council was to be commended for getting the Community Center going and he heard it was a beautiful building. He stated he was anxious to skate on real ice this winter and thought it was a great deal; however, he the Community Center would not be complete until the pool and theater were built. As Council knew, he was part of an ad hoc group trying to raise funds for the swimming pool component of the Community Center. He said the group would like to be on Council’s agenda October 4. Between now and then, they plan to work with Dan Rodgerson, and the Parks and Recreation Commission. With respect to all groups involved, they thought the pool should be the next component of the Community Center for a couple of reasons. First, it was the most serious need; second, they thought it was the most financially feasible. No other public, year-round pool was available between Avon and Battlement Mesa. They have been relying on the good graces of the Hot Springs Pool and the Sunlight Racquet Club for years. The Hot Springs Pool was generous but could not accommodate all of the needs for swim teams. They provide other aquatic programing, but there was a limit. The community should not expect them to accommodate all of the need. The Sunlight Racquet Club is being sold and when that facility goes away, the community loses the only practice facility for high school girls’ and boys’ swim teams. They were 9th and 10th in the State of Colorado last winter. There would be programs that would not happen for lack of a facility. They thought the pool was a legitimate public project deserving of the funding of the City. Most of the Community Centers throughout western Colorado have pools, including Delta, Montrose, and Rangely. The estimated cost of the pool is $2.2 million. The estimated cost of the proposed theater is more than $5 million. He would love to see both, but he thought that, as a practical matter, the feasibility of a pool was closer. They respectfully submitted that the City should commit now to tackle the pool. Then, they would like to see the theater go forward; however, they thought the most could be gained quickly by adding the pool. Their group obtained written pledges this summer of about $150,000 from the swim team’s past and present families. They have at least $100,000 in solid other promises, but they have run into a couple of obstacles. One was that donors were not willing to give money to something that was a “maybe.” They perceive the pool to still be a maybe because the City had not committed to building the pool. Money had not been put on the table. He thought there were local donors and businesses that did not want to be in the lead giving money to the pool, because they would be perceived as favoring the pool over the theater. They support both, just as this group did. If the City could take the lead on this, others would be willing to get on the bandwagon. It could be done in a staged and phased way.
Mr. Chadwick maintained this was a critical juncture. Tonight, Council will be looking at next
year’s budget; however, they are asking Council to look at the longer term. To get the most out
of the Community Center, the City needed to take a strong leadership role. The City took that
role when they supported, and the citizens passed, a bond issue a couple of years ago. Now,
Council could take a further leadership role in doing the next stage, which they hoped would be
an aquatic component. The core facility has been completed. The land was purchased. Locker
rooms are in place. Offices and parking are there; however, they thought the Community Center
would be under-utilized until the pool went into place. He again requested time on the October
4th agenda to have Council seriously consider commitment of the remaining available funds to
the pool out of the bond issue. They understood that to be about $750,000. If that could be
done, they would have approximately $1 million. They thought that was a basic critical mass to
move forward to more local donors and grant funds. The City would have a $2.2 million pool for
about one-third the price, or $750,000. Whatever Council does, whether it is the pool or
theater, this group thinks the City should make a commitment of the remaining funds to a big
ticket item. The things for which money had been allocated were important components of the
Community Center; however, the big ticket items needs that support – both the money and the
political will of the City.
Mayor Skramstad asked Council what they would need from this group. He also asked if Mr.
Rodgerson could look at the numbers done by his predecessor and give Council some input.
Dan Rodgerson said he had come from a strong aquatic background and he has built two pools in
his career. He suggested that an independent pool person should be employed to review the
project and give some realistic projections and subsidy rates. He emphasized that he is a pool
advocate. He noted he was a competitive swimmer and both of his daughters swim on swim
teams. He thought that having an expert in this field giving realistic projections would be best.
The reality was that the design of the pool, the elements that were put in, would determine the
subsidy rate. If a rectangular pool was built and did not have other additional features, many
people would not be attracted. The trend in community pools was to bring in elements seen at
some water parks such as small water slides, pools that go to zero depth, and interactive water
features. He spoke with the pool folks over the last two days. He could have some numbers
from a pool professional within a number of weeks. Mayor Skramstad asked the cost of a
consultant. Mr. Rodgerson stated that would depend on what they were asked to do.
Councilor Zanella asked if the projections the City already had were done by pool people.
Councilor Gillespie said the previous information had the City subsidy at about $260,000.
Councilor Zanella said those figures were given by the company who did the engineering. He
thought they hired outside experts in different areas to do the projections. Mr. Rodgerson said
he would check that out. Some things were done by Steve Foster and John Weider. Mr.
Rodgerson said he told Mr. Copp that the pool needed to be designed to attract some tourist and
people outside the community. Having them assist with the subsidy rate was the key. If a
rectangular pool was built, as was in essentially every hotel, no tourists would come. He thought
the design of the pool needed to be reconsidered to lower that subsidy rate. Mayor Skramstad
said it was important that Mr. Rodgerson had some input. He was hired to live with that
building. Mr. Rodgerson added that the reality was that pools did not make money. A subsidy
would be necessary; however, ways to reduce that could be found.
James Conway, Donegan Road, asked if he could comment on what was just said about the
subsidy. Everything the government does requires some subsidy. He is a parent of two teenage
daughters and knew a lot of teens in town. While Glenwood Springs has a lot to do, the number
of things for teens to do is limited. The City came along way with the building of the Community
Center. Many of the additions, including the climbing wall, would attract people; however, what
is needed is a place for kids to call their own – where they could be comfortable, play basketball,
go to the pool, and visit with their classmates. The Recreation Department of Glenwood Springs
is great. He is confident that the new people on board would do a great job with programing to
keep the pool fully utilized while giving the children a place to go and have fun. He agreed that a
subsidy would be needed, just as a subsidy for the Fire Department, Police Department and
Council was required. The City needed these things and the citizens did not mind paying a
subsidy if what they got was value. The swim team raised $150,000 from members. All
members were working families with children. They have tried to do all they could to get it
started. Other donors would get the total to $250,000; however, they could not do it alone. If
Council would show their support verbally and monetarily, he believed the facility could be built.
He added that he thought Council did a great job and he hoped they could all work together to
get the pool built.
Mike Barnes, Chairman of the fund-raising efforts, said the previous speakers did such a good
job that he would not cover the same ground but he wanted to speak to two things. First, Mr.
Rodgerson’s idea of putting additional elements in the pool was fantastic. They would support
putting additional elements in the pool, even if the price were significantly raised. They want the
subsidy to be less. It would drastically increase the effectiveness of the fund-raising because
they could go to a larger, more diverse group of potential donors. He noted that they already
started with their swimming community. They were most interested in a pool. Fund-raising
efforts have been reaching to the community at large and the business community. They have
also been looking at grants and other entities such as the County and the School Districts, RE-1
and RE-2, both of which contribute swimmers to the programs here. He said his point was that
all of the entities were looking to Council for leadership. Two donors with a potential donation
totaling $350,000 have been scared away from giving money to the Community Center because
they did not feel that a clear idea of the next step was present. People want to know that they
are part of what the community wants. Only Council can determine that. The community
clearly wanted to have everything. He thought only enough seed money was available to get one
of the projects off the ground now. If the City waited longer, that seed money would be gone
because of other worthy, small projects to be done.
Dr. Barnes noted that his last point concerned grants. To get grants, most of the organizations
wanted the community to have raised 40% of the money, or approximately $1 million. H
e thought that this group solidly had the $250,000. They needed the other $750,000 for the
pool, if that was the decision of Council. Then, they would be able to go after the grants. The
money pledged would go away on June 1, 2002, if nothing were to happen. They had to tell
people their pledge might last for 40 years.
Kelsey Barnes said she had been on swim teams, the Barracudas and the high school swim team,
for eleven years. Over that time, things have gotten no better. They have gotten worse. They
do not have lane lines, back striped flags, or blocks. Both the girls’ and boys’ teams believed they
could do much better if they had a competition pool in which to have home meets. She said that
others had asked why a pool was needed. She did not think they realized that the Hot Springs
Pools was actually a private pool. This year, they are allowed to use the Hot Springs three days
a week. Other times they must try to go to Battlement Mesa, not swim, or swim on their own.
That is tough for a swim team.
Tess Jankovsky said she is a junior at Glenwood Springs High School. She had also been
swimming for quite awhile. The team appreciated what the Racquet Club and the Hot Springs
Pool allowed them to do. To have an effective swim team, gaining swimmers and continuing to
improve, a pool that could be used for competition is necessary – with regulation lanes and
length – so they may get used to that for the swimming and for home meets. The High Schoo
l Swim Team, which had been successfully competing for five years, had never been able to hold
a home meet. While it is great to go to other meets, there was something special about having a
home meet. The pool and Community Center would provide that opportunity.
Ms. Barnes added that going to all of the towns, seeing the attractive facilities, and participating
in great meets – sometimes with free food – the High School team would like to return the favor
. They would like everyone in the community to see this team, who last year placed 9th in the 4A
State meet which was a huge accomplishment for such a small town. The pool would also benefit
those currently in high school; however, the younger group, the Barracuda’s, was a fantastic
group of swimmers – a couple placed in the top five at State Junior Olympics this summer. She
would like to see them swim in high school, too but she is not sure a high school team would
survive without the facility.
Mayor Skramstad said he thought Council got their point. He commended the younger
community members who commented. Most rarely did as well as they have. He added they
would have another chance when the item was placed on the agenda for October 4th, if Mr.
Rodgerson and Mr. Copp could get together to make sure Council had the necessary information.
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