Swimming Pool Action Group


First Meeting: March 17, 2005

The first open group meeting was at the Ken James Senior Center on March 17, 2005 at 5:30 PM. 38 people attended the meeting including a large group of city personnel. There is good support for the project.

Donna Sanchez led the discussion and helped us define our goals, strategies and needs. Working in small groups, each of the tables wrote down their ideas and they were turned in to Donna Sanchez who read them to the group. 




  (click image to view larger version)

Goal:  Keeping the Swimming Pool open year around for our schools, senior Olympics, water aerobics, swim team, physical therapy, healthy activity, and give our children a good place to be.

 Strategy:  Develop a time line and a master plan, set up a steering committee and other committees for a feasibility study, planning, grant research, and marketing. 

Needs:  How can we make this happen? What types of structures would fit with existing pool? Get estimates on building and operating costs; liaison with the city; estimate usage.

Several other items were discussed and need to be considered in our plan:  solar heat, heat exchanger, membership sales, communication, parking, dressing room issues (heating, seating), ADA needs for the disabled community, and reviewing plans that were developed in the past by the City.   

Donna talked about the grant process and the need to identify sources of funding. We need statistics for the grant. Housing has some and the new community profile will be available soon.  We need to keep records of volunteer time which can be used as an "in kind donation" for grants. It was suggested that we talk to the State Department of Health about using the T or C pool as model project for obesity. This will be discussed at the next meeting.  

The next step was to form committees to do the work. Donna asked everyone to write their email address and the committee they were interested in on a post-it note. The committees available are: Planning, Marketing, Grant Writing, and Advocacy.

Jane Greene said that we could post information about the project on the community web site, www.sierracounty.net We can post our minutes, committee reports and pictures.

Betsy Robertson was named contact person.  She can be reached at (505) 894-1068 or by email at brobertson70@hotmail.com.

Next meeting on April 21st (Thursday) at 5:30 pm in the Ken James Senior Center (the meal site) at 360 W. 4th Street, Truth or Consequences.