WINNETKA PARK DISTRICT
REVENUE FACILITIES COMMITTEE MINUTES
OUTDOOR AQUATIC STUDY
TUESDAY, APRIL 6, 2010
PADDLE HUT
6:30 PM
Present
Commissioners: Kahnweiler, Snyder, Pierce and McLane
Staff: Executive Director Schwartz, Farmer, Smith, and Volpe
Visitors: Sherry Molitor, Barb Tubekis, Dan Strieff, Jarret Nathan and Bob Sanfillipo
Chair Brad McLane called the meeting to order at 6:40 p.m.
Executive Director Schwartz presented a thorough power point presentation on the feasibility of an outdoor pool in Winnetka. The following methodology was used to communicate the study.
Methodology
Project Scope
The notion of creating an aquatics facility has been reviewed on several occasions by two task forces, committees, the Winnetka Park District Board, and the Winnetka Park District Staff. This study has been developed by the Winnetka Park District Staff with technical assistance from Counsilman-Hunsaker. The purpose of the report is to provide aquatic facility analysis that would help the Winnetka Park District Board make an educated decision of the likely operational influence of managing such a facility if created. It is important to most accurately communicate with the Winnetka Park District Board the operational expectation of such a facility so the board can determine how to communicate these obligations to the community in a survey if so desired. If the questions were placed in a survey, the community would help inform the Winnetka Park District Board as to their needs and desires prior to the determination of moving forward with creating and operating a new aquatic facility.
Methodology
This plan is based on research through the following processes:
- Reviewed previous studies and meeting minutes of the Outdoor Swimming Pool Advisory Group from 1999 and the OPTF from 2001-2008.
- Utilized input from the 2006 Leisure Visions Survey.
- Analyzed studies completed by the LAKOTA Group related to space availability for a potential aquatic facility.
- Investigated several area park districts that are aquatic providers to understand the programs, operations, and fees of those facilities.
- Identified potential user groups through demographics of the market area.
- Provided trends in aquatic recreation, fitness, therapy, and competition to determine amenities and programs.
- Reviewed construction costs and labor costs in the local area.
- Developed a cash flow analysis of two aquatic options for the Winnetka Park District.
The scope of the project is to:
- Identify options that represent aquatic facilities that will meet current and future community needs for enjoyment, health, and safety. A third option was also provided to reflect responses from interviews that were conducted with community members.
- Determine how the facilities will be programmed and staffed.
- Provide projections regarding project costs.
- Develop an opinion of financial pro forma.
- Understand operational experiences of other like facilities within the region.
- Offer recommendations to the Winnetka Park District Board as to ways they might proceed with aquatic considerations in the future.
The presentation included discussion of the development of three concepts and Options Studied, Area Provider Analysis, Population Characteristics and projected Operational Costs.
Schwartz stated that in the Summary is a list of potential survey questions.
The Committee complimented Schwartz on the thoroughness of the study and that it raises important items that need to be studied further before communication with the community through the website.
Summary of Comments:
- Is camp usage incorporated in the study and how we can offset cost.
- A survey question could ask if swimming was included, would you sign-up for a specific camp.
- The study will not be complete until feedback from the community through the survey is done.
- How can we compare Winnetka to Skokie?
- Why don’t you think residents would pay a premium to use a pool facility?
- A question on the survey could be would you give up your club membership if a pool is built.
- Would local swim clubs be interested in helping with the finance of a pool?
- Questions excluding the finances need to be addressed, such as land usage, water management, facility loss, etc.
- Most pools in the area do not make money.
- We need to understand our own philosophy of running a facility in the red.
- Pool questions and how they are worded are critical.
- What percentage do the respondents have to come back with on the survey for the Board to move forward?
- These questions that will be posed will show the cost and land impact, so residents will be able to answer responsibly.
- There is ways in this community to generate funding for an outdoor pool.
- No negative questions such as if the pool does not generate money would you still support it?
- How do we find legacy money? How and who do you solicit?
- Does the golf course, beaches, launch generate money?
- Ball fields need to be addressed.
- What are the residents willing to pay for a pool membership?
- It was agreed that the questions are critical for this survey.
- Lake Forest has an outdoor pool that is an ice rink in winter.
- Will the pool be tax supported or self funded?
- Land issues and Capital funding huge decision.
Summary of Questions to be Addressed in the Study:
- Numerous questions were how we can financially compare a single pool operation to communities with multiple pools.
- What is the philosophy of the other park district’s about running a facility in the red? Is a pool a service?
- Sensitivity analysis could be done to analyze cost thresholds of access to the facility and use from various user groups
Schwartz indicated that the study would be reviewed to address these issues for posting the final results on the website.
Chair Brad McLane adjourned the meeting at 9:05 p.m.
