Swimming pool liner being reconsidered
UCC is considering replacing the college pool’s liner in an effort to get the pool operational after funding for a complete remodel has failed to materialize.
“We are looking at a Renosys liner as an option at a cost of approximately $200,000,” Director of Facilities Jess Miller said. According to UCC President Joe Olson, there is the possibility of sufficient operational funds to cover this.
Olson is mindful of potential concerns about spending money on the pool when UCC is facing tuition hikes. However, he feels that getting the pool operational is an investment in the future of the college; “It is an important way of introducing prospective students to UCC.”
The pool was closed down in 2011 due to the need of repairs and state budget cuts which reduced funds to run the pool for the community. The process of determining what to do with the pool began shortly thereafter and evolved over the last year.
The process included a community committee which looked at adding features such as an upgrade to the pool design, a removable roof so the pool could be used year around and renovation of the existing tennis courts. “There [was] a push to increase our capabilities,” Miller said.
This committee was convened Jan. 31, 2012 by Susan Taylor, coordinator of grant development, in response to public outcry about the fate of the pool. On April 11, 2012 the committee then presented the board of trustees with their recommendation for a new campus pool design at a total cost of over $3,000,000.
In order to pay for this, the committee’s proposal included community fundraising which never got underway. “The funding we thought was out there isn’t out there,” Olsen said. This notion is supported by U.S. Census Bureau data showing that the average income in Douglas County has fallen by $10,000 between 2000 and 2010.
With a lack of funding for the committee’s loftier plan, Miller says that UCC is just looking towards getting the pool running. He pointed out that a Renosys liner was used the last time the pool was refurbished and it lasted about 15 years.
“We could use that time to work on a longer term solution,” said Miller, expressing hope for the committee’s proposals. However, Taylor still sees the value of moving forward now; “do we get the pool opened faster and have a pool that may not sustain itself, or take time to invest in something that would last longer and be financially self sustaining?”