As reported in the Az Star, the Town Council voted unanimously to extend the hours of operation at the Municipal Pool at Kriegh Park.
Two points in the article caught our eye.
Vice Mayor Bill Garner asking why the decision to curtail hours was made without council approval. "To me this is budget, it should have come back to the council before this was done," Garner said at the Oct. 20 meeting.
More so, Council Member Joe Hornat stating "it's necessary to determine the long-term approach Oro Valley needs to generate revenue from the town-operated pool."
Hornat admitted that funding studies isn't (sic) popular with the Town Council, "but this one looks like it could make us some money," he said.
That begs the question---Doesn't the Super Majority of the council believe that the police department study that they "killed" have enough merit to "look like it could make us some money" --- especially when that budget accounts for almost 50% of the whole town budget?
That leads me to wonder---what are the priorities of THIS Council?
Here's The Star article.
http://azstarnet.com/news/local/northwest/article_3093a684-ea3c-550a-8736-aa0be95d483d.html
2 comments:
In my opinion, an example of Town Staff usurping the policy decision-making ability of the elected Mayor and Council was in the reduction of the Oro Valley pool hours.
In September 2010 Ainsley Legner reduced the open pool hours by closing the pool from 9am – 3 pm, Monday through Friday.
At the October 20, 2010 Town Council meeting, Ainsley Legner defended the unilateral reduction of pool hours by saying that the Council directed staff to reduce the FY2010/2011 Budget. The reduction of the Aquatic Budget was never specifically discussed in the January 23, 2010 Ventana Budget kick-off meeting or any subsequent budget discussions in regular, special, or study sessions in 2010.
In the Oro Valley budget document there is no explanation of a link between the cutting of pool hours because of staff reductions!
Assistant Pool Manager
Who occupied the assistant pool manager position from July – September 2009?
(According to the FY2009/2010 budget that position was budgeted for a .50 FTE during that time period) Who occupied that position?
Sue McIntyre occupied the position of assistant pool manager from Oct 5, 2009 when she was hired until her termination on December 17, 2009. (This was during a hiring freeze.)
(According to the FY2009/2010 budget that position was budgeted for a .75 FTE during that time period. Where did Sue McIntyre spend the rest of her .25 time?)
Who occupied the position of assistant pool manager from January – June 2010? (According to the FY2009/2010 budget that position was budgeted for a .75 FTE during that time period). With Sue McIntyre terminated, that position was vacant during that period?
According to the FY2010/2011 budget that assistant pool manager position was eliminated for the time period: January – June 2011.
Water Safety Instructors (Lifeguards)
According to the FY2009/2010 budget those lifeguard positions were budgeted for 8.10 FTE during that time period July – December 2009.
According to the FY2009/2010 budget those lifeguard positions were budgeted for 6.80 FTE during that time period January – July 2010.
According to the FY2010/2011 budget those lifeguard positions were budgeted for 6.80 FTE during that time period July 2010 – December 2010.
According to the FY2010/2011 budget those positions were budgeted for 6.15 FTE during that time period January – June 2011. The lifeguard positions would be reduced by only FTE .65
What logic was used to link the elimination of the assistant pool manager position and a reduction of .65 FTE Water Instructor positions during January – June 2011 to closing the Oro Valley pool from 9am – 3pm Monday through Friday in September 2010? How can the elimination of an assistant pool manager position that was vacant for six months and the reduction of .65 FTE Water Instructor positions result in the reduction of 30 hours of public pool time???
John Musolf
John-- Once again, thanks for your astute, knowledgeable input.
Too bad, but it is unlikely the questions you raise will receive the answers they deserve.
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