Aquatic Center: Special Council Session Needed

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Several weeks ago, Council Member Garner offered his leadership, requesting a July 18 special council session  to discuss the aquatic center. This session is supported by members Burns and Zinkin,   It seems that Mayor Hiremath, and Council Members Snider, Waters and Hornat were too busy or otherwise occupied to spend a few moments this summer to ask and discuss these important questions regarding the rebuilding of the aquatic center and its promotion and use.  So, there is no special session scheduled.

Apparently, those four think that everything is "just fine".

Council Members Garner, Zinkin and Burns don't. We don't.  And you don't either.

On June, we reported that the Oro Valley Town Council voted to increase spending on the renovation of the Oro Valley Municipal Pool by $1.55 million.  Since that posting, we have received a number of comments stating concerns regarding this substantial 43% increase in the cost of the reconstruction.  Total project cost is now $5 million.  These concerns, because they are not publicly addressed, are beginning to take on a life of their own!

The questions:  Why wasn't this added spending previously identified?  Who is responsible, the town or the feasibility study?  How are we going to afford this more expensive center? How is the leadership of Oro Valley going to insure that the aquatic center is a great success?

So, we have done a bit of homework.

Based on public provided information, we have constructed the following timetable:

June 10, 2010             Council approves funding a feasibility study  
December 20, 2010    Council approves contracting of study to Ballard, King
                                   and Associates and Water Technologies Inc.
December 2010:         Focus groups 
March 2011:              Study presented to Council
November 2011:        Parks and Recreation Commission unanimously approves project
December 7, 2011:    Council approves $3.45 Expenditure for Phase 1 and Phase 
June 20, 2012:           Council approves added spending of added $1.55 million

From this, we know the following:

1. The goal of the reconstruction is to create "...improvements to the existing Oro Valley Municipal Pool facility that will place the Town in a position to host large scale swim meets and other special events resulting in increased economic benefits." (Source: 12-07-11 Memo To Council, Catherine Vorrasi, Parks and Recreation Department).
2. The major source of the increased need for funding, $1.1 million, is the result of a Pima County requirement that the pool have a depth greater than "foreseen" when the council approved the funding.  (Item 11 of the planned facility capital cost is to "Modify Competition pool to provide ten lanes of 25 yard starting at USA Swimming compliant depths and starting from both ends of the 50 meter pool."(Source: Feasibility Study Page 73).  The planned cost of this was $603,750 (Feasibility Study Report Page 76).) The $1,1 million is in addition to this.)
3. Here is what Parks and Recreation Director Legner said to Council at the June 20 Council Meeting:  "Through the process of establishing the guaranteed maximum price through the CMAR [Construction Manager At Risk ] process, the consultants and contractors refined the cost estimates. It was determined that as required by Pima County Health Department the depth of the competition 50 meter pool would need to be 2 meters which is about 6 feet deep. Although the budget included funding to increase the depth by a few inches this requirement would raise the depth by approximate two feet instead of a few inches. The increase in pool depth not only added significant cost to the pool shell it also created a grade issue between the new depth and the existing bath house.  This required that, rather than renovating the existing bath house and entirely new building needs to be constructed."
4. The town is in a rush to get this facility build by the fall. This, according the Legner, is why they went with the CMAR Process and not the traditional "bid and build" process:  "The primary objective was to fast track the construction." (Parks and Recreation Director Legner's words at the June 20 Council Meeting)
5. There was no public discussion of this new pool depth requirement until June of this year.  In fact, based on the video of the June 2012 council meeting (which we posted on June 27: The Aquatic Center: Will Haste Make Waste) one could reasonably conclude that the council was "in the dark" regarding this cost overrun until just a few days before this jammed together council meeting.

Not identifying Pima County Health two meter depth requirement for the 50 meter (competitive) pool in the feasibility study or some update to it prior to moving forward with the project was a huge mistake!

We know that former Council Member Barry Gillaspie and current Council Member Bill Garner are champions of this project; and that the Oro Valley Town Council, regardless of membership, has and is in full support of this bold vision for aquatics in Oro Valley.  We also believe that it is a worthwhile dream to pursue.

Still, there are some important questions that must be asked and answered.  It is up to the Council to answer them.; thus, the need for a special session.

We ask the Mayor to get back to work and do the job he was elected to do.  Bring the council together in special session. Ask the important questions regarding the aquatic center, questions such as:

1. Does the town have recourse regarding the missed Pima County Health requirement on the part of the consultants?
2. Since the town is using the CMAR (Construction Manager AT Risk) sole-source process to get the pool built by September are we simply spending too much?  Who is doing the negotiating?  How can dollars be saved through negotiation?
3. Are current Oro Valley employees capable of managing the construction project? How is the town going to organize to promote and manage this facility?
4. How will the town secure naming and sponsors for the facility. There is an expectation that this was to have raised $500,000. Zero dollars were raised as of June 20.
5. Per the feasibility study, competitive meets will likely cost the town money, though such may drive economic benefit to the businesses in the town. How will the town pay for these added costs?
6. The aquatic center's financing is a hodgepodge.  The bed tax is the primary source of paying for this facility.  If the economy continues to tank after November's election, bed tax revenues will decrease as people, burdened with substantial income and medical tax increases, will pull back their spending further.  If bed tax revenues are not forthcoming as projected, then further town funding will be required. How can the town financially insulate itself from this?

Time for all of our town elected leaders to step-up. We are glad to know the three most recently elected, Burns, Garner and Zinkin, have.
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