Tuesday, March 27, 2007 • City writes first draft of pool agreement

Publisher’s note: This story originally appeared in the Tuesday, March 27, 2007 edition of the Lassen County Times.

“It’s time to take the politics out of it,” said Mayor Pro tem Rocky Joy concerning replacement of Roosevelt Pool.

At the Susanville City Council meeting on Wednesday, March 21 Community Services Director Rob Hill presented a draft of a Joint Powers Authority agreement for the council to approve and send on to entities interested in building a new pool.

Roosevelt Pool was closed at the end of 2004 due to structural safety issues. Since then, the High Sierra Recreation Alliance was formed and took the lead in developing a new proposal for financing a pool facility.

After several attempts to pass tax measures to get the needed funding, the alliance along with interested partners, such as the city, Lassen County, Lassen High School and area elementary schools, decided the formation of a countywide JPA was the best option.

Hill, along with HSRA President Lisa Liband and Deena Wemple, told the council at its March 7 meeting there has not been a JPA meeting since October 2006. With that news, the council directed Hill “to get the ball rolling” and come up with a JPA.

At the March 21 meeting, Councilmember Kurt Bonham said JPA was a great start, but he wasn’t sure how politics could stay out of it. He also said not having a meeting for five months was not acceptable and if to get a pool the city has to take the lead, so be it.

Joy suggested the JPA should outline who is going to manage the pool facility and oversee the finances. Bonham jumped in and said the city needs to take the lead on managing the finances of the new facility. He said he didn’t mind the county auditor dispensing the money, but he wanted the city’s finance director, Robert Porfiri, to oversee the funds.

The council directed Hill to circulate the draft to the county, Lassen Community College, the Susanville School District, Lassen Union High School District and other entities, such as Lassen Municipal Utility District and Susanville Indian Rancheria, who may want a say in the construction of a pool facility.

Callegari also directed staff to add to a future agenda a discussion on what to do with the old pool site saying it “is an attractive nuisance.”