Community pool ceremony set for June 27
It won’t be too long before Lassen County residents can escape the summer heat and take a cool, refreshing plunge into the new Honey Lake Valley Community Pool.
At the Honey Lake Valley Recreation Authority’s Tuesday, June 6 meeting, Jared Hancock, the JPA’s executive officer, said the new facility is nearly ready to open to the public. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at 1 p.m.
Tuesday, June 27 at the South Street pool, and a soft opening will be held the next day — Wednesday, June 28 — with the official opening coming a few days later, Saturday, July 1.
Hancock said landscaping was planted during a recent planting day with assistance from the public, and city and inmate crews dug trenches and made many water connections. Sod will be installed sometime this week.
“We’re excited to get it open and get people into the pool,” Hancock said.
Pool fees
Eric Heumann, pool director, presented a proposed fee schedule, but the authority board balked at some of the unusual prices.
For example, the proposed adult daily fee was set at $6.47 according to the staff report, $4.03 for children 2 to 7 and seniors and $4.48 for children between 8 and 17.
While Heumann and Hancock both tired to argue for the seemingly odd prices, the authority board disagreed and set new prices at round numbers. The fees are higher than the average fee at other area pools surveyed including facilities in Quincy, Reno and Redding.
According to the staff report, “The fee rates that we are proposing are close to the average fees that other facilities are charging in the region … Season pass holders enjoy price discounts, making aquatic programs affordable to everyone. Our pool is new and can command a slight pricing premium.”
The daily fees approved by the authority board are: $6 adults and $4 for children and seniors.
A family pass (for two adults and two children) will cost $60 per month plus $10 for each additional child. Monthly passes for children will cost $25, and a monthly pass for a senior citizen will cost $20. Private swim lessons will cost $30 per half hour and $25 per half hour for season pass holders. A 10-pass punch card will cost eight times the entrance fee. The card will only be good for the season in which it is issued. Group lessons will cost $9 per session for children teens and adults. Group lessons for season pass holders will cost $7.
Parent and tot classes will cost $8 per session and $7 per session for season pass holders. Splash ball will cost $6 per session and $7 per session for season pass holders. Water aerobics, master swimming, volleyball aquafit, yoga and aqua jogging classes will cost $8 per class and $2 per class for season pass holders. Pool rental fees are $125 per hour and $100 per hour for season pass holders.
Pool program
Heumann also presented an ambitious schedule for the new facility that utilizes both ends of the pool. According to the proposed schedule, the pool will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday and from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday.
Swim team
Tony Jonas, the former Roosevelt Pool director and former director of the nonprofit Lassen Aquatics swim team, said the group is in the process of forming a new board of directors and reforming the team that would rent pool time for its practices and events. Heumann said when he was hired, he was told he would be responsible for a swim team. Jonas, Heumann and other swim team supporters huddled after the meeting to begin to figure out how to move the swim team forward. After the meeting, Jonas said a new nonprofit organization will be created.
Other actions
By a 4-0 vote, the authority approved a payment of $11,861.49 to the city of Susanville as a reimbursement for administrative and operational services from Jan. 1 through May 5. The billing included $10,256.05 for administrative services ($4,644.64 for the executive officer, $3,717.40 for administrative, $394.49 for the engineer and $1,499.52 for the project manager.) Hancock said he worked many overtime hours for the authority, but since he is a salaried employee, he did not bill for those hours.
By a 4-0 vote, the authority approved Resolution 17-14 adopting a conflict of interest policy, and Resolution 17-15 authorizing signers for the 2017-2018 year.
If there is a swim team how do we sign up for it and what ages? Is there going to be a baby and me program?