From left: Michael Morris and Leslie Morris, who are donating $50,000 to rehab South University Park, and Colin Smith, the city's parks and recreation manager.

In brief remarks to commissioners, Leslie Morris – a former Ward 2 city councilmember – explained how she and her husband had played a role decades ago in creating the park, which is located at South University Avenue and Walnut. They hope their donation will help develop the park based on current needs of the neighborhood, she said.

Michael Morris noted that before they became involved in forming that neighborhood park, their civic engagement primarily had been limited to voting. But getting involved in that project ultimately led to much deeper engagement, culminating in the service of Leslie Morris on council. ”It’s been a rewarding time for us,” he said, “and I’m pleased we’re able to do more to continue the life of that park.”

Later in the meeting, commissioners got updates on the Ann Arbor senior center and Mack pool. Both facilities rely on general fund support and had been at risk of closing, when city officials were looking to cut costs in 2009. Residents rallied, and the city formed two task forces to develop strategies – both for raising revenues and cutting expenses – to keep both facilities open.

The reports given at PAC’s June 21 meeting were updates for the first fiscal year that these strategies took effect. Neither facility completely hit its target budget goals, but each took steps toward closing the gap between revenues and expenses.

Commissioners also got a quarterly update on capital improvements in the park system, including plans to renovate the Island Park Greek Revival shelter and the pergola at West Park, and to replace a path at Leslie Science & Nature Center – a project that might use recycled crushed glass as a porous surface. PAC members voted to recommend approval for funding of two specific projects: renovation of locker rooms at Veterans Memorial Park, and of tennis courts at West Park.

At the end of the meeting, Steve Thorp spoke during public commentary, urging the city to give West Park a new name – Central Park West – and to possibly put a dog park there.

Gift for South University Park

One of the first items on the June 21 agenda was news of a gift to support South University Park, located at South University Avenue and Walnut. Colin Smith, the city’s parks and recreation manager, introduced Leslie and Michael Morris to make some remarks about their donation.

Leslie Morris described how their family had moved to the neighborhood in 1969, when they’d been among many families with young children there – it was less expensive than the Burns Park neighborhood, and located near Angell Elementary School. But there was one clear problem: Two vacant houses, in poor condition, were a source of trouble for the neighborhood. An absentee landlord had hoped to rezone the land and redevelop it, but when the rezoning was denied, he had abandoned the property, Morris recalled.

They enlisted the help of their councilmember at the time, Bob Faber, who convinced the owner to demolish the structures and let the neighbors use the land as a park. Neighbors rose to the occasion, Morris said, and developed it themselves, digging a sandbox, putting in playground equipment and other amenities, planting flowers and taking care of maintenance like mowing and snow removal. It was heavily used, she said. In the winter, they’d borrow firehoses from the fire department and spray water for an ice rink. They raised money for the park by picking up and taking large trash items to the dump – something the city didn’t do at the time.

After about five years, they convinced the city to buy the land and add it to the parks system, she said, using funds from proceeds of a 1971 bond for parks. But over the decades, children in the families grew up and the neighborhood changed. Their own children grew up, she said, and she and her husband moved to a different part of town. The playground equipment aged and was removed, but wasn’t replaced. Housing got more expensive – university students “could always pay more,” Morris noted – and it became too costly for young families to buy homes in that area. Nothing was done at the park for years.

The park is located in a densely populated area, she said, and needs to be redeveloped to suit the needs of the people who live in the neighborhood now. They hope that the parks staff will engage the neighbors in a discussion of how to redevelop the park, and use their contribution to get things started.

Michael Morris added that when they initially moved to the neighborhood, they were just ordinary, quiet citizens – as quiet as it can be when raising four children. Their civic engagement was voting, and not much more, he said. It was their efforts years ago to organize the neighbors for that park led them to become more civically engaged – culminating in the election of Leslie Morris to the Ann Arbor city council in Ward 2. She served for six years in that role in the late 1970s and early 1980s. She had also served as a park commissioner. He recommended that others get involved in the community in whatever way they can. ”It’s been a rewarding time for us, and I’m pleased we’re able to do more to continue the life of that park.”

As they finished, Smith prompted them to tell the commission how much they are giving: $50,000. Leslie Morris said they know it will take more, but they hoped it would get things started.

PAC chair Julie Grand thanked them for both their donation and their commitment to the city’s parks. Smith described the gift as incredibly generous, and said it would go a long way toward redeveloping South University Park. It’s exciting to have people who are willing to make this kind of investment in the city’s parks, he said.

Responding to an email query, Smith later explained that the donation will be deposited into Fund 34, for parks memorials and contributions. Project codes are set up within Fund 34 for specific uses – the South University/Morris project will be established, with its use designated for South University Park.

Updates: Senior Center, Mack Pool

Commissioners got updates on two facilities that had been at risk of closing two years ago: the Ann Arbor senior center in Burns Park, and Mack pool, located inside the Ann Arbor Open School. In 2009, city officials were looking to cut costs, and said that closing the senior center would save about $150,000 annually from the city’s general fund, while Mack pool’s closing would save another $100,000. Residents rallied, and the city formed two task forces to develop strategies – both for raising revenues and cutting expenses – to keep both facilities open.

The reports heard at PAC’s June 21 meeting were updates for the first fiscal year that these strategies took effect. Neither facility hit its target budget goals, but each took steps toward closing the gap between revenues and expenses.

Updates: Senior Center

Pam Simmons, facility supervisor for the senior center, gave the report to PAC, saying that the center was struggling with some challenges but was making great progress. [For background on the senior center, see Chronicle coverage: "Shoring Up the Ann Arbor Senior Center."]

The task force recommendations had set a goal of reducing the center’s reliance on the general fund by $97,872 in fiscal 2011, which ran from July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2011. That goal was to be met through a combination of raising revenue and reducing costs, she said. To date, however, they had achieved $83,806 of that goal.

From left: Deputy parks and recreation manager Jeff Straw, senior center facility supervisor Pam Simmons, and city councilmember Mike Anglin (Ward 5).

There were several areas that fell short. The center instituted membership fees, which were expected to generate $12,500 but instead brought in only $7,110. There are 324 members – their goal had been to sell 500 memberships. Individual annual memberships cost $25, or $35 per couple.

The task force had also recommended starting a travel program, Simmons said, hoping to raise $3,390 this first year. However, a request for proposals (RFP) for someone to run the program drew no responses, she said. Although it was an important goal, the city didn’t have the staff resources to pursue it. A consultant – Hooker DeJong – was hired to develop a long-term plan for the center, which will include recommendations about the travel program, Simmons said. Hooker DeJong is expected to present its full report to the city later this summer.

Rental revenue at the center has almost doubled from FY 2010 to FY 2011 – from $6,681 to $12,374. The highest percentage of rentals (43%) is from Washtenaw Community College, which holds several classes at the center, followed by 33% from celebrations – like birthday and anniversary parties – and 24% from clubs and community groups. Upgrades to the building will improve opportunities for more rentals, Simmons said, and the city is working on a brochure to promote it as a venue.

Another goal for FY 2011 was to reduce staff costs. That was accomplished by changing the center’s operating hours and employee schedules, and using more volunteers. In total, they saved $7,960 – but still short of the $12,588 goal.

The center also tried to raise an extra $3,000 in new revenue from selling more ads in its “Zest” newsletter. However, only $430 more was raised compared to the previous year.

Also falling short was the amount of revenue expected from programming. The goal was to bring in an additional $13,076, but only $5,603 more was raised than last year. The name “senior” is a challenge, Simmons said – some people might not attend programs because they don’t see themselves as seniors. The center’s programs are also competing with many other offerings in the community, she noted.

The center also didn’t see the revenue increase they’d hoped would result from changing agreements with instructors who teach there. Previously the center only received 20% of revenue from such courses. In the restructured agreements, the center gets 40-46%. They lost one of their popular instructors mid-year because of illness, Simmons said, and one yoga instructor left to teach her course elsewhere, taking her students. But now they have a new yoga instructor who focuses on seniors and people with disabilities, and the course is growing. There are opportunities for revenue increases in the future, Simmons said.

There were some areas that exceeded the amount budgeted. More donations were raised than budgeted, Simmons reported – $4,583, compared to an expected $3,500. And though the budget called for just $4,000 in savings from information technology (IT) costs, the center cut $14,844. This is due to a decrease in the number of computers and software applications they use, Simmons said.

An additional $39,000 in revenue came from four sources: (1) an $18,00 grant from the McCalla Trust; (2) $15,000 from Stonyfield Yogurt, from winning a contest in which residents voted to decide which facility would receive the Stonyfield donation; (3) a $4,000 Kiwanis grant; and (4) a large-screen TV valued at $2,500. It’s used for playing Wii games as well as for watching TV, Simmons said.

Simmons told commissioners that the city hired Hooker DeJong to develop a long-term strategic plan for the center, which it will be presented later this summer. [The city council approved a $34,750 contract for those services in November 2010. The Ann Arbor Community Foundation funded $16,949 of that amount, with the remainder coming from the city's general fund.]

The consultants are finding that some of the challenges include the center’s location – many seniors don’t live close to it, Simmons noted – and its size. However, she said they think services can expand 30-40% without overflowing the building. The building has a capacity for 96 people, but can comfortably accommodate about 50-60.

Facility improvements – new paint, resanded floors, and a new picture window in the entry, among other things – will make the building more attractive for classes, rentals and other events, Simmons said. She praised the city’s Kim Mortson for developing marketing materials, which have helped publicize events and activities at the center. But another challenge is the lack of a daily printed newspaper in Ann Arbor, Simmons said – it’s difficult for seniors to find things out in the traditional ways.

In summary, the center isn’t quite where it wanted to be at this point, but they’ve made a lot of progress, Simmons said.

Updates: Senior Center – Commissioner Discussion

Karen Levin asked about the membership fee – what was the response when it was instituted? Simmons said they did lose some people who felt their tax dollars alone should fund the center. About 50 people who were part of the former travel group left, she said, as did some social bridge players and others. But overall, the response was positive, she said.

Gwen Nystuen asked if there are any benefits to membership. Simmons reported that members get the newsletter, “Zest,” which comes out quarterly, and reduced fees on classes and other activities. One benefit was supposed to be access to a travel program, but that didn’t happen this year, she said.

Sam Offen asked about the fact that the center isn’t located on a bus line – is that a problem? That’s been an issue for many years, Simmons acknowledged. People can take a taxi, but there’s no close bus stop. The other challenge is parking – especially in the summer, when people who are not affiliated with the senior center come to Burns Park and use parking spaces in the senior center’s lot.

David Barrett asked about competition for programming – it is primarily from the YMCA? Simmons said the Y offers similar classes, as does Ann Arbor Rec & Ed and private fitness businesses. There’s also competition from other lecture series. Simmons said if this were a small community like Gregory, where she lives, then all the offerings at the center would be popular. But in Ann Arbor, there’s a variety of choices.

In light of the disappointing outcome from new programming, Simmons said they’re concentrating on increasing rentals, especially on evenings and weekends. When the consultants report their recommendations, that might include suggestions for programming, she added, which the city staff will evaluate.

In response to another question from Offen, Simmons said that the center has had a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Washtenaw Community College for the past 2-3 years, related to WCC renting space at the center. However, it’s not clear that WCC will renew the MOU this year, she said, so the city staff is looking at other options, like finding other established programs that need to rent rooms.

Barrett asked if it’s possible to give donations that are earmarked for specific things at the center. It can be handled either way, Simmons said. For example, the $100,000 bequest from James Flinn Jr., given to the center in 2007, didn’t specify a use – the center drew about $37,000 from the Flinn bequest this year for operations.

Christopher Taylor, an ex-officio PAC commissioner and city councilmember who represents Ward 3, where the center is located, asked about the center’s FY 2012 budget. Was it adjusted to reflect the results of FY 2011? Yes, Simmons said – the FY 2012 budget calls for the center to generate about $83,000.

Colin Smith, the city’s parks and recreation manager, said that while the center didn’t manage to totally bridge the gap between expenses and revenues, they did a good job. And because other facilities in the park system outperformed their goals, “it all balances out.”

Updates: Mack Pool

Dan McGuire, supervisor for Mack and Fuller pools, briefed commissioners on results from FY 2011 for Mack – its season runs from September through May, but is closed during the summer. [For previous Chronicle coverage, see: "Task Force Floats Ways to Save Mack Pool," "More Options for Ann Arbor's Mack Pool," and "Proposals for Mack Pool, Senior Center Approved"]

Like the senior center, Mack didn’t generate as much revenue or achieve all the savings that were budgeted for the year. The pool had been subsidized with $102,413 from the city’s general fund, and the goal was to decrease that subsidy by $46,955. Instead, the pool came in at $32,720 for the year.

The budget had called for $12,000 in energy savings, but only $1,900 were realized. A pool blanket was installed and it did reduce water heating expenses, McGuire said, but not by as much as expected – in part because the cost of energy increased. Natural gas usage dropped 16% during the year, for a savings of $1,200. Installation of LED lighting helped cut electrical costs by 8%, for a $700 annual savings.

Increased fees for master classes and season passes were expected to raise $8,375 in additional revenue, but only brought in an extra $1,267. When gathering public input, McGuire said, the task force consistently heard that fees were too low – that’s why the task force recommended that fees be raised, and those increases were approved by PAC and city council. Season pass revenue increased by 3.3% and visits were up 14%, he said. For master swim sessions, revenue increased 9.4% but participation was down 11%. McGuire attributed much of that to coaching turnover, and noted that new coaches who started using Mack during the year are still building their following.

Programming was expanded during the year, with the addition of a Saturday morning masters session, Aqua Zumba sessions offered through a contract with Fitness RX, a Sunday “fun day” on the second Sunday of each month, and Red Cross swim lessons and lifeguard lessons. They also offered a new program called Swim Fast & Fun, which offered sessions for kids interested in competitive swimming, but who aren’t quite ready for that level. The program was popular and had a waiting list, McGuire said, so they plan to offer it again. Some of the other programming – like the fitness classes – had a low participation, however. People aren’t looking at Mack for fitness training, he said, because there are so many other options in the area.

The city also retooled its agreement with the Ann Arbor Public Schools, which expanded the amount of pool time available to the city by 14 hours per week. It allows the city to hold morning public swim times on Tuesday and Thursday from 7:15 a.m. to 1 p.m., to extend its daily lap swim from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., and to schedule “tot splash” hours on weekdays from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 7-8:30 p.m.

Rentals brought in more revenues than expected, McGuire said – an additional $16,554, compared to a budgeted increase of $12,500. New rentals came from Swim Smart Academy and Club Wolverine for competitive youth swimmers.

Marketing was increased during the year, McGuire reported, including increased use of social media, traditional advertising and more visible signs. He also noted that Mack pool realized $11,124 in reduced information technology costs, on par with the amount budgeted.

They saw success in some areas while not hitting their goals in others, McGuire concluded – they’ll keep working at it.

Updates: Mack Pool – Commissioner Discussion

Julie Grand asked about the rental revenues – it seemed like they should have seen more from that. Jeff Straw, deputy parks and recreation manager, noted that while the pool received $8,000 from Swim Smart and $22,500 from Club Wolverine, that was offset in part because they lost about $22,000 in rental from the departure of a synchronized swimming group.

Doug Chapman asked whether the energy savings from the pool blanket and LED lights covered the cost of those items. Not yet, McGuire said. The lights cost $800 each, for a total of $12,000. The pool blanket cost about $4,000. It will take several years to recoup their costs, he said.

Colin Smith, the city’s parks and recreation manager, noted that the lights and blanket were paid for out of the parks millage, so it’s not included in the pool’s operating expenses. But he acknowledged that they had expected to see more energy savings, especially as a result of the pool blanket. He said they had scaled back their original projections, and he’s glad they did – it wasn’t the windfall they’d hoped for. In response to a query by Sam Offen, Smith said they’d based their estimates on information from the pool blanket manufacturer and the city’s energy office.

Tim Berla asked about Mack pool’s cost to the general fund – how did they end the year? Straw said that the roughly $102,000 subsidy from the general fund had been reduced to about $75,000 for FY 2011. They’re budgeting a $70,000 subsidy for the pool in FY 2012.

Smith noted that this is the first year they’ve tried new programs and adjusted the schedules, and it wasn’t realistic to expect everything to succeed. Staff will make adjustments, he said. “It’s a work in progress every year, that’s for sure.” They’re working with Kim Mortson of the city’s communications staff to increase their marketing, including on social media sites like Facebook, he said. Mortson is also developing core lists of contacts to do targeted promotions, and they expect to see results from that in the coming year.

Mike Anglin, an ex-officio PAC member who represents Ward 5 on city council, asked about the relationship with AAPS. Cost-sharing was adjusted based on the percentage of time the city uses the pool, Smith said, adding that it’s going well from an operational perspective.

Parks Capital Projects

Amy Kuras, the city’s park planner, gave a quarterly update of capital projects that are completed or in the works. Later in the meeting, commissioners voted to recommend awarding contracts for two projects: locker room renovations at Veterans Memorial Park, and upgrades to the West Park tennis courts.

Parks Capital Projects: Quarterly Update

Kuras gave brief descriptions of work being done in more than a dozen of the city’s parks. Highlights include:

• Renovations are completed or nearly complete at the Buhr Park ice arena, which was repainted, and for upgrades of the Veterans Memorial Park tennis courts. Barrier-free access improvements were also made at Veterans Memorial, and a shade structure is being built there with solar panel on it – a project that’s being paid in large part through the city’s energy office. Upgrades to the locker rooms are also in the works. Among other things, they’ll be adding rubberized flooring to make it easier for ice skaters and hockey players to use the rooms. [Commissioners recommended approval of that project later in their meeting.]
• The Chapin Street house on property adjacent to West Park has been torn down to improve visibility into the park, increasing the sense of openness as well as safety, Kuras said. Construction will start later this summer on tennis court upgrades at West Park. [Commissioners recommended approval of that project later in their meeting.]
• A walkway is being built in Wellington Park, between Miller and Dexter-Ann Arbor roads, in conjunction with street repair work in that area.
• Playground equipment is being replaced at Beckley Park off of Pontiac Trail, and a path to Argo is being rebuilt. A trail next to Beckley, by the Fairview cemetery, is being widened. Also, the city is installing a bocci ball court at Beckley Park, at the request of neighbors.
• At Winewood Thaler Park, parks staff will be clearing invasive plants from a dense wooded area there. They’ll also relocate the playground to a more central spot within the park, and renovate the basketball courts and asphalt walkways.
• Access stairs will be built into Hunt Park, off of Daniel Street – it’s on the east side of the park, near the Project Grow gardens. They’ll likely put that project out to bid soon, Kuras said.
• Repairs are planned at the Island Park Greek Revival shelter and historic bridge. An architect has been hired to do a structural evaluation – damage from water and insects is a problem, so any reconstruction will likely be done with more durable materials, Kuras said. As it moves forward, the project will need approval from the historic district commission.
• The pergola at West Park, off of Miller, is also in need of repair. They’ll be getting a structural evaluation of that as well.
• The raptor center trail at Leslie Science & Nature Center will be replaced, and the city is looking at possible use of porous material for that project, Kuras said – possibly made of recycled glass. It’s possible that the city’s Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) could provide the recycled glass for this project – if not, they’ll use a different porous material, she said.
• Upgrades are planned for the entry and parking lots at Buhr and Riverside parks. At Riverside, it’s possible they’ll relocate the parking lot because of problems with flooding.
• Improvements at the Gallup Park boat launch and canoe livery are in the works. The city has applied for state grants to fund this project, and the scope of the improvements will depend in part on whether those grant funds are awarded. [For details, see Chronicle coverage: "PAC Supports Grants for Skatepark, Gallup"]

Parks Capital Projects: Quarterly Update – Commissioner Discussion

Gwen Nystuen asked whether porous materials are being used for all projects. Kuras replied that it adds significantly to the cost, and in some cases the same environmental goals can be achieved in other ways – by using bioswales on the site, for example. They evaluate each project and consider porous materials where it makes sense, she said. Maintenance costs are also a factor, she said, because porous surfaces must be vacuumed to remove particulates.

Chronicle file photo from April 2011 of damaged swirl concentrator pieces at the northwest section of West Park after excavation from underground.

If they use porous materials at the Leslie Science site, Sam Offen suggested they include some kind of signs to explain how the porous surface works and why it’s valuable to take that approach. Colin Smith, the city’s parks and recreation manager, noted that it might be possible to pay for those projects out of the city’s stormwater fund.

David Barrett asked for an update on the swirl concentrators at West Park, which had collapsed earlier this year. [At PAC's February 2011 meeting, commissioners got a report from Craig Hupy, head of systems planning for the city, who described the "catastrophic failure" of at least one of the devices, an partial failure of others. Eight had been installed underground as part of broad stormwater management system at the park.]

Kuras said the city hired an engineering firm to evaluate the situation, and to determine a fix. That process is still underway, but she hoped the work could be completed during the current construction season.

Parks Capital Projects: Contracts for Locker Rooms, Tennis Courts

PAC considered two resolutions related to capital projects at its June 21 meeting. Commissioners were asked to recommend approval of a $131,670 contract with Construction Solutions Inc. to renovate locker rooms at Veterans Memorial Park Pool and Ice Arena. The contract includes $119,700 for the work, plus a 10% ($11,970) contingency. It was the lowest of four bids submitted for the work.

According to a staff memo, the locker rooms get heavy use and were last renovated 20 years ago. Renovations would include installation of barrier-free shower stalls, benches and toilet partitions, rubberized flooring, energy efficient light fixtures, new windows and an upgraded ventilation system. The project would be paid for from the approved FY 2011 proceeds of the park maintenance and capital improvements millage.

Sam Offen asked where the company is located, and was told that it’s an Ann Arbor firm.

Outcome: Commissioners voted unanimously to recommend approval of the contract with Construction Solutions Inc. The recommendation will be forwarded to the city council for final approval.

A separate resolution recommended approval of a $182,964.60 contract with ABC Paving Co. for the renovation of West Park tennis courts, which were built in the 1970s.

Chronicle file photo from September 2008, when major improvements to West Park were only under discussion. Just west of the tennis courts in West Park lies this shuffleboard court in need of a resurfacing. (Image links to September 2008 article.)

The contract includes a 10% ($16,633) contingency. It was the only bid received for the project, but park staff said it’s in line with other tennis court renovations the city has completed. The company is based in the Detroit area.

The project will include replacing the asphalt, fencing, retaining wall, shuffle board court, and entry walk, as well as repairing a second existing retaining wall. The configuration of the courts will remain unchanged. The project would be paid for from the approved FY 2011 proceeds of the park maintenance and capital improvements millage.

Offen wondered why there was only one bid. Kuras said she didn’t know, but guessed that it might be because the project is more complicated due to the retaining walls.

Outcome: Commissioners voted unanimously to recommend approval of the contract with ABC Paving. The recommendation will be forwarded to the city council for final approval.

Communications: Parks Manager Report, City Council

Colin Smith, who leads the city’s parks and recreation department, briefed commissioners on several items. He reported that the June 19 re-opening of West Park was a success, with about 500 people passing through during the day.

Smith reported that he and park planner Amy Kuras would be meeting later that week with representatives from the state Dept. of Natural Resources on a site visit related to the city’s DNR grant applications. Those include applications for the skatepark and Gallup Canoe liveries, which were approved by the city council at its March 21, 2011 meeting – the council revised the priority ranking given by the city so that the skatepark was put ahead of the Gallup Canoe liveries.

In reporting on parks operations, Smith said the spring hadn’t been kind. The wet weather has caused revenues to be significantly lower than budgeted, but expenses are also down nearly an equivalent amount, he said. In April, there were only two days in a row when it didn’t rain, he noted, and May was a similarly rainy month. At the canoe liveries, for example, it’s only been in the past week or so that they could offer river trips – the water levels have been too high. Pools are doing pretty well, he said, and the golf courses will come in as originally budgeted. PAC will get a budget update in July.

Gwen Nystuen asked for updates on the pathways being built along Washtenaw Avenue and on work at Argo Dam. [The city council approved a $1.17 million project to build a bypass channel in the Argo dam headrace and add whitewater features. See Chronicle coverage: "PAC Recommends Argo Dam Bypass"] Smith said the Washtenaw Avenue work isn’t a city parks project, so he couldn’t provide information on that. Regarding Argo, the city has submitted a permit application to the state and is awaiting a response. It’s a very lengthy review process, but they’re in the final stage, he said. While they don’t yet have a permit to move earth, they’ll continue to do work on removing dead vegetation and pumping water out of the headrace.

Christopher Taylor, a Ward 3 city councilmember and ex-officio member of PAC, reported that the city council had passed the FY 2012 budget at the end of May, and that it had included the $90,000 requested by PAC for additional mowing in high-use areas.

Mike Anglin, who represents Ward 5 on city council and is another ex-officio PAC member, asked about negotiations with Veterans Administration hospital – is parks staff involved in that? Smith clarified that Anglin was referring to the VA’s interest in generating hydroelectricity from the city’s dams. [See Chronicle coverage: "Hydropower at Argo Dam?"]

The issue was previously raised at PAC’s October 2010 meeting. From Chronicle coverage:

[PAC commissioner David] Barrett mentioned a hydro feasibility study that the Veterans Administration hospital in Ann Arbor had recently conducted, looking at possible electricity generation from the dams along the Huron River. That possibility is still in play, he said, and his understanding is that the VA is serious. The city obviously can’t make its decision based on that, he said, but it was something to keep in mind.

Molly Wade, the city’s water treatment services manager, said the VA has shared its report with city staff – the study looked specifically at Argo and Geddes dams. It shows a shorter payback period for Geddes compared to Argo, she said, adding that the city has no idea how the VA intends to proceed.

Barrett said his understanding is that the VA is looking at those dams as a package, to fulfill their federal green energy credit requirements. If they were to assume full or partial responsibility for those dams, he said, that would alleviate some costs for the city. Wade stated that the city hasn’t yet had those talks with the VA.

At the June 21 meeting, Smith reported that conversations are ongoing. If any agreement is reached, he said, there would almost certainly be some kind of cost-sharing arrangement for maintenance, at the least.

Public Commentary

Steve Thorp was the only person to address commissioners during public commentary. He thanked the city for the renovations at West Park and for the grand re-opening celebration there on Father’s Day. Thorp noted that the park is around 100 years old – it was once a farm. It’s near Allen Creek, near the place where the first settler cabins were located. The park’s eastern boundary is also the downtown boundary.

Thorp said that he and Bob Dascola would like to offer “Central Park West” as the new name for the park. Based on an informal survey of friends and neighbors, there’s support for that idea, he said. The name offers an association with one of the most beautiful and famous urban parks in the world. He noted the park’s “Olmsteadean vistas” and forested places, broad play areas, curvilinear path system. Thorp said he’s already spoken to city council about this idea, and plans to talk to the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority and the downtown area citizens advisory group too.

Secondly, Thorp said he’d heard rumors about having a more centrally located dog park. He suggested putting it in West Park, perhaps as a dual use with the baseball field during the off season – that section of the park is already partially fenced. City staff have told him that people don’t pick up their dog’s poop, he said, but there are ways to deal with that. He said he’s putting the idea out there for further discussion, ”over a beer or during a meeting or whatever.”

Present: David Barrett, Doug Chapman, Tim Berla, Tim Doyle, Julie Grand, Karen Levin, Sam Offen, Gwen Nystuen, councilmember Mike Anglin (ex-officio), councilmember Christopher Taylor (ex-officio). Also Colin Smith, city parks manager.

Absent: John Lawter

Next meeting: PAC’s meeting on Tuesday, July 19, 2011 begins at 4 p.m. in the city hall second-floor council chambers, 301 E. Huron St., Ann Arbor. [confirm date]

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A sign at the Ann Arbor Senior Center advertises a new fitness program, one of several efforts by the city to raise revenues for the center, which is located in Burns Park. (Photos by the writer)

Last year, the city administration identified the senior center as one facility that, if closed, could save the city roughly $150,000 – the center’s operating deficit at the time. Residents mobilized, and a task force was formed that developed recommendations for cutting costs and raising revenues.

Recommendations include hiring a consultant to develop a long-term strategic plan, paid for by a $16,949 grant from the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation. A request for proposals (RFP) was issued earlier this summer for that project, and responses from three companies are now being evaluated, according to Jeff Straw, parks & recreation deputy manager.

Meanwhile, several other efforts are underway, including this coming Saturday’s “Picnic in the Park” fundraiser, which runs from 1-3:30 p.m. at Burns Park, where the center is located. Last year, the event raised about $1,000 for the center.

Raising Revenues: Membership Fees, New Programs

Several of the recommendations developed by the senior center task force have already been implemented. The efforts were led by staff of the city’s parks & recreation unit, which has oversight of the center. [For background on the development of these recommendations, see Chronicle coverage: "Task Force Tries to Save Senior Center," "Twittering at the Ann Arbor Senior Center," and "Park Commission OKs Fee Increases, Budget"]

A membership fee of $25 for individuals and $35 for households was put in place this summer. So far, 220 people have signed up, raising $4,500. The goal for membership revenue is $12,500, Straw said. “It’s promising,” he said. “We’re making good progress there.”

Next week, a new schedule of fall programming will be released, Straw said, available both the senior center’s website and in a printed brochure – about 10,000 copies will be distributed at locations throughout the city. A lecture series, new classes and other activities are being offered, including a new Monday night American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) session.

The city has also contracted with two fitness companies – Fitness Motivators and Fitness RX – to offer classes for both seniors and the general public. They’ll have a range of offerings, Straw said, including yoga, Pilates and weight training.

Jeff Straw, center, gets instruction on the game of pétanque at last year's "Picnic in the Park," a fundraiser at Burns Park to raise money for the Ann Arbor Senior Center. This year's "Picnic in the Park" is on Saturday, Aug. 21. Straw is deputy manager of Ann Arbor's parks & recreation unit, which has responsibility for the center.

The contracts with these fitness companies include a revenue split from class fees, with 40% going to the city. Straw said that agreements with instructors who teach other types of courses at the center are being revised to achieve that 60/40 revenue split, too. Previously, instructors kept a larger share of revenues from class fees, as much as 80%.

The city is also issuing an RFP for operating a travel program at the center, Straw said. The city staff will hold an informational meeting this Friday, Aug. 20, for people interested in making a proposal. Final submissions are due Sept. 3. The task force had estimated that a travel program could raise $3,390 in net revenue annually, possibly more. [The couple who handled the center’s excursions for the center for 20 years, Dean and Carolyn Cole, retired from that role last year. Carolyn Cole passed away in late 2009.]

In addition to revenue-generating efforts, the center has cut expenses too, Straw said. It’s now closed on Fridays, and its lunch program is handled by volunteers, rather than a staff person.

The center will also draw about $37,000 this year from the bequest of James Flinn Jr., who gave $100,000 to the center in 2007. With accrued interest, that amount has increased to about $112,000. The task force recommendations called for using a third of the bequest this year, to offset operating costs. The remaining two-thirds will be used in the next two years.

Despite these changes, the senior center is still expected to operate at a loss of about $55,000 during the current fiscal year, which began July 1.

Longer-Term Plans

Three firms responded to the city’s RFP for a consultant to develop a strategic plan for the senior center. They are Schumaker & Co. of Ann Arbor, Hooker De Jong and The Woods Consulting Group of Muskegon, and The Kittle Group of Auburn Hills. The scope of work is described in this excerpt from the RFP:

The consultant will be responsible for researching and developing a comprehensive strategic business/operating plan, including the following elements:

1. Background Information: Collect and review current and historical information/materials about the organization that will be helpful to the planning process.

2. Operating Budget Analysis: Analyze options to create stable funding and develop budget forecasts to sustain long-term Center operations including:

• Cost Reductions: Evaluate both short term and long term cost reduction strategies.

• Fee-Based Programming: Assess the cost effectiveness of offering an expanded array of fee-based/revenue generating programs and services, which appeal to a broader range of residents (i.e., “boomers”, intergenerational programs, youth services, etc.), with extended evening/weekend hours.

• Facility Rental/Product Sales: Conduct competitive research with banquet/meeting event rental facilities in the area to estimate the potential revenue that could be generated if the facility is enhanced to make it appealing for rental by private parties. Determine the cost of facility enhancements (i.e., renovations to the space; purchase of furniture, equipment, supplies, etc.) required to generate the maximum amount of rental income possible.

• Other Revenue Generating Options: Explore opportunities to generate revenue through increasing members, grants, fund raising, donations, etc.

* Operating Expense Forecasts: Determine the impact of programming changes on staffing levels/operating expenses and develop budget forecasts.

3. Market Research:

• Senior Centers: Analyze market research and regional/national best practices to evaluate strategies to improve operational efficiency and effectiveness.

• Quantitative Research: Survey a cross-section of Ann Arbor City residents to determine the desires, interests, and needs of community residents which could be met by expanding fee-based/revenue generating programs and services at the Center, targeted to all ages.

• Qualitative Research: Conduct focus groups with interested residents and program participants to assess opportunities for program development and enhancement.

4. Collaborative Partnerships: Convene meetings with the Executive Directors of other neighboring senior centers to evaluate strategies for collaboration to improve services for underserved programs/ services, evaluate impact of duplication of service delivery, enhance programs, increase revenue, and reduce costs.

5. Community Engagement/Communication Plan: Create a communication plan and marketing strategy to actively engage the community in supporting center operations/activities; and recommend enhancements to the website that creates enhanced awareness of programs and services being offered.

6. Planning Retreats: Conduct planning retreats with City leadership team (i.e., Council & PAC members, staff, and individuals representing residents and participants) to analyze all of the data/information collected and develop the short and long-range components of the strategic business/operating plan.

The deadline for responding was July 16, but Straw said that city staff had questions for the companies that responded, and gave them until the end of August to submit revised proposals. They hope to have the strategic plan completed by February 2011, ready to make recommendations to city council in the March/April time frame.

Coda: What About Mack Pool?

Mack Pool, which is shared by the city of Ann Arbor and Ann Arbor Public Schools and located in the Ann Arbor Open school, was also considered for closing during the last budget cycle. Similar to the senior center, a task force was formed to come up with a strategy for closing the gap between expenses and revenues. [For Chronicle coverage, see: "Task Force Floats Ways to Save Mack Pool" and "More Options for Ann Arbor's Mack Pool"]

Straw said that not as many of the task force recommendations for Mack Pool have been implemented yet, but some things are in progress. The city is ordering a thermal pool blanket, which is expected to save energy costs in two ways: 1) by containing the heat in the water and cutting the city’s natural gas expenses, which are about $37,500 a year for Mack Pool, and 2) by limiting water evaporation and saving on the school’s water bill. [In the current agreement between the city and schools, the city pays for natural gas and the schools pay for water.]

A new swim schedule is being finalized, Straw said, and will include additional time for lunch swims as well as additional time on Tuesday and Thursday mornings for swim lessons and other programs.

The city is also planning to install new LED lights in the pool – that’s estimated to save about $2,000 annually. The lights have been ordered, Straw said, and will likely be installed in the few weeks.

The pool is closed for the summer, and will reopen on Sept. 7.

Sign at the entrance to the Fuller Park soccer fields, next to Fuller Pool. (Photos by the writer.)

Three speakers during public commentary, all representing groups that use the fields heavily, said they didn’t have a problem with the fee hike, but hoped that the change could be phased in over three years, rather than implemented this season. The recommendation for an increase, along with changes in how the fields are used, will be forwarded to city council.

Commissioners also approved recommendations from the task forces that are working to raise revenues and cut costs for Mack Pool and the Ann Arbor Senior Center. Commissioner Tim Berla clarified that the PAC resolution was primarily an “atta boy!” for the work of the staff and task forces, and support of the direction they’re headed. The recommendations – which aim to keep those operations open – will be presented to city council at their Feb. 8 meeting.

And finally, as a bonus for readers who stick with this report until the end: One commissioner is championing an urban dog park, and has identified a potential location within the city.

Fee Increases for Fuller, Olson Fields

The city has invested $1.3 million in renovating some of its athletic fields: Seven at Fuller Park, near the University of Michigan medical complex, and two at Olson Park, on the city’s north side at the corner of DhuVarren Road and Pontiac Trail. In May of 2008, PAC formed a task force to evaluate how these fields would be used and maintained after the project was completed.

The task force is recommending rate increases for these fields, as well as changes in the way the fields are used. The proposed rates are:

• Fuller fields 1-5 and Olson fields 1-2: $60/hour (full field); $40/hour (half field)
• Fuller fields 6-7: $32/hour (full field); $20/hour (half field)

Previously, rates ranged from $16 an hour to a high of $31.50 an hour, depending on a variety of factors, including residency (Ann Arbor residents were charged lower rates) and time of day (rates for prime time, between 4-8 p.m., were higher). The lower fees at Fuller fields 6-7 reflect more minor renovations done there and less need for upkeep, according to city staff.

The task force provided some examples of fees for other outdoor fields. Locally, outdoor fields at the WideWorld Sports Center cost $90 for a full field and $60 for a half field. Fees in other cities – including Kalamazoo, Mich., Madison, Wisc., and Boulder, Colo. – are comparable or higher. East Lansing is a notably lower exception, with fees in the $17 to $33 range. Commissioner David Barrett said that’s likely because the East Lansing fields are in poor shape.

Staff also noted that fees to use other fields within the parks system – including Allmendinger, Southeast Area and Buhr Park – remain unchanged.

Public Commentary on Field Fees

Three people spoke about the athletic fields during the time set aside for public commentary.

Dave Morris of Ann Arbor Ultimate said he appreciated the new fields, and said the players in his group were okay with the new fees. He wondered how the city would be maintaining these fields – so far, he said, maintenance hadn’t been great. Players also had concerns about cancellations. Last year, the number of times that city staff had canceled play because of bad weather had been onerous, he said, especially because cancellations occurred several days in advance, when conditions might have improved by the originally scheduled date.

Todd Mercer of the Ann Arbor Soccer Association also praised the new fields, saying the renovations were excellent. His question concerned the goals and nets – currently, those used at Fuller fields were owned by the association. The task force was recommending that the city take ownership of that equipment. If it does, Mercer said, the association would like some kind of consideration for those that it owns. Mercer also cited an issue with the configuration of the fields. The proposal calls for fees based on the use of full fields and half fields. AASA has been renting six to nine half fields at a time, he said, but in the new configuration, there will only be five half fields available. Finally, he said that proposed fees represent four times the amount that was charged in the past. [The AASA had been charged a special rate of $16 an hour.] He suggested phasing in the new rates over a three-year period, for groups that rented the fields in 2009.

Chris Cristian of i9sports, a youth sports franchise, said he didn’t have any problem with the new fees, but supported the idea of phasing them in over three years. Last year had been difficult, he said. His business is trying to keep costs down for its participants while increasing the amount that the firm pays their employees. Phasing in the new rates would help, he said.

Commissioners’ Deliberations on Field Fees

Tim Berla began by asking about the field configurations, which had been questioned during public commentary. In the past, some groups had divided the fields into thirds, he noted – would there be any accommodation for that? And since the Ann Arbor Soccer Association needed more half fields, would there be any flexibility for them?

This sign, located near Fuller field #5, describes the the city's renovation project.

Jeff Straw, the city’s deputy parks manager who also served on the task force, said they’d evaluated the usage of the fields and determined the current approach as the best way to maintain the quality of the fields and prevent over-usage. [A cover memo for the PAC resolution states that a maximum of 30 games per season would be scheduled per field. Periodically, fields will be temporarily taken out of play, on a rotating basis, to allow for maintenance and "rest." Because of these changes – and the fact that three of the fields won't be ready for play this spring – the parks staff estimates that 750 games will be scheduled during the combined spring, summer and fall seasons in 2010. Last year, about 950 games were scheduled.]

Straw described the approach as a work in progress. As they assess the conditions of the fields during the upcoming year, they might adjust the number of games allowed in future years. In response to another question from Berla, Straw said they could consider phasing in the fee increase.

Dave Barrett praised the staff for its work, and reiterated Straw’s comments about the administration of the fields as a work in progress. The city invested a lot of money in these renovations, he said, and have raised the quality of the fields significantly. He noted that some of the work hasn’t even been completed yet. There will be some sticker shock about the fees, he cautioned, but everyone he’d talked to in the soccer community acknowledged that the previous fees were inordinately low – and the fields previously reflected that. He encouraged residents to go and look at the fields, describing them as “a thing of beauty,” with the quality 100 times better than in the past.

Barrett also commended AASA for providing the goals and lining the fields. He wondered whether the city would be willing to buy the equipment from the association. Straw said that might be possible.

Gwen Nystuen asked whether there would be signs telling people about the changes. Straw said they had put out signs last summer, which would remain this season. Colin Smith, the city’s parks and recreation manager, said it was also important to convey to the public that this work was paid for out of the voter-approved parks millage.

Julie Grand asked if the staff had received feedback on the fact that there’d be 200 fewer games scheduled on those fields in the coming year. Not yet, Straw said. The upcoming season will be somewhat unusual because three of the fields – Fuller fields 1-3 – won’t be ready for play in the spring, which will affect the number of total games scheduled. Straw said they’re hoping to encourage people to use other fields in the parks system – the Fuller and Olson fields will be top tier, but others are available for play.

Doug Chapman wondered why the task force had decided not to offer different fees for residents versus non-residents, as they’d done in the past. In general, Straw said they were trying to move away from that approach, given the amount of staff time required to confirm the status of large user groups. Smith added that it’s difficult to determine the status of large groups – if half of the team is from Ann Arbor, does that give the entire team resident status? What if only a few players are residents? It would require a staff member going through the team roster each time, he said.

Grand said she hoped that in scheduling games, there’d be a way to give priority to residents who’ve used the fields in the past.

By installing a fence and gate around the athletic fields at Fuller Park, city parks staff can regulate how much the fields get used.

Scott Rosencrans asked how the maintenance of the fields would differ from the past. That question was fielded by Matt Warba, the city’s supervisor of field operations. He said their biggest challenge prior to the renovation was that they didn’t have a handle on how much the fields were actually used. There was also no way to prevent people from using the fields even when they weren’t scheduled – there was no gated fence to bar entry, so fields never had the chance to “rest.”

Simply limiting the number of games, Warba said, would be a dramatic improvement in their ability to maintain the condition of the fields. Faulty irrigation systems have been fixed, he added. The parks staff plans to aerate the fields more and fertilize more initially to make sure the grass is established. All of this hinges on the ability of the staff to control access to the field, he said.

Outcome: The commission unanimously approved the resolution recommending a fee increase and usage changes for Fuller and Olson fields.

Mack Pool and Senior Center Recommendations

Several supporters of Mack Pool and the Ann Arbor Senior Center attended Tuesday’s meeting, but only two people spoke on those topics during public commentary.

James D’Amour began by saying that he served as a park commissioner in 2002-03, and that he’d also been a planning commissioner. He had been part of the previous review of the city’s Parks, Recreation and Open Space plan, known as PROS, and he wanted to let them know that he’d be interested in participating in the upcoming PROS review as well. D’Amour also described himself as a master swimmer who was an avid user of Mack Pool, and that he hoped the commissioners would approve the recommendations of the task force, including the suggestion to raise fees.

Lisa Dengiz said she’s lived in Burns Park for 25 years, and was concerned that the senior center might close. The community is aging, she said, and needs a place like the center. She was very impressed that the nonprofit Ann Arbor Seniors Inc. was stepping forward to help, and urged the commissioners to support the center until it can become a sustainable 501(c)3 nonprofit.

Presentation: Mack Pool Recommendations

Colin Smith, the city’s parks and recreation manager, presented the recommendations from the Mack Pool and Ann Arbor Senior Center task forces. The groups had been formed by city council last year after city administrator Roger Fraser recommended that the facilities be closed. [For background, see previous Chronicle coverage: "Task Force Floats Ways to Save Mack Pool," "More Options for Ann Arbor's Mack Pool," "Seniors Weigh In on Fate of Center" and "Task Force Tries to Save Senior Center"]

Smith first walked PAC through the list of recommendations for Mack Pool, which faces a projected $102,413 deficit for FY 2010, beginning July 1. Roughly $40,000 in new revenues and expense cuts are identified – staff and the task force are still working on ways to address the remaining $60,000 or so deficit.

The Mack Pool recommendations are:

• Purchase and install a thermal blanket for energy savings: $10,000. Next to personnel, energy costs are the highest expense, Smith said. The gas bill at Mack is about $40,000 annually.
• Install LED lights on the pool deck: $2,000
• Decrease the number of computers and applications: $4,000
• Raise fees 25% for masters swimming and for season passes: $8,375. This suggestion came out of one of the public meetings, Smith said, and was supported by a survey that asked if respondents would be willing to pay more to swim at Mack. Of the 192 people who completed the survey, 96.9% said yes.
• Add a masters Saturday morning class: $2,080. This change was already implemented earlier this year.
• Hold an annual fundraiser: $1,000
• Increase pool rental: $9,500. Smith said Club Wolverine Swimming is interested in renting 12-14 hours weekly. Regular rentals are important, he said, because they provide a dependable source of revenue, with a good profit margin.

Additional revenues may come from the change in a 1974 agreement between the city and Ann Arbor Public Schools, which governs the use of Mack Pool. The pool, located inside of Ann Arbor Open school, is off limits to the public for most of the time that school is in session. A new agreement would incorporate cost-sharing with the school district and provide 14 more hours for city programming, Smith said, ranging from water aerobics to swim classes to longer times for lap swimmers. More programs would allow the city to generate more revenue at the pool.

Another major source of potential revenue could come from allowing a swim school to operate at Mack Pool. The city hopes to find a group or individual to operate a swim school at Mack, which could bring in another estimated $50,000 annually.

Smith said the schedule would be adjusted based on additional hours of programming, which meant that some people would be moved into slots they aren’t used to, “and that’s just the reality of it,” he said. To accommodate an evening lap swim, for example, synchronized swimmers had been bumped to a later evening period. Staff responded to concerns raised by parents about the late hour by freeing up an earlier slot – from 3-6:30 p.m. – but only on Mondays and Wednesdays.

Commissioners’ Discussion on Mack Pool

In response to a query from Dave Barrett, Smith said that the school system is not under any obligation to pay the city, based on the 1974 agreement. Even so, AAPS does pay a portion of the operating costs, he said, including water and janitorial service. Terms of the new deal weren’t disclosed – it hasn’t been finalized.

Tim Berla noted that personnel costs were the biggest expense, yet there were no recommendations for cuts in staff. Staff costs account for about 60% of the Mack Pool budget, Smith said, but they had trimmed down over the years and didn’t think they could go any lower without affecting safety and customer service. There are always two lifeguards on duty, and one other staff member in the office collecting fees, among other things.

Scott Rosencrans, PAC’s chair who also serves on the Mack Pool task force, said he can’t recall any success story that involved reducing customer service. He also noted that USA Swimming recommends having two lifeguards at all times.

Berla said he thought the task force would also address the possibility of Mack Pool closing, and what would happen to the programming if it did. But these recommendations were just about raising revenues and cutting expenses. Smith said the task force was following its charge from the city council. If at some point the council gave them different directions, they’d address those questions.

Dave Barrett asked whether Smith was prospecting for swim schools. Smith responded by saying he was calling people asking if they wanted to visit the pool to see if they could use it as a swim school. Sam Offen said he was more concerned about Mack compared to the senior center, because there’s a larger gap in funding – getting revenue from a swim school was crucial, it seemed to him.

Rosencrans agreed, saying the key to Mack’s viability was getting more people to use it. Given the lack of public pools, he said he didn’t understand why it wasn’t mobbed. “I think it’s a real gem in the community.”

Berla said there were actually a lot of indoor pools, if you counted those at the public schools and the University of Michigan. But a building is just a means to an end, he said. It’s the programming that counts, and that’s where the discussion should focus. Given that the city is at the point where every dollar counts, programs should be the high priority.

Presentation: Senior Center Recommendations

The senior center faces a projected $151,687 deficit for fiscal 2010. The task force has identified $97,872 in savings and revenues, leaving roughly $52,000 that would still need to come out of the city’s general fund.

Smith said that in addition to three public meetings, about 600 people responded to a survey about the center and its services – those results were also factored in to these recommendations:

• Increase programming by adding new classes and other activities, including fitness classes, educational lectures and bridge games: $13,076
• Expand the trip program: $3,390
• Restructure agreements with instructors who teach courses at the center: $1,985
• Decrease the number of computers and applications: $4,000
• Reduce staffing levels for the lunch program by using volunteers: $3,078
• Reduce temporary staff time: $3,955
• Implement a membership fee: $12,500. Smith said that 68% of survey respondents said they’d be willing to pay a fee. The suggested annual fee is $25 per person, or $35 per household. There are funds available to offset costs for low-income residents, Smith said.
• Shift Friday and Sunday programming to other days, making the center available for rental: $5,555
• Increase the number of rentals: $6,500
• Increase fundraising: $3,500
• Increase advertising in the center’s newsletter: $3,000
• Use a portion of the Flinn bequest to help offset operating costs: $37,333

Smith also told commissioners that the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation has awarded a $16,949 grant to develop strategic plan for the center, and to help implement it over the next two years.

Commissioners’ Discussion of the Senior Center

Commissioner Sam Offen asked whether staff or the task force had talked to the Turner Senior Resource Center about partnering. Their Osher lecture series is popular, he noted, and there might be some opportunities to share expenses and programming. Jeff Straw, the city’s deputy parks manager, said staff had talked to representatives from Turner, who were concerned that they couldn’t accommodate additional groups. Offen suggested exploring partnerships with other senior centers in the area.

Offen also asked for more details about the community foundation grant. Smith said it needed to be spent by July 1, 2010. Commissioner Julie Grand, who serves on the senior center task force, said they’d held off using it because they didn’t yet know if city council would keep the center open.

Commissioner Tim Berla summarized the resolutions as an “atta boy!” for the work that’s been done so far, and support of continued efforts. Commissioner Gwen Nystuen said the results were encouraging, and she praised the amount of work that had been done by staff and the task forces.

Outcome: The commission unanimously approved both resolutions supporting the recommendations for the Mack Pool and Ann Arbor Senior Center task forces.

Financial Update

Colin Smith gave a brief quarterly financial report to commissioners. Halfway through the 2009 fiscal year, the parks and recreation operation is very close to its estimated net cost to the city’s general fund of $1.55 million.

He cited two areas that have lower-than-expected revenues to date: the Buhr Park and Veterans Memorial Park ice rinks. The rink at Buhr opened later than usual because of renovations there. At Vets, revenue from instructional skating is down about $25,000. They’ve seen gradual declines over the past few years, Smith said, but this year was lower than projected.

Revenues are up in some operations, Smith said, citing facilities rental and the senior center, which has seen an increase in donations.

Smith said he’d give PAC a report on canoe livery operations at next month’s meeting. If the headrace at Argo Dam remains de-watered, he said, that will affect revenues from canoe rentals this coming season. The city has a meeting scheduled with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality later this month to assess the dam, and it’s possible the state agency will allow the city to use the headrace again, Smith said. [The city has been in a multi-year dispute with MDEQ over the stability of Argo Dam, and whether to remove it. Most recent Chronicle coverage: "More to Meeting than Downtown Planning"]

Sam Offen and Gwen Nystuen, who serve on PAC’s financial subcommittee, both complimented Smith and Matt Warba, the city’s supervisor of field operations, for the fact that revenues were coming in close to their estimates. Offen said he was surprised by the drop in skating instruction, and that if the trend continues, the city will lose a valuable revenue stream. He said it was good to see an increase in golf revenues, but the big question was what will happen to golf operations in the coming budget cycle. Parks and recreation, along with all other departments, will be making budget recommendations in the coming months to address the city’s projected deficit.

Fuller Road Station

As she has at previous meetings, commissioner Gwen Nystuen raised the issue of defining the city’s “parkland” designation, in the context of the proposed Fuller Road Station. That project, a joint city/University of Michigan effort which initially includes a parking structure for about 1,000 vehicles, is located on city property that’s designated as parkland. It’s been leased to UM for several years and used as a surface parking lot.

[Chronicle coverage of the city council's Jan. 19, 2010 includes public commentary on the issue of  parkland and the Fuller Road station, including a brief look at the city and state prohibitions against sale of parkland without a voter referendum.]

Building a parking structure on parkland “raises all kinds of questions and precedents that we should fully discuss,” Nystuen said. She requested that the topic be added to a future PAC agenda for discussion. PAC chair Scott Rosencrans suggested forming a task force or asking someone from the city attorney’s office to come to a meeting and brief the commissioners.

Colin Smith, the city’s parks and recreation manager, said he asked to be included in the Fuller Road Station’s facilities planning committee, so that the parks perspective would be represented. The committee had recently met to talk about the impact of construction. He also has asked that the project leaders give PAC an update, possibly in March or May.

Nystuen asked Smith when he’d been consulted about the project. He reported that he’d first talked about it when Eli Cooper, the city’s transportation program manager, made a presentation to PAC in September 2009 about the project.

Commissioner Tim Berla voiced support for forming a task force, and for holding a public hearing on the issue. He said he could tell that Nystuen was serious and that there were members of the public who were very concerned as well. It was important to have a process to address those concerns.

Smith noted that neither of the city councilmembers were present, but said it would be good to get their perspective as well. [Mike Anglin (Ward 5) and Christopher Taylor (Ward 3) are ex-officio members of PAC. Anglin was absent from the Jan. 19 meeting, and Taylor left to attend a city council budget committee meeting before this discussion took place.]

Misc. Updates

In his manager’s report, Colin Smith said that the Buhr Park ice rink had reopened on Jan. 9 after renovations that were made possible by the parks millage. He said it was a difficult project. The new refrigeration in the subfloor includes about 13 miles of pipes. [See Chronicle coverage of the Dec. 7, 2009 city council meeting when council approved additional money to rectify a problem with the pipe specification.]

Smith also reported that the city was trying to raise $25,000 from individuals and businesses for its scholarship fund. They awarded 800 scholarships last year, he said: “It’s one of the most important things that parks offers.” The donations are tax deductible.

Smith gave an update on the departure of his boss, Jayne Miller, the city’s community services director, whose last day with the city will be Feb. 11. She has taken a job as head of the Huron-Clinton Metropolitan Authority, which oversees regional metroparks. He noted that she’s been with the city for 22 years, and previously held his job. Filling in on an interim basis will be Sumedh Bahl, who is head of the city’s water treatment plant. Smith quipped that he’d spent a lot of quality time with Bahl related to discussions about Argo Dam.

Finally, Smith said his staff had been working to prepare answers to several parks-related questions that councilmembers had asked during their December 2009 budget retreat. Sam Offen requested that PAC members also be provided with the information that staff gives to council – Smith agreed to do that.

In communications from commissioners, John Lawter said he’s championing the development of an urban dog park. He’s talked to park planner Amy Kuras about possibly using the property recently acquired by the city on Chapin, near West Park. She told him that one of the first steps would be to hold a neighborhood meeting about it, he said, adding that he also hoped to put the topic on an upcoming PAC agenda.

Present: John Lawter, Gwen Nystuen, Sam Offen, David Barrett, Scott Rosencrans, Julie Grand, Doug Chapman, Karen Levin, Tim Berla, Christopher Taylor (ex-officio)

Absent: Mike Anglin (ex-officio)

Next meeting: Tuesday, Feb. 23 at 4 p.m. in the Washtenaw County administration building boardroom, 220 N. Main St. [confirm date]

The entrance to Mack Pool, located in the Ann Arbor Open @ Mack school at the corner of Miller and Brooks.

At its Tuesday meeting, the Ann Arbor Park Advisory Commission will consider recommendations that would cut costs and raise revenue for Mack Pool and the Ann Arbor Senior Center, with the goal of keeping both operations open. If approved by PAC, the recommendations would be forwarded to city council.

Last spring, city administrator Roger Fraser proposed closing both the pool and the senior center, as part of a larger effort to address the city’s general fund budget deficit. Both entities cost more to operate than they generate in revenues, and are subsidized by the general fund.

Council subsequently created task forces to look at how more revenues could be raised and expenses cut from those operations. City staff held public meetings in December to present the initial recommendations from the task forces. [See Chronicle coverage: "More Options for Ann Arbor's Mack Pool" and "Task Force Tries to Save Senior Center"]

At its Tuesday meeting – which begins at 4 p.m. and includes time for public commentary – park commissioners will discuss and possibly revise those recommendations, before voting on whether to send them on to city council. The meeting is held at the county administration building, 220 N. Main St. After the jump, we provide a summary of the proposals.

Mack Pool Recommendations

The Mack Pool task force – which includes PAC chair Scott Rosencrans and Ann Arbor city councilmembers Carsten Hohnke (Ward 5) and Christopher Taylor (Ward 3) – was asked to address a projected $102,413 deficit for FY 2010, beginning July 1. The recommendations identify about $40,000 in new revenues and expense cuts, still leaving a deficit of about $60,000 to come from the city’s general fund. However, city staff and the task force continue to work on other areas that might reduce the deficit further.

The recommendations are:

• Purchase and install a thermal blanket for energy savings: $10,000
• Install LED lights on the pool deck: $2,000
• Decrease the number of computers and applications: $4,000
• Raise fees 25% for masters swimming and for season passes: $8,375
• Add a masters Saturday morning class: $2,080
• Hold an annual fundraiser: $1,000
• Increase pool rental: $9,500

The city also is working to modify its 1974 agreement with Ann Arbor Public Schools, which governs the use of Mack Pool. The pool is located inside of Ann Arbor Open school, and is off limits to the public for most of the time that school is in session. A new agreement would incorporate cost-sharing with the school district and provide more hours for city programming, which would allow the city to generate more revenue at the pool.

Another major source of revenue could come from allowing a swim school to operate at Mack Pool. The city is in discussions with a potential operator of a swim school, which could bring in another estimated $50,000 annually.

Ann Arbor Senior Center

The projected 2010 deficit for the senior center is $151,687, and the center’s task force has identified roughly $98,000 in net savings to reduce the deficit to about $52,000. Task force members include PAC commissioner Julie Grand and city councilmember Christopher Taylor (Ward 3), who also serves as an ex officio member of PAC.

These are the recommendations being presented at Tuesday’s PAC meeting:

• Increase programming by adding new classes and other activities: $13,076
• Expand the trip program: $3,390
• Restructure agreements with instructors who teach courses at the center: $1,985
• Decrease the number of computers and applications: $4,000
• Reduce staffing levels for the lunch program by using volunteers: $3,078
• Reduce temporary staff time: $3,955
• Implement a membership fee: $12,500
• Shift Friday and Sunday programming to other days, making the center available for rental: $5,555
• Increase the number of rentals: $6,500
• Increase fundraising: $3,500
• Increase advertising in the center’s newsletter: $3,000
• Use a portion of the Flinn bequest to help offset operating costs: $37,333

Assuming that recommendations will be forwarded to the city council by PAC, the council would consider them as part of the overall budget process, starting in February. Decisions on the fate of the senior center and Mack Pool would be made by the council by the time it approves a final budget, likely by its second meeting in May.

Thursday's public meeting of the Mack Pool Task Force drew about 25 people. (Photos by the writer.)

Colin Smith, the city’s parks and recreation manager, told a group of about 25 people that the task force is focused on bridging the roughly $100,000 gap between expenses and revenues for the pool – even though the group is well aware of the city’s larger budget crisis. That broader budget crisis includes the possibility of up to 30% cuts in the city’s general fund budget through fiscal 2012.

Smith noted that the task force had come up with nearly $36,000 in net savings and revenue – about a third of the way toward its goal so far. With just over two months before recommendations will be delivered to city council, “we’re not done,” he said.

Background: Targeted for Cuts

The closing of Mack Pool, located within the Ann Arbor Open school, was first floated as an option among budget cuts proposed by city administrator Roger Fraser at an April 2009 council working session. With revenues of $122,100 and expenses of $224,513 expected in fiscal 2010, the pool is being subsidized with $102,413 from the city’s general fund.

Fraser’s budget proposal, which was later adopted by city council, called for Mack Pool to be closed or turned over to the Ann Arbor Public Schools at the beginning of fiscal 2011, which begins on July 1, 2010. At Thursday’s public meeting, Jayne Miller – the city’s community services area administrator and Colin Smith’s boss – reminded the group that the recommendation to close Mack Pool is still in that budget plan.

But there’s still hope to save it from closing. Soon after news of the possible closing became public earlier this year, supporters of the pool – including a variety of groups who use it regularly, from Dawn Ducks to synchronized swimmers – mobilized to lobby for it to remain open. In August, city council appointed a 15-member task force to explore ways to eliminate the $100,000 funding gap. They held an initial public meeting in November, where about 50 people met to brainstorm ideas. [See Chronicle coverage: "Task Force Floats Ways to Save Mack Pool"]

The task force has formed three subcommittees, focusing on: 1) raising revenues, 2) cutting expenses, and 3) renegotiating an agreement between the city of Ann Arbor and the Ann Arbor Public Schools – an agreement that’s governed use of Mack Pool since 1974.

At Thursday’s meeting, Smith presented initial recommendations from the task force’s work.

Agreement with Ann Arbor Public Schools

The city is negotiating with the school in two key areas: Getting additional hours for public use during the school days, and modifying a cost-sharing plan.

Currently, the pool is closed to the public during school hours, except for a limited period from 11 a.m. to noon on weekdays. Smith reported that the new agreement will give the city an additional 14 hours per week of use during the weekdays. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the pool will be available to the city from 8:15 a.m. until 1 p.m. Getting two large blocks of time is huge, Smith said, and will allow them to plan swim lessons, aerobics classes, and other programs, bringing in an estimated net revenue of about $7,000 annually.

In addition, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, the pool will be open to the public from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. – hours that make it easier to market for swimmers coming on their lunch break, Smith said. They’ll continue to have “Tot Splash” program during this time as well, for kids under 7 years old. The city will also have access to the pool every weekday from 3-4 p.m.

Smith said that the plan is for the city and school system to revisit the agreement every year, and modify it to reflect levels of use on an ongoing basis.

A draft of the agreement is expected to be finished this week. Smith did not share information about cost-sharing changes with the schools, but said that it would reflect current economic realities as well as usage. Specific details of this agreement and the revenue it might generate will likely be available by the time the overall Mack Pool recommendations are made to the city’s park advisory commission at their Jan. 19 meeting.

Expenses: Energy, Staff, IT

Three areas were targeted for possible reductions to expenses: energy costs, staffing and information technology charges.

Energy costs

The task force and city staff explored four ways to curb energy costs: 1) installing LED lights, 2) getting a thermal blanket to cover the pool when not in use, 3) installing variable drive pumps, and 4) exploring alternatives to chlorine. All of these options would require capital investments, Smith said. Parks millage money or grants could cover the cost.

Installing LED lights in the pool area could save about $2,000 annually, Smith said. The city has applied for a grant to fund the installation of these lights, he said. City officials won’t learn whether the grant is awarded until the end of this year.

Colin Smith, the city's parks and recreation manager, gives an update on initial recommendations for raising revenue and cutting expenses at Mack Pool. The Dec. 10 meeting was held in the auditorium of Ann Arbor Open school.

A thermal blanket would save energy costs in two ways: by containing the heat in the water and cutting the city’s natural gas expenses, which are about $37,500 a year for Mack Pool, and by limiting water evaporation and saving on the school’s water bill. [In the current agreement between the city and schools, the city pays for natural gas and the schools pay for water.]

Dan McGuire, supervisor for Mack and Fuller pools, said he’d contacted other municipal and private pools in Michigan and nationwide, and found that very few use thermal blankets. It would cost about $56,000 to install one that was fully automated – that is, which didn’t require two people to remove it or put it down. Most people he talked to said storage would be difficult and that it would be too cumbersome to use on a daily basis. City staff will continue to explore this possibility, but Smith said it was a red flag that so few pools used the blankets.

McGuire also spoke about the option of installing variable frequency drive (VFD) pumps for the pool’s water pumping system. Because the state mandates the gallons-per-minute flow on the pool, it wouldn’t be possible to take advantage of reducing the flow with variable speed pumps, he said.

State regulations were also an issue on the question of de-chlorinating the pool and using a less expensive approach to keeping the pool free from bacteria. The state mandates a certain level of chlorine residuals in the pool, McGuire said, which means they couldn’t have a chlorine-free pool. Someone from the audience asked about saltwater pools, like the ones at the new health and fitness center at Washtenaw Community College. Because salt contains chlorine naturally, there are sufficient chlorine residuals to meet state standards, without the harsh chemical. Smith noted that it would require a significant investment to switch Mack Pool over to a saltwater system.

Staffing, IT

The task force is not recommending a reduction in staffing levels, Smith said, because of safety and customer service concerns. Generally there are three people on duty – one in the office, and two lifeguards.

There would be some savings in information technology, Smith said, by reducing the number of computers at the pool office and the number of software applications loaded onto those computers. It’s estimated that those changes would save roughly $4,000 annually, he said.

Revenues: Increase in Users, Fees

Smith highlighted five areas that have potential for raising revenues: Rental groups, fee increases, more programming, marketing and additional partnerships.

Rental groups

Groups that rent the pool on a regular basis supply a stable revenue stream that can be booked in advance. Swim teams, swim schools and home-schooling groups fall into that category. Smith said the possibility of offering lower rental fees for repeat renters, as an incentive, was being explored. Staff members estimate net revenue could be boosted by $8,500 annually from an increase in rental groups.

Raising fees

The task force is considering a 25% increase in fees for its season passes and master’s swimming sessions. Smith said that at the previous public meeting they’d gotten feedback that the pool’s fees were very generous. Even with the proposed increase, fees would be lower than many comparable municipalities, he said. Among the changes, the “drop-in” fee for master’s swimming sessions would increase from $5 to $6.25. A residential family pass would increase from $5.25 per week to $6.58. The city also has a scholarship fund for people who can’t afford to pay, Smith said.

Programming, partnerships

A new master’s class will likely be added on Saturday mornings, Smith said, starting in January. That’s estimated to bring in a net revenue increase of $2,080 annually.

In addition, the city is looking to partner with groups like small local gyms, Smith said. Those gyms could offer their members access to the pool as part of their membership package. The advantage would be that the gyms would “sell” the pool and bring in new users.

Swim schools are another category of partner that would provide a stable revenue source. Smith said his staff was talking with swim schools in Birmingham and Novi that might be interested in offering classes at Mack Pool.

Later in the meeting, Ed Sketch – a regular user of Mack Pool and a task force member – said he’d talked with a woman in Ann Arbor who gives swim lessons and has a waiting list. She’d be ready to book at least 30 hours a week at $50 an hour, he said. There’s also someone at the University of Michigan business school who’d be willing to write up a business plan for a swim school, he said. “I think we have the talent here in town.”

Marketing

In the next few weeks, the city will be conducting an email survey to gauge interest in activities related to Mack Pool, Smith said. The survey will also include questions aimed at identifying how much people would be willing to pay for access to the pool.

The task force is recommending more marketing in general, including better signs to mark the location of the pool.

Summary, and More Discussion

Smith said that his staff was being conservative in their estimates, which he later clarified as “realistic.” He summarized the total savings of $35,955 from these sources:

• Fee increases (revenues) = $8,375
• Rentals (revenues) = $8,500
• Additional programming (revenues) = $2,080
• Increased hours from school (revenues) = $7,000
• IT savings (expense cuts) = $4,000
• Energy savings (expense cuts) = $6,000

The plan is to present recommendations to the park advisory commission on Jan. 19, Smith said, and hopefully find additional expense cuts or revenue increases before then. PAC will make a recommendation to city council in February. Council is expected to take action on the budget in May.

Jayne Miller, the city’s community services area administrator, reminded the group that the closing of Mack Pool was still in the budget for fiscal 2011 – that recommendation occurred even before the more recent expense-cutting goals were announced, she said. Carsten Hohnke, the councilmember who represents Ward 5, where Mack Pool is located, said the best way to feel secure about keeping Mack Pool open is to make sure it doesn’t require a general fund subsidy.

Ed Sketch, who’s on the task force, agreed that having a subsidy causes instability for the pool. He also noted the dilemma of being either overly conservative or overly optimistic in estimating what can be done, particularly in terms of new revenue, and he cautioned against what he feels are revenue estimates that are too conservative. Miller characterized the estimates as realistic, not conservative – and Smith agreed. They said they’d revise the estimates as they get additional information.

One woman attending Thursday’s forum said she’d been heartened by the recent PBS Newshour segment on Ann Arbor, in which mayor John Hieftje was interviewed talking about the importance of having amenities in the town, attracting researchers to move here and building the tax base. “There’s another way to think about this,” she said, adding that if there’s a mindset of just making cuts, officials could be hurting the city’s future.

A woman involved with the Aquarians Synchronized Swim Team, which trains at the pool, objected to the new time that the group is tentatively allotted for practice – 8-10 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays, and 6:30-9 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. The hour was too late for teens who had to get up early for school, she said, and the group might have to find another pool for practice if they couldn’t get an earlier evening slot.

Smith acknowledged that it was difficult to accommodate all groups, and that some would have to move from their current slots. Here’s a tentative new schedule for the week, reflecting additional times provided during the school day:

This shows how different user groups might be scheduled to use Mack Pool. (Image links to larger file.)

Another person asked how Mack Pool compared to the city’s other swimming facilities. Smith said that there’d be no savings to close Fuller Pool, and that Buhr Park and Veterans Park pools are subsidized less than Mack. Far more people use the other pools, Smith said. Buhr Pool, for example, gets the same number of visits during the three summer months that it’s open as Mack does for the rest of the year. (Mack, an indoor pool, is closed during the summer.)

A question was raised about donations: What if someone wanted to give money to the pool – was that possible? Smith said that sponsorships was a suggestion discussed by the Ann Arbor Senior Center task force, which is going through a similar process. [See previous Chronicle coverage: "Seniors Weigh In on Fate of Center"] Perhaps it was something they could consider for Mack, too, Smith said.

Ed Sketch described the situation thus far as having all the ingredients for a great cake, but not yet the right recipe. Strategically, he said, the best approach might be a hybrid of a community pool, with a diverse group of users, and a swim school, which could bring in a lot of revenue.

Shakespeare is one of four historical figures featured in the ornate cornice of the Ann Arbor Open auditorium, where Thursday's Mack Pool task force meeting was held. (Bonus points for readers who can name the other three.) And finally, a quote from the Bard: "The people are like water and the ruler a boat. Water can support a boat or overturn it."

Keeping Mack Pool open is even a campaign issue for student council, based on this sign in the hallway. The election is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 13.

There aren’t many meetings you can attend where some of the pre-meeting conversation goes like this: “I didn’t recognize you with your clothes on!”

Swimmers can get away with that kind of banter, and swimmers of all sorts showed up Thursday night to talk about what the city should do to keep Mack Pool open. The public meeting was held at the media center of the Open School @ Mack, just down the hall from the pool – but far enough away to smell only the faintest whiff of chlorine.

Closing Mack Pool, or turning it over to the Ann Arbor school system, was one of the options proposed by city administrator Roger Fraser at an April 13, 2009 council working session, as a way to help balance the city’s budget in the face of declining revenues projected for 2010 and 2011. There’s about a $100,000 shortfall between what it costs to run the pool each year and the revenues it takes in. Figuring out how to make up that difference is the goal of the Mack Pool Task Force, which hosted Thursday’s meeting.

Response to the Threat of Closing

After getting news that Mack Pool might be closed in the summer of 2010, supporters had quickly mobilized, as did users of the Ann Arbor Senior Center, which is the other parks and recreation facility that had been slated to close. Members of the Dawn Ducks and master’s swimming – two groups that regularly use the indoor pool – were particularly vocal.

This summer, the city formed task forces for both Mack Pool and the senior center, and gave them the goal of coming up with recommendations that would allow the city to keep the facilities open. Public meetings for the Ann Arbor Senior Center were held in October. [See Chronicle coverage: "Seniors Weigh In On Fate of Center"] Thursday’s meeting for Mack Pool followed a similar format. After an overview of the situation, presented by Colin Smith – the city’s parks and recreation services manager,  who also serves on the task force – the gathering broke into three small groups for discussion.

Scott Rosencrans, left, and Ed Sketch are both members of the Mack Pool Task Force. Rosencrans is chair of the Ann Arbor Park Advisory Commission. Sketch is coordinator for the Mack Pool users group. (Photo by the writer.)

Several members of the Mack Pool Task Force, appointed by city council in August 2009, attended the session, including Scott Rosencrans, chair of the city’s Park Advisory Commission; Nell Stern, a member of the Dawn Ducks; Ed Sketch, coordinator of the Mack Pool users group; Chris Murphy, whose daughter is part of the Ann Arbor Aquarians Synchronized Swim Team, which trains at the pool; and Carsten Hohnke, a city councilmember for Ward 5, where Mack Pool is located.

Other politicians attended too, including city councilmember Mike Anglin (Ward 5) and Mayor John Hieftje. Hieftje gave some opening remarks to the group, reminding them that Ann Arbor was not alone in facing financial challenges. Lower amounts from state revenue-sharing as well as a decrease in local property taxes have caused cities across Michigan to suffer, he said. Ann Arbor is in better shape than most, but still needs help from the public to deal with the situation.

Colin Smith told the group that the task force has formed three subcommittees, focused on revenues, expenses and city/school use. Though the pool is owned by the city, Ann Arbor Public Schools has an agreement – in perpetuity – for use of the pool during school hours. That limits the amount of programming the city can schedule, and AAPS has agreed to renegotiate the agreement to reflect current realities, Smith said. [The principal of the Open School @ Mack, Naomi Zikmund-Fisher, is on the pool task force but did not attend Thursday's meeting.] A draft of the new agreement is expected by late December or early January.

Swimmers at Mack Pool on Thursday evening. (Photo by the writer.)

Raising Revenues, Cutting Costs

On the expense side, Smith said the bad news is that there’s no silver bullet. Over the past decade, the city has cut costs at Mack down to the bare bones, he said. The subcommittee that’s looking at expenses went over the budget line item by line item, and weren’t able to find significant places to cut.

Energy costs are a huge expense, Smith said, required to heat the pool and run equipment. An energy audit was conducted to see if there were significant ways to improve efficiency, and there weren’t. The city has applied for a grant to get LED lights installed in the pool deck, but that will only save about $2,000 to $3,000 annually, he said.

More opportunities come from possible revenue growth, Smith said. Most of the ideas discussed on Thursday fell into that category, and many of the suggestions focused on increasing the number of people who use the pool. The following is a list of suggestions that were voiced during the meeting:

• Offer more classes: Water aerobics, scuba, kayaking, and more. Partner with local gyms or places such as the VA hospital, which provides therapy and programs like kayaking courses for disabled veterans.
• Do a better job of marketing the pool. Put fliers in doctors’ offices, offer coupons, advertise with University of Michigan programs like MFit.
• Hold fundraisers and donor drives. Partner with the University of Michigan to raffle off time with their swimming coaches.
• Expand the number of morning hours available, as well as the “lunch swim,” which currently runs only from 11 a.m. until noon. Extend the lunch swim hours until 1 p.m. or later. (This would be contingent on renegotiating an agreement with the school system.)


Chart of fees for daily use of Mack Pool. Some people at Thursday evening's meeting suggested that fees be raised.

• Increase user fees. Some believe that fees for master’s swimming could be doubled, for example. Currently, passes for a two-month master’s swimming session, five days a week, costs $105 for city residents, $128 for non-residents. Other categories of fees could be raised as well.
• Caution came with the discussion of raising fees – it’s also important to keep the facility accessible to all groups, regardless of income. Perhaps that can be handled via scholarships, some said. Others suggested outreach to residents at nearby Miller Manor, a public housing complex. Grants to fund programs for underprivileged populations might help with that.
• Offer a greater variety of passes. Currently, you can pay a daily fee or get a pass for the entire season. In addition, offer passes for shorter periods, like one to three months.
• Provide food and other amenities to purchase.
• Provide more pool toys.
• As much as possible, make sure at least some lanes are open for lap swims.
• Solicit school groups and clubs to rent the pool for parties.
• Provide child care for parents who want to do lap swims.
• Start a grassroots marketing effort, using yard signs and word of mouth, to promote Mack Pool as a “hidden gem.”
• Save chemical costs by using an ionizing process rather than chlorine. Market the pool as chlorine-free.
• Invest in variable frequency drives for the pool pumping system, to reduce energy costs.
• Buy a “pool blanket” to place over the top of the pool when it’s not in use, preserving heat.
• Start a public swim team for kids, similar to ones that are active during the summer at the outdoor pools.
• Invest in a geothermal system to heat the pool. Hieftje said that the city is looking at partnering with a company to install a large geothermal heating system in the downtown area, which perhaps could be extended to Mack Pool. He said the city’s energy commission, on which he serves, would explore the possibility.

Dan McGuire, right, is supervisor of Mack and Fuller pools for Ann Arbor parks and recreation. (Photo by the writer.)

There was also some discussion of the pool temperature, which is currently set at 82 degrees. Preferences differ among the user groups, with master’s swimmers preferring a cooler water temperature, and others wanting it warmer. One suggestion centered on dividing the pool into two sections, and maintaining different water temperatures in each section. However, Smith noted that the water source is the same for the entire pool, and could not provide variable temperatures.

Ed Sketch, a task force member, noted that at this point it was difficult to convince the city to invest in Mack Pool. Why would you want to do that, if it’s possibly going to close? he said. “In a sense, we’ve got to crack the business model first,” he said. “Once you’re over that hump, a whole lot of things become possible.”

Timeline for Recommendations

Colin Smith told the group that the city planned another public meeting on Dec. 10, 2009 to present a draft of recommendations and get feedback. Those recommendations would then be presented to the city’s Park Advisory Commission at their meeting on Jan. 19, 2010. PAC would vote on the recommendations, which would be forwarded to city council.

Council is expected to consider the recommendations in February, and make a final decision on the overall 2011 budget in May. Between now and then, “we have a lot to do,” Smith said. “We have a lot to do quickly.”

The aquatic theme was never far from view at Thursday night's public meeting about Mack Pool, held in the media center of the Ann Arbor Open School @ Mack. (Photo by the writer.)

Nancy Darnell, left, and Nell Stern wore their Dawn Ducks sweatshirts on Thursday night. Stern, a Mack Pool Task Force member, came up with the name for the group several years ago. Zelma Weisfeld designed the logo. (Photo by the writer.)

A five-year-old child who's been exposed to the Leslie Science and Nature Center will be able to identify the type of bird, and explain its sleeping habits – though perhaps not recognize that this one is made of plastic.

Ann Arbor City Council Meeting, Part I (May 4, 2009): Despite assurances from Mayor John Hieftje that he’d be surprised if Mack pool and Leslie Science Center weren’t funded, city council heard from several advocates of those facilities Monday night, along with supporters of Project Grow and the senior center.

Audible through the expressions of support for programs facing cuts was also a call for the council to focus attention on bigger ticket items. One of those bigger ticket items was a mediator-mandated agreement with the Ann Arbor Police Officers Association union, which council was constrained by state law to approve – an agreement that will cost the city about $650,000 more than it had anticipated. Another was approval of the early retirement option for police officers as a part of the employees retirement system, which the city is offering instead of mandatory layoffs.

Still another big ticket item surfaced in the form of the approval of an application for funding of the East Stadium bridge reconstruction – though it’s likely to be paid by federal tax dollars. The bridge fit into the general theme of transportation at the meeting, which showed up in the form of an agenda item authorizing a study for a north-south intra-city connector (which was postponed), as well as a lengthy discussion on the Ann Arbor transportation plan update, which was ultimately adopted, despite some sentiment for postponing it. [These items are reported in detail in Part II of our meeting coverage here.]

In other business, council approved two agreements with the public schools for operation of recreation facilities, gave initial approval to a revamped liquor licensing code for the city, and approved an amendment to the partnership agreement between the city and the Leslie Science and Nature Center. [This last accounts for the last word in the headline.]

Early Retirement for Police Officers

Karen Sidney: Speaking during public commentary reserved time, Sidney began by describing the proposed early retirement plan [to reduce positions in the police department starting in FY 2010 and with the fire department in FY 2011] as fiscally irresponsible. Retirement benefits in the system, she said, are already more expensive than the public can afford. She said everyone would like to be able to retire when they’re 40 years old and get lifetime health insurance for their families at a cost of only $500 per year. For University of Michigan employees, who’ve seen their TIAA-CREF accounts fall in value, a pension at 60% of one’s salary would look great. She said that it’s even better if you can work angles in the system with overtime, vacation, and sick time to improve on the 60%. She alluded to a case a few years ago when some firefighters achieved a pension bigger than their base salary. She suggested that the five councilmembers [on the Budget and Labor committee: Hieftje, Margie Teall, Marcia Higgins, Leigh Greden, Stephen Rapundalo] could use layoffs at zero cost to the city to reduce the police force, but said it would be embarrassing to have a public ruckus about police layoffs while the city is building a new police/courts building.

Kyle Mazurek: [Mazurek's comments are included in this part of the meeting report because of item (4) below.] Mazurek spoke during the public hearing on the budget, identifying himself as the vice president for government affairs of the Ann Arbor Area Chamber of Commerce. He alluded to an email he’d sent to councilmembers from which he pulled some highlights. The highlights from the letter itself include one addressing the city’s plan to offer early retirement to police officers as well as a general characterization of employee benefits as “unsustainable”:

1. concern that commercial property values have fallen further than the city has forecasted.
2. objection to the proposal to eliminate downtown area foot and bicycle police patrols.
3. concern about the city’s jeopardizing the Downtown Development Authority’s independence by asking the DDA for monies to cover city expenses.
4. costs associated with the one-time payout to cover retirement system contributions for early retirements would place the city general fund reserve target range of 12% to 15% at risk.
5. application of a 4% fee on water/sewer services runs counter to the notion of demonstrated need as defined by actual cost of providing service.
6. elimination of community standards officers will result in diminished ticketing capacity and a corresponding decline in ticketing revenue with the additional loss of crime deterrent.

While allowing that the quality and transparency of proposed budget data and information had improved, the chamber’s letter urges the city to explore opportunities for “earlier public presentation of the proposed budget thus affording greater public scrutiny and dialogue with regard to it.”

Resolution: Add to the Early Retirement Option for Police Officers

A key element in the resolution provided for the city to

provide to eligible employees two (2) years of service credit (as determined in accordance with Section 1:561(a) of the Pension Ordinance), which will be applicable to eligibility for retirement, as well as calculation of pension benefits.

Officers also have the option of purchasing up to a year of service credit.

Councilmember Sandi Smith asked for some clarification. City administrator Roger Fraser allowed that Karen Sidney’s characterization of the possibility of retiring at a higher rate of compensation than their base salary would have been possible eight years ago, but was no longer the case. He said that the only real benefit to the deal was being able to retire early.

Outcome: Passed unanimously.

Resolution: Approve the Ann Arbor Police Officers Association Collective Bargaining Agreement

The state of Michigan’s Act 312 outlines requirements for compulsory arbitration of labor disputes for police and fire departments. The Ann Arbor Police Officers Association exercised its right to arbitration, which resulted in

Effective April 1, 2009, a redesigned health care plan which adds deductibles of $250.00 single and $500.00 family per year with increased co-payments for office visits and chiropractic services and cost differentiation between brand and generic drugs with mandatory mail order for maintenance drugs and a pro-rated $500.00 HRA deposit for the 2008-2009 contract year for each active employee, as well as a $500.00 per member health care bonus for low health care utilization for the July 1, 2006-June 30, 2007 period;

• A 2.5% wage increase, effective July 1, 2006;
• A 1.75% wage increase effective July 1, 2007;
• A 1.25% wage increase effective January 1, 2008;
• A 3.0% wage increase effective July 1, 2008;
• Effective February 24, 2009, a wage structure change will be made to increase the educational bonus for members who have obtained an associate’s degree;
• A reduction in certain double time overtime payments to time and one half;

The city has included $927,000 in the fiscal 2009 general fund budget for pay contingencies, but the cost of the contract settlement for the three-year period is expected “not to exceed $1.6 million.” The resolution considered by city council on Monday appropriated an additional $673,000 from the general fund reserve to cover the cost of the settlement.

In deliberations, Leigh Greden (Ward 3), who sits on the budget and labor committee (along with Hieftje, Higgins, Rapundalo, and Teall) expressed his dissatisfaction with Act 312 itself, saying that the process needs to be changed at the state level “to reflect local financial realities.” Mike Anglin (Ward 5) asked if there was any possibility of accepting “some but not all” of the agreement mandated by the arbitrator. The answer from city attorney, Stephen Postema, was no.

Outcome: The collective bargaining agreement was passed unanimously.

Budget (General)

While much of the public commentary on Monday night addressed specific programs, some of it address more general issues, or else focused on general principles using specific examples to illustrate.

Paul Bancel: Bancel said that the Community Television Network was an underutilized professional organization. He suggested that when councilmembers looked at the budget, they’d see $1.5 million for allocation by the charter to community television. “It’s up to you to make it relevant,” he said. With the demise of the Ann Arbor News, he said, there was an opportunity to upgrade CTN to make it a professional organization that brings the community the most relevant and up-to-date news. He named three organizations not currently shown on CTN: the Downtown Development Authority; Ann Arbor District Library; and the Ann Arbor Public Art Commission. [The DDA board meetings are now starting to be videotaped with equipment installed at DDA offices for later airing on CTN. The April meeting's taping had issues with sound quality. No word yet on how the May taping went.]

Karen Sidney: Speaking during the public hearing on the budget, Sidney noted that the city had a $350 million budget. But most of the discussion, she said, will be about a few hundred thousand dollars of cuts to popular programs. What about the big ticket items, she asked? Why are safety services positions down more that others? Based on peak employment figures in 2001, the police department is down 26%, fire department is down 37%, and other departments except for the city attorney’s office and the IT department are down 24%. The attorney’s office and IT department have more employees than in 2001, she said. Why? she wondered. The benefits tax millage in 2001 paid more than 100% of the cost of retirement benefits, she pointed out. Last year it paid less than half the cost of retirement benefits. By 2014, she said, it will pay for only 25% of the cost. To make up that gap with increased taxes would require a homeowner with $100,000 in taxable value to pay an extra $600 a year in taxes. Alternatively, she said, we could eliminate the police department. Or we could sell city property. She wondered if the map included in the city’s budget presentation – which depicted all the tax exempt properties in the city – was the beginning of a PR campaign to sell city parks. [Note: The letter sent by the Ann Arbor Area Chamber of Commerce to council outlining its position on the budget proposal includes the sentence: "The Chamber believes that the City is well positioned to realize significant revenue generation through policies promoting the sale of City owned land, as well as greater private development." cf. Kyle Mazurek's turn during the public hearing.]

Jim Mogensen: Mogensen said that he wasn’t enough of a gardener to know whether it was perennial or annual, but there were a number of things that kept on coming up over and over again as possibilities for cutting: the civic band, Project Grow, Mack pool, and similar programs. The reason for that, he said, was that they’re funded through the budget, but there’s nobody really in charge of them. Mogensen said it wasn’t individual programs that he was responding to, but rather the structure of the budget. He compared the budget to a movie set where there are a lot of buildings but nothing behind the facades. He drew an analogy to football: In Ann Arbor, you fake left and run right! We have a lot of things in place to make it appear that we’re working on things, Mogensen said, but the budget is really pretty thin.

Glenn Thompson: Speaking during the public hearing on fee adjustments in the community servcies area, Thompson said that he’d inquired at a recent farmers market commission meeting why the fees for stall rental at the market were being increased. [For example, the cost for a single stall per year would go from $250 to $300, which is expected to generate an additional $2,900. The increase would take effect on July 1, 2009. The last fee increase was July 1, 2004.] Thompson said he’d been told that the reason was for salary increases and a percentage of the additional cost of a newly created position of deputy manager of parks and recreation. While he’d heard the council speak often of the efforts to reduce staff and improve efficiency, he characterized this step as “empire building as usual.” Adding another layer of management, he said, not an improvement in efficiency, either. As to whether it made the city “lean and mean,” he said that while it didn’t make the city lean, asking vendors to pay more was, indeed, “mean.”

Karen Sidney: Speaking during the public hearing on fee adjustments in the community services area, Sidney noted that the budget proposal includes a 4% safety services fee for water and sewer, which residents will notice when they pay their water bill. The idea is that water/sewer facilities require police protection. Sidney began by sketching out some history of attempts to use funds from other sources to pay for police protection. She cited $250,000 from the parks millage that had previously been proposed to be used for police protection in parks. She noted that an early version of the financing plan for the new police/courts facility included a provision to take 1.5% from the water/sewer bill to help pay for the building’s construction. At this point, Hieftje interrupted Sidney to inform her that on the advice of the city attorney [Stephen Postema], he wanted to suggest that she make her remarks during the public hearing on the budget, because this one was meant to address only the community services area fee schedule – of which the 4% fee increase was not a part. Sidney said that she had something else to say during that part of the agenda, and wrapped up quickly by saying that such fee increases amounted to “backdoor tax increases,” and encouraged council to focus on getting city costs under control. [The 4% safety services fee is an internal service charge, as opposed to a water rate hike. The consequence of applying such a fee could be that the rate for water would go up.]

Thomas Partridge: Partridge reflected on the fact that he’d been elected as his high school student body president the same fall that John F. Kennedy was elected. He called for an advanced center for social research to be added to the budget to focus on real funding for affordable housing. He called on council to reverse plans and to save the senior center. To seniors he said, “Take heart, take courage, stand up, and lead.”

Paul Lambert: Lambert said that he’d learned that council was contemplating cutting money from the human services division. [The plan for FY 2011 calls for cutting $260,000 from the human services allocation.] In this time of great general need, he said, he didn’t understand how that could be considered. He cited Martin Luther King Jr. as saying that a community would be judged by how they treated the least affluent. He said that council was funding “all kinds of Disneyland bullshit,” which in good times might be a good idea. But cutting human services to fund them was unethical, he said, and encouraged council to reconsider.

Program in Jeopardy: Ann Arbor Senior Center

Margaret Leslie: Leslie said that she was there to protest the proposed closing of the Ann Arbor Senior Center. She noted that it was an important community resource for seniors who’d become isolated due to retirement, loss of spouse, or distance from their nearest family members. She also noted the emotional and intellectual enrichment that was provided there. She concluded by saying that we needed to ensure that the senior center continues to operate after July, 2011.

Program in Jeopardy: Mack Pool

Matt West: He said he’d been swimming at Mack pool for the last six years as a part of the masters swimming program. He asked all those in the audience to don their goggles and stand and support. [In The Chronicle's field of view were at least a dozen people who did.] He asked for more time to address the budget shortfalls. In particular, he said Mack pool users support the plan that allows them until July 2010 to turn around the finances. He cited the cross section of the community that used the pool, and highlighted the handicapped access ramp. Instead of being a liability on the balance sheet, he suggested, Mack pool could become an asset – by making it a “green pool” and increasing revenues through increased usership and swim classes. He cited his own experience using the pool to train to help guide a blind athlete in triathlons in different parts of the world – which would not be possible without the masters swim program at Mack pool.

Malloria Miller: Miller allowed that she didn’t know much about the budget, but said that swimming at Mack pool had helped her quite a bit, specifically in the area of health (as a diabetic it helped her keep her blood sugar down) and friendship. She said it had helped her overcome some of her fears: “I can swim now!!” She said she felt like she’d found a family at Mack pool.

Alma Fisher: Fisher approached the podium in a wheelchair and finding that the microphone was unreachable asked, “How wheelchair accessible is this?” [There is a hand-held mic available, but it took a few minutes to track down.] Once she was provided a hand-held mic, she said that she lived at Miller Manor and was there to support the Mack pool contingent. She noted that she was in a wheelchair, so getting to a pool could have been a hardship. But because she lived just cross the street, getting to the pool was not a hardship. She said it was nice to have a neighborhood pool without being run over by “jocks.” She allowed there were “jocks” who swam at Mack pool, but said there’s a lane for slow swimmers.

Kristin Burgard: Burgard related how swimming at Mack pool had helped her through postpartum depression. She described swimming as a “sanctuary.” She said that even though she still didn’t feel good, it helped “take the edge off.”

James D’Amour: D’Amour appeared wearing swim goggles around his neck, and said that swimming had had a great positive impact on his life. He referenced his background serving on the recreation advisory commission and planning commission in the past. He said he hoped that a way to keep all of the various programs that had been mentioned could be found. He found it inappropriate that the Park Advisory Commission had “robbed Peter to pay Paul” in suggesting that Mack pool be closed earlier than originally proposed, in order to save the Leslie Science and Nature center. He said he appreciated Christopher Taylor’s willingness to volunteer to be on the recreation advisory commission. He suggested there needed to be some improvement on both sides for the city and the school system in working together.

Ed Sketch: Sketch said that people might be trying to place his accent as “extreme east Boston, otherwise known as England.” He described a “good better best” scenario, noting that the “bad” outcome would be the loss of the the pool services. The good option would be to keep it open through July 2010 originally, which was a wise idea. He passed around 30 letters from first graders at Mack School on behalf of the pool. Other grades were also working on letters, he said, but the first graders had “lived up to their name.” The better plan, which is now in outline form, would be to promote greater usage, increase fees for non-seniors, and increase the public schools’ contribution. The best plan would be to implement solar heating and replacement of chemicals for purification of the water to create a “green beacon.”

Program in Jeopardy: Leslie Science and Nature Center

Adela Pinch: Pinch spoke in support of the Leslie Science and Nature Center. She stressed that the scientific content at LSNC is a vital part of her child’s education comparable to what they received in the Ann Arbor Public School system. She praised the staff as outstanding educators who are as passionate about teaching children as they are knowledgeable.

Eleanor Pollack: She encouraged council to maintain funding for LSNC. Though she no longer had school-age children, she said, she believed that the funding should be continued at a time when the federal and state governments are stressing the importance of science education. LSNC offered a hands-on approach, which she said is not possible in our school system.

Ryan Shea: Shea introduced himself as a 9th grader at Community High School. He said he’d been involved at LSNC for nine years starting out as a camper when he was five years old. He stated that he volunteered there during summer and throughout the year. He mentioned that LSNC works with the local schools. He said that on a recent trip to Traver Creek with his 9th-grade science class looking for water bugs, they’d come across a 5th-grade class from Northside School. The Northside group was led by someone from LSNC and they were also fishing in Traver Creek for water bugs. He said he “found that to be really cool” because his was a class of 9th graders and they were a class of 5th graders – learning the same material. Shea said he would like other students to have the opportunity to experience the same thing.

Marc Smith: He said he was speaking as a resident and on behalf of the National Wildlife Federation. His children had enjoyed the programs at the LSNC. He described the LSNC as a “crown jewel” of Ann Arbor. He said that the NWF had participated in negotiations to create the strategic plan to eventually put the LSNC on independent footing [the center was previously a part of the city]. That had resulted from the fact that the NWF had recognized a rare opportunity to work at the local level. The proposed cuts, he said, would undermine the sustainability plan that had been worked out, and thus he encouraged council to restore the funding.

Frances Wang: Wang said that she had four children who were attending five different local (double-enrolled) schools. She related a recent anecdote to illustrate the impact of LSNC. After the LSNC had visited her five-year-old son’s preschool, she said, they were walking down Washington Street going to the YMCA. Her son spotted a plastic owl sitting on a second story balcony, and said, “That’s a great horned owl!” He began to hoot at it like he’d learned they did in class, and was at first puzzled that it didn’t hoot back. But he concluded that the owl must be asleep, “because owls are nocturnal.”

Joe Reilly: Reilly spoke on behalf of LSNC, where he said he’d been happily employed for four years. He reflected on the symbol of the city of Ann Arbor – the Burr Oak. He said it was his personal favorite. It illustrated how they taught children about community – the tree housed a commmunity of organisms within itself. He invited everyone to come take a walk in the woods.

Program in Jeopardy: Project Grow

Sheri Repucci: [The budget proposal would eliminate funding of $7,000 for Project Grow. Last year, the $7,000 had already been eliminated from the budget, but the budget was amended later to include the funding.] Repucci said that until recently she’d been a staff member at Project Grow, in charge of the Discovery Garden, which serves seniors, children, and people with visual handicaps. She emphasized that most of the gardeners grow food, not flowers. She presented her remarks as a response to a memo written by community services administrator Jayne Miller. Miller noted that the Project Grow balance is equal to one year’s budget.  [By way of comparison to this 100% fund balance, the city of Ann Arbor's budget includes a fund balance of something like 12-15%.] Repucci explained that this was due to the fact that Project Grow’s income comes in all at one time [garden plot rentals]. The reason for the fund balance, she said, was that it would take a full budget cycle to replenish the reserve fund. In response to Miller’s memo, which suggested that Project Grow was not partnering with other organizations, Repucci noted that it was the the University of Michigan’s Matthaei Botanical Gardens that stopped the process of a possible partnership there. [Previous Chronicle coverage of part of that effort is here]. As for the suggestion that Growing Hope was a potential partner, she said that because Growing Hope did not fund staff, they had a different funding structure that was incompatible with Project Grow’s. As for the possibility of partnering with Food Gatherers, she said that there was some collaboration [e.g., some Project Grow gardeners donate food they grow to Food Gatherers], but Food Gatherers has its own struggles with funding.

LuAnne Bullington: Bullington said that she was a volunteer at Project Grow, and it was the only place she knew in the area that offered raised garden beds at Leslie and raised beds that are accessible to seniors, little kids, and people with visual impairments. After having gardened at a raised bed, she said, she didn’t think she’d ever go back. She stressed the food-growing capacity of the program, saying that she grew food for other people at her plot. She lamented the fact that expansion of Project Grow plots into city parks has encounterd roadblocks. She concluded by pointing out that the amount of money at issue was only $7,000.

Council Response to Programs in Jeopardy (Leslie and Mack)

Christopher Taylor in his communications to council thanked the members of the Park Advisory Commission for a “high degree of good faith and diligence” in bringing forward to council an affirmative recommendation. However, he said that he expected that council would be making a different recommendation, which the mayor had alluded to at the start of the public hearing.

At Higgins’ request, Fraser said that the recommendation on the table currently (not PAC’s recommendation) was to close Mack pool this summer when other pools are open and to re-open again in the fall.

In his communications to council, Mike Anglin (Ward 5) said that he was impressed by all the hard work that PAC had done, but wondered if the work was really necessary – it might have been unnecessary if there had been clearer communication between administration and PAC. [Anglin and Taylor are both ex-officio members of PAC, and attended that commission's April meeting, at which the funding recommendations were approved.] Taken as an umbrella concept, Anglin said, the commitment to a “healthy city” – a prerequisite to being a “green city” – would lead council to support the programs under discussion.

Community Services Resolution: Leslie Science and Nature Center

An item that was originally a part of the consent agenda – extracted by councilmember Sandi Smith – was a resolution to approve an amendment to the restated partnership agreement between the city of Ann Arbor and Leslie Science and Nature Center. Jayne Miller, director of community services, said that the original agreement was for 10 years, but that the time period was somewhat problematic for attracting support through donations. The proposal was thus to extend the time period to 20 years.

Outcome: Passed unanimously.

Community Services Resolution: Shade Structures at Fuller Pool

The second item extracted from the consent agenda by councilmember Smith involved a contract to construct shade structures at Fuller Pool for $46,335. Smith wanted clarity from Jayne Miller, director of community services, about how the work was getting paid for. This, apparently was to clarify if the same money could have been spent on Mack pool operations and maintenance. Miller said that the money was being paid out of the old parks capital improvement millage, which can only be spent on capital improvements, not operations and maintenance. The new, combined parks millage allows for more flexibility, Miller said.

Outcome: Passed unanimously.

AAPS: Ball Fields and Cultural Arts Building

Council considered two resolutions involving agreements with the Ann Arbor Public Schools. They’re related thematically to the Mack pool issue, because that facility is operated by both the city and schools – it has frequently been expressed during the commentary on the Mack pool facility that a more equitable arrangement could be achieved between the city and the school system for its operation.

On Monday, council adopted agreements with the schools concerning the operation of two facilities. The first was a lease agreement for the Eberbach Cultural Arts Building.

The schools will now pay the city $9,900 in “capital facilities payments” and rent of $1. The $1 lease comes with a set of obligations for the schools:

In exchange for the $1.00 annual rent payment, the Ann Arbor Public Schools will be responsible for maintaining the premises in a condition that is satisfactory to the City and will perform the following responsibilities at its sole cost and expense with respect to the Premises: (1) custodial upkeep, (2) snow removal and exterior grounds care, (3) maintenance and repair of the parking lot, (4) maintenance and repair of the heating, ventilation, air conditioning, plumbing and electrical systems, (5) installation and maintenance of exterior signs identifying the Building, (6) interior painting, (7) general inspection, repairs and maintenance, including at a minimum, all items listed in the Inspection and Maintenance Schedule. In addition, the Ann Arbor Public Schools will be responsible to provide all utilities for the Premises, including electricity, heat, air-conditioning, ventilation, water, and sewer services as well as a insure the Premises, at its expense, against loss or damage.

The other agreement with the schools concerned the recovery of the city’s costs in preparing fields for use by the school’s Rec & Ed program. Highlights:

The services provided by the City include mowing, field grooming, removing trash and loose litter, opening and closing restrooms, and making ball field repairs. The proposed fees are listed as follows:

Ball Field Usage – Resident – $21.00 per booking

Ball Field Usage – Non-resident – $24.00 per booking

Ball Field Grooming Fee – $80.00 per grooming

Ball Field Anchor Placement Fee – $121.84 per anchor placement

Outcome: Both resolutions specifying the agreements between AAPS and the city were approved.

More Coverage

Editor’s note: Coverage of the meeting continues here. The articles have been broken apart due to apparent limitations of either browsers in reading or else the WordPress platform in publishing super-long articles. We continue to explore alternatives to our Meeting Watch presentations that strike a useful balance between the granularity of detail and the summary of content with a more timely publishing schedule – a week is a long time to wait. One possibility we’re entertaining is live Twittering, copyediting that feed with reader collaboration.

Accessibility to Planning Information

On council’s agenda for Monday, May 4, is the adoption of the Ann Arbor Transportation Plan Update. Council heard from a citizen who noted that there was not a copy of the plan available on the second floor of the Larcom Building in the public notebook, and that the size of the online file made her reluctant to risk downloading it out of concern it would lock up her computer. [It's a 10MB file. Although the text is digital (i.e., not a scanned image) the document is fairly graphics-intensive.] She wondered how she might get access to the information. What are the changes being proposed, she wondered?

Note: Planning commission recommended adopting the plan with the following amendments, and they are reflected in the document before council on Monday night:

… subject to making the following four amendments to the short-term recommendations in table 3-1: (1) remove or reprioritize the Nixon Corridor Study and add a State Street Corridor Study (Eisenhower Parkway to Stimson Street) for the purpose of determining system improvements needed if density recommendations are made on State Street; (2) have staff work with MDOT on the road diet for Jackson Avenue from Maple Road to Revena Boulevard; (3) establish a line-item in the CIP for gap improvements in the sidewalk system, with priority to gaps from neighborhoods to schools, and to transit; and (4) adding another location to the recommendation “Assess Potential for Place Based Tax Increment Funding…”: the Jackson Avenue/Maple Road Intersection, primarily west along Jackson Avenue to Wagner Road and north along Maple Road to Dexter Avenue, also considering appropriate segments to the south and east where zoning is currently non-residential.”

She noted that the transportation plan would presumably be included in the planning commission’s work at their Tuesday night meeting – as that body considers a consolidation of all the various area plans into a single document. What’s the linkage between the transportation plan and that master plan, she wondered? And how could the public gain access to the most recent draft of the proposed consolidation of plans – she expressed some skepticism based on an earlier draft that it was merely a consolidation without any substantive changes. In addition to that concern, she said that there were places in the consolidated plan that referenced “the plan” when it wasn’t apparent what plan was actually meant. “That’s just not real access to that information,” she concluded, adding, “I don’t see how you guys could vote on it intelligently.”

Mayor John Hieftje responded by saying that council typically didn’t track things through planning commission, precisely because things could change along the way, but at the appropriate time, they would take a more detailed look at it.

Woven through the resident’s concerns was the issue of access to information: Where was the legal notice published announcing the Tuesday election [for school board]? She suggested that the Tree Town Log, which is a monthly publication of government events (both online in .pdf form and in paper format), include more actual government events, as contrasted with parks and recreation events, so that citizens had a clearer idea of what was going on with respect to civic affairs.

Hieftje defended the city’s website by citing an award for user interface, to which she responded that standards needed to be higher than “good enough to win awards.”

Councilmember Carsten Hohnke (Ward 5) solicited feedback on the city’s online calendar listing of city events. The resident said that it was fine as far as it went, but suggested that when you click on the event title to get more information, there wasn’t really all that much more information there. She suggested, for example, that a link to a council meeting’s agenda would be useful to include in a calendar listing for a council meeting.

Mack Pool

A half-dozen or more supporters of keeping Mack Pool open were at caucus, some of them indicating an affiliation with a2qua by wearing T-shirts with the logo. Before any of the Mack pool user advocates spoke, Hieftje offered his reassurance: “I’d be surprised if it wasn’t funded – along with the Leslie Science Center.” He suggested that there could be a working group in Ward 5 that might promote a better conversation with Ann Arbor Public Schools on the subject.

A representative of Mack pool users, who spoke on behalf of many others at caucus, stressed that the users of Mack pool were not just saying “Hey, give us the money!” but rather that they had developed a plan for the pool, which included: reducing costs, increasing use, and increasing fees for non-seniors. The facility is not sustainable for the Ann Arbor public school system alone, he said, due to the inherent fixed costs (e.g., like heating the pool), so there needs to be a partnership. This partnership, he said, would ideally come from cooperation between the city of Ann Arbor and the Ann Arbor public school system. In Ann Arbor, he said, there were essentially “three governments” that could cooperate better: the University of Michigan, the public schools, and the city.

In addition to the medium-term goal of making Mack sustainable, he suggested that investments could be made to showcase Mack Pool as a “green pool,” perhaps by using ozone for purification instead of chlorine. When financial difficulty forced the city to think about cutting, he said, it was a good time to think about improving services through better cooperation, without cutting.

One of the problems identified regarding cooperation was the scheduling of 35 hours of pool time by the school system, when it only used 15 hours of that time. Councilmember Stephen Rapundalo (Ward 2) and Hieftje related that there had historically been attempts by the city to achieve a better and fairer balance between Rec & Ed (the AAPS community education arm) and the city for bearing the cost of various facilities. [On the agenda for Monday is an agreement between the city and the schools for maintenance of ball fields – a resolution that is sponsored by councilmember Christopher Taylor (Ward 3).]

The speaker noted that from a PR perspective, it’s not good positioning for the Leslie Science Center to be linked to the pool, and stressed that they did not wish to sound like they were throwing the science center under the bus. He emphasized that there is some serious swimming going on at Mack Pool (people get in the pool and swim up and down the lane for an hour) as opposed to the “splashing around a lot” that goes on at Fuller.

Councilmembers also heard from a swimming instructor who noted that of the various pools where she gives swim lessons, Mack is by far the  easiest one to teach in. In fact, she said, some of the others make it quite difficult to provide instruction.

Underground Parking Garage

Councilmembers also heard from a resident who’d recently attended a meeting of the Gray Panthers where Heiftje had been a guest speaker.  She said she was there at caucus to take exception to a description the mayor had given of Europe during his remarks to the Gray Panthers. [It's a standard talking point of the mayor's to cite the hundreds of bicycles that he's seen parked at train stations when visiting Europe, with all of the automobile parking underground.]

“I want to know how you can destroy space around the public library!” she said, referring to the plan to build an underground parking garage under what is now a surface parking lot. She asked if anyone had bothered to survey women about their attitudes towards parking underground [an allusion to perceptions of decreased safety in underground structures as compared to surface lots]. She described living in Indianapolis in Riley Towers, where there was a lot of space around the building. She went on to describe the importance of air, light, and space around buildings, saying that she’d prefer that the space remain empty next to the downtown location of the Ann Arbor library.

Stephen Rapundalo (Ward 2) chimed in, alluding to the height of Riley Towers, pointing out that you can’t have it both ways: lots of air and space and short buildings. He also noted that as of now, the plan is to build the underground parking garage and put surface parking back on top. The Gray Panther responded by saying that Rapundalo had a rebellion in his ward, such was the overall dissatisfaction there with city government.

In defense of building additional parking spaces, Hieftje cited the need to plan for the contingency of losing the parking on the Brown block, if it is developed. [First Martin shows the property in its portfolio under "build to suit."]

Casey Dewar, an intern with Leslie Science & Nature Center, was one of many who showed up to support funding for that nonprofit. Backers of the Ann Arbor Senior Center and Mack Pool also spoke to the Park Advisory Commission in support of funding.

After hearing more than two dozen people speak to defend three city-funded facilities facing cuts, the Ann Arbor Park Advisory Commission passed a resolution recommending that Mack Pool be closed earlier than proposed by city staff, and that the city use those savings to restore funding to the Leslie Science & Nature Center. PAC also is recommending a task force be formed to look at funding options for the Ann Arbor Senior Center, which the city has proposed closing permanently on July 1, 2010.

PAC will send its recommendation to city council, which in May will make the final decisions about what areas to cut in order to balance its budget.

Many of the speakers at PAC’s Tuesday afternoon meeting were passionate about the value of the places they supported, and some told poignant stories about how the Ann Arbor Senior Center, Mack Pool or Leslie Science Center touched their lives. We’ll start our report with a summary of those comments.

Ann Arbor Senior Center

City staff have proposed permanently closing the Ann Arbor Senior Center on July 1, 2010 to save $141,000 for the fiscal year 2011 budget.  The savings originally reported by city staff was $141,000, but in response to query from The Chronicle, community services director for the city, Jayne Miller, indicated that for fiscal year 2010, proposed expenses  are $189,862 and the revenue is forecast at $38,180 – projecting a $151,682 cost to the general fund. The center is located on Baldwin Avenue on the southeast edge of Burns Park.

Joel Levitt said he’s been an Ann Arbor taxpayer for 37 years, and that he and his wife play bridge at the senior center because they don’t play well enough to play anywhere else. There’s another reason he likes the center: “While usually I feel old, at the senior center I feel young.” He said it’s his understanding that over the years, many of the communal places in Ann Arbor, where people could gather and socialize, have been closed, and he hoped that wouldn’t happen to the center. Though many of his neighbors are out of work and can’t pay more taxes, he believes there are also many that could pay more. He suggested putting something on the city’s tax bills that would allow people to make contributions for specific uses, like the senior center. “So thanks,” Levitt concluded, “and I hope you’ll accept our energy and our money.” He received a round of applause.

Gilbert Cross, noting that despite his British accent he’d lived in Ann Arbor since 1966, said he was part of a group that was working on a plan which they call, “rather grandly,” a sustainability program for the center. They want to work over the next nine months to create a sustainable future for the center, he said. That would include cost reductions, doing market research on other senior centers, and asking residents locally what they’d like to see at the center. Referring to Levitt’s proposal, Cross said he’d been informed that some Ann Arbor residents would be willing to pay more taxes. “I would want to contact them,” he said.

Many residents came to speak during public comment at the April 21 Park Advisory Commission. Due to construction at city hall, the meeting was held at the county administration building.

Bob Snyder spoke about how the center provides a focal point for his life. As a widower and retiree, he said what makes his life interesting is going to the senior center two or three days a week for lunch, and spending an hour every afternoon reading the Ann Arbor News. “I look ahead and they’re both gone – the future looks pretty bleak.” He said the seniors he knows aren’t poor, and that he knows they’d support the center financially. Meals there, he said, are ridiculously cheap and obviously subsidized – “We joke about it!” – and he said many would be willing to pay more. The meals are well-balanced and nutritious, unlike the ones he eats by himself at home in front of the TV, which he described as “typical teenager food.” Better than the meals, he said, is the socializing he does at the center. Snyder said he occasionally goes to the senior center in Pittsfield Township, which charges dues. He wouldn’t hesitate to pay dues for the Ann Arbor center, he said. “I think a lot of other people would too.”

Al Gallup, who’s on the board for the senior center, said they’d been working on a plan to enrich the center’s programs, until two weeks ago when they learned that support was being wiped out. Now, they’re changing their approach, but he said it probably wasn’t possible for them to raise the entire $141,000 that’s being cut. He said that the center was a service, in the same way that the city’s parks were a service. He suggested that the city set a goal for fundraising, which would help focus efforts to raise money for the center.

Harlan Gilmore noted that as the population ages, more people will be needing a place like the senior center. Emily Kennedy made the point that AARP named Ann Arbor the No. 1 place to retire, and amenities like the senior center contribute to that. Several people said that the center was not just a collection of programs, but rather a community, a place where they feel welcome and at home.

Leslie Science & Nature Center

Formerly a city program, Leslie Science & Nature Center spun off as an independent nonprofit in 2007, though it still partners with the city and receives city funding. (An item on Tuesday’s PAC agenda included approval of a revised partnership agreement between the city and the center.) For fiscal year 2010, which begins July 1, 2009, city staff proposed eliminating all city financial support for the center, which would have amounted to $31,500. However, the new agreement approved by PAC on Tuesday, to be sent to council for final approval, recommends city funding at $28,350 in fiscal 2010, and $25,515 in fiscal 2011.

Susan Hutton, development director at the Leslie Science & Nature Center, was one of several who wore T-shirts to show their support of the center.

Jeff Basch, a board member for the center, turned to the people who’d come to the meeting and asked those who supported Leslie Science Center to stand – more than a dozen people did. (Later in the meeting, a supporter of the senior center asked everyone who was a senior or who had aging parents to stand – that group was, not surprisingly, somewhat larger.) Basch said he was an environmental entrepreneur who started a wind energy firm (a startup called Accio Energy), and that he had moved here because of special places in Ann Arbor like the Leslie Science Center, where his 5- and 7-year-old children attend camp and special activities. He asked that the city look at making fair and equitable changes, but not abandon the center.

Michael Adams was one of two students who talked about their experiences at the center. A junior at Huron High School, Adams said he started as a camper in elementary school and learned how to get along with people who weren’t necessarily his friends. Over the years he attended leadership camp, became a junior counselor and then a counselor. Volunteer opportunities at the center teach kids how to be more involved in the community, he said, and to be better citizens. That might lead him to someday sit in their seats, he told commissioners, as a leader deciding the fate of places like Leslie Science Center. Another student, Ryan Shea, said he’d been going to the center since he was five. It was fun, he said, but he also learned about the environment, stewardship and responsibility – he wanted others to have the same experience.

Lisa Brush, a board member, said that not so long ago, Leslie Science Center was in the same position as the senior center, in terms of its financial dependence on the city. They realized they didn’t want to come to the city each year for money, and since they’ve spun off, they’d done a fabulous job of transitioning, she said. “Two years into it might be a little early to cut us all the way off,” she concluded.

Andy Buchsbaum, director of the Great Lakes Regional Center for the National Wildlfe Federation in Ann Arbor, is also a board member for the Leslie Science Center. He said it was unusual for the NWF to sign on as a formal partner with a local entity like the center, but that they shared the same mission and passion for educating youth about the environment. When they partnered with the center, they had counted on support from the city for a reasonable period of time, he said. Without appropriate funding, programs would have to be cut, which in turn would decrease revenues even more and create a dangerous spiral. He urged the commission to restore funding.

Mack Pool

Mack Pool is a venue for the general public and organized groups, such as master swimming and the Dawn Ducks, which swims weekdays from 7:15-8:15 a.m. The city’s proposed budget would close the pool during the summer months this year, then close it permanently in the summer of 2010 or turn it over to the Ann Arbor Public Schools, which would save the city $59,000.

Several members of the Dawn Ducks spoke, including Malloria Miller, who wore a blue Dawn Ducks sweatshirt and said it was her first time speaking at a forum like this. She said swimming helps her deal with diabetes, and is a great social outlet as well. She said her doctor told her it was good for her.

Anne Remley said her husband suffers from terrible back pain and can only find relief when swimming. She thanked PAC for all they do “to keep us ducks afloat.” Nancy Livermore said she’d been swimming with the Ducks for 20 years, enjoying the camaraderie of other swimmers. She praised an earlier speaker who had talked about the many areas of Ann Arbor that are nourishing and supportive, and said that the Dawn Ducks is a microcosm of that.

Bethany Williston spoke on behalf of the master swimmers who use Mack, and said that there’s no other pool in Ann Arbor that will serve the needs of this group. She said the University of Michigan doesn’t allow any kind of organized swim at its pools by community groups, and in fact breaks up groups that take over more than one lane. Swimming is a life-long sport, she said, and Mack serves many ages well.

Commission deliberations

Prior to the public commentary, Colin Smith, the city’s parks and recreation services manager, gave a report on the city’s overall budget, as well as the impact of proposed cuts and revenue increases on the parks budget. [See previous Chronicle coverage of the city's budget: the April 13 council working session, April 14 town hall meeting, and the April 20 council meeting.] Among the changes for parks include an increase in shelter fees and plans to eliminate contracted services for mowing.

Before discussing the budget, PAC members also approved a detailed, revised agreement between the city and Leslie Science Center. [The full text of the agreement is in the commission packet.] Smith said the main points were 1) extending the terms of the agreement from 10 to 20 years, and 2) providing opportunities for sponsorships, which he said was important in cultivating the center’s donor base. Sam Offen, a commissioner who is also on the board of Leslie Science Center, said the board was in full support of the new agreement. PAC unanimously approved the agreement, which will now be forwarded to city council.

Left to right: Park Advisory Commission members Julie Grand, Scott Rosencrans and Linda Berauer, PAC's chair.

PAC also approved several fee increases as well as new fees and programs. They include:

• Increasing shelter fees by 10%. For example, an all-day weekend or holiday rental of a shelter for residents would cost $137, up from $125.
• Setting weekend rates for shelter rental fees on Fridays. That day currently is billed at weekday rates. The change is in line with policies for county parks and metroparks, Smith said.
• Starting a two-week water polo camp at Buhr Park Pool ($65 for residents) and a teen camp at Argo Park ($210 for residents).
• Increasing rent for Farmers Market stalls by 20%. Renting one stall for the year would go from $250 to $300, for example. Smith noted that the last fee increase was in 2004, and rates are still lower than other markets in the area.

PAC member Brigit Macomber, who leads the group’s budget & finance committee, presented a draft resolution addressing fiscal year 2010 only, which begins July 1, 2009. (The budget for FY 2011 is characterized as a “plan” at this point.) She said that overall, the committee’s reaction to the 2010 budget was the same as the people who spoke at public commentary. They wanted to see funding for Leslie Science Center reinstated, at least in part. They felt that since the senior center wasn’t slated to close until FY2011, there was still time to work on a solution to that.

Macomber asked about alternatives to Mack Pool. Dan McGuire, Mack Pool facility supervisor, told PAC that when the pool was closed in 2002 for renovations, they were able to find other pools within the city for the various groups that swam at Mack, and he was confident they could do the same again. He noted that there were some differences – the Dawn Ducks, for example, previously relocated to the old YMCA pool. That might not be an option at the new Y, he said. Smith noted that the Y has scholarships for people who can’t pay dues, and that it has a policy of not turning people away if they can’t pay. Bethany Williston, who teaches the masters swimmers and who’d spoken during public commentary, said they had relocated in 2002 to UM’s Canham pool, but that she didn’t think that was an option anymore.

Smith said he’d been to both Mack Pool and the senior center to talk to people there about the proposed changes. He said they are working to accommodate Mack Pool users, and that there’s already both an advisory board and a neighborhood group working on long-term plans for the senior center. Commissioner Tim Berla said he thought the city should get out of the pool business, but that the senior center and Leslie Science Center were different – in those cases, the facilities are important.

The commissioners had an extended discussion about mowing in the parks. Macomber asked why changes to the mowing cycle weren’t among the list of budget recommendations. Smith said that they’d heard from the public that shorter mowing cycles were important, and that’s why it wasn’t included. Matt Warba of field operations told PAC that they now mowed on a 14-day cycle, compared to a 28- to 30-day cycle prior to passage of the parks millage in 2006.

Karla Henderson, manager of park operations, said that they’d actually put everything on the table – including the mowing cycle – but when they took their list of possible cuts to the city council’s budget & labor committee, certain things were immediately removed from consideration by that group. Extending the mowing cycle was one of those, she said, saying council members cited the commitment the city had made to the community when asking for the parks millage. [The budget & labor committee includes council members Leigh Greden, Marcia Higgins, Stephen Rapundalo, Margie Teall and mayor John Hieftje.]

Linda Berauer, PAC’s chair, said the economic situation was quite different now, and that the public might feel differently too. Warba said they have some flexibility in their seasonal workers, and would save about $65,000 if they eliminated those jobs – but if the parks aren’t mowed fairly frequently, they’ll look start to look unsightly, he said.

Left to right: Park Advisory Commission members Tim Berla, John Lawter and Brigit Macomber.

Commissioner John Lawter proposed that they decrease the number of mowing hours by taking some sections of the park out of the mowing cycle completely, such as steep hillsides and swampy areas. There was a bit of back-and-forth with Warba about this, with Warba contending they’d already done this to a significant degree, and Lawter saying he didn’t think they’d looked at it hard enough.

Smith said that last year, he didn’t receive a single call from the public complaining about the condition of the grass in city parks. He said there’s a huge value in the 14-day cycle, and noted that weather can play a factor as well – if it’s dry, like last year, they could probably mow a little less often. But a wet summer would cause grass to grow more quickly. It’s unpredictable, he said.

Warba cited security issues if the grass and weeds got too tall, and said they’d also had issues with people dumping trash in areas that were unmowed. Lawter said he wasn’t proposing that they never mow, but that they find areas to mow only a couple of times a year, while using resources to mow more frequently the areas that are used by the public, like fields for playing soccer. Lawter said he was actually supporting Warba regarding the shorter mowing cycle, but he thought they could save money by eliminating part of the sections to be mowed. Warba joked that it was a small victory, but he’d take it.

In discussions of the draft budget resolution, the commissioners agreed to delete a clause that called for more clarity about what could and could not be funded from the parks millage. They generally agreed it was worth discussing, but that it didn’t fit well into this resolution. Macomber said the language of the millage was, in hindsight, too vague and that it “opened a barn door” in terms of what can be funded by the millage, versus what is paid for out of the general fund. Berla said those accounting issues were important, but that he wouldn’t support the resolution if that clause were included, because it wasn’t the right place for it.

In discussing the resolution’s clause to close Mack Pool on July 1, Berla said he was concerned that it didn’t give them time to find alternatives or discuss the situation with Ann Arbor Public Schools. Scott Rosencrans said he understood why people were attached to the pool, noting that it was difficult when this kind of quality-of-life issue was on the table. However, he said that he thought there was adequate remedy to address the users of Mack Pool if it were closed, while he didn’t see a similar remedy for Leslie Science Center.

Closing Mack early would result in savings of $43,000 – about $15,000 more than Leslie Science Center needs for FY2010, Macomber said. Could that extra money be used to keep Mack open another month or two? Smith said he wouldn’t recommend it, since they’d have to drain the pool to close it for the summer, then refill it, then drain it again. Macomber then asked if it would be practical to keep it open through September. Dan McGuire said that in August, the main users were the Dawn Ducks, and that it wasn’t cost effective to do the chemical treatments, run the pump and heat it for so few users. (The pool is typically closed in August for maintenance.) Macomber suggested the additional funds might be used to subsidize memberships at the YMCA for people who are displaced from Mack.

PAC members agreed to insert this clause:

Resolved, that PAC recommends that staff will work with representatives of the displaced Mack Pool user groups, including the Dawn Ducks, Masters Swimmers, and Seniors, to find alternative swimming facilities for their activities.

Christopher Taylor, one of the council’s representatives on PAC, reiterated that the $43,000 saved by closing Mack will cover FY2010 for the Leslie Science Center, but not all of FY2011. Berauer asked how it would go over at council if they recommended funding the rest from the general fund reserve. Taylor said council would be looking for alternative recommendations.

Smith suggested directing his staff to look for an additional $10,000 in savings from the 2011 budget plan. A bit later, he said he realized where they could find those funds: If Mack closes on July 1, 2009, that will decrease the number of hours for a seasonal assistant supervisor, at a savings of about $12,000 for FY2010.

The clause related to closing Mack to fund Leslie Science Center reads:

Resolved, that PAC recommends that, for FY 2010 and FY 2011, the Leslie Science Nature Center (LSNC) be funded in the amount suggested in the “Amended and Restated Partnership Agreement Between the City of Ann Arbor and Leslie Science and Nature Center” dated May 4, 2009, in order to preserve the unique and critically important environmental education services to City residents and residents in surrounding areas. PAC recommends that this be paid for by closing the city-owned swimming pool at the Mack Open School at the beginning of FY 2010 (July 1, 2009) in consideration of the availability of swimming facilities in that general area that have the capacity to accommodate those residents who currently use Mack Pool for Parks and Recreation programs. PAC further recommends that the facility be offered to the Ann Arbor Public Schools for either purchase, lease, or, if feasible, a joint operations agreement, in order to allow the schools to continue to provide the swimming programs they currently offer at Mack Pool.

Finally, PAC heard from Pam Simmons, facility supervisor for the senior center, who said they had several vacant position on the center’s board, but that she expected there’d now be plenty of volunteers to fill those slots. A task force is also working on a five to 10-year strategic plan for the center, which is in its early stages. She said they were writing a grant that would fund a strategic planner to help with this process.

The clause related to the senior center reads:

Resolved that PAC recommends that a task force be formed, to include interested seniors in the community and members of the Senior Center Advisory Board, to study the impact of closing the Ann Arbor Senior Center in the second year of the budget; to document adequate alternative services, if any, for the approximately 500 seniors currently using the facility; and to develop a proposal for alternative funding sources to allow for the sustainability of the current Ann Arbor Senior Center. PAC requests that the task force submit its report to PAC by December 1, 2009 so that PAC may review and forward a recommendation to City Council by January 1, 2010, so that Council can advise park staff and users of the Senior Center of their final decision regarding the disposition of the Senior Center well before the proposed closing date of July 1, 2010.

Three and a half hours into its meeting, PAC approved the entire resolution as amended, with Berla dissenting.

Taylor told PAC members it was a solid recommendation that’s helpful to council. ”This is a funded mandate,” he said, “and that’s great.”

Ann Arbor Park Advisory Commission members present: Linda Berauer (chair), John Lawter (vice chair), Brigit Macomber, Samuel Offen, David Barrett, Scott Rosencrans, Julie Grand, Tim Berla (representing the Recreation Advisory Commission), Mike Anglin and Christopher Taylor (ex-officio members representing city council).