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.

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.)