Y not look at other options?

Half the price and just as nice!

For just a moment let us all consider an alternative to the current Administration's pool concept at Stodden Park. An alternate facility that is more practical and closer than you think: several hundred yards away from Stodden Park is a competitive 25 yard lap pool. A zero-depth leisure pool with water side and even a huge hot tub. Room for a "Lazy River" and a sun decks, one with a Splash Pad and interactive water features and water blasters – All this can be viewed from cabanas and outdoor lounge seating. How did this opportunity get overlooked? It is simply too good to be true!

No, it is simple, it is Butte YMCA, a year round facility. And with a little help and construction can be just as nice at half the price.

(Please note that this is my opinion as a candidate for Chief Executive of BSB and as a long time supporter of the YMCA when it was Uptown and with its move. This opinion was not solicited from the YMCA and is entirely my own.)

So the currently proposed bond issue for Stodden Pool was reduced down from 8.7 million to the 7.2 million with some smoke and mirrors. Now let us round that figure to 7 million. Cut that in half for 3.5 million. Per BSB's own estimate the "bells and whistles" cost 1.5 million. Take that 1.5 million and build the Lazy river (life guard required), splash pad and sun decks. By building a splash pad (no life guard needed) instead of a shallow pool. Keep the Y based price at $1.5 conservatively. That leaves 2 million dollars, that would be a really good start for providing an addition to the YMCA construction for 2 basketball courts/gyms with an indoor running track. Frame up a basic shell for Administrative area (office/daycare and outdoor play) and free up more program space while finishing off some available areas.

Let's talk staffing.  As a former life guard, I know the the proposed conceptual design for Stodden Park is very difficult to staff. Hidden areas in and around the interactive play equipment in a shallow pool will be a problem to effectively staff. I estimate that 12 lifeguards minimum will be required to cover the proposed concept, more than twice required to staff the expanded YMCA facility.

Let's now go to yearly maintenance, year after year. The tax payer fee to support a summer-only facility is $350,000 annually. The YMCA manages to support its swim programs and facility with extensive efforts in donation fund raising and membership support. Remember that no one is ever denied at the Y with an inability to pay! How is BSB going to determine economic need when they are dependent on upon reduced entry fees, cabana rentals and sugar rich concessions? Currently the YMCA gets $40,000 annually from BSB to cover only a small portion of what it  is providing  for BSB citizens. So let's drop off $300,000 from the Stodden Pool and be generous with an additional $10,000 for $50,000 pubic support to the YMCA.

Let's now do a math problem - I thought there would be no math? 1.5 million for all the interactive water features, "lazy river,” sun decks and all that, + 2 million for substantial improvement to the YMCA - that equals 3.5 million. Thank our corporate and private citizens, once again, for generous donation by Town Pump and others that should get to a 1 million dollars donated to a 501-C-3 not-for-profit. With 501-C-3s the donors can actually avail themselves to a tax deduction.

 Am I missing something? I am double checking my math........... that???? ....## % & ***--- @ += so with donations that comes out to be 2.5 million? That means the citizens of Butte could vote on a considerably reduced bond issue at an existing year-round facility that manages to provide for its operation and maintenance and staffing. Why not just add back the 1 million dollars; $500,000 here and $500,000 their; that is back to 3.5 million bond with a $50,000 annual operation levy.

So reducing an 8.7 million dollar bond issue by 1.5 million to a $7.2 million bond with $350,000 annually does not look as good as 3.5 million and $50,000 annually.   Half the price and just as nice! & a little less.

I am a professional local Architect that has always been tasked with the prudent use of public funds with public projects that have a limited budget. Please tell me if I am wrong, from my aerial view from above my 3.5 million concept looks better than the "pie in the sky" 7.2 million plan.