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ADOPT A RESOLUTION TO TRANSITION THE MANAGEMENT AND OPERATIONS OF AQUATIC PROGRAMMING AT CITY POOLS TO THE COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT, APPROVE SIX PART TIME, UNREPRESENTED, AND UNCLASSIFIED POSITIONS, AND AMEND THE FISCAL YEAR 2023-2024 ANNUAL BUDGET
recommended action
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that City Council adopt a resolution to:
1. Approve transitioning the management and operations of aquatic programming of Brooking Park, Holiday Park, McKinley Park, Oak Park, Sousa Park, and Victory Park Pools to the Community Services Department.
2. Approve six part-time, unrepresented, and unclassified positions in the Community Services Department, Pool Manager, Assistant Pool Manager, Lifeguard, Senior Lifeguard, Aquatics Instructor, and Aquatics Assistant, and assign salary ranges for those positions.
3. Amend the Fiscal Year 2023-24 Annual Budget to appropriate $87,000 from Measure M fund balance to Recreation - Aquatics Division accounts for the operation of Brooking Park, Holiday Park, and Oak Park pools through June 30, 2024.
It is further recommended that the resolution authorize the City Manager to take appropriate and necessary actions to carry out the purpose and intent of this resolution.
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Summary
The Community Services Department - Recreation Division has provided community aquatic services at four City pool facilities through an agreement with private non-profit operators since 2003.
The most recent agreement expired on December 31, 2023.
Staff recommends transitioning the management and operations of Brooking Park, Holiday Park, McKinley Park, Oak Park, Sousa Park, and Victory Park pools in-house to the Community Services Department to enhance efficiency, maintain safety standards, improve service quality, and provide better control over City pools.
DISCUSSION
Background
The City owns seven pools located at Brooking Park, Holiday Park, McKinley Park, Oak Park, Sherwood Park, Sousa Park, and Victory Park pools. Sherwood Park pool is operated and maintained by Sherwood Homeowners Association. Victory Park and McKinley Park pools are currently closed and non-operational due to age and vandalism damage. However, both pools are in the planning and design process to either be restored (McKinley) or rebuilt (Victory). The City is currently responsible for operating the four remaining pools at Brooking, Holiday, Oak, and Sousa Park pools. When work at McKinley and Victory Park pools is complete, the City will be responsible for operating those pools as well.
On January 5, 2017, the City issued an RFP for a single aquatic facilities management organization. Three proposals were received, and the YMCA of San Joaquin was selected to operate the aquatic facilities. The YMCA operated Brooking, Oak, and Sousa Park pools since 2017, and added Holiday Park pool in 2019. This agreement with the YMCA ended on December 31, 2021.
It has become increasingly more challenging to secure an outside pool operator. The City issued the most recent RFP for aquatic facilities management on March 23, 2023, for Brooking Park, Holiday Park, Oak Park, and Sousa Park pools. On April 13, 2023, only one proposal was received, and Pools and Lifeguard Management LLC was selected. The City and Pools and Lifeguard Management LLC entered into an agreement on May 17, 2023, for one swim season through December 31, 2023. Pools and Lifeguard Management LLC operated Holiday, Oak, and Sousa Park pools in 2023. Brooking Park pool was closed in 2023 due mechanical and safety failures.
Present Situation
The agreement between the City and Pools and Lifeguard Management LLC expired on December 31, 2023. Staff recommends transitioning the management and operations of Brooking, Holiday, McKinley, Oak, Sousa, and Victory Park pools in-house to the Community Services Department to enhance efficiency, maintain safety standards, improve service quality, and provide better control over City pools.
Additional staff are needed to manage and support the daily operations of City pools. The Community Services Department and Human Resources Department worked closely together to create a series of classification specifications to support these new initiatives (Exhibit 1 to the Resolution). Human Resources staff completed an external market survey as well as an internal equity evaluation. Based on analysis of the information collected, staff recommends the following salary range:
All City swimming pools need significant repair or replacement. With Strong Communities funds, design and renovation plans are in process for McKinley Park pool as part of the larger renovation project funded by a Proposition 68 grant. On November 16, 2021, City Council allocated funds to repair cracking and chipping plaster in Sousa Park Pool. Due to these repairs, Sousa Park pool will be closed for the 2024 swim season. On November 23, 2021, the RFP for the renovation or replacement of Victory Park pool was published. On May 1, 2023, Public Works issued an emergency PO to Burkett’s Pool Plastering, Inc. of Ripon, CA, due to Brooking Park pool experiencing multiple mechanical and safety failures. These emergency pool repairs, and replastering of Brooking Pool were completed on August 22, 2023. These repairs resulted in Brooking Park pool being closed for the 2023 swim season. In February 2024, the City retained Aquatic Design Group, Inc. to conduct an evaluation and assessment of pools citywide. Their work will include an analysis of each pool facility and is expected to be completed in March 2024. McKinley Park pool is expected to open in summer 2025, and Victory Park pool could open as early as summer 2025. In 2025, the City may have six pools available to open to the public.
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
Operating expenditures for pools at Brooking, Holiday, Oak Park, Sousa and partial-year expense for Victory Park were included in the Fiscal Year 2023-24 budget. However, despite the plan to operate three pools and savings from third party operator expense, the projected incremental cost to bring pool operations in-house is estimated at $87,000 for the swim season ending June 30, 2024. The incremental cost includes an estimate for the cost of insurance and ADA-compliant lifts for each pool.
A proposed Council Resolution is attached to reallocate funding from Measure M fund balance to supplement the adopted budget. If approved, the resolution will provide sufficient funds for pool operations for Fiscal Year 2023-24. The budget request for subsequent years will be submitted for approval as part of the annual budget process.
Description Amount Account
FY 2023-24 Adopted
Aquatics Budget-Measure M $1,023,784 5025-000-xxxxxx-210-000-50-50-000-000-
FY 2023-24 Adopted
Aquatics Budget-Gen’l Fund $ 79,177 5025-000-xxxxxx-100-125-50-50-000-000-
Incremental expenditure $ 87,000 5025-000-610001-210-000-50-50-000-000-
There is no impact to the City’s General fund or any other unrestricted fund as a result of taking the recommended action.