Prime time lane assignments have caused so much trouble at the
Aquatics Center
’s 50-meter pool that the City Council will set a new policy
Wednesday on who gets how many and when.
Prime time lane assignments have caused so much trouble at the Aquatics Center’s 50-meter pool that the City Council will set a new policy Wednesday on who gets how many and when. City staff is recommending a lottery.
Because of higher than expected use by the public, the center has been able to stay open all winter, adding congestion to the pool’s 17 lanes during the favorite 3-7pm weekday time period. The Morgan Hill Swim Club and Silicon Valley Aquatic Association/El Toro Aquatics all want to use lanes for their practice and competition sessions.
Recreation Manager Julie Spier considered other methods of assigning lanes, including giving priority to a designated city team but will, instead, recommend a lottery.
Each club will have to follow council-set criteria coverning rules on coaching, insurance, Aquatics Center and city paperwork, times of use and pre-approval of schedules, marketing materials and programs.
Each club was required to offer a nonrefundable $100 per lane, up to 13 per team, for use between March 1 and Aug. 31. Lottery results will be final.
Similar troubles bubbled to the surface at last Wednesday’s council meeting when a MHSC parent, Donna Cretcher, suggested that the money raised by the Morgan Hill Aquatics Center, Inc. (now unofficially known as the foundation) was not distributed fairly between the two clubs, even though parents from both clubs worked to raise the funds.
Mayor Dennis Kennedy said he was worried about the city’s relationship to the “foundation” because, if state and federal rules covering 501(c)3 nonprofits are not followed, the city – and the “foundation” – could be in a lot of trouble. City Attorney Helene Leichter said there was no formal relationship between the city and the foundation but was concerned that the “foundation” apparently did not have regular noticed meetings or follow its bylaws.
SVAA member Geno Acevedo told the council that the rules were being followed to the letter and that the MHACI was legal.
Carol Holzgrafe covers City Hall for The Times. She can be reached by e-mail at ch********@mo*************.com or phoning (408) 779-4106 Ext. 201.
