Guest Post by Tim Austin on Neighborhood Pools

(Ed. Note: Tim Austin has been a neighborhood leader for several years. He has volunteered many hours in support of the neighborhood pools, has organized work-parties to maintain the pools with volunteer labor and donated both hours and materials. Tim is a member of his Neighborhood Council. I asked him to write this post on the upcoming aquatics bond issue. Tim, thanks for the informative post. ---TSJ)

SPEAK UP GREAT FALLS or the POOLS end up like the Smoke Stack !!!

By Tim Austin, tim@greatfallsmontana.info

If you and/or your family swim in the Neighborhood Pools (Jaycee Pool & Water Tower Pool), then pay attention to this web blog.

I attended a work session with the Commissioners & the Mayor the night they proposed the new Aquatics Bond Issue. I was shocked to read the Proposed Aquatics Bond presented by Patty Rearden from the City Park and Rec. Department. There were four (4) proposals presents and all of them had to do with the DEMOLITION of the Neighborhood Pools.

Visit: http://www.GreatFallsMontana.Info to keep updated on the FACTS not just the rumors. Take a look at the Proposal provided by the City Park and Rec. Department.

As leader, and a business owner, I feel it is my role to step up to the plate and be the voice for those who are afraid to take on the hard issues.

I have heard from a number of people who were shocked to here what was being proposed.

If you feel the Neighborhood pools could be an asset to our community then it is time to LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD.

Have everyone you know EMAIL, WRITE and/or CALL the Park & Rec. Department, but most importantly the Mayor, City Manager & Commissioners and let them know how you feel about the Park & Rec's Plan to DEMOLISH the Neighborhood pools. EMAIL or LETTERS are most effective because then you have a paper trail.

The Citizens of Great Falls need to start attending Neighborhood council meeting, Commission Work Sessions, and the Commission meetings.

Find out WHY the neighborhood pools have been under funded, and NOT maintained. Find out WHO is responsible for allowing the neighborhood pools to get in the condition they are in. The decision is NOT coming from the maintenance department at the City Park and Rec., it is coming from higher up.

Ask some very simple questions about what IS THE CITY OF GREAT FALLS doing to SAVE the neighborhood pools. I have included the email I sent every one of the commissioners and the Mayor.

It will take a lot of people's input to SAVE THE NEIGHBORHOOD POOLS.
I will begin a petition to save the neighborhood pools if one is needed.
Several people are chomping at the bit to sign them.

Please tell everyone to FILL OUT THE SURVEY that should be coming in the mail, probably with your water bill. It is vital for everyone to contact the commissioners to LET THEM KNOW YOU ARE SERIOUS about SAVING the Neighborhood Pools and your VOTES will prove it during the next election.

SWIM AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD POOLS (Jaycee Pool & Water Tower Pool)
– Bring your friends, family, and neighbors. If the numbers at the Neighborhood pools increase it will be difficult to justify their DESTRUCTION.

Please feel free to copy and paste this BLOG, send it to all your friends, neighbors or anyone who uses the neighborhood pools. Help SAVE the NEIGHBORHOOD POOLS (Water Tower & Jaycee Pools).

CALL, EMAIL and/or write letters the people listed below and let them know how you feel about the DEMOLITION of the Neighborhood pools.

City Clerk/Records Manager
Peggy Bourne
Phone: (406) 455-8451
e-mail: pbourne@ci.great-falls.mt.us
Address: P.O. Box 5021, 59403
Located in Civic Center

Mayor Dona Stebbins
Phone: (406) 761-4108
Phone: (406) 455-8451
Fax: (406) 727-0005
E-mail: dstebbins@ci.great-falls.mt.us
Address: P.O. Box 5021
Great Falls, MT 59403

City Manager - John Lawton
Phone: (406) 455-8450
e-mail: jlawton@ci.great-falls.mt.us
Address: P.O. Box 5021
Great Falls, MT 59403
Located in Civic Center

Commissioner Bill Beecher
Phone:(406) 453-8741 (work)
Phone:(406) 455-8451 (message)
Fax: (406) 727-0005
E-mail: bbeecher@ci.great-falls.mt.us
Address: P.O. Box 5021
Great Falls, MT 59403

Commissioner Sandy Hinz
Phone:(406) 761-0864 (home/message)
E-mail: shinz@ci.great-falls.mt.us
Address: P.O. Box 5021
Great Falls, MT 59403

Commissioner Diane Jovick-Kuntz
Phone:(406) 727-8929 (home)
Fax: (406) 727-0005
E-mail: dkuntz@ci.great-falls.mt.us
Address: P.O. Box 5021
Great Falls, MT 59403

Commissioner John Rosenbaum
Phone: (406) 771-0161 (home)
Phone: (406) 455-8451 (message)
Fax: (406) 727-0005
E-mail: jrosenbaum@ci.great-falls.mt.us
Address: P.O. Box 5021
Great Falls, MT 59403

Park & Recreation Deputy Director
Patty Rearden
Phone: (406) 771-1265
E-mail: prearden@ci.great-falls.mt.us
Address: P.O. Box 5021, 59403
1700 River Drive North
Great Falls, MT 59403

Park Maintenance Supervisor,
Giles Salyer
Phone: (406) 771-1265
E-mail: gsalyer@ci.great-falls.mt.us
Address: P.O. Box 5021, 59403
1700 River Drive North
Great Falls, MT 59404

Park and Recreation Board
John Trovatten
Ruthann Knudson
Bryan Thies
Doug Hickey
David Simmons
Wyman Taylor
Leslie Postlethwait
771-1265

Neighborhood Council Coordinator
Patricia Cadwell
Community Development
Phone: (406) 455-8496
pcadwell@ci.great-falls.mt.us
P.O. Box 5021
Great Falls, MT 59403

Jaycee POOL - District#3
Water Tower POOL - District#9

Here are some of the FACTS that you can discuss with the commission:

Let's begin with the FY 2004 budget. The City Manager and the commission have told us the general funds contributed $348,816 to fund swimming pools, however the TRUTH is both Neighborhood pools combined only received $36,284.

In FY 2005 the general fund contributed $330,960 to fund swimming pools. When talking about the Neighborhood pools the TRUTH is in FY 2005 the general fund contributed only $45,410 to both Neighborhood Pools combined.

In FY 2006 the contribution was increased to $538,200 to fund swimming pools. The TRUTH is the contribution to both Neighborhood pools combined was increased to $50,090.

I have not seen the FY 2007 budget, so I can not comment on it. If the funding is NOT going to the Neighborhood Pools, where did the rest of the swimming pool budget go???

How MUCH money is being contributed each year to the WAVE RIDER?
The Question has been asked, and the answer will be posted on www.GreatFallsMontana.Info when it is received.

Is the money listed as Mitchell Pool funding actually going to pay for the WAVE RIDER (White Water Elephant as the bloggers refer to it)?

If the answer is "YES", list the breakdown between what is being spent on Mitchell Pool and what is being spent on the WAVE RIDER?

Mr. Lawton has asked me to come up with some Solutions and/or Ideas to help SAVE the NEIGHBORHOOD POOLS.

HERE ARE SOME IDEAS TO INCREASE THE NUMBERS AND REVENUE AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD POOLS:

1. Put together a commission of local businessmen/women who are willing to raise funds to purchase FREE PASSES that can be used for swimming at the Neighborhood Pools (Jaycee & Water Tower Pool) for the under privileged children in our community.

2. Promote (Advertise) and Allow local businessmen/women to sponsor FREE SWIMMING in the evenings at the local neighborhood pools.

3. Work with the Police Advisory Board & Police Department, Weed & Seed and various other organization allowing them to purchase FREE PASSES that can be used for swimming at the Neighborhood Pools (Jaycee & Water Tower Pool) for the under privileged children in our community. This would not only increase numbers at the Neighborhood pools it would help to build a relationship between the youth and our Police Department.

4. Begin evening swimming lessons (life skills) for children and adults and charge a fee, awarding scholarships to underprivileged children.

5. Promoted GET FIT Great Falls and promote evening or lunch time lap swimming.

6. Extend the fence around the Neighborhood pools so people can lay in the grass, and add a spray park on the outside of the pools. If spray parks were added to the outside of all the pools it may attract entire families that would want to spend the entire day at the pool. The children could play for free in the spray parks while the older children could suntan and swim in the neighborhood pools. It could be a win/win situation for everyone.

These are just a few ideas that I believe the City Manager and the commission should look into.

I have a heart and a soul for the citizens and the City of Great Falls, Montana.
Born and raised in Great Falls, Montana I felt is was my duty to help promote local businesses, and the City of Great Falls as a volunteer. After seeing the shape of the parks and the pool in the Riverview, Valley View District#3, I decided to run for neighborhood council. I was elected by the citizens of Great Falls, and have been asked by several citizens to take on the issue of SAVING the Neighborhood pools. As I have always enjoyed the neighborhood pools, I gladly accepted the challenge.

I am NOT writing this post as a Neighborhood Council Member, but as a Concerned Citizen, Voter and Tax payer of Great Falls, Montana.

It is time for the City Park and Rec. Department and the City of Great Falls to begin placing their focus on some major Capital improvements that will benefit the Citizens of Great Falls, and NOT just the tourists. Put money into the Neighborhood pools, fix up the neighborhood parks and take pride in the many assets Great Falls has to offer. As new housing projects are developed the funds that are sent to the City of Great Falls to develop the parks in those areas should be earmarked and actually used as capital improvement funds for the parks and pools located around those building projects. As it currently stands the money is place into the general funds.

We all know what has been draining the general fund since it was created "the WAVE RIDER".

Check out the BEFORE and AFTER pictures of Jaycee Pool - located at www.GreatFallsFacts.com It took my family and friends only a day to scrape down, sand, prime and place two (2) coats of paint at Jaycee Pool. The total cost to the tax payers of Great Falls was around $400.00 for the paint and the primer. Lumber Yard Supply Co. donated a ThermaTru Door to replace the delaminating wooden door leading to the pool. Our family could no longer drive by Jaycee pool and take pride in Great Falls when the pool looked like something you would see in the slums of New York City. Would you swim in a pool that was run down and looked filthy? -NO, and that is exactly what the people who stopped the maintenance and funding to the Neighborhood pools were hoping for.

It is vital for the City of Great Falls to take pride in the assets they have (Neighborhood Pools) and help provide recreation for the underprivileged children in our community.

GREAT FALLS - IT IS UP TO YOU !!!
If you loose the neighborhood pools the only place left to swim is the Mitchell Pool.
CAN YOU AFFORD TO TAKE YOUR FAMILY SWIMMING EVERY WEEKEND AT MITCHELL POOL?

Something to think about:
"You will NEVER learn to SWIM or GET FIT in a spray park !!!"

If there is anything else I can do to help save the pools please let me know.

Thank you,

Tim Austin
406-868-6990
tim@greatfallsmontana.info

Great Falls, Montana it is time to get the FACTS !!!
Visit:
www.GreatFallsMontana.Info
www.GreatFallsFacts.com
www.GFFacts.com