JUST OVER 36HRS LEFT-PLEASE HELP SHARE OUR LETTER OF SUPPORT WITH OTHERS...EMAIL AND TELL YOUR FRIENDS, CO-WORKERS & NEIGHBORS! ONLY 1 REMAINING MEETING - please attend!: 1. Thursday, 5/12@7:30pm-City Hall, City Council Meeting is our last chance to tell the City Council what you think should be the future process and plan for Memorial Pool LETS NOT STOP NOW...WE ARE ALMOST THERE!!! CALL OR EMAIL YOUR COUNCIL PERSON, THE CITY & THE PARK BOARD TO SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS: Individuals: -Bob Seaquist - GENA Council Person & Board of Public Works, seaquistr@cityoflacrosse.org -Audrey Kader – Washburn/Lincoln Council Person, kadera@cityoflacrosse.org -Dick Swantz – City Council President, swantzr@cityoflacrosse.org -Jai Johnson - GENA Council Person, johnsonj@cityoflacrosse.org -Ryan Cornett – City Council Rep & Park Board President, cornettr@cityoflacrosse.org -Elaine Anderson – GENA/Campus Area Council Person & Historic Commission, anderson.elai@uwlax.edu -David Krump – GENA Council Person, krumpd@cityoflacrosse.org -Paul Medinger – Park Board & City Council Rep, medingerp@cityoflacrosse.org -Eileen Kirsch – Park Board, ski@yahoo.com -Gregory Sheehan – Park Board, greg.sheehan@riverfrontinc.org -Jim Webb – Park Board, jimwebb1224@gmail.com -Mark Terpstra – Park Board, terplse@aol.com -Marvin Wanders – Park Board, marvin@threesixty.bz -Sandy Cleary – Park Board, scleary@cmclax.com -Steve Carlyon - Director of Parks, carlyons@cityoflacrosse.org -Mayor Tim Kabat, kabatt@cityoflacrosse.org -All City Council Members, zzcouncilmembers@cityoflacrosse.org Above Emails in a Single Group (to copy and paste, etc): ski@yahoo.com, greg.sheehan@riverfrontinc.org, jimwebb1224@gmail.com, terplse@aol.com, marvin@threesixty.bz, scleary@cmclax.com, carlyons@cityoflacrosse.org, kabatt@cityoflacrosse.org, zzcouncilmembers@cityoflacrosse.org, genalacrosse@gmail.com Memorial/Municipal Pool Closure – The Finance & Personnel Board recommended to close it on 5/5 with a 6 to 2 vote (Elaine Anderson & Martin Gaul supported keeping the pool open). Thursday night, City Council will now vote on the recommendation,along with funding part of a 2 year $80,000 pool “feasibility study” for 3 additional sites in the area of the neighborhood. At this time there is also a recommendation for funding a $3.5million Forest Hills Pool (2016-2020 Parks Strategic Plan) beginning in 2017. e are proud of our City's commitment to open & public VIDEO TAPING of Council Meetings - WANT TO SEE THE WAY FACTS ARE PRESENTED & see WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR VOTING TO CLOSE THE POOL (VOTE= 6 TO 2)? Also see: 1. PARK DIRECTOR INACCURATE INSURANCE STATEMENT 2. PARK DIRECTOR ULTIMATUM THAT THE CITY WILL HAVE TO FIND SOMEONE ELSE TO OPEN THE POOL 3. NO MENTION OF LOSS OF LICENSE & EXCEPTIONS SO THE POOL CANNOT BE REOPENED Is it MISLEADING? Is there a fair process TO RESEARCH FEASIBILITY OF OPENING IN TIME...OR MISREPRESENTING reasons to close it, AT THE LAST MINUTE, WITHOUT ENOUGH INFORMATION & PUBLIC INPUT? ...DETAILS & VIDEO LINK BELOW...: http://cityoflacrosse.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php… 1. (1:29:35) Insurability & Rec Immunity: Steve Carylon states in Sept 2015 "we knew we had an issue at the Pool" and (1:30:45) in describing an insurance letter says it “specifically states...your recreational immunity protection is non-existent". FALSE. See letter yourself stating "IT COULD PERHAPS...IT IS DIFFICULT TO PROVIDE A BLANKET STATEMENT". ...MOREOVER, IT IS OBVIOUS THAT NO ONE IS SAYING TO OPEN THE POOL AS IS. All, except Parks, is saying to make improvements/renovation needed to meet necessary codes - thus INSURABILITY IS A NON-ISSUE. 2. (1:38:00) Parks Director Ultimatum. Regarding reopening the pool this year: “I WOULD LITERALLY NOT OPEN IT, YOU WOULD HAVE TO FIND SOMEONE ELSE". What do you think that means? How would you respond if your employee, charged with serving the public's interest said that? As one of the Council Members stated best "THE POOL IS "PRE-ORDAINED" TO CLOSE" and, in one opinion, the Parks Director is on video explaining why... In further discussion on video, the point continues to be made that THE POOL IS BUDGETED, PLANNED AND SCHEDULED FOR OPENING - so another NON-ISSUE is being raised...FIX IT & OPEN IT, AS STATED IN THE FALL. 3. We also saw, once again, that the goal of Parks "study" is to find problems and not to offer solutions - THE POOL MUST STAY OPEN SO TO KEEP THE LICENSE FOR THE POOL and so that a renovation is a REAL POSSIBILITY with the GRANDFATHERED EXCEPTIONS for unnecessary codes for our historic pool...things such as 12 women's toilets (instead of the 3 existing). OPENING THE POOL KEEPS OUR OPTIONS OPEN TO CHOOSE WHAT WE REALLY NEED. This is an ECONOMICAL solution SAVING MILLIONS. Unfortunately, despite motions to extend it for public input, we were still cut-off OR WE WOULD HAVE SHARED DETAILS ABOUT THE LICENSE, NEED FOR SOLUTIONS, WAY TO KEEP COSTS DOWN & HOW TO GET A BETTER 2ND OPINION. Grandview-Emerson Neighborhood Association’s (GENA) committee research has identified the following: 1) Residents throughout the City love Memorial Pool - improving & maintaining neighborhood assets builds community, improves livability and encourages investment in revitalizing La Crosse neighborhoods. 2) It is a very historically significant pool to residents & the state (oldest Works Progress Admin pool in WI) 3) We need facts from experts first, before a decision to close, because pools that close, do not reopen 4) Focus on a financially conservative approach of completely renovating this pool, incrementally over 3-4 years, which costs 1/4 to 1/3 (~$800k-$1.2mil) of a new pool (~$3.5+mil) and can be budgeted responsibly.