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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-13-21 Public Comment - C. Flikkema - Swim CenterFrom:Julie Hunter To:Agenda Subject:FW: Contact Us- Website Date:Monday, September 13, 2021 9:33:41 AM From: Jeff Mihelich <jmihelich@BOZEMAN.NET> Sent: Monday, September 13, 2021 8:55 AM To: Mitchell Overton <MOverton@BOZEMAN.NET> Cc: Julie Hunter <JHunter@BOZEMAN.NET>; Chuck Winn <CWinn@BOZEMAN.NET> Subject: FW: Contact Us- Website FYI Jeff Mihelich | City Manager ICMA-CM City of Bozeman 406-582-2306 jmihelich@bozeman.net From: Julie Hunter <JHunter@BOZEMAN.NET> Sent: Friday, September 10, 2021 3:44 PM To: Jeff Mihelich <jmihelich@BOZEMAN.NET> Subject: FW: Contact Us- Website Positive letter about the Swim Center. Shall I send this to Jesse as public comment? Thanks- Julie From: webadmin@bozeman.net <webadmin@bozeman.net> Sent: Friday, September 10, 2021 2:43 PM To: Julie Hunter <JHunter@BOZEMAN.NET> Subject: Contact Us- Website A new entry to a form/survey has been submitted. Form Name:Contact Us - City Manager Date & Time:09/10/2021 2:43 PM Response #:263 Submitter ID:43487 IP address:69.163.86.96 Time to complete:27 min. , 51 sec. Survey Details Page 1 Please feel free to contact us with any comments or questions. 121 N Rouse Ave Bozeman, MT 59715 (406) 582-2306 Alternatively, you may fill out the form below and someone will contact you. First Name Caty Last Name Flikkema Email Address cmflikk@me.com Phone Number 406-539-1849 Address 150 Keystone Dr Address 2 Not answered City Belgrade State Montana ZIP Code 59714 Comments To Whom It May Concern: My name is Caty Flikkema. I have been a long time user at the Bozeman Swim Center and have spent most of my years in Gallatin Valley. I grew up in Bozeman and attended school at Emerson, Wilson, CJMS and Bozeman High School. I participated in the Bozeman Gal-a-fins (now stingrays) Synchronized Swimming Team, Bozeman Barracudas Swim Team and the Bozeman Hawk High School Swim Team. I also swam for a division 1 university then moved back home to start my life and my family. Knowing what swimming gave to me I have given the last many years trying to provide the same opportunity to those in the Valley that want it. I have also worked to find ways to provide swim lessons for those who need it after a friends 8 year old daughter drowned in a river in the valley. I believe swimming should be learned by everyone and the opportunity to swim available to all who want it. I have worked with Elizabeth Hill extensively in my work in swimming in the Gallatin Valley. She is one who works tirelessly to try to take care of everyone who has a desire to utilize the pool. She often cannot give exactly what each user group wants but she does try to take care of everyone as much as space allows. I have been saddened this past year to watch my former team that I used to be proud of try to manipulate the system in their favor using many tactics that include bullying and public shaming. I understand the desire to grow their team but their approach gives no regard to any other users of the pool from the public tax payers to the other groups that currently use the pool. Elizabeth has done as good a job as anyone could expect navigating the multitude of user groups in the valley and making sure that each user group is treated as fairly as possible. I have rarely gotten what I’ve asked for when I’ve met with Elizabeth for space for my groups. I have tough swim times assigned and often not enough space to grow to where I’d like. I understand though that Elizabeth has always worked to give what she can and she is very limited by space. Being given 6 lanes a night I was able to grow my former team to over 90 kids. It was not perfect, it was not ideal but it was the space available and the space given. I tried to focus on utilizing the space given to create the best environment for my team understanding that there were other user groups with needs and desires similar to mine. In addition most swim teams are limited by space allowances and time. This is a normal constraint upon teams that most teams work with as opposed to bullying their way to taking over programming. Watching what has gone on over the past year, as well as how another user group has tried to manipulate me to join in the bullying against Elizabeth, it is obvious to me that there is a user group who considers themselves to be the most important users. They have actively worked to drive other users out and alienate them and it appears they keep getting rewarded with more space. I have been saddened by the disregard in which they treat lifeguards and others not on their specific team but feel the time to speak up is now as they continue to gain traction in their bid to program the pool in the way that benefits them. Elizabeth has held up well over the years with the constant pressure from the user groups and the public but this year has been an especially intense year. She is one of the few that looks at the big picture and who the pool is serving and divvies up the lane space accordingly. While I have never gotten exactly what I want I understand and applaud that Elizabeth has worked to take care of all user groups so that the patrons can be served in the fairest way possible. The environment in the Swim Center continues to degrade as the staff continues to get harangued by user groups who are unhappy with their space. I can see the staff wearing and am nervous for the day when they decide that it’s not worth it anymore. Please continue to support the staff, as a representative of a smaller user group I am grateful every day for them and look to the future with apprehension if Elizabeth or her staff gives up the fight to be fair to the community as a whole. Thank you. Would you like to be contacted regarding your comments? (○) Yes How do you prefer we contact you? [×] Email Thank you, City Of Bozeman This is an automated message generated by Granicus. Please do not reply directly to this email.