HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-30-22 Public Comment - A. Williamson - Public Comment on the Bozeman Swim CenterFrom:Andrew Williamson
To:Agenda
Subject:08/30/2022 Public Comment on the Bozeman Swim Center
Date:Tuesday, August 30, 2022 9:12:12 AM
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City Commissioners,
I am writing to provide public comment for the August 30, 2022 meeting and ask that the City of
Bozeman continue to expedite the process of issuing a Certificate of Occupancy for the Bozeman
Swim Center with a targeted opening date of October 3, 2022. This timeline continues to be a
realistic goal given the nature of the proposed repairs to the Swim Center, and given the schedules
for Bogert Pool and other swimming venues around town that have already been established by the
various user groups.
I am also writing to provide public comment in STRONG OPPOSITION to the decision by AquaticsManagement and the Recreation Department to not install the temporary bulkhead for theFall/Winter swim season. To provide context, a temporary bulkhead was locally designed andfabricated for the Bozeman Swim Center to divide the pool for part of the year. During MontanaSwimming’s Short Course Season (~September-March) the bulkhead is installed to create a 25-yardcompetition pool for high school and club meets. During the Long Course Season (~April-August) thebulkhead is removed to create a 50-meter competition pool. Quite frankly, Bozeman’s bulkheadcontributes to those aspects that make our Swim Center unique.
On August 08, 2022 a Final Assessment Report on the Swim Center was submitted to the city by
Cushing Terrell. Several recommendations for repairs were offered. Specific to the bulkhead, the
report states “It is recommended to either replace the bulkhead with a lighter version that is
supported by the pool walls/gutter/and deck, or find a means of distributing the load across a greater
surface thereby reducing the strain on the expansion joint”. Please note that two recommendations
were offered. Following receipt of the report, an email was sent on August 19, 2022 by Aquatics
Management to user groups announcing that the temporary bulkhead will not be installed “…as it
has been causing considerable damage to the bottom of the pool and in particular the expansion
joint”. The email ended by informing user groups that “A commercial bulkhead will be requested in
upcoming capital improvement budgets.”
City Commissioners, I respectfully request that the arbitrary and capricious decision to not install thetemporary bulkhead this fall be reconsidered until all options have been explored. Market values forcommercial bulkheads easily range between $350,000-$600,000, and they are rarely temporary.Purchasing and installing a commercial bulkhead is not justified and the proposed installationthreatens to ruin the most unique aspect of the Swim Center, which is the fact that it is the only 50-meter indoor pool in the state. In addition, a capital improvement budget request of this magnitudeties up funding that could be allocated elsewhere for repairs within the Swim Center. If you arecurious as to what those repairs are, please read the report because the list is long.
Rather than withholding the temporary bulkhead and waiting until a new commercial bulkhead can
be approved for purchase, I ask the city to consider the second part of Cushing Terrell’s
recommendation: find a means of distributing the load of the temporary bulkhead across a greater
surface. The designers and fabricators of the temporary bulkhead live and work in Bozeman, and
they remain heavily involved in the swim community. They are happy to meet and discuss ideas at
any time, and this has the support of many members of our swim community. Solutions proposed
for better load distribution include the removal and replacement of existing baseplates on the
bottom of the bulkhead with a greater number of longer base plates for better weight distribution.
In addition, the designers have suggested replacement of existing anchors to prevent the lateral
movement of the bulkhead that causes the damage to the pool floor and joint. It is estimated that
these modifications can be completed in September 2022 at a cost of less than $2500-$3000.
In closing, the decision to not install the temporary bulkhead at the Swim Center this fall and toinstead pursue the purchase of a commercial bulkhead with no given timeline is the nuclear optionthat nobody asked for. I respectfully request that this decision be reconsidered while modificationsto the existing temporary bulkhead be explored. Passing over a potential $2,500-$3,000 modificationto existing assets in favor of a $350,000-$600,000 expenditure without thinking twice is fiscallyirresponsible, and it represents a high-dollar solution to a low-dollar problem. The decision to notinstall the bulkhead this fall prevents the Bozeman High School and Gallatin High School swim teamsfrom hosting meets, and it does the same for our clubs. This is lost revenue across the board. This islost revenue for the clubs that rely on meets as part of their annual budgets. This is lost revenue forthe city of Bozeman by serving as the host facility. And this is lost revenue for our community’shotels, restaurants, and businesses from swim meet participants. Unfortunately, this appears to be acase of ‘two steps forward and one step back’ for the swim community and I ask that the CityCommission dive in and examine this decision with greater scrutiny.
Thanks for your consideration.
Andrew Williamson
57 Granite Peak Drive
Bozeman, Montana 59718
(406) 595-6507