Winter Park tries to justify $140K pool heater

Winter Park commissioners are hot and cold about seeing a popular outdoor pool get a heater by next year. The renovation of Cady Way Pool to make it a year-round facility was among a half-dozen changes to the city budget discussed on Monday.

Decisive talks about the budget will come in the next two Commission meetings, Sept. 10 and Sept. 24, when the city will give a final vote for the 2013 budget.

A high-tech and energy-saving geothermal pool heating system seemed an almost universally popular choice among the commissioners, but whether they actually want to pay for it, and when, remains in question.

“My goal for pressing the geothermal is contractually one of our partners is losing money by not having that facility open year round,” Commissioner Tom McMacken said about the Winter Park YMCA, which operates the pool.

The pool currently is shut down during the winter months because the water is too cold to draw enough of a crowd, City Manager Randy Knight said. They also don’t like the lack of hot water, which has been missing as a design feature from the pool since its construction in the 1950s.

“Things like hot water for the restrooms — I can’t believe that’s something the city wouldn’t pick up the tab on,” Commissioner Steven Leary said. “It’s a facility that’s sorely in the need of an upgrade.”

Mayor Ken Bradley said he wanted to see the heating units installed as well, but balked at the price for the water heating system.

“I just can’t believe hot water for restrooms is $40,000,” Bradley said. “I’m shocked.”

The pool’s normal closed months would be a perfect time for the install of heating units and resurfacing of the pool itself, which would have to be drained, Public Works Director Troy Attaway said. But the construction would likely spill over into next year, if it began soon.

If the city doesn’t approve the money in September, as part of a two-year budget for the pool, then swimmers may not be able to use the pool year round until the end of 2014.

Nursery fears cuts

Representatives said they feared the Welbourne Avenue Nursery and Kindergarten would see big cuts to its budget in the next year.

Talking about what she called “drastic cuts,” Mary Daniels, who’s the board chair of the school, said she hoped the city would keep funding the same.

“Welbourne has serviced this community and surrounding area for 85 years,” she said. “It’s given back and will continue to give back to these respective communities.”

Lurleen Fletcher, who had three children attend the school, said that it’s been helpful to keep kids focused and off the streets and off drugs.

“My kids went there, and they came out better students,” Fletcher said.

She said the school, which helps educate young low-income children, was vital to the community.

“To help Welbourne, to fund them, I think that would be a good idea,” she said. “Some parents can’t afford it.”

Bradley said that he thought the school may be jumping the gun on thinking the city wanted to cut its funding.

“We’re not cutting anything,” Bradley said. “We’re deciding how to pay this.”