PRESS RELEASE - Port Townsend City Council to Receive Final Healthier Together Report and Make Recommendation on the Future of the Pool at Monday, October 16, 2023 Council Meeting

Year-long, multi-agency process in place to determine timing, scale, and cost of pool rebuild; public invited to join the meeting, reflect input, and learn about next steps

PORT TOWNSEND – On October 16, 2023, the Port Townsend City Council will receive the final report from an interagency steering committee that has been working collaboratively on a future rebuild of the regional pool. The committee consists of executive leaders representing Jefferson County, including City of Port Townsend, Port Townsend School District, Jefferson Healthcare (Hospital), Olympic Peninsula YMCA, Port of Port Townsend, and Jefferson Aquatic Coalition. They have met regularly over the course of the last year, working alongside a professional consultant team to gather community input and assess need, then develop recommendations related to facility size, configuration, location, cost, and a number of other considerations.

The committee presented their recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners on September 25, 2023. Their recommendations include siting it at Mountain View Commons and planning for a base design that includes the aquatic components, a lap pool, a warm water recreation pool, a jacuzzi, and improved locker rooms, including individualized family changing rooms.

The funding package and timing, like the collaboration, needs to be multifaceted and this is reflected in the committee’s recommendation. For instance, the recommendation includes:

An ask of Jefferson County voters. The committee recommends that elected officials consider putting the formation of a Public Facilities District on the ballot, which could assess 2/10th of 1% sales tax, of which about 30% would come from tourism. This is projected to cost each resident $10-$40 per year.
An ambitious goal of raising $15M through grants, state and federal allocations, and philanthropy. Jefferson Aquatic Coalition is going to lead the charge on the philanthropic effort. A number of groups at the table as part of the steering committee are eligible for state funding, with a granting round in June 2024 that could potentially add up to $10M to the project.
Continued operating subsidy/contribution by the City of Port Townsend, currently up to $400,000 per year.

Given the grant funding cycles and current momentum of the collaborative, interagency effort, the committee recommends that the philanthropic effort begin by the end of 2023 and that the voter ask aligns with a special election in April 2024.

“This is a heavy lift for our community, given the 60-year-old pool is failing fast and we need to plan for the future,” states Carrie Hite, Director of Parks Strategy for the City of Port Townsend.

“The proposition for the community is, ultimately, whether we will have a regional pool facility in Jefferson County or not. The agencies at the table have worked really hard and believe a modest investment that keeps the ask below $40 a year, draws investment from tourism visits, and focuses on the health and wellbeing of all ages is worthy of consideration by the voters,” states John Mauro, City Manager for the City of Port Townsend.

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For more information visit the Healthier Together website for more information: https://cityofpt.us/engagept/page/healthier-together

The final report can be found here: https://cityofpt.us/sites/default/files/fileattachments/engage_pt/page/2...