IS IT TRUE Part 2, August 7, 2013: City Does the Math Behind Decision to Close Pools Early

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Mole #3 Nostradamus of Local Politics
Mole #3 Nostradamus of Local Politics

IS IT TRUE the only City pools open right now are Hartke and Lloyd?…the 2012 and 2013 Budget included expenses for Hartke to remain open beyond the regular closing date for the Neighborhood Pools?…last year the City had to request funds from the Council in order to go beyond the regular season?…the the Mayor’s Office has done the math and concluded that public pools are very costly to operate on a per swimmer basis?…for example, the actual attendance at Mosby for the 8 days (weekends) until Labor Day in 2012 was 218 children and 199 adults?…the total cost to keep the pool open for those 8 days was approx. $17,700 and the total revenue was only $616 which makes the cost per swimmer $42.42?…the cost per swimmer for Rochelle was slightly higher at $57.24?

IS IT TRUE the City County Observer would like to commend and congratulate the Mayor’s Office on being this detailed about the cost per swimmer?…this is the kind of analysis that is needed on all of the activities that are funded with taxpayer dollars?…it must be pointed out that the expenses for the pools like the Ford Center results do not include interest?…some pools are of course paid for and have no interest expense but if the cost of the pool itself were included these numbers would be even more disturbing?…Evansville may have entered a period in its development that the pools much like the parks can’t be justified financially when the use is considered?…this is very sad indeed?

IS IT TRUE that the cost of maintenance of a private backyard pool is roughly $250 per month including electricity?…if this pool is used 60 two hour sessions per year by each member of a family of 5 and the pool is opened and incurring costs for 5 months per year the cost per swimmer is only $4.16 per swim session?…that is staggeringly low when compared with the numbers reported for a public pool?…even if the construction cost of about $30,000 per pool are considered the cost of swimming in a private pool is much lower than the public pool option?…the City needs to either close the pools or find some way to start attracting more people to use them?…at a revenue to cost ratio of 616 to 17,000 (3.6%) it is clear that the revenue is peanuts compared to the cost?…perhaps a summer of free swimming next year could attract more swimmers to the pools?…if it does not work it is time to re-evaluate the pool program?

IS IT TRUE now that we know that the City does have the ability to do basic arithmetic we would encourage doing use/cost analysis of other projects like the proposed dog park and skateboard park where we suspect the cost per use will run well into the hundreds of dollars?…such analysis of often sobering but is always illuminating when other peoples money is at stake?…we once again congratulate the Mayor’s Office for doing the math?…we hope it becomes a habit?

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13 COMMENTS

  6. I do not believe Winnecke has learned basic math.

    If he had any comprehension, he would have cancelled plans for Roberts Park and ALL of the city parks. He would have shut down the Haynie’s Corner proposal. Front Door pride would have been gone the day he was sworn in. And these are just a few projects (nice to have but not necessary).

    • Wienzapfel=Winnecke=DERP let us spend and spend!!! We will be long gone the truth is told!

  7. How about using some of those math skills and fire those incompetent people in the Controller’s Office and quit hiring accounting consultants to do their jobs at $1 million per year? Anytime they hire someone competent, they are gone within a year because they know that what they do is not the way that it’s supposed to be done. Jenny Collins needs to go. The Utilities functioned just fine without years without a CFO! If they want a CFO how about the CPA that works right under her? He was screwed out of a promotion due to Weinzapfel’s last second appointment.

  8. I thought one of the reasons that city pools closed early was the life guard issue. Many are college students on summer break.

    • Both U.S.I. and I.U. start August 26, 2013.

      Why build new aquatic centers when you only keep them open 9 weeks out of the year?

      Perhaps we need a Walrus Dance video at the pools to promote health and wellness!

  9. Lets do away with some of the City and County Councilman!!! Every office is losing personnel except for jobs held by politicians. And, OH, by the way, since the councilman’s jobs ‘are part time, why do they get health insurance benefit? No other part time employee gets any benefits. Tell me Shetler, Raben, Goebel, Robinson and others don’t have a full time job. This is BS. I think we need to do away with 95% of politicians in office now. And you know folks this is possible. They can have all the money in the world but if they don’t have our vote it doesn’t matter how much money they have. I just wish all the people of Evansville could come to a agreement on who to vote in office and show the politician money don’t matter. Let us take our Government back!!!

  10. I wonder if they can do the math on cost per IT trouble ticket? No they can because there is no ticket system to account fore each technician and for each city county department. Anything divided by zero is infinite. Who needs accountability anyway?

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