By Kyle LoJacono
Pasco residents suffering through the summer’s heat will likely have fewer locations to cool off, if budget projections are correct.
Pasco County budget director Mike Nurrenbrock said the county will be able to avoid major layoffs and closing any of its libraries, but must stop operating the last two public pools to do so. The remaining facilities are at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex on Collier Parkway and at Veterans Memorial Park in Hudson.
The county’s Parks and Recreation Department’s director Rick Buckman said the decision to recommend the closings was a hard one.
“We stopped operating two pools last year and here are the last two,” Buckman said. “We don’t want to close the pools, but we’ve learned more people use the parks instead of the pools. We’d rather close facilities that aren’t used as much.”
Last year’s budget would have forced the county to close Hercules Aquatic Center in Zephyrhills if it had not been transferred over to the Zephyrhills Police Athletic League (ZPAL). Financial concerns made the county reverse the deal and the facility at 38110 CR 54 in Zephyrhills has remained closed since January.
Pasco is giving the property over to the school district, which owned the land in the 1980s.
“We are looking into what the best options are for (the land),” said Chris Williams, the school districts’ director of planning. “We could operate it as a pool for the high school swim teams, but the savings there won’t offset the operating costs.”
The Grove Park Pool in New Port Richey was also closed last year.
The remaining two pools made about $39,000 each year, but cost about $328,000 to operate. The decision was made easier for Buckman and the department as the remaining two facilities need about $100,000 worth of repairs. The parks department has lost more than 30 percent of its budget during the last three years, a total of $1.8 million slashed.
“If we don’t close the pools this year, it will take away from the entire parks system,” Buckman said. “We can’t justify putting the money in to fix the pools and then maintain them at the cost of closing several other facilities.”
Pasco County Administrator John Gallagher agreed with Buckman at a recent board meeting.
“Back when we had this great idea to build all these pools, (other options) really weren’t there,” Gallagher said. “It was a good public service.”
Gallagher explained the large number of people with pools or access to ones run by neighborhoods and groups like the YMCA has reduced the demand for county-run facilities.
“People are more affluent now,” Gallagher said. “Back when we had the great idea to build these pools, you didn’t have that.”
Families may have more ways to beat the summer heat, but high school swimming and diving teams have limited options. Both Sunlake and Land O’ Lakes use the Land O’ Lakes pool, while Hudson and River Ridge use the Veterans site.
Pasco County athletic director Phil Bell said it, “Would be disappointing if it happens. We would have to scramble fast to find places for those teams to compete. I’m not sure if there is a backup plan right now.”
Zephyrhills’ teams had used Hercules Aquatic, but have already worked out a deal to use the pool at the East Pasco Family YMCA in the city, according to Bulldogs athletic director Bruce Cimorelli.
There is less certainty in central Pasco.
“(We have) no plan at this time,” said Land O’ Lakes athletic director Karen Coss. “It is my understanding that if the pool closes, it will be in October. The good news is we don’t have any home meets in October. The bad news is, we still won’t have a place to practice. Hopefully something will be available, but it will certainly put us in a tight spot.”
Sunlake athletic director Russ Schenk said the situation is similar with the Seahawks.
If approved, the pools would close in October. The commission could find a nonprofit group, such as the YMCA, interested in operating them.
Tampa Metropolitan YMCA officials have said they are not interested in managing Hercules Aquatic, but would consider allowing public access to its pool at the YMCA in Zephyrhills. There is no YMCA facility in Land O’ Lakes or Lutz, but there are ones in Trinity and Northdale.
