Dear Editor,
The foolishness with the proposed swimming pool has bothered me for months. Thanks to the efforts of many people, we are finally getting more information. I have a problem with the pool as proposed by the Town. As a person who swam regularly for 40 years and in many pools, I question the need for a lazy river. For the amount they are used in most pools, why install something that adds to the cost of building and operation? As a senior seeing the cost of everything rising and pension losing ground, a huge increase in taxes will drive many of us from our homes.
Many talk about advantages without worrying about the end costs. With an average 1,200 square foot home we will be paying an approximate additional $500 per year to pay the capital and operating costs of the proposed pool. We need a swimming pool and for a small town with no large industry to pay the bills, I think we need to use common sense and build within our means.
Since it is very difficult to find the separate costs of operation for a lazy river from other towns, I am giving my best estimate. I think that the lazy river will add about 25% to the cost of building and operation. So when we use the basic pool we would pay about $6 admittance fee, and $8 with a lazy river added and that only covers half the costs of operation. So you see, not only are we faced with a large tax increase by adding the lazy river, we will have to pay more each time we swim.
All this delay was totally the Town Council and Administrator’s doing. Instead of the question of borrowing up to $7 million asked at our last municipal election (which they tell us was not binding), why did they not ask the simple question; basic pool or one with extras like the lazy river? Please give this some thought and voice your opinion at the sessions.
Bob Lee
