Creston City Council won’t pay for pool

After multiple comments from the audience, letters in support and a petition asking Creston City Council to abandon the proposed McKinley pool project, council unanimously approved the latter during their regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday.

“I think we should respect MPAC’s wishes of what they asked us earlier and not call for a special election,” said council member Matt Levine. Terry Freeman second the motion which led to the vote to abandon the request. No council member publicly offered any explanation for their vote.

City Clerk Lisa Williamson and Mayor Gabe Carroll said the city received a valid petition at about 11 a.m. Monday with 209 signatures stating council to consider the options of abandoning by not taking any action on the contribution request or placing it on the November ballot. After the meeting, city officials could not specify who created or submitted the petition since multiple people were involved with leaving it at city hall.

The McKinley Park Aquatic Center committee had asked city council last month $487,000 to fund certain improvements to the pool as part of phase one of the project. The amount requested would not require a special election. MPAC members have raised 73% of the estimated cost. City of Creston and Union County contributions would also complement matching-grant applications. Council initially did not approve a public hearing on the matter, but reconsidered and scheduled one Tuesday.

Sam Baird, an MPAC committee member, said she was informed of the petition Monday. She does not want the project to be voted on by the people. The pool project was defeated by the voters in 2019 as it was one of three items on a ballot. Improvements to McKinley Lake and the library were also sent to a vote in 2019.

“It was never the intention to be on the ballot,’ she said about this year’s effort to avoid a repeat of 2019 and hurt the other projects. Baird claimed it was more cost effective to not be on a special-election ballot.

“We raised over $2 million to put back into this community and I can’t believe there is such support out there to turn that kind of money down. It’s like cutting off your nose to spite your face,” she said.

The lake improvements will be on the November ballot, and she said she in favor of that work.

Alisha Stehr said she supports the pool project and has lived in Creston since 2009. After her second child, she eventually realized the challenge of having two children of different ages with different swimming skills and interests at the Creston pool.

“One child wanted to be in a little bit deeper and the other in shallow water,” she said.

She has taken her children to Corning’s pool which she said has more convenient pool features in a more family-friendly environment. As her children have aged they still use the Creston pool, “But on (my) days off them wanting to venture off with to pools with lazy rivers, with more exciting water slides, high dives and other features our pool just doesn’t offer, again taking us out of town. The city needs to show its ownership.”

Several comments from audience members referred to using pools in Corning and Winterset for a better experience.

Kathryn Ralston encouraged council to make the contribution to the pool. Although her children suggested using pools in other towns because of friend’s suggestions, she resisted in support of Creston. She did say she has changed and has since visited other town’s pools since she was one of the few Creston families at the pool.

“We like to support local,” she said about she and her husband. ‘We have given time and resources to many projects including this one.”

Ralston said the pool planning considered convenience for those with mobility issues.

“They have a really hard time entering the pool,” she said about.

Ralston said the pool needs a family entrance where people who need assistance can appropriately enter with a family member rather than be forced to go through one of the gender changing rooms by themselves.

“If they are not able to enter independently the pool itself, it’s also challenge,” she said.

Ralston said she feels like the amenities in Creston “are disappearing.”

“It’s crucial the city invest in this project,” she said.

Calie Worlisek was one of the rare comments against the project, but for different reasons than financing. Staffing the pool is her concern. She is a former pool manager and has noticed lifeguards with certified training are taking higher-paying jobs elsewhere.

“We need staffing,” she said.

She claims Creston lifeguards are not compensated for their required courses. Guard training can cost more than $150 over a 28-hour course.

“The city doesn’t help reimburse those so that’s coming out of their pockets,” she said. “It’s hard to keep staff.”

“We can’t pay them,” she said. She claimed Ames pays up to $13 an hour with incentives to return.

She said the new proposed pool features require additional training for guards.

“With this new pool they have to have an extra certification,” she said about the aquatic center label. ‘It’s coming out of their pocket. It’s not fair to them.”

She said a water heater would benefit morning swimming lesson students. Guard stands needs to be secured in the floor with concrete, claiming how every time a person leaves the stand it weakens eventually causing a potential fall.

“It’s not safe for us. Some of the equipment at the pool needs updated,” she said.

“I’ve been to the park and rec boad and I have talked about these things. What they are doing is awesome, i just don’t agree with it,” she said about the committee’s motives.

But she also questioned the committee’s integrity.

“I don’t see these committee members coming to our pool. If you are going to fundraising for something, at least come support us with what we have. Don’t go out there and spend your money elsewhere. Show us that you want to stay in this community by coming to our pool.”

Jeremy Rounds, who is working on the fundraising for the pool, said a better facility will attract more people to work.

Union County Development Association Executive Director Wayne Pantini said the pool has not had any significant maintenance in 25 years.

“It will need significant reinvestment to remain a viable community asset. Without that reinvestment, city annual’s operations and maintenance costs will eventually increase exponentially. The time for that reinvestment is now. It is the fiscally responsible thing to figure out how to fund that 26 percent,” he said.

Creston Parks and Recreation Board member John Kawa said he supports the pool project and added the city has a great deal knowing about three-fourths of the project cost has been acquired. “The pool committee has worked very hard to get to this point,” he said.

Kawa said MPAC’s request is justified.

“Creston would pay 25 cents on the dollar. I don’t what the hell you’re going to get than a better deal than that,” he said. “If we allow a petition to run our council then petitions could become a common thing. I think this is a chicken (expletive) way to prevent progress.”