By Susan Bromley

Staff Writer

Brandon Twp.– Local swimmers are fishing for answers about their future in the Brandon pool.

Aquatic and Fitness Center users voiced their concerns about possible changes in hours and cost to use the pool at an April 27 special meeting.

On the agenda was a contract with Aqua Club for management of the aquatic and fitness center.

“I’ve been a taxpayer here since 1975 and I’ve used the aquatics center for the last seven years,” said Larry Westphal, who also read from archived newspapers regarding the 1996 millage that was passed to build the aquatics and fitness center and touted the facility as a “community” pool. “Class sizes have been going down, whether it’s a lack of enthusiasm, direction, I’ve watched it crash. I use it five days a week and I’ve seen a decline in maintenance.”

Superintendent Matt Outlaw responded that those complaints have been heard, which is what brought the board to consider a proposal by Nim Shapira, owner of Aqua Club, to manage operations of the Brandon Aquatics and Fitness Center.

In February, the board was discussing changes to the Aquatics Center and posted a position seeking a community education director in anticipation of Donna Wagner’s retirement at the end of the school year. However, only five applications were received, and none with the stringent qualifications necessary to oversee pool operations. In March, Jan Meek, executive director of business services, was approved by the board to take over as community education director, but a pool manager was needed. Wagner resigned suddenly without warning, leaving the district with a staffing crisis.

In researching what other districts with pools were doing to manage their aquatic facilities, Meek learned that both Oxford and Clarkston use the services of Aqua Club, a swim school and swim club.

At a special meeting April 17 prior to the regular school board meeting, Shapira, a two-time Olympic swimmer and NCAA Division One champion, made a presentation offering Aqua Club’s services in managing the Brandon Aquatics and Fitness Center. Aqua Club has 50 employees and serves families in not only Oxford and Clarkston, but also West Bloomfield, offering classes for children, as well as safe pool management and oversight of school pools for adult open swim.

In foreshadowing of the current controversy over hours of the pool, Shapira warned the board that while Aqua Club is dedicated to running aquatics in the best way, they “can’t make everyone happy.”

“Our job is to manage the pool and make it better on the school,” he said. “The major issue is your pool is open all the time.”

Under his management, open swim will have more limited hours than the current eight hours daily during the week from 6 a.m.-noon and 6 p.m.-8 p.m. and the additional Saturday hours of 7 a.m.-noon and 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The senior citizen morning swim classes will be retained and there will be continue to be open swim without a membership price change, Outlaw emphasized. At the same time, under the proposed Aqua Club contract, costs to the district decrease with increased memberships. Currently, the aquatics center has 42 memberships. Shapira is confident he will increase the memberships and has proposed that if the center has under 100 memberships, the cost to the district for having Aqua Club manage the pool will be $40,000 annually. If the aquatics center reaches 175 memberships, the district will not be charged for pool management. Under the contract, Aqua Club will collect the revenue from membership fees and classes. The district will continue to be responsible for pool maintenance, repairs, etc.

Outlaw said pool revenue last year totaled $41,399, income from membership and class fees. Staffing costs were $113,209 and do not include all other maintenance costs.

“Pools are extremely expensive,” he said. “There is a considerable cost to the district annually to maintain a community pool. It has value, but it is very costly. We have to be as fiscally responsible as possible… The hope is to increase the quality in programs. Aqua Club offers something we can’t find on our own— expert management of that facility that we really need and we do save money. We are able to significantly improve programming for a lower cost.”

Many users of the aquatics center shared with the board how much they value the pool.

“I depend on two or three swims per week to keep me going,” said Lois Robbins, 87. “If I can’t swim, I’m going to go downhill quickly.”

Suzy Fluck said she knows several people who swim in the pool to alleviate or improve multiple health issues, including diabetes, knee and hip issues, Alzheimer’s Disease and more.

Most of those who spoke requested the board table the contract and research other options.

In the end, Board President Kevin McClellan agreed the board would table the contract for two weeks, with a caveat: “You guys come up with a counter proposal and present it to us.”

Lynne Schank, a retired Brandon teacher, said Outlaw had asked her to be a liaison for the seniors and she and other aquatics center users met with him Thursday morning and had plans to meet again May 12.

Michelle Ervin, who does not have a aquatics center membership, but pays a fee to swim at the pool twice a week, said she was trying to coordinate a proposal from community members.

“Changes definitely needed to be made, but I want to make sure we don’t make a change just to change,” she said. “I am doing my best to put together a business proposal within the time they’ve given us. None of us want the pool closed or to see it fail. They can do better with AquaClub. Those other districts, they make money in their relationship with Aqua Club. This contract is not a good contract. This has been tumultuous, pretty emotional, but in the end, everyone comes out better— the school, taxpayers and patrons of this pool, because of this turmoil. Better hours and the district making out better financially, those are the two things I hope come out of this.”

Outlaw said the community members have until May 11 to submit a pool proposal under which a “highly qualified expert operates the pool, as well as offer a schedule,” via e-mail. The school board will discuss the topic of the pool during a work session planned for 5:30 p.m., May 15, at ITEC, 609 S. Ortonville Road. The proposed Aqua Club contract is available for viewing by visiting the district website, www.brandonschooldistrict.org, clicking on “Board of Education,” and viewing agenda minutes from the April 27 meeting.