What City Manager Bornstein said at last Tuesday's City Commission Meeting (5/21/13)

City Manager Michael Bornstein continues a discussion about the operation of the beach, the possible opening of the pool, the stresses on staff created by opening the beach and more: This isn't an abnormal situation to work through a business when you first open it. It takes maybe three years, or something, to get it on it's footing. Are we going to abandon the beach project? No. It is part of our DNA. It's the jewel of our park system. Its a reason people move here. But let's be realistic, it's not helping us out any right now. It's a burden to carry. And, oh, by the way, "let's add more cost to it." Because I can tell you, the staffing levels at one time were pre, no, I'll say post-apocalyptic cut to staff that occurred three to four years ago and pre-opening the beach now. And I can tell you, I don't have enough lifeguards. We're barely keeping the place, I can tell you, we're not keeping the place as clean as we should because there is so much traffic and now people are going, "but when we come there in the morning and there is garbage overflowing." People are going in there at night, there is lots of stuff happening in a public facility and again it's not unusual. 
     Everybody had been yelling at poor Terri Neil. "I called up there, I can't get anybody, they never answer the phone." There's one woman up there, originally, that was scheduling events, setting the events, she's up there setting tables up, and doing all these things by herself, and occasionally we were able to throw some staff over. And there was a hundred calls waiting for calls back. All this stuff was unanticipated in the business model. And it got dumped on us. So I'm telling you, I'm saying this, you already know this, you can't just assume, that magically, poof, and everything is going to be wonderful. You need to be realistic. I think we can open the pool. We've already run some numbers. I understand there is a citizen committee and god bless them for stepping up. There are some people who have talked to me. And they are going to look at some options. Maybe we can partnership, we've been talking about some creative ideas. 
     But understand, from what a city owns when it comes to an amenity, parks are your cheapest thing, pick up the garbage, people come and go. Boom. Done. But a facility like an aquatics facility is intensive. And it is an amenity that you will not be able to spend enough, you don't have the money to staff it, to operate it 24/7 to generate all the revenue to pay for itself. And you charge residents a membership fee, whatever they are willing to pay? I can tell you, previously they were making maybe, what $30, $40 thousand return. It's never going to catch up. 
     It's an amenity. We need to recognize it is that. And come up with a plan that works. So that's what we're doing right now. And that's why I have been biting my tongue. I have suffered a lot of insults about about why we are so stupid we can't open a pool. Fact is, it's delusional to not recognize we're in a real bind in the city and we need to be realistic so we don't get in a mess again and work through this. I'm going to be quiet now.
Well said City Manager - and there is more!