MEMS pool set to reopen to the public

July 11--Flagstaff residents will get their first chance to take a dip in the reopened Mount Elden Middle School swimming pool this weekend.

The Flagstaff YMCA will hold a Pool Grand Opening celebration from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the MEMS pool parking lot at 3223 N. Fourth St.

The free event will include games, raffles, a bounce house, food and, of course, swimming. Attendees do not have to be YMCA members to join in the fun.

The pool will open for regular use July 19.

The YMCA stepped in earlier this year after Flagstaff Unified School District announced in January that it would have to get rid of the pool at MEMS and re-purpose the space unless it found a community partner that could pick up part of the $140,000 to $200,000 it would cost each year to run the pool, including utilities, maintenance and chemicals.

"It will allow us to operate the pool on behalf of our members and, in general, on behalf of the public in the city of Flagstaff," said Jim Diaz, vice president of marketing for Valley of the Sun YMCA.

YMCA officials have been negotiating with FUSD for the past four months to work out the details of the partnership.

"This lease has been to the attorneys on both sides and they got it worked out," said FUSD Assistant Superintendent Robert Kuhn at the district's Governing Board most recent meeting.

Kuhn announced Tuesday that the repairs to the pool and locker rooms were complete. The district's Governing Board then approved a one-year lease with the Flagstaff YMCA for maintenance, operation and use of the pool, with the option to renew annually for four more years. Under the lease, the YMCA will pay the school district $5,000 per month in exchange for using the pool.

The deal will allow the YMCA to have control of the pool area from 5 a.m. until 10 p.m. every day during the summer. Current YMCA members can upgrade their memberships to have unlimited use of the MEMS pool for an extra $10 per month.

Non-members and members who only want to use the pool every once in a while can also use the pool, but they will have to pay the YMCA$3 per person per day. They will be able to pay when they get there.

"We're going to arrange for you to be able to go straight there so people can go ahead and use the pool without having to stop at the YMCA first," Diaz said.

During the school year, things will change a little bit. Instead of unlimited access, YMCA will only be able to use the pool during the school day on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. It will be reserved for MEMS students on Mondays and Tuesdays. Plus, MEMS P.E. teachers will be able to schedule time in advance to use the pool during YMCA hours, if necessary.

FUSD officials have made arrangements to ensure members of the public will not be able to enter any part of the school where students will be present during the school day.

The doors that lead to the rest of the school will be locked during YMCA hours, and swimmers will only be allowed to use two locker rooms during the school year.

YMCA members will have to enter the pool from the pool parking lot using a key code at a set of west-facing doors. But they will not be able to get past the entryway and into the pool area unless a lifeguard is present. The YMCA will also help provide lifeguards to watch the MEMS students.

"Safety is the highest priority for us when we get people into the pool," Diaz said.

The pool at MEMS was open to students and the public for around 30 years before it became too expensive for FUSD to operate in the 1990s. The city of Flagstaff helped pay the costs of operation for around a decade, but when the Aquaplex opened nearby in 2007, FUSD had to shut down the MEMS pool.

Eastside business owners rallied around the pool earlier this year after the FUSD Governing Board announced that it was considering filling it in so the 8,000-square-foot building could be used as classroom space. Kuhn estimated it would cost around $80,000 to bring the pool back into operation. FUSD paid for it with funds from the its Bond Program For Design, Maintenance and Construction.

Under the lease, FUSD will be responsible for all routine maintenance to the pool and locker room area, including providing pool chemicals and equipment; maintaining heating, filtration and circulating equipment for the pool; providing all custodial and rest room supplies; and maintaining the pool area's heating and ventilation systems. Any repairs will be carried out by the district, which has the option to bill the YMCA where appropriate.

The YMCA will be responsible for maintaining security to ensure no one using the pool is able to access the rest of the school. It will also be responsible for providing its own lifesaving equipment, office supplies and maintenance materials. The YMCA must provide properly certified lifeguards and swim instructors, and maintain a ratio of one lifeguard or swim instructor to every 12 swimmers. The YMCA must also have its own insurance policy that includes coverage for the school district.

Diaz said it was a good deal for Flagstaff residents.

"It's kind of a win-win," Diaz said. "It allows us to use a community asset that's already there and it allows us to use an indoor pool so swimming can become a year-round activity."

Diaz said YMCA officials are working out the details regarding the classes they will offer at the MEMS pool, but he said free swim, water aerobics, and swimming lessons for adults and children will most likely be available. The YMCA will also offer financial assistance for anyone who wants to take swimming lessons but can not afford them. Diaz said anyone who wants to donate to the nonprofit organization's financial assistance program can stop by the Flagstaff Family YMCA at 1001 N. Turquoise Drive or call (928) 556-9622.

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