City Council Gets Updates on Recycling, Street Paving, Community Pool

SUMMARY

Operating the Piedmont Community Pool since the city took it over from the Piedmont Swim Club in 2011 has been a "learning experience," but overall city staff members are pleased with their progress, Recreation Supervisor David Weisgerber told Piedmont City Council members Monday night. (See "Details" below for more information on the pool report.)

Also Monday, the council:

—Learned that the 2013 Paving Project for repair and repaving of city streets came in under budget and was completed three days ahead of schedule. Repaving near Linda and Lake avenues is on hold until EBMUD completes replacement of water lines that are too near the surface — only 8 inches below the subpavement instead of the normal 24 or more inches.

—Asked city staff to notify local businesses that would be affected by changes in recycling regulations mandated by StopWaste.org. Staff members said that since business recycling is available at no charge through Richmond Sanitary Service, they don't expect objections.

—Had no objections to a proposed new fee by StopWaste.org that would finance increased access to recycling of household hazardous waste in Alameda County. The fee of $9 per household would maintain current services and also pay for additional open days at two of the recycling facilities (including one in Oakland) and for 12 hazardous waste recycling events each year in communities that are located at a distance from the permanent facilities.

—In closed session, heard an update from legal counsel on negotiations over a new consent decree between the federal government and the city concerning rehabilitation and replacement of Piedmont's sanitary sewers.

DETAILS

Highlights from Weisgerber's report on the Piedmont Community Pool:

—The pool continues to need a subsidy from the city's General Fund to cover annual operating costs. Unaudited figures show a subsidy of $138,156 for fiscal year 2012-2013 and a projected subsidy of about $160,000 for 2013-2014. (2013-14 expenditures and thus the subsidy may come in lower than the projected figure since the city plans to fill only one of two authorized assistant pool manager positions, Weisgerber said.)

—Revenue is down from the city's first full year of pool operations (fiscal year 2011-2012), but that's at least in part because of an accounting quirk. Because of the timing of the city takeover, 2011-2012 figures actually include about a year and a half's worth of pool pass revenue, Weisgerber said.

—Swimming lessons have shown good growth, in part because the city hired consultants to work with swimming instructors to provide more consistent quality of instruction, Weisgerber said. He said that has led to more repeat customers among parents signing their children up for lessons. Pool staff also changed the schedule to provide more late afternoon and early evening lessons and to start lessons earlier in the spring and continue them longer in late summer. Revenue from swim lessons and swim camp increased 38 percent from 2012 to 2013, Weisgerber said.

—There was significant turnover among seasonal pool pass purchasers from 2012 to 2013. Weisgerber says the most common reason given for not renewing was that the pool was too crowded on the warmest days.

—The city continues to offer free use of the pool to the Piedmont Unified School District for events, school teams and classes, and there is no current plan to change this long-standing policy, Weisgerber said.

—The pool charges the Piedmont Swim Club $6.85 per hour, per lane, well below the going rate in the region, Weisgerber said. 

—Councilmember Garrett Keating asked the staff to consider allowing non-resident lap swimmers more access to the pool for early morning use.

Weisgerber's full report on the community pool is available on the City of Piedmont website here. Staff reports on other issues discussed by the council Monday night are available here.

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