During her four-month, door-to-door campaign for mayor, Slamka said Middletown residents told her a swimming facility was one of their top priorities.
Middletown’s two public swimming pools, Sunset and Douglass, closed many years ago due to escalating operating costs.
Slamka told the Journal-News after the meeting she wants the two groups to make presentations so council can compare “side-by-side” to determine whether the city should offer financial support.
The work session will “start the conversation” to see if an aquatic center is feasible, she said.
Late in 2022, City Council, with only member Zack Ferrell returning this year, heard presentations from a grassroots organization that said it could raise the estimated $4.2 million to build SplashDown Middletown Water Park, and from representatives from the Atrium Family YMCA who were interested in partnering with the city to build an aquatic park at the YMCA in the East End.
In the YMCA plan presented by YMCA’s Tyler Roberts, the city would pay for building the aquatic center, estimated at $2.3 million to $3.7 million at the time, and the YMCA would cover the operating costs, estimated at $200,000 to $350,000 a year.
Nicole Condrey, then mayor, said the return on investment wasn’t there, and she’d rather the city spread the money across all of its parks instead of a water park that would operate four months a year.
At the time, it appeared council was split supporting an aquatic center, and the five members never voted on any legislation, so the proposals died.
Now the new council — Slamka, Ferrell, Jennifer Carter, Paul Horn and Steve West II — will hear from those same representatives during a work session on Jan. 9.
In November 2022, six board members of the SplashDown Middletown Water Park spoke during the citizens comment portion of the council meeting. Merrell Wood, executive director of SplashDown, addressed the council along with Adriane Scherrer, Jim Stiver, Marcia Andrews, Paul Gomia and Dora Bronston.
Scherrer, treasurer of Slamka’s campaign for mayor, said Middletown’s aquatic center comes with an estimated $4.2 million price tag she believed could be raised, if the board got approval from the city.
The water park board wanted the city to pay for a feasibility study, and if it received a positive response, as the board believed, fundraising could begin.
Even more important than money, board members said, a water park would improve the quality of life for Middletown residents and those from surrounding communities; provide a safe activity for children during the summer; give residents an opportunity to take swimming lessons; and attract more families and businesses to the area.
HOW TO GO
WHAT: City Council special work session to discuss aquatic feature
WHEN: 6 p.m. Jan. 9
WHERE: City Council Chambers, City Building, 1 Donham Plaza
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