Newport Beach expected to pool its resources

Mathis Winkler

NEWPORT BEACH -- It’s almost certain that the heat will stay on.

Capping a controversy before it boiled over, City Manager Homer Bludau

will recommend a $33,760 budget amendment to City Council members Tuesday

to cover additional energy costs to keep swimming pools at Corona del Mar

and Newport Harbor high schools open for the summer.

The move follows a meeting of top city and school district officials

on Wednesday morning to discuss the matter.

“We think it is the right thing to do for the community, regardless of

whether we recoup the costs,” said Councilman John Heffernan, who

attended the meeting. “Newport Beach has a unique relationship to water

recreational activities, and we don’t want to deprive our citizens of use

of the Corona del Mar pool that has been available to them in the past.”

Originally, city officials had planned to squeeze Newport Beach’s

entire summer aquatic program into Newport Harbor High School’s pool

because of the added costs from rising energy prices. As a result of

increased rates, district officials had decided to charge the city about

$422 per day per pool to cover higher heating and filtration costs.

The single-pool proposal had faced criticism from city leaders such as

Mayor Gary Adams, residents, swim instructors and coaches.

Ted Bandaruk, who oversees the city’s aquatic programs at Corona del

Mar High’s pool, had voiced concerns over safety if about 1,400 swimmers

would have to share one pool.

On Wednesday, Bandaruk said he was pleased the city had changed

course.

“I think it’s wonderful news for everybody involved,” he said, adding

that water polo team members and lap swimmers living on the east side of

Newport Bay now won’t have to travel across town to get in the water.

While that might be the case for some, not everyone is going to be

able to save on gas.

Parents who have signed up children for swimming lessons will still

have to drive to Newport Harbor High. City officials said it was simply

too late to reschedule classes, which are set to begin Monday.

Those who have signed up for swimming lesson programs already have to

pay a $10 energy surcharge fee as a result of the extra costs to the

city. But only outside groups will have to pay even more if they want to

use the pool, Bludau said.

Unlike previous years, Corona del Mar High’s pool might also remain

cold for a few weeks in August before school starts again because city

officials decided to pay the higher energy costs for just eight weeks.

Bludau said city officials might revisit that issue later in the

summer.

But as far as Bandaruk’s concerned, what’s proposed now will do.

“We’re out of there anyway,” he said, adding that the junior water

polo team was flying to Hawaii for a competition that will start Aug. 9.

Council members are expected to approve the proposal to keep both

pools open. The money would come from the 2001-02 fiscal year budget,

which will start July 1 and is set for adoption during Tuesday’s meeting.

FYI

The City Council meeting will begin at 7 p.m. Tuesday at City Newport

Beach Hall, 3300 Newport Blvd.