At 02:03 PM 3/22/98 -0800, you wrote:
>Dear Marshall,
>
>We are writing to raise concerns about the proposed design and location of
>Moscow=92s new pool.
>
>We=92ve heard two basic arguments in favor of an outdoor pool. First,
>=93Nothing beats swimming outside on a hot day!=94 And second, =93We can=
=92t
>afford an indoor pool.=94
>
>We don=92t dispute the first argument. Swimming outside on a hot day is a
>fine experience. But this isn=92t a hot place! Nine or ten months a year,
>it=92s too cold to swim outside, and some years, even that is wishful
>thinking.
>
>=93But we can=92t afford a year round facility =97 voters won=92t pay the=
extra
>costs,=94 people tell us. We think the City may be taking a narrow view of
>what it means to =93afford=94 a long-term investment.
>
>Please consider both the costs and benefits of the indoor and outdoor
>options, and think about which offers the most value for our investment.=20
>The relative benefits from an indoor and outdoor pool are clear: The
>community gets four times the benefit from an indoor facility that=92s open
>four times as many hours.=20
>
>So how do the costs compare? If the costs of an indoor pool are less than
>four times those of an outdoor pool, the Council should justify why it=92s
>willing to get less value for the investment. Does all this really come
>down to dreamy-eyed folks who just =93love swimming outside on a hot day=94=
?=20
>Please help us understand why we can=92t afford to spend a little more and
>realize a greater proportionate value.
>
>Even if we really understood whether Moscow could afford an indoor
>facility, we=92d still be concerned about the decision making process. =
Yes,
>the design committee has done a good job. Yes, the individuals have been
>generous with their time and energy. But when all is said and done, the
>larger community has been left out of the process. Examples:
>
>First, at the recent City Council meeting, members of both the Council and
>the committee remarked that the majority of people appear to want an
>outdoor pool. On what basis is this statement made? No representative
>sample survey has been done since Ghormley=92s demise. Yes, the design
>committee talked to many people in several different locations, but not to
>a random sample of all Moscow voters. Don=92t mistake this process as one
>that yielded reliable information on which make estimates about the
>opinions of all likely voters.
>Second, we understand the site selection process. At the City Council
>meeting, we learned that more than a dozen sites had been considered but we
>only heard about one. Where are these other sites and why are they
>inferior? In his recent letter to the Daily News editor, Wayne Olson
>raised a legitimate question about the Mountain View and F location. At
>the very least, tell us why his concerns about flooding are unfounded.
>
>And finally, the process with respect to the school district is completely
>obscure to us. What do you make of John Danahy=92s complaint that the=
School
>District=92s position has been misrepresented? Why can=92t the city work=
as a
>partner with the School District? Can=92t we get more value for our
>investment by working together? Might the District have property that
>lends itself to the pool site?
>
>In sum, we are not convinced that an outdoor pool returns the most value to
>the taxpayers. Selecting a pool design, location, and financing plan is a
>complicated, important decision with long term consequences for all Moscow
>citizens. The community simply does not have enough sound information on
>which to base a final decision.
>
>Concrete suggestions for next steps: First, publicize the cost estimates of
>indoor, outdoor, and hybrid options with an insert in the Daily News and/or
>on the Moscow Vision 2020 listserver. This will encourage discussion, and
>in the process, move towards agreement. Second, meet with Jack Hill, and
>allow the public to attend and ask questions. Third, hold a public
>workshop on alternative locations for the pool. Invite people who are
>knowledgeable about the extent and implications of the flood plain.=20
>Finally, if you=92re set on building an outdoor pool, but can leave the=
door
>open to enclosing the facility someday down the road, do it!
>
>
>Sincerely,=20
>Priscilla Salant and Jack Carpenter
>
>
>
Kathleen Kuehn Warren
Assistant Director, Corporate Relations
School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Washington State University
509-335-6456; warren@wsu.edu