Since 1985, Council has periodically addressed community interest in expanding adult swim opportunities. Most recently, in 1998, Council authorized a pilot program to expand opportunities through operational means involving year-round operation of Lakewood Park’s Pool, improved maintenance and increased marketing efforts. This report provides staff’s evaluation of the pilot project. Alternative actions are listed for Council’s consideration. Staff encourages continued emphasis on swim facility maintenance issues and consistency in swim program scheduling, but does not recommend continuation of the pilot Lakewood Pool project. The Parks and Recreation Commission, at its June 23, 1999, meeting recommended these same actions (please see Attachment A- Excerpt from the June 23, 1999, Unapproved Minutes of the Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting).

This report provides staff’s evaluation of a pilot program to expand adult swim opportunities. In July of 1997, in response to a request from the public, Council initiated a two year pilot program involving opening Lakewood Park Pool on a year round basis, improving the maintenance of swim facilities and increasing operational efforts towards marketing adult swim programs. While adult swim advocates expressed interest in expanding instructional and water exercise classes and rental for SCUBA or Masters swimming, their primary focus was on providing a consistent, year round mid-day lap swim program and improving the condition of swim facilities. Staff’s evaluation concludes that:

Staff recommends continued attention to facility maintenance and consistency in program scheduling as the overall Aquatics budget and program schedules permit, but does not recommend continuation of the pilot Lakewood Pool project.

The Parks and Recreation Commission, at its June 23, 1999, meeting recommended these same actions, (please see Attachment A - Excerpt from the June 23, 1999, Unapproved Minutes of the Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting).

Extensive efforts were made to notify the public of the adult swim program at Lakewood Park Pool. Please see "promotional efforts" (No. 3-a.) on page 7.

Staff worked with the Adult Swim Advisory Group (ASAG) on the implementation and evaluation phase of the Lakewood Park Pool pilot project. (Please see Attachment B – Adult Swim Advisory Group Evaluation.)

Notification of the adult swim issue as an agenda item for both Commission and Council was given to both the Sunnyvale Sun, KSUN and was added to the City’s Internet web page.

This report is also available on the City’s Internet home page and at the Library, Parks Division Office, Community Center and Senior Center.

Staff recommends continued attention to facility maintenance and consistency in program scheduling as the overall Aquatics budget and program schedules permit, but does not recommend continuation of the pilot Lakewood Pool project.

The Parks and Recreation Commission, at its June 23, 1999, meeting recommended these same actions (please see Attachment A – Excerpt from the June 23, 1999, Unapproved Minutes of the Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting).

In 1985, a Report to Mayor and Council was prepared in response to a petition requesting Washington Park Pool be opened for noontime lap swimming during the winter months. The Parks and Recreation Commission supported an attempt to offer a year-round adult lap swim program based on sufficient numbers of participants pre-registering for the program, to cover the additional cost. Adult swim advocates expressed doubt that enough people would register. Council chose not to consider expanding adult swimming due to the projected increase in general fund subsidy needed for the program.

On April 12, 1995, the Parks and Recreation Commission heard testimony from individuals on this same subject. Several residents expressed their desire for the City to provide expanded adult swim programming, in particular to include a daytime lap swim option during the fall, winter and spring months in the southern and/or central section of Sunnyvale.

In June of 1995, the issue of expanding and enhancing adult swim programming was again raised, during the public participation process for Washington Park's Master Plan. While the park renovation addressed certain physical improvements to the pool facilities (eg. Locker room upgrades), no major pool design or programmatic changes were made

On August 2, 1995, Parks and Recreation Commissioners toured the five swim facilities used by the City and then discussed opportunities for increasing adult swim programs on a year-round basis. Commission deemed no further action to be necessary.

At the October 11, 1995, Parks and Recreation Commission meeting, another petition requesting that Sunnyvale’s adult swim program be expanded was submitted. The Commission recommended the issue be addressed through operational means.

In December 1995, Council initiated a study issue on expanding adult swim opportunities. The alternative chosen for the study involved construction of a separate shower/locker facility at the Sunnyvale Middle School Pool, which would enable expanded use of that pool and provide an improved level of maintenance for the shower/locker room. The report on this option was presented to Council on October 29, 1996, (96-418). An architectural consultant estimated the cost for such a facility to be $441,329. At that time, Council chose not to pursue this option and directed staff to investigate operational means of expanding adult swim opportunities and report back to Council on their findings.

On July 29, 1997, staff presented various alternatives to Council regarding operational means of expanding adult swim opportunities (97-324). Following public testimony, Council directed staff to open Lakewood Park Pool year round for a two year period, make improvements to housekeeping and maintenance related to swim facilities for which the City is responsible, and increase operational efforts directed toward marketing adult swim opportunities in Sunnyvale. The pilot program began in mid August of 1997.

The following Recreation Sub-Element policies and action statements support the current two-year pilot project:

Action Statement

Action Statement

At issue has been the desire by some local swimmers to expand adult swim opportunities. They have suggested this can be accomplished through improved maintenance, increased marketing of programs to help attract adult swimmers and consistent scheduling of the adult lap swim hours and location. The existing citywide adult swim program consists of; lap swimming, instructional and water exercise classes and rental for SCUBA programs. While adult swim advocates expressed interest in expanding each of these program areas, their central focus was on the lap swim program and establishing a year round mid-day lap swim session and maintaining a consistent schedule (of both location and time) for all lap swim sessions. The lap swim program has multiple sessions at several different pools (please see Attachment C - Current Lap Swim Schedules and Map of Area Programs) for specific times and locations.

In July 1997, Council directed staff to do the following:

To accomplish those goals, staff initiated the following actions:

1. Increased programming was implemented at Lakewood Park Pool beginning in mid-August 1997. The programs have been in continuous operation since opening and have included:

1. An additional mid-day Adult Lap Swim session has been consistently held, on a year-round basis, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 11:45am to 1:30pm. This schedule was based on input from participant focus meetings, the Adult Swim Advisory Group and other public comments. The consistent location and time was considered by the Adult Swim Advisory Group to be of primary importance to improving the service level for adult swimming.
2. Additionally, at the request of the Adult Swim Advisory Group, water exercise classes have been offered at various times.
3. A contract was initiated for use of Lakewood Park Pool on Wednesday evenings for private SCUBA lessons.

2. Based on public input and staff observations, housekeeping and maintenance improvements were primarily directed toward locker/shower facilities.

3. To increase marketing of adult swim opportunities in Sunnyvale, and in addition to normal City promotional efforts, the following actions were taken:

a. Promotional efforts for pilot program at Lakewood Park Pool.

• Schedule, fees and additional class information sent to San Miguel Neighborhood Association to be included in their newsletter (9/97).
• Schedule, fees and additional class information provided to Lakewood Village Neighborhood Association (LVNA) for inclusion in newsletters (9/97, 12/97, 3/98, and 11/98).
• Public Service Announcement on KGO-TV (2/98).
• Schedule, fees, location and additional class information submitted to "San Francisco City Search" on-line (2/98).
• Information broadcast on KSUN cable channel (continuously since 9/97).
• Schedule posted at Lakewood Park Pool and other City lap swim sites (continuously since 9/97).
• Information displayed on City web page (continuously since 9/97).
• Information published in City employee newsletter "The Harbinger" (3/97).
• Information submitted to "Swimmer’s Guide On-Line" web site (8/97).
• Program fliers provided at Well’s Fargo Community Faire and Lockheed Martin Fitness Faire.
• Information available at all citywide special events.
• Press release sent to The Sunnyvale Sun (9/97).
• Schedule sent to all lap swimmers on mailing list (quarterly).
• Informational fliers available at Sunnyvale Senior Center (9/97).
• Articles published in The Sunnyvale Sun (10/22/97).
• Informational fliers provided to Lakewood Village Neighborhood Association (LVNA) for distribution with the LVNA Newsletter (6/98).
• Lap swim schedule provided to NyQuist Aquatics retail store (6/98).
• Informational fliers mailed to fitness departments of AMD and Lockheed Martin.
• Over the past two years, staff and Adult Swim Advisory Group members made contact with numerous groups and businesses in an attempt to locate additional user groups for the Lakewood Pool year-round operation. These groups included; adult masters swim clubs (Mountain View, Lynbrook and Santa Clara), youth swim clubs (Laurelwood Cabana Club Youth Swim Team, Morgan Hill Youth Swim Team and Sunnyvale Youth Swim Team), the Bay Area Swim School, various local companies and local private SCUBA lesson providers.

Evaluation of the two year Lakewood Park Pool program is the main purpose of this report. To provide consistency with current outcome service and related measures, the pilot program has been evaluated through participation levels and fiscal impact. Intangible results, although difficult to measure and quantify, were also considered.

Participation levels of the Pilot Program included the following:

• For citywide adult swim sessions at all pools, attendance figures show an annual increase from Fiscal Year 1996/97 to the first year of the Pilot Program (Fiscal Year 1997/98) of approximately 1,580 overall swim visits.
• The Lakewood Park Pool pilot program showed an annual total of 2,107 swim visits, serving approximately 150 unduplicated swimmers, for Fiscal Year 1997/98.
• The average number of daily swimmers for the Lakewood Park Pool pilot program ranges from 12 to 24 people.
• As of the time this report was written, the projected 1998/99 Fiscal Year end figures are expected to show approximately 2,663 total swim visits for 188 unduplicated swimmers.
• Accurate analysis of these swim attendance figures is complicated because the pilot program figures include both new swimmer attendance and those swimmers transferring from previously existing City-offered swim sessions. It is also difficult to track the number of individuals who swim only at Lakewood Park Pool opposed to those who swim at multiple locations. Analysis is further complicated by the closure of Washington Pool during scheduled park renovation work. This closure, occurring when Lakewood Park Pool first opened, forced an unknown number of swimmers to choose other options, including participation in the newly opened Lakewood Park Pool pilot program.

Please see Attachment D - Attendance Figures for Lap Swim Program.

• Fourteen (14) water exercise classes were offered at various times throughout the year. Thirteen (13) of these classes were canceled due to low enrollment (10 had zero registrations).

• Of the multiple contacts made with groups and businesses potentially interested in using Lakewood Park Pool (please see listing on page 6), only one, a private SCUBA provider, is currently providing a program at Lakewood Park Pool.

Annual Program Costs:

Note: Costs figures include only those direct program costs that would be added if Lakewood Park Pool continues to be opened on a year-round basis. Some additional expenses such as collateral support and replacement costs for pool blankets, heaters and other equipment are not included.

Although extremely difficult to quantify or assess, intangible results were also considered by staff prior to making final recommendations to Council. Examples of intangible results considered include; improved physical and mental health of participants, increased staff and programming presence in the Lakewood neighborhood, additional wear on facility/equipment and increased City liability exposure.

The Adult Swim Advisory Group met several times to discuss and subsequently evaluate the Lakewood Park Pool Pilot Program (please see Attachment B- Adult Swim Advisory Group Evaluation). The Group commended the City relative to its communication with the group, as well as its efforts directed toward improved maintenance of facilities and public notification of the Pilot Program. However, they also acknowledged that for a variety of reasons the Lakewood Pilot Program did not meet the real needs of the Group and that nothing short of a new larger pool planned for public usage and located near the geographic center of the community was likely to do so. All factors considered, the Group reluctantly recommended that the Pilot Program be discontinued, but expressed its high hopes that the City would find a way to build a new pool in the near future.

1. Facility Improvements.

Significant efforts were extended toward improvements in the physical condition and on-going maintenance of the swim facilities (locker/shower rooms). Improvements were warranted and have been well received by the swimming public; however, the effect of those improvements on the ability to attract additional adult swimmers to the Lakewood Pilot Program appears to have been neutral.

2. Increased Programs.

Lap Swim programs were conducted during times considered by the Adult Swim Advisory Group to be in demand. Attendance figures tend to indicate low public interest or an unwillingness to participate during the scheduled times or at the scheduled facilities. In light of the low response rates, it is reasonable to conclude that providing a year round operation of Lakewood Park Pool will have little success of attracting other user groups in the future.

3. Increased Marketing.

The marketing efforts made for the pilot programs well exceeded the level provided for other swimming or Leisure Services programs. Staff considers the marketing efforts to have been more than sufficient to attract participants potentially interested in the type of activities available and/or the facility provided.

4. Overall.

Facility maintenance and an emphasis toward consistency in program scheduling should continue to be considered and implemented as the overall Aquatics budget and program schedules permit.

Considerable efforts were directed toward making improvements to the swim facilities, offering additional programs and increasing the amount of marketing. Given the relatively low level of public response to the pilot program, staff concludes that the resources and effort necessary to maintain the year round operation of Lakewood Park Pool are excessive. Additionally, there exist several other options for adult swimmers to participate in lap swimming in Sunnyvale and surrounding communities (please see Attachment C - Current Lap Swim Schedule and Map of Area Programs for listing of other adult swim opportunities provided by the City of Sunnyvale and other surrounding agencies).

In staff’s previous Report to Council on development of policy framework and revenue to expense ratios (December 8, 1998) it was stated that if the entire adult aquatics program were eliminated there could be a savings of $50,000 to the General Fund. The Adult Swim Advisory Group asked whether this calculation included consideration of the Lakewood pilot program’s fiscal impact. That estimate did include the original budget for the Lakewood Pilot Project. Without the Lakewood Pilot Program and only considering those costs that would be truly eliminated if the adult swim program were discontinued, the City’s current subsidy for the adult aquatics program is estimated to be $3,708.

The pilot project involved elements, whereby City staff was to increase efforts in the areas of programming additional adult swim activities, marketing of those programs and improving the overall maintenance of the adult swim facilities. The significant efforts expended in these areas by staff and the Adult Swim Advisory Group have resulted in minimal benefit to the community. Staff’s recommendation also takes into account the fact that the City has limited funds remaining to deal with issues or assumptions related to service expansion, and that there exists a host of potential service level expansions vying for that same limited funding. They include: the consideration of a skateboard park; an indoor climbing wall; a possible joint pool partnership with the FUHSD; the possible development of pocket parks along PG&E right of ways; the consideration of discounted golf fees for senior residents; the consideration of park enforcement issues; the feasibility of providing bocce courts; and the potential for a sports complex at Peterson/Patrick Henry School sites. Given the service level currently available to adult swimmers (please see Attachment C – Current Lap Swim Schedule and Map of Area Programs) and the community’s demand for the City’s limited resources, it seems prudent to discontinue the pilot program.

Extensive efforts were made to notify the public of the adult swim program at Lakewood Park Pool. Please see "promotional efforts" on page 6.

Staff worked with the Adult Swim Advisory Group on the implementation and evaluation phase of this project.

Notification of the adult swim issue as an agenda item for both Commission and Council was made in the Sunnyvale Sun, on KSUN and on the City’s Internet web page.

This report is also available on the City’s Internet home page, and at the Library, Parks Division Office, Community Center and Senior Center.

The Parks and Recreation Commission, at its June 23, 1999, meeting recommended Nos. 2 and 3: Continued attention to facility maintenance and consistency in program scheduling as the overall Aquatics budget and program schedules permit; and Discontinue the pilot program at Lakewood Park Pool (please see Attachment A - Excerpt from the June 23, 1999, Unapproved Minutes of the Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting).

Staff also recommends Alternatives Nos. 2 and 3.

Prepared by:

John Lawrence
Leisure Services Manager

Reviewed by:

Mary Bradley
Director, Finance Department

Reviewed by:

Robert A. Walker, Director
Parks and Recreation Department

Approved by:

Robert S. LaSala
City Manager