City staff gave a detailed presentation Aug. 4 on the condition, operating costs and capital needs for the Kittitas Valley Memorial Pool and discussed options for near‑term repairs while the city considers long‑term solutions.

City Manager Heidi Baron and Finance Director Jerica Pascoe summarized the facility’s revenue and expense profile: pool user fees bring in roughly $260,000 annually (about a 22% cost‑recovery rate), while staffing, energy and maintenance drive much higher operating costs. Pascoe said debt service payments on prior pool‑related bonds are about $186,000 annually. She urged treating any 2025 sales‑tax windfalls as one‑time funds rather than recurring revenue.

Parks and Recreation Director Brad Case and Aquatics Supervisor Jody Hochter described operational pressures: the pool is open about 91.5 hours per week, served roughly 51,000 visits in the prior year, and requires continuous ventilation, heating and water‑chemistry management. Case said much of the daily maintenance falls to a small full‑time staff and a 40–45 person part‑time lifeguard and program roster.

Baron and staff highlighted roof and mechanical systems as the most urgent capital needs. Staff reported that the pool’s original flat single‑ply roof over the locker rooms and offices is failing and that the sloped cedar‑shake roof over the pool structure is at end of life. An engineering study (2018) and recent inspections showed the sloped roof’s underlying structure and roofing materials have reached replacement threshold, and staff described difficulties patching the cedar shingles as a long‑term solution.

Estimated near‑term costs and notes provided in the presentation:
- Flat roof and HVAC work were funded and contracts awarded at the Aug. 4 meeting (council approved procurement to proceed for those items).
- A full sloped‑roof replacement and associated design was estimated in staff materials at about $535,000 (including roughly $35,000 for design); staff cautioned actual costs could vary based on final design and prevailing wages.
- Replacement of the larger pool dehumidification (PDH) and mechanical systems was discussed with an estimate on the order of $250,000.

City staff framed the choices as balancing continued maintenance of the existing facility against planning, funding and building a replacement facility that would better meet community needs. Baron told the council that previous city discussions about a new field house and other recreation priorities, insurance settlements and prior capital projects have consumed staff time and funds; the city in 2023 created a General Facilities Fund to begin saving for facility repairs and replacement.

Public comment at the meeting strongly urged the city to preserve and maintain the pool as an essential public‑safety and community asset. Speakers included parents, swim coaches and residents who cited drowning statistics, youth athletic opportunities and rehabilitation and senior‑fitness programs as reasons to keep a year‑round public pool in service. Multiple commenters asked the city to pursue state capital funds and countywide partnerships.

Staff said next steps include completing design work for the flat roof and HVAC, pursuing engineering analysis and cost estimates for any sloped‑roof replacement and continuing the parks and open‑space planning and funding conversations (including potential public‑facilities or parks‑district options) that could support long‑term replacement.