Fife staff recommend filling defunct aquatic-center hot tub and converting space to storage

Assistant Director Marta Galucius presented the City of Fife City Council with options for the out-of-service hot tub at the Fife Aquatic Center and recommended removing it and converting the space to storage. The hot tub has been out of service since 2019 after leak testing found multiple major leaks, staff said.

Galucius told the council a consultant-based estimate for a full replacement is about $604,870 and that repairing the existing structure was estimated at about $479,870; either option would also require new accessibility and electrical work. Staff estimated annual operating costs for a repaired or replaced hot tub at about $24,645 per year. As an alternative, staff presented a removal-and-fill option with an estimated one-time cost of about $45,000 and said converting the empty space to storage would address current storage shortfalls at the facility.

Why it matters: the pool department said it needs dry, compliant storage for bulky seasonally rented equipment and cannot continue storing gear in electrical or chemical spaces. Council members repeatedly cited the facility’s constrained storage as a pressing operational issue and weighed that operational need against the nearly half-million-dollar capital cost to repair or the roughly $600,000 replacement cost.

Galucius summarized additional cost lines included in the staff analysis: roughly $5,000 per year for staff cleaning time; about $645 per year for water (estimated for ~112,000 gallons annually); chemicals around $2,500 per year; and roughly $11,700 per year in power costs. The staff memo also included an option to install a sauna: capital-plus-design estimates for a traditional sauna package and site work totaled about $281,000; staff noted limited vendor responses and flagged additional HVAC, ventilation and monitoring costs for a sauna as operational drawbacks.

Health, liability and use concerns factored into staff’s recommendation. Staff reported that the local health department said a sauna must close when the pool deck is closed, that ventilation and monitoring are critical to avoid air-quality issues, and that sauna use without showering poses pool contamination risk. The city also sought informal guidance from the Washington Cities Insurance Authority, which recommended following manufacturer guidance and use waivers. Staff also cited a Washington State Occupational Therapy Practice Board summary that described hot tubs and saunas as offering temporary relaxation benefits but not significant long-term rehabilitative outcomes.

Council members expressed mixed feelings but generally favored the fiscally conservative approach. Several members said they value the amenity but that the estimated capital and operating costs—paired with the likelihood of continued staffing and monitoring needs—did not justify the expense now. Council members raised the idea of separate access or fees but agreed the facility’s current layout and shared-access points make tracking and enforcement difficult without dedicated staff. City Manager Derek Matheson said if the council directs staff to proceed with the conversion to storage, staff can include the work in an upcoming quarterly budget amendment.

Staff emphasized the recommendation is driven by financial sustainability and day-to-day operational needs rather than community demand: the department said there is not evidence that restoring a hot tub or adding a sauna would significantly increase visitation or membership.

Galucius closed by offering to answer follow-up questions; council members voiced enough support for staff’s recommendation that the item will be considered for funding as part of a future budget amendment.