Yakima council holds first reading to create aquatics fund; residents press for clarity on pool maintenance money

At the Jan. 21 Yakima City Council meeting, councilmembers held the first reading of an ordinance to establish Special Revenue Fund 133 to collect and spend revenues from a 5% increase in the city’s stormwater fee for aquatics-facility maintenance.

Brent Mahoney, director of finance and budget, told the council the proposal would not affect previously set-aside funds for the Martin Luther King pool or the other two pools and that the 5% increase is intended as a supplemental revenue stream. “This is just the additional 5% of the stormwater phase that we agreed to pull in for aquatics facilities that will be spent by the department based on the needs of the pools over and above what has been already set aside,” Mahoney said.

Two members of the public urged clarity and reassurance about maintenance funding. Dory Peralta Baker, representing the MLK Jr. Aquatic Fundraising Committee, said donors were told ARPA funds had been set aside for pool maintenance for three years and are concerned the city will reallocate those commitments. “The funders were told that that was part of the package,” Baker said, adding she does not want donors’ trust jeopardized.

Resident Esther Healy said she and others were promised the project would be fully funded and that she had not been informed they might need to raise ongoing maintenance money. “We were not told initially in 02/2018 that we would have to raise money or, actually, that there would have to be money raised for maintenance and operations for the pool,” Healy said.

Councilmembers and staff discussed the scale of the funding. Mahoney and others noted the additional 5% of the stormwater fee produces “barely over $200,000 some change annually.” Councilmember Berg said the $719,000 ARPA set-aside for the MLK pool should not be touched and that the city must plan for future operational and repair costs as pools age.

Councilmembers also debated whether to raise admission prices and compared private options such as YMCA fees as a benchmark; the transcript records council discussion of YMCA nonmember daily rates that a councilmember cited in comparison. Councilmember Herrera and staff confirmed operations for Franklin and Lions pools are already budgeted; Mahoney said he would consult maintenance staff for a more detailed estimate of annual shortfalls.

Clerk read the ordinance’s title and purpose at the end of the item: a first reading to establish Special Revenue Fund 133 and specify its revenue sources and authorized expenditures. The council took no action on final adoption on Jan. 21; the ordinance will return for future consideration following the mandated process.

No votes were required at first reading; councilmembers requested more detailed operating estimates and discussion of possible pricing changes before final action.