Sunnyside council hears options to reopen pool, market community center as budget gaps loom

City of Sunnyside managers and public works staff told the City Council on the study-session agenda that reopening the Sunnyside pool this spring will require immediate decisions on repairs, staffing and likely temporary revenue measures.

At a study-session presentation, Public Works Director Raul Sanchez summarized a season budget and the repairs needed to make the pool usable. He said seasonal payroll and benefits, chemicals, operations and a set of equipment repairs bring the estimated 2025 cost to about $358,881.74, while fee revenue in 2024 was $67,315.56.

The council heard why some repairs must be ordered quickly and why lifeguard training scheduling requires near-term decisions. Sanchez said, “We have to order it in advance so that we make sure that we gave it enough time for everything to show up and make sure everything's there and have it installed and tested.” City Manager Gonzales and councilors discussed short-term and long-term revenue options to close the gap.

Why it matters: reopening the pool consumes staff time and money and competes with other city priorities. Council members expressed urgency—both to recruit lifeguards before other area pools fill positions and to decide whether to alter hours, staffing or funding approaches so the pool can open on time.

Most important facts - Staff presented a projected season cost of $358,881.74 for operating the pool, including $122,760.48 for seasonal employee wages, $17,069.88 for chemicals and $55,000 for required equipment repairs (filters, chlorine injector pump, vacuum hoses). (Source: Raul Sanchez presentation.) - Revenue for the pool in 2024 was reported as $67,315.56; earlier seasons showed variation (2023 revenue cited at $57,500; 2022 at $66,468). (Source: Raul Sanchez.) - Immediate capital repairs (filters and a chlorine injector pump) were estimated around $55,000 and need to be ordered with lead time to be installed and tested by April. Sanchez said, “the equipment needs to be ordered” to meet the April timeline. - Staff advised scheduling the lifeguard trainer by the end of January so certification can occur before season start. Sanchez said lifeguard certification schedules are set by the trainer and require advance notice.

Funding options discussed - Utility tax increase: Gonzales and staff estimated that each 1% rise in Sunnyside’s utility tax would yield roughly $100,000–$150,000 in general revenue; a 2.5% increase could cover pool costs if council chose that route. Gonzales noted the distribution of the burden would vary by customer usage and urged caution: "it's a tough ask" for residents, he said. - One-time sale of city property: selling the Tucker Sellers parcel was raised as a possibility to produce a lump sum, but Finance Director Debbie Zabel warned the council that relying on one-time proceeds to fund ongoing operations creates structural budget risk. - Grants, donations and partnerships: managers said operational grants are scarce; they described ongoing outreach to nonprofits, grant writers and community donors and noted interest from community partners to explore support. - Revenue-side alternatives: reducing hours or staffing, outsourcing concessions to food vendors, increasing admission or rental fees, or creating a special revenue fund or sunset clause allocating new tax revenues exclusively to pool operations.

Community center: rental approach, marketing and volunteers - Staff reported that the community center’s reservation system and point-of-contact functions have been moved to Public Works while the city addresses staffing gaps. The current fee schedule was shared as a draft; staff recommended marketing and making the application process easier (paper form now, an online one-stop payment system planned). - Rental types include hourly gym/kitchen rentals and full-day events; staff suggested the city should avoid undercutting local private event halls and instead be competitive and complementary. - Councilors and staff discussed outsourcing concessions, using volunteers for cashiering or concession tasks, and more active marketing to Spanish-speaking business owners; Councilor Vasquez recommended holding a Spanish-language business outreach session.

Decisions and next steps - Council gave general direction to staff to continue planning, to bring back more granular revenue numbers (lessons, rentals, concessions) and to explore options that combine short-term fixes with longer-term solutions. Several councilors emphasized cutting costs and streamlining operations before increasing taxes. - Staff identified immediate tactical deadlines: notify the lifeguard trainer by end of January and order replacement chemical-feed and filtration equipment to meet an April operational timeline.

Quotes (selected and attributed) - Raul Sanchez, Public Works Director: “We have to order it in advance so that we make sure that we gave it enough time for everything to show up and make sure everything's there and have it installed and tested.” - City Manager Gonzales: “The quickest recommendation I can make is this increase of the utility tax because it'll help our kids have the pool this year, and that will allow staff to really look at… other options.”

Ending: councilors asked staff to return with more detailed line-item revenue breakdowns (swim lessons, rentals, concessions), a comparison of fee structures used by nearby halls, and options that would let the council weigh short-term funding against longer-term structural solutions. Staff also said they will continue outreach about a potential Boys & Girls Club partnership and scheduled community meetings to solicit further stakeholder input.