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Seward approves $200,000 annual support to keep high‑school pool open
Summary
The Seward City Council voted unanimously June 22 to fund operations of the Seward High School pool with a $200,000 annual intergovernmental agreement intended to cover staffing, utilities and minimum public hours and to prevent any lapse in service on July 1.
The Seward City Council voted unanimously June 22 to authorize an intergovernmental agreement that will provide $200,000 a year to keep the Seward High School pool operating.
City administration told the council the funding will be split by contract among three parties — the City of Seward, the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District and the Kenai Peninsula Borough — to pay for the pool manager’s salary, utilities and other operating costs. “The $200,000 a year will cover costs of the employee [and] utilities like I said,” the City Manager said during the presentation. The school district will continue to own and maintain the facility.
The agreement requires the pool to provide a minimum of 25 public hours per week and directs that any year‑end reserve above $75,000 in the pool’s account be applied to offset the city’s contribution. City staff said the pool currently holds roughly $175,000 in reserves and will be operated from those funds through the end of the fiscal year before city payments begin in January.
Council members asked how the $200,000 figure was calculated after previous concerns about utility estimates. Administration said the number reflects updated averages for heating oil and electricity and that the city is working with pool leadership on a fee schedule to increase revenue over time. “We’re not expecting to break even,” the City Manager said, adding the intent is to reduce the city’s net share over time through revenue growth and efficient management.
Public speakers at the meeting included Sarah Tubiolo, who urged the council to fund the pool after describing a family near‑drowning and the club’s life‑saving training, and Anita from pool staff, who thanked the council and said last year had been the pool’s best revenue year.
The resolution passed on a recorded roll call with all present council members voting yes. The agreement includes a clause that it terminates automatically if any party fails to appropriate funds and may be ended on 90 days’ notice, giving the city flexibility if local budget conditions change.
Next steps: City administration said it will finalize the intergovernmental agreement signatures and meet with pool management to confirm the fee schedule and public‑hours commitments.
