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Seniors urge Winter Springs to keep therapy pool as city budgets $140,000 dehumidifier
Summary
Senior‑center users and volunteers told the commission the therapy pool is vital to their health; staff say the FY27 capital plan includes a $140,000 replacement dehumidifier and that no cuts to the therapy pool or senior center are proposed in FY27.
Residents, instructors and regular therapy‑pool users urged the Winter Springs City Commission to preserve the senior center and its therapy pool during public input at the July 13 budget workshop.
Brian Dunnigan, the city’s director of administrative services and operations, presented usage and financial figures for the facility: about 500 active senior center members and 245 active therapy‑pool members (roughly a 69% active‑member rate across both amenities), approximately 1,600 check‑ins at the senior center and just over 1,200 at the therapy pool in June 2026, projected membership revenue near $29,008.45, and a facility operating budget of about $472,479 (a roughly 6.3% cost‑recovery rate at the facility level).
Several speakers described medical and social benefits of the pool. Carol Edwards, an instructor and long‑time volunteer, said she started the therapy program after a severe injury and described cases in which the warm water enabled participants with chronic pain or mobility limitations to exercise safely. A written statement read into the record from Suzanne Walker (submitted in advance) described the pool as a “haven of wellness” used for decades by people with arthritis, joint replacements and other mobility challenges.
Commissioners and staff response
Mayor Kevin McCann and City Manager Kevin Sweet both addressed rumors that the pool would be eliminated, with McCann saying there has been no discussion to remove the therapy pool and Sweet confirming the proposed FY27 budget contains no cuts to senior center services. Staff noted a capital allocation of $140,000 in the FY27 plan for replacement of the therapy‑pool dehumidification system — a maintenance item residents repeatedly identified as a core facility need tied to air quality and safety in pool spaces.
What residents asked for
Speakers urged better building maintenance and clearer communication about planned repairs and asked the city to market the therapy program more widely to increase participation and cost recovery. Residents suggested the volunteer senior‑center board coordinate with staff on outreach and programming and sought clearer information about whether donor or legacy funds exist for pool support; staff replied that the individual after whom the pool is named helped secure state grants but that no unrestricted donor fund balance was referenced in the presentation.
Next steps
Staff said the FY27 book and appendices include the capital project and that the commission will consider the budget through the regular public hearings in September; the city manager also proposed a town hall with the property appraiser to explain how a pending property‑tax amendment could affect local revenues and services. Commissioners asked staff to follow up with specific line‑item and CIP detail for the senior center and to work with the volunteer board on outreach.
