MONROE - Competitive diving could return to the Monroe municipal pool, but the Monroe Area Swim Team will have to share in the costs of changing the direction swimmers swim during meets.
MAST board members met with the Monroe Board of Park and Recreation Commissioners to review a lease agreement for the municipal pool Wednesday. Under the proposed lease agreement, MAST will be able to dive into the pool during practices and meets on the south side of the pool into the diving well area. However, several alterations to the pool facility estimated to cost almost $25,000 will be required.
The park board in October approved a plan that would require the swim team to contribute $10,000 - $2,000 per year over five years - to help fund the costs. The Monroe Finance and Taxation Committee has set aside $17,000 from this year to use for the project.
Dawn Mulligan, president of the MAST board, said she believed the $2,000 per year funding proposal was just a suggestion at the last meeting. She questioned what would happen if MAST wasn't able to make a payment.
"I don't think we are ready to commit to $2,000 over five years," Mulligan said. "We are not trying to be negative and draw a hard line."
After a MAST member dove in and hit her head on the bottom of the pool and cracked her fourth vertebrae in practice earlier this summer, the park board prohibited competitive diving into the pool from raised blocks until more research could be done on pool depths. Tom Mann, certified manager of liability with the Cities and Villages Mutual Insurance Company that represents the City of Monroe, advised a water depth greater than 5 feet for diving during competitive swimming meets.
The park commission and MAST board members will meet again in December to finalize the lease agreement.
Bill Bethke, park commission president, said if MAST wasn't looking to continue diving for swimming meets and practices, the board probably wouldn't be looking at making the changes to the pool.
"We are not looking to skin you for $10,000," Bethke said. "If you are not going to be able to pay the $10,000, are we going to kick you out, I doubt it. We have gone through all these meetings and presentations. It was a considerable hurdle we had to get through at this point. We want you to be a swimming team."
Under the proposed lease agreement, swimmers will be able to dive into the diving well area, where the depth is 12 feet. Swimmers would then swim the length of the pool, which is about 27 meters. However, the proposal will require moving the diving board and replacing the existing drop slide with a portable slide.
The plan also would require installing six 25-meter lane extensions, six starting platforms being mounted on the pool deck along with wall cup anchors for lane ropes, painting of lane lines and any engineering costs associated with the modifications. The proposal will also require three lifeguards on duty when the swimming team is using the diving well. Lifeguards will be subject to training and swimming coaches will have to teach the fundamentals of diving.
The entire proposal is expected to cost $24,900. Paul Klinzing, the city's parks supervisor, said that he inflated the estimate for the pool work because he factored in engineering costs associated with the slide.
Swim meets in the past have been run on the east side of the pool where eight starting platforms are used for a 50-meter pool. The water depth on the east end of the pool varies from 4 feet, 6 inches in lane one to 5 feet in lane eight.
The National Federation of State High School Associations, which governs many of the WIAA high school swimming programs, advises a 4 foot or more standard for diving. However, the NFHS in April approved a plan calling for high schools with pools with water depths of 3 1/2 to 4 feet to have swimmers start in the water, rather than from blocks.
Mann advised the park board get MAST to sign a negligent hold harmless contractual agreement to protect the city and transfer the risk to the swimming team. The MAST board does have a $1 million certificate of liability insurance on file with the park board.
Betsy Keith, MAST board treasurer, questioned whether MAST could just pay for the needs associated with the pool including the lane lines, starting platforms and the painting.
Monroe Mayor Bill Ross said the last thing the park commissioners want to do is go back to the finance committee and request more money.
Park commissioner Brian Saugstad said he didn't care if a deal was worked out where MAST could repay the money over an eight-year period instead of five.
"I don't think we are asking for anything that we haven't from other groups," Saugstad said referencing improvements at the skate park.
Recreation Supervisor Marge Klinzing said that the swimming team could also apply for a $1,000 Monroe community grant foundation grant to help cover the costs.
City attorney Rex Ewald is looking into whether recreational immunity applies to the lease agreement. Recreational immunity states that no owner is liable if a person is injured or dies in a recreational activity.
MAST board members met with the Monroe Board of Park and Recreation Commissioners to review a lease agreement for the municipal pool Wednesday. Under the proposed lease agreement, MAST will be able to dive into the pool during practices and meets on the south side of the pool into the diving well area. However, several alterations to the pool facility estimated to cost almost $25,000 will be required.
The park board in October approved a plan that would require the swim team to contribute $10,000 - $2,000 per year over five years - to help fund the costs. The Monroe Finance and Taxation Committee has set aside $17,000 from this year to use for the project.
Dawn Mulligan, president of the MAST board, said she believed the $2,000 per year funding proposal was just a suggestion at the last meeting. She questioned what would happen if MAST wasn't able to make a payment.
"I don't think we are ready to commit to $2,000 over five years," Mulligan said. "We are not trying to be negative and draw a hard line."
After a MAST member dove in and hit her head on the bottom of the pool and cracked her fourth vertebrae in practice earlier this summer, the park board prohibited competitive diving into the pool from raised blocks until more research could be done on pool depths. Tom Mann, certified manager of liability with the Cities and Villages Mutual Insurance Company that represents the City of Monroe, advised a water depth greater than 5 feet for diving during competitive swimming meets.
The park commission and MAST board members will meet again in December to finalize the lease agreement.
Bill Bethke, park commission president, said if MAST wasn't looking to continue diving for swimming meets and practices, the board probably wouldn't be looking at making the changes to the pool.
"We are not looking to skin you for $10,000," Bethke said. "If you are not going to be able to pay the $10,000, are we going to kick you out, I doubt it. We have gone through all these meetings and presentations. It was a considerable hurdle we had to get through at this point. We want you to be a swimming team."
Under the proposed lease agreement, swimmers will be able to dive into the diving well area, where the depth is 12 feet. Swimmers would then swim the length of the pool, which is about 27 meters. However, the proposal will require moving the diving board and replacing the existing drop slide with a portable slide.
The plan also would require installing six 25-meter lane extensions, six starting platforms being mounted on the pool deck along with wall cup anchors for lane ropes, painting of lane lines and any engineering costs associated with the modifications. The proposal will also require three lifeguards on duty when the swimming team is using the diving well. Lifeguards will be subject to training and swimming coaches will have to teach the fundamentals of diving.
The entire proposal is expected to cost $24,900. Paul Klinzing, the city's parks supervisor, said that he inflated the estimate for the pool work because he factored in engineering costs associated with the slide.
Swim meets in the past have been run on the east side of the pool where eight starting platforms are used for a 50-meter pool. The water depth on the east end of the pool varies from 4 feet, 6 inches in lane one to 5 feet in lane eight.
The National Federation of State High School Associations, which governs many of the WIAA high school swimming programs, advises a 4 foot or more standard for diving. However, the NFHS in April approved a plan calling for high schools with pools with water depths of 3 1/2 to 4 feet to have swimmers start in the water, rather than from blocks.
Mann advised the park board get MAST to sign a negligent hold harmless contractual agreement to protect the city and transfer the risk to the swimming team. The MAST board does have a $1 million certificate of liability insurance on file with the park board.
Betsy Keith, MAST board treasurer, questioned whether MAST could just pay for the needs associated with the pool including the lane lines, starting platforms and the painting.
Monroe Mayor Bill Ross said the last thing the park commissioners want to do is go back to the finance committee and request more money.
Park commissioner Brian Saugstad said he didn't care if a deal was worked out where MAST could repay the money over an eight-year period instead of five.
"I don't think we are asking for anything that we haven't from other groups," Saugstad said referencing improvements at the skate park.
Recreation Supervisor Marge Klinzing said that the swimming team could also apply for a $1,000 Monroe community grant foundation grant to help cover the costs.
City attorney Rex Ewald is looking into whether recreational immunity applies to the lease agreement. Recreational immunity states that no owner is liable if a person is injured or dies in a recreational activity.