Saturday, October 4, 2008

Parents ask for new swimming pool in LL

Clara Garcia News-Bulletin Staff Writer; cgarcia@news-bulletin.com

Los Lunas A final plan prioritizing construction and improvement projects from 2010 to 2014 was approved by the Los Lunas Village Council at its regular meeting last week.

This year, a total of 49 projects totaling more than $117,600,000 are listed on the Infrastructure Capital Improvement Plan (ICIP) and are ranked in order of importance by year. The Infrastructure Capital Improvement Plan (ICIP) is reprioritized each year to identify areas that need improvement, and from the plan, the village compiles a wish list to submit to the state.

Along with approving the village's long-range plan, the council identified the top 18 projects it will ask for legislative funding for during the next session in January. The village's top five requests include $1.25 million for a Westside fire station, $5.7 million that will be applied to the reconstruction of N.M. 314, $500,000 for the east station parking (parking lots to support the Rail Runner), $5 million for the second phase of the new transportation building and $979,000 for water supply for the eastern (east of the Rio Grande) water loop.

The $5.7 million the village will be requesting for the N.M. 314 reconstruction project will be spread out until 2012.

The other projects in the village's 2010 plan include a family health clinic, drainage for the Los Morros Industrial Park, a landfill and compost study, money for El Cerro de Los Lunas, street repair, south station parking, Edeal utility and road improvements, a village sidewalk program, sports complex improvements, a river park, Daniel Fernandez Park improvements and Los Cerritos Park.

During a Sept. 25 meeting, most of the discussion surrounded a project that has been placed as the village's No. 1 priority for 2011 — a community indoor aquatic center that Los Lunas estimates will cost $5.7 million.

Aileen Risso, president of the Los Lunas Stingrays swim club, spoke on behalf of the group asking the council to make the project a priority. She said the club gives children in the community an opportunity to learn how to swim and swim competitively.

"The pool here employs youth swimmers in community and promotes health and fitness," Risso said. "The swim team has an average of 100 swimmers who compete competitively in the Albuquerque metro area.

"The pool, which is currently owned by the school district, is in dire need of repair, and we are hoping, in some way, for the city to partner with the school district to keep the pool going."

Risso told the council that the YMCA of Central New Mexico in Albuquerque has indicated that they may have plans to expand into Valencia County. She said that she hopes that everyone involved can come together to establish and indoor aquatic center.

"It would provide year round swimming opportunities for the entire community — senior swimming, lap swimming, women's aerobics and mommy and me classes," Risso explained. "Currently, 30 percent or so of our swimmers go to Albuquerque for extra swimming during the winter time, which is in our off season. We occasionally lose these swimmers to Albuquerque teams."

Risso asked that the community indoor aquatic center be moved up on the Village's ICIP list and make it a priority.

Mario Guggino, the director of finance and operations for the Los Lunas School District, told the council that the district whole-heartedly supports collaborating with the village in the project.

Guggino said that the pool, located at Los Lunas High School, is 25 years old and is in need of immediate repair. The swimming pool's liner needs to be replaced and the filtration system needs to be upgraded and is also in need of repair. The school district has received a few quotes to replace the liner at about $100,000, Guggino said.

"Would it be better to build just a whole new pool?" asked Councilor Robert Vialpando. Guggino said it would, especially with the ADA (American Disabilities Act) requirements.

"We did a study about five or six years ago, and it was about $3 million to put a hard cover over it," Guggino said. "It was about $1 to put some sort of a bubble. It was $7 million to build a whole new pool."

Guggino did say that the district will be replacing the liner and fixing the filtration system before next summer even though its budget is very tight. Closing the pool had been discussed by the school district, but they would prefer not to.

"There is an agreement in perpetuity for the use of that pool," he added. "When those monies were made 25 years ago, no considerations were given to operations or the cost of operation."

Mayor Louis Huning directed village staff to enter into discussions with the school district regarding the options of a new indoor aquatic center. He said he supports the collaborative effort between the village and the school district.

"I don't think there is anyone up here that does not want that type of facility in our community — we would love to have it," Huning said. "I think if we're going to find out whether the school system and the Village of Los Lunas could partner up, we need to start a dialogue and get some of the rough bumps out of the way and see if we could work through it."

Huning said this type of facility would be beneficial to all, but added that he doesn't know how long it would be before it becomes a reality. The mayor explained that those interested in the project need to talk to the county's senator and representatives and let them know it's a priority.

Village Administrator Phillip Jaramillo explained that all the items on the ICIP are not funded and that it doesn't matter if it's No. 1 because the village, at this point, doesn't have any money to build it.

"This is our wish list," Jaramillo added. "This is how we try and seek money. So just the fact that it's on here is good. It's going to be hard, but it's on there and we will work for it."

Jaramillo said the process is long and warned everyone in attendance not to expect a new swimming pool within the next year or two. He said the village, in years past, has acquired less than a $1 million a year for several projects on their list.

In other action, the council: