Upgrades to Belmont Pool Suggested to Preserve Future
After asking for ideas from local residents, Pashek Associates Consultant Bob Good gave numbered stickers out and asked them to select the top priorities that would make the Belmont Complex pool the place to be for residents of all ages.
by Jonathan Weaver
While amateur hockey stars skated along the Belmont Complex’s ice surface Tuesday evening, a group of parents and community residents instead turned their attention to the outside swimming pool now closed for the season.
During a 90-minute meeting in the complex’s conference room, more than a dozen local residents told county Planners – including Assistant Director Carmen Johnson, Planning Director Sally Conklin and Coordinator Tom Swisher – their thoughts how to make the East Franklin Township waters a summer destination again.
Pashek Associates Consultant Bob Good has been part of nearly 40 swimming feasibility studies during the past 15 years and worked with Armstrong County in the past as leaders developed their parks and recreation plan. He suggested community leaders consider adding new features to the pool every two years.
“Kids today are on-the-move – the majority of kids can’t stay on the same thing for more than a few seconds at a time. You need to have a variety of things that keep them busy,” Good said. “They can be in-water stuff, out-of-water, standing water, spray features, but if you’re going to keep kids there two, three, four (or) five hours, you got to have a variety of stuff that keeps them going.
“We’re looking for the best way to keep this pool open and operational.”
Declining use, operational expenses and aging amenities caused county leaders to undergo the $60,000 facility study.
Commissioner Bob Bower stops by the Belmont Complex each afternoon during the summer season, and after visiting the recently-renovated Alameda Park in Butler, suggested either a splash park or a spray park to draw in more children.
“With everybody having a pool in their backyard, it’s not quite as popular,” Bower said.
Paula Matus of Ford City has had a pool membership for 55 years and thought it was necessary to keep the pool open.
“I would hate to see the one thing in the community go,” Matus said.
Crystal Taylor’s daughters, Madison and Jasmin, have both swim on the Belmont swim team for three years.
“Every opportunity the kids can have to be outside and active, I think we should be promoting,” Taylor said.
Swim Team Volunteer Ami DiMaio thought the top priority was extending hours invited other swimming parents to attend the meeting.
A former employee at the facility, Dolores Kovatch of Kittanning suggested first that the pool be made available for birthday parties, showers or family reunions for a discounted rate. She said original owner Hugo Montebell would have been proud of what the pool has become, but that County leaders should remember his vision.
“Hugo had a dream to make something affordable (and) family-friendly,” Kovatch said. “I thank God for Hugo and his dream - because of him, my family enjoyed the benefits of a pool, just as if we had it in our own backyard.”
Another resident mentioned discounted membership sales during the winter might make good Christmas gifts as opposed to paying daily admission rates.
Because Good said public participation is “critical” to the feasibility study, he urged residents in attendance to log on to the County’s website to take a survey about the pool or tell others about it via word-of-mouth.
The questionnaire is also available by contacting the County Planning and Development office in downtown Kittanning for a hard copy.
Joan Moore of Ford City also suggested surveying students.
Belmont Complex Director Gary Montebell was encouraged by the ideas he heard Tuesday, and said some could even be implemented next season.
Another public meeting will be held Tuesday, December 15 following additional meetings with the 15-member advisory committee.
Local News | jweaver September 23, 2015
By elderman, September 25, 2015 @ 1:46 PM
When I read the Kittanning Paper article dated Sept. 21, 2015 concerning the Belmont Pool I thought that perhaps the county leaders had finally realized that the pool was a money pit that the county could no longer afford. The article quotes Armstrong County Commissioner Richard Fink as follows: “I think it’s going to show us some changes we need to make at the Belmont,” Fink said. “I think when we look at the feasibility, obviously (commissioners) know that’s where we’re spending a lot of money (and) we’re not bringing in the revenue to offset the expenses. This will help us determine, ‘Do we right-size the pool? Eliminate the pool? Put in another type of recreation?’.
Unless the study committee comes up with a slam dunk means to insure that the revenue is sufficient to offset expenses then the county needs to face the reality of the situation and PULL THE PLUG ON THIS FIASCO. Fink is quoted as offering “eliminate the pool?” as a possible solution, however a subsequent Kittanning Paper article dated Sept. 23, 2015 offers only throwing more money at the Belmont Pool as a way to hopefully raise revenue. If that is the course that the Armstrong County Commissioners choose then they have a daunting task in explaining to the taxpayers why this is a wise decision.
This study is being partially funded by a $30,000 grant with the county matching the grant with $30,000 of taxpayer money. Add whatever spending will be needed to supposedly IMPROVE the pool and it will be a tidy amount of taxpayer dollars spent to fund a limited number of resident’s recreational activities. And make no mistake; these are taxpayer dollars being spent on RECREATION. Following is an example of how our commissioners are misguided in their tax and spend policies in regard to spending for recreation versus business/industry survival. Several years ago, the current Armstrong County Commissioners felt it necessary to raise the tax rate on clean and green properties. In spite of all their talk of making Armstrong County friendly to industry and thus grow the tax base, these commissioners raised the taxes on one of the few industries that Armstrong County does have, namely farming. This put additional stress on farming operations to stay profitable and remain in business. Fast forward to this year with the wet spring and unusually dry summer. The farmers lost income because they could not get their hay off in the wet early summer and other crops are terrible because of the unusually dry summer. In short, there are going to be many Armstrong County farmers who will show little or no profit this year. Are the commissioners aware of the problems the farm industry faces this year? Are the commissioners aware that all those farm operations have a ripple effect throughout Armstrong County economy in regard to fuel, trucking, machinery sales, repair services, and the list goes on and on? Apparently, it is a wise choice to tax an industry to the breaking point so some few people have a place to swim.
Another point about dumping Armstrong COUNTY tax monies into the Belmont Pool involves the question of how this pool serves the needs of ALL Armstrong County residents. Part of the current STUDY should ascertain what demographic uses the pool. I suspect that 90 percent of pool users travel 8 miles or less to use the pool. How does this pool serve the residents who live further away with excessive transportation costs and whose tax monies are used to finance the pool. Further, there are other community pools in Armstrong County that struggle financially. The Apollo area pool was closed for 1 year approximately 5 years ago because of insufficient funds and was closed again this year because they did not have the funding for repairs. Is it acceptable to leave this pool that serves the taxpayers of the southern end of Armstrong County closed while all funding goes to the Belmont Pool? Additionally, the Leechburg Pool has struggled financially through the years and I am unaware of them receiving any county monies and if they did, it is a drop in the bucket compared to the Belmont funding. I guess that those taxpayers, who live close to Apollo and Leechburg are happy to see the Belmont Pool propped up by the county while their area pools languish.
This situation calls for our commissioners to face reality. If the pool cannot generate the revenue to cover expenses, then they should close it in fairness to all Armstrong County taxpayers.
Adam Grafton
South Bend Township
By jorn jensen, September 26, 2015 @ 9:20 PM
Adam Grafton - Good to see a well-thought-out, well-articulated comment from you. Most of what we’ve seen, of late, is the liberal group’s whining - ‘course, I’m one of the ones that swats their nest and then ignores them.
Anyhow, you expect a lot of our commissioners. Remember, they are elected local citizens that can get the job without a resume.
$60,000 toward figuring out how to ‘fix’ the Belmont dilemma, rather than either spending the $60,000 to actually fix the situation or not spending the $60,000 and face up to the obvious.
$30,000 of that $60,000 is grant money (state money that comes from taxpayers, with the string of ‘must hire a consultant to help figure this out’). So, a consultant is hired and comes in and has a public meeting and asks us what to do. What the hell? You’re the expert - you tell us what to do for the 60 grand.
I am a consultant, therefore, I’m highly critical of ‘the craft’. When I’m called upon for a job, a problem, it is because ‘they’ are in trouble and need some advice based upon engineering, metallurgy, and experience. I go in, observe, assess, explain, train, etc. - make recommendations and a final report with plan of action, commonly called ‘corrective action’, and I leave. Sometimes, they have me stay and ‘help’ or come back and ‘help’. I have never gone in and asked the people in trouble how to get out of it - I tell them how to get out of it. The exception is when I’m hired for training - then I use “Well, what would you do in this situation?” and the student is to demonstrate, like a test, their problem-solving skill. If they’ve learned, they’ll answer correctly - if not, I’ll correct their answer.
So, spending this 60 grand and having these people come in and ask us what to do is an ultimate money-making scam and these commissioners can’t see it.
You very perceptively point out that the Belmont is a local service and two other pools are in trouble and most-likely on their own - out-of-sight, out-of-mind for these Kittanning-area commissioners. They must forget that all of the county taxpayers pay into their spending fund.
During the commissioner primary race, when asked in a public meeting about the Belmont, I responded, “The county government has no business being in business in private sector business - their business is to promote the area FOR private sector business and industry in order to bolster the tax base that they so lovingly spend.
Your comment, “Following is an example of how our commissioners are misguided in their tax and spend policies in regard to spending for recreation versus business/industry survival.” is exactly the type of thing that we taxpayers need to hold these commissioners’ feet to the fire on - how does every decision that you three make affect survival and growth of business and industry in Armstrong County?
How does spending $206,000 on 3-D mapping affect survival and growth of business and industry in Armstrong County?
How does spending $10k to $15k on an independent 3rd party investigation team to analyze the jail situation when our own district attorney’s office did the same thing and are already on the payroll, affect survival and growth of business and industry in Armstrong County?
How does spending $3 million on a 10 year Motorola 911 radio dusting-off maintenance program affect survival and growth of business and industry in Armstrong County?
Ask that same question of every spending and look to where the logic of serving the taxpayers of the county has gone.
If Jeff Pyle had done what we hired him to do 12 years ago, we’d be rid of property taxes and have had them transferred into sales and income taxes. Look at the savings we could have had - no more assessors, no need for 3-D mapping and spending of $206,000, no more local property tax collectors. Lots of savings, there, for the taxpayers. We’d spend money fixing our properties up with materials (sales tax) and labor (income taxes). So simple that it eludes politicians.
We’ll soon have a commissioner that is somewhat of a farmer, so he may help the farmers’ plight that you discuss. He is the ‘chosen one’ of the party boss, and Jeff’s cousin, and probably soon headed to Harrisburg himself.
Again, Adam, thank you for presenting a comment of great thought and value.
By jerry6, September 27, 2015 @ 8:57 AM
In this neck of the woods, we get maybe three warm months for swimming. If you get a rainy summer, it is less than that. I say put something in there that would be used all year and maybe it would pay for itself.
By Just sayin, September 27, 2015 @ 10:07 PM
The water is green now. Time to clean and drain it in case it stays open.
The care it is given is a giant clue that the commissioners have already made up their minds.
By Just sayin, September 27, 2015 @ 10:15 PM
Mr. Jorn Hyde is DIGGING his way to China… always digging, not swatting.
And he is a liar when he writes that he ignores liberals.
Anyone who has been following these threads can see with their own eyes that Jensen’s comments are false about this.
You are very strange and have grandiose thoughts, Dr.Jensen.
By Just sayin, September 27, 2015 @ 10:17 PM
Digging to no avail (as in “to China”)… in case you didn’t get my drift above.
By Just sayin, September 27, 2015 @ 10:20 PM
Why don’t we fill the pool up with jello and throw Bill Cosby into it?
By elderman, September 28, 2015 @ 12:50 PM
By Just Sayin: Normally I do not respond to someone who logs inane posts on this website, but after reading what you wrote, I thought that perhaps you were simply confused. Therefore, I felt it was necessary for me to remind you that the topic of this Kittanning Paper article is the Belmont Pool. It is not about personal attacks on Jorn Jensen, it is not about Bill Cosby, it is not about the color of water, or even Jello or China. It is about the viability of the Belmont Pool and what the county should do to make the pool sustainable in regard to pool income covering the expenses.
After reading four of your posts to the article, I have no idea what your opinion is on this subject or if you might be capable of an opinion or idea that could be a solution to the problem. Do you have an opinion or an idea that could solve the Belmont pool problem? For that matter do you even think that there is a problem? Do you think that the county should continue to keep the pool open regardless of the deficit that it is creating? That is the discussion we should be having!
Adam Grafton
South Bend Township
By Just sayin, September 28, 2015 @ 10:13 PM
Ah, excuse me, Mr. Adam Grafton, take the glaze off of your eyes and reread Jorn’s first paragraph to you.
What does THAT have to do with pools? Please tell me, and please tell me who started the personal attacks (as usual). You are clearly blind.
I have the right to defend liberals. Jorn Jensen always slips a “DIG” in, even when it is not appropriate (i.e. the thread about someone being murdered). Where have you been?
He also is clearly using this topic as a way to push his political platform. Reread his essay. Can you read between the lines? He thinks he is so clever.
Do you not understand sarcastic humor? Did you ever hear of people jumping into pools of Jello? Did you ever hear of Bill Cosby’s Jello commercials? Did you hear of Bill Cosby’s scandal? Well, there you have it.
By the way, I did give my thoughts on the pool (first comment). After reading the two very long essays, I figured everyone had enough.
Both of you got off topic from the pool theme, by the way.
I don’t think you really care how I think, or did you write that for the purpose of trying to make me look stupid?
This is a free country ( I thought). I shall write what I want. You shall write what you want.
Skip over my comments (like Jorny Boy). Ha!
I don’t call complaining a viable solution to the pool problem. Anyone can complain.
Most people will want to keep the pool. Find solutions to do that. Anyone can take the easy way out and say get rid of it.
“Jello Pudding! WHOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”
By the_observer, September 29, 2015 @ 9:05 PM
My multiple suggestions would be as follows, and unfortunately I was not able to make this meeting.
Do away with the pool and build a new water park similar to Splash Lagoon. The closest year round attraction like that is in Erie and people travel from everywhere to utilize it. This solves 2 things, 1 it would give us something for people to visit in the winter, which is the least economically profitable season we have, and 2 this creates more tourism to the area (which if you remember from previous posts, I am 100 percent in favor of).
Another option would be to close the pool and use that area to once again build onto the Belmont Complex. It is clear that the Ice holds it own in hockey season. Perhaps we could build a second “practice rink” or maybe even improve the seating inside the current arena for hockey games.
Or use the space to build a new Hotel that is aligned with the hockey rink. When we have hockey tournaments going on the local businesses were full (Ask the workers at Mel’s Pizza) and the hotels were completely booked. A lot of the teams were actually staying in other counties… and going back to Tourism, if they were staying in other counties they were most likely shopping in other counties. The longer we can keep them here the more money we can draw from the visitors, and the more money we draw from them, the less we have to pay in taxes.
By the_observer, September 29, 2015 @ 9:13 PM
One more idea… Keep the pool open, as the public has voted in favor of that in the past, but do more to draw people out. Hold concerts or other events, or any other kinds of attractions. Maybe a wave pool addition? Or maybe a spot for surfing.
There are options, but it clearly can not operate the way it is.
It is also my opinion that the county government should never assumed the responsibility for what could be another business in the community. That is not governments job, helping them out maybe…. However that has already been done many many years ago so we just need to do what we have to in order to make it successful.
By Just sayin, October 9, 2015 @ 5:54 AM
The pool is getting worse everyday. Why isn’t it being cleaned and drained?
The commissioners have already made up their minds.
It’s just like they’ve already made up their minds about the Health Center. Don’t vote for a candidate who wants to sell the Health Center. That will take so many jobs away and much business away from the town. It will be a ghost town.
By elderman, October 9, 2015 @ 7:32 PM
Reply to the-observer;
I agree with you, the Belmont pool cannot and should not be permitted to continue to operate as it is. Some of the ideas that you present may work, however, none of them should be pursued with county funds. If these ideas, to include the possibility of a new water park, an additional ice rink, or a new hotel are financially viable, then they should be attractive to be built and run by private enterprise. Armstrong County has no business being in the entertainment business or any private sector business as you stated (I think) in your second post.
Also, in your second post, you state: “Keep the pool open, as the public has voted in favor of that in the past” I regularly vote but cannot recall a referendum question on the ballot where the voters of Armstrong County voted to keep the Belmont pool open. Did I miss this vote?
Adam Grafton