Tim Sheeper, who owns the for-profit Team Sheeper LLC sports company and who just entered into a contract with the city of Menlo Park to operate the new three-pool Burgess Aquatics Center, plans to unveil this week the proposed schedule and fees for the pools, due to open in April.
The news, which may answer some questions about public access to the pools, is expected at the Wednesday, March 15, meeting of the city’s Parks and Recreation Committee, which starts at 6 p.m. in the Burgess Recreation Center at 700 Alma St., said Michael Taylor, the city’s acting community services director. (Check AlmanacNews.com for news updates.)
A key unanswered question remaining after the Menlo Park City Council’s February 28, 3-2 decision to let Team Sheeper operate the pools, built with $6.8 million in taxpayers’ money, is: When will the public have access to the pools?
The city’s contract with Tim Sheeper, the company’s founder and head coach, does not detail how public access to the pools will be balanced against the needs of the 350 customers signed up for Team Sheeper programs.
No deal in January
Sometime in January, when Mr. Sheeper was looking to lease lane space at what was then going to be a city-operated Burgess pool facility, he and the city reached an impasse on the schedule.“For certain times of the day, Mr. Sheeper wanted total use of the facility, but we couldn’t provide that without impacting city programs,” said Aaron Johnson, a senior recreation supervisor.
Mr. Johnson said the city and Mr. Sheeper were “willing to make concessions,” but Mr. Sheeper requested a large amount of lane space during the 7-8 a.m. and noon-1 p.m. hours — times the city was reserving for drop-in lap swim and city programs.
Mr. Sheeper said the city ended talks abruptly.
“We were presenting the city with an opportunity,” he said. “Our programs would have given revenue to the city — we could have put six figures into the pools.”
Mr. Sheeper would not be more specific about the amount.
Now, Mr. Sheeper is setting the schedule for the facility — subject to city staff approval — and said there “will be more sharing of the pool.” Mr. Sheeper said an assortment of programs will often run simultaneously.
The parks commission will act as an advisory board, as city staff, not the commission, will sign off on the new rates and schedule.
He added that fees for Team Sheeper programs will not change as participants move to the Burgess facility.
Recovering costs
The city did not conduct a request for proposals (RFP), or put operation of the Burgess facility out to public bid, because of the instant savings associated with giving Mr. Sheeper control of the pools, said Mr. Taylor, the community services department acting director.“This new facility was never going to be cost-recovery if it was run by the city,” said Mr. Taylor. “When [Mr. Sheeper] proposed a cost-efficient model that would open the pools on time, [the city was] more than interested.”
The aquatics program was projected to run at about a $415,000 deficit if the city operated it, he said.
Mayor Nicholas Jellins and council members Lee Duboc and Mickie Winkler all cited the imminent opening of the facility, and the city’s projected $2.9 million revenue shortfall in approving the five-year lease with Mr. Sheeper.
Mr. Sheeper came forward with his proposal to take over the facility January 31, and on February 28, he secured a deal with the city.
But Councilwoman Kelly Fergusson, who voted against the contract with Councilman Andy Cohen, says the city should have opened the pools as planned.
“This is a brand new facility, and we’ve given it away based on some projections. We haven’t even seen what revenue it can generate,” she said.
Before Mr. Sheeper made his proposal, closure of the warm pool for nine months of the year was one of a number of options city staff floated to reduce the city’s projected budget shortfall, but Mr. Taylor said the bulk of the city’s costs would have been personnel expenses — expenses now covered by Mr. Sheeper.
Mr. Taylor said the Burgess facility would run at a large deficit because the city was planning to have a year-round facility. He added that revenue generated by Mr. Sheeper’s group will “substantially help” cover those costs.
INFORMATION
• Wednesday, March 15: Tim Sheeper is scheduled to present the proposed fees and schedule for the new Burgess Aquatics Center at a Parks and Recreation Commission meeting, starting at 6 p.m. in the Burgess Recreation Center, 700 Alma St.• April 10: The Planning Commission may consider granting a use permit to Tim Sheeper to operate the Burgess facility. The meeting starts at 7 p.m. in the council chambers at the Civic Center, between Laurel and Alma streets, unless otherwise noted.
• Check AlmanacNews.com for news updates.
