pool commentary

The City Manager is on record as saying he has NO IDEA what other pools charge for practices, and apparently little idea what the standard rates for meets are. Perhaps he has FINALLY learned how LITTLE he has been charging for our pool usage NOW, 3 YEARS later. Perhaps. What would make ANYBODY believe that he would NOW start charging the standard going rate for our pool use? He has given it away for the past three years at a FRACTION of its true value. What would make the residents feel NOW that he is actually trying to look out for THEIR interests, instead of the that of private businesses? His horrible record speaks for itself! Just another case of abysmal management practices, to use the term loosely! It will be interesting to see how he justifies the amount charged, as he was given Hialeah's rate of $45 per swimmer per month, and the MDC rate of $1300 a month for 4 lanes and less swim time. Pool giveaways, Giglio hiring disaster, construction debacles, little and no controls in place and method of verifying admissions at the pool after 40+ years, oppressive, unresponsive, and secretive management style, little and no transparency and accountability - when will it end? April? When we say we want a contract, we mean we want a contract that is fair and equitable to the RESIDENTS, not a steeply-discounted giveaway to private businesses.

pool losses mount, officials unconcerned

IF we rented the pool to Doral, which in turn rented it to Goulds, how much did we rent it to Doral for? What are OUR expenses for this weekend? Why are we using resident tax dollars to provide profitable oppurtunities for private businesses? Does our rental fee even cover our expenses? If not, why not? Do we make any money from concession sales? If so, how much? Where is THAT money reflected? The pool arrangement is almost identical to the CC setup, where the residents pay for ALL the expenses and all thats left is for the private business to collect the profits. How many private businesses are we expected to support? This is all happening with the approval of the City Manager. ANOTHER case of horrible mismanagement of City properties and funds. AGAIN. STILL. How does the City Manager explain this? Does he have ANY plausible explanation, other than its how we have always done it? Private businesses profit while the pool loses $260,000 that is billed to the residents. Whats wrong with this picture? Is this ineptitude? incompetency? Lack of supervision and awareness? Lack of concern? Special interests kickbacks? corruption? Any or all of the above? Take your pick. At least TWO local private businesses are being paid for with tax dollars- is that where we want our tax dollars going? Is that where we intended our tax dollars to be spent? No way. The buck should stop at the City Managers desk. It certainly DOES on paydays. Why not any other days? The Mayor and Council provide NO oversight and are just as responsible for this ongoing fiasco, except for Dotson.

pool issues

Are we saying that NOBODY knows what the income of the pool is OR the expenses? and where that income specifically originates and details of where the expenses go? That SHOULD be a simple Freedom of Information request, right? Gym COLLECTS the fees and sets the rates? Did he bother to charge the scuba guy OR the polo team? if not, why not? We are losing over 300k a year and he wonders WHY? Incredible. Ridiculous. Absurd. Residents pay so that NON-residents can play free. More poor oversight and mismanagement. WHEN will this series of continuous and repeated fiscal fiascos stop? Ever?

pool giveaways

Let me see if I have this right: the pool loses 300k a year and yet we let people from surrounding cities use it for free? The MS residents pay their taxes for the pool and surrounding people pay NOTHING? What genius is responsible for that? I really dont mind them using the facilities BUT they should pay their fair share. It sounds like ANOTHER giveaway by the City officials- gave away the CC, then the tennis courts, now our recreational facilities. Is there anyone, besides the residents, who ARE paying? yet another example of a clear pattern of mismanagement and incompetency, and WE are left with the bills...AGAIN