pool cheerleader

Where the pool cheerleader came from is hard to understand, as their were a litany of problems laid out in detail last night with pool operations. the pool is an expensive convenience provided to the average 2-3 adults and 3-4 kids that use the pool at GREAT cost to the rest of us during the school year. The main beneficiary is the swim teams that get to use our pool year-round for a pittance, especially the for-profit team from Doral. Doral pays less than 40% of what they paid at MDC 4 years ago for less time. Why does the city subsidize them? Well, it IS possible that a handful of Springs kids are on that team, and we apparently subsidize the other 95% of that team because of that POSSIBILITY.

subsidies legal?

A resume was requested and received. While the pool is not meant to be a big money maker, it is also NOT intended to be a big money loser either. Break even would be HUGE step forward, and the closer we get to that the better off we will be, as taxpayers. Allowing outside private teams made up of 95% nonresidents to use our pool at 15% of the going market rate is defrauding the taxpayers of their rightful revenues and a subsidy to the private swim team. Why are we the only ones in town that subsidize private teams? Isnt there something in the charter that forbids that practice?

pool ponderings

If 30-50k in cash, or more, wasnt accounted for, would that amount to fraud, or grand theft? How many meets HAVE we had this year? Camps? dual HS meets? If pool management was aware of pool bills NOT being paid, and checked into the possibility of back-billing the HS teams AND MDAC, there would be cancelled checks and bank statements to that effect, right? If those checks were paid on bills presented toward the end of last year, they would have had PLENTY of time to clear by now, right? And the bank statements would reflect those payments accordingly, right? IF certified bank statments were compared with City documents it would be easy to see if they were accurate or not, right? Sounds like a plan. All of the above would apply to the HS teams, but maybe more importantly, to the private MDAC swim team. Perhaps, if they were paying in cash all along what they thought to be the going rate, they are not involved in anything questionable or illegal. The question at THAT point would be: where is all this cash reflected? If they werent being charged or billed, why not? Is it possible that the daily admission fees were just pocketed? Or, is it possible the daily admission fees were NEVER paid? Either way it raises some curious questions about the revenue-tracking business practices at the pool. Either the admission fees were PAID, or they werent! Certifiable documentation of either result is required! Once this has been determined the issues at the pool regarding meets can be addressed. For example, why would public tax dollars be used to subsidize a private, for-profit business enterprise? Does THAT make ANY sense to ANYBODY? Especially a business that has FOUR other business locations, significant volunteer parent participation, and only a handful of Springs kids on its roster?

change is in the air

While this pool fiasco may get tiresome to report at times, all the pieces to this puzzle are not in place yet and a full understanding and explanation has not yet happened. Concerned residents each do a litle research and the picture gets clearer as more information is revealed. This fiscal irresponsibility SHOULD be an issue with the Council now, and will certainly be in April. We should not be paying for all the maintenance and upkeep of City facilities for free or fire-sale rental prices at ANY time to subsidize private businesses, much less when times are tough and monies are tight. Is it not enough that we give our Country Club to Mr. Santana for free already? How many private businesses can we subsidize? How many is enough? The pool is just another example of lack of City oversight and responsibility on the part of the Council with the City Manager, and the City Manager's lack of supervision, accountability, and sound business principles with the people under his charge. Recent elections have shown the people across our nation want change. The residents of Miami Springs need change too. Yes, we can.