MOUNT RAINIER POOL SAVES LIVES… AND MORE

Nine Americans drown every day… three of them are children. Childhood obesity has tripled since 1980 and lack of low-impact exercise threatens our seniors.

The No. 1 way to remedy this? Teach our kids to swim and get seniors in the pool.

For 40 years at our Mount Rainier Pool, we’ve been doing that… and more. We: • Teach lifesaving and CPR. • Provide safe, year-round recreation where community members of all ages, genders and races can participate in healthy, life-improving activity. • Give senior citizens and the infirm access to low-impact aquatic exercise that extends their lives… just ask 104-year-old Faith Callahan. • Give our high school swimmers – annually amongst the best in the state – opportunities to compete and further their educations; and  • Train world-class athletes… like Ariana Kukors, who just shattered a world’s record in Rome, and two-time Olympic gold medalist Megan (Quann) Jendrick.

All this is lost if the pool closes on Dec. 31. By voting yes, we can continue our proud tradition for just 20¢ per $1,000 in property value. For the average homeowner, that’s $56 a year… about a dollar a week.

VOTE “YES!” SAVE OUR POOL

STATEMENT PREPARED BY: Kenneth Spencer, Gene Achziger, Schell Ross

RESOLUTION NO. 1109

            A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF DES MOINES, WASHINGTON establishing November 3, 2009 as the date for an election on the question of the formation of a Metropolitan Park District within the City of Des Moines to generate funds for acquisition, maintenance, operation, and/or capital improvement/construction expenditures for a pool facility within the boundaries of the City of Des Moines, and on the election of the five initial Metropolitan Park Commissioners.

            WHEREAS, RCW 35.61.010 provides that a metropolitan park district may be created for the management, control, improvement, maintenance, and acquisition of parks, parkways, boulevards, and recreational facilities. A metropolitan park district may include territory located in all of one city, when created, and

            WHEREAS, in December of 2002, Des Moines and the City of Normandy Park entered into an Interlocal Agreement to assume ownership of the Mt. Rainier Pool from King County in order to continue operation of the Pool as the Mt. Rainier Pool Owners, and

            WHEREAS, pursuant to the terms of the original agreement between King County and the Highline School District, the terms of which were continued under the ownership agreement entered into by Des Moines and Normandy Park, the ownership of the Mt. Rainier Pool reverted to the Highline School District on March 6, 2009, and

            WHEREAS, in March of 2009, the Highline School District and the City of Des Moines entered into an ILA for the continued operation of the Mt. Rainier Pool until December 31, 2009, and

            WHEREAS, the City of Des Moines and the Highline School District do not have the resources to continue to manage, maintain, and operate a Pool, and

            WHEREAS, Mt. Rainier Pool or another pool facility provides a benefit to the citizens of Des Moines as a multi-generational facility that serves as one center of our community, one that provides health and recreation benefits to all ages, strengthens the community, and enhances the quality of life, and

            WHEREAS, the City Council strongly supports that the continued operation of the Mt. Rainier or other Pool facility beyond December 31, 2009 would be in the best interest of the City, and

            WHEREAS, after consideration of various alternatives, the Council has recommended formation of the Des Moines Pool Metropolitan Park District, organized under chapter 35.61 RCW, to acquire and operate the Mt. Rainier or other pool facility; now therefore,

THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DES MOINES RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS:

            Sec. 1.  Request for election. An election is hereby requested to be held within the City of Des Moines on Tuesday, November 3, 2009 for the purpose of submitting to the qualified electors of the City, for their ratification or rejection, a proposition creating the Des Moines Pool Metropolitan Park District.

            Sec. 2.  The boundaries of the proposed Des Moines Pool Metropolitan Park District are coextensive with Des Moines city limits pursuant to chapter 35.61 RCW.

            Sec. 3.  The Director of Records and Elections of King County, Washington is requested to conduct this election on the November 3, 2009 ballot.

            Sec. 4.  The Director of Records and Elections of King County is requested to include a ballot measure that shall allow the election of five Metropolitan Park Commissioners of the District, as set forth in RCW 35.61.050, and to set, announce and hold a special filing period for those positions.

            Sec. 5.  The City Clerk is directed to certify to the Director of Records and Elections of King County, Washington by a date no later than August 11, 2009, a copy of this resolution and the proposition to be submitted at that election in the form of a ballot title as follows:

PROPOSITION NO. ___

FORMATION AND FUNDING OF DES MOINES POOL

METROPOLITAN PARK DISTRICT

Des Moines Resolution 1109 proposes creation of the Des Moines Pool Metropolitan Park District coextensive with the City’s boundaries pursuant to 35.61 RCW, including the authority to levy a general tax on property within the District each year not to exceed twenty cents per thousand dollars of assessed valuation, for the purpose of acquiring and operating a pool facility. A five-member board of commissioners, elected at large, shall govern the District.

[  ]     For the formation of a Metropolitan Park District to be governed by a five-member board of commissioners to be elected at large.

[  ]        Against the formation of a Metropolitan Park District.

            ADOPTED BY the City Council of the City of Des Moines this 23^rd day of July, 2009 and signed in authentication thereof this 23^rd day of July, 2009.