Many, many hours spent at the old pool-so many good memories! May this new pool create good memories for all of Fillmore's young people!

I expect the pool to be very busy. It's a great facility which Fillmore can be proud of. For you early risers perhaps participating in the morning lap swim might be your cup of tea. Water aerobics classes are beginning also. Swimming lessons aren't far behind. Less-abled or those that need assistance will be happy to know the pool has an ADA lift to assit you getting in and out of the pool. The pool is stocked with kickboards, noddles, floaties, and the needed tools for teaching lessons. The kiddie play area will be "rentable" for private parites later in July. Look for the Grand Opening Tour soon. And lets not forget the tennis courts which are free to use. If you want to play a late game of tennis and need light that needs to be booked with the city Parks & Rec Department (small fee applies for lights). Stop on by and if open ask for a tour I believe you'll be impressed and proud of the site. Just goes to show you what can be done.

Steve Conaway

Summer is officially here. With temps climbing it'll be nice to see kids swimming and playing in the pool today and enjoying their summer break. Adults can take advantage of the morning and evening lap swim. Who knows what's in Fillmore fututre; water polo, maybe birthday parties at the kiddie splash area, rent the pool for private parties, more swim meets, water aerobics, swimming lessons, life guard training, swimming merit badges, who know's? Enjoy the pool everyone.

Steve Conaway

Steve, you are talking yourself "blue-in-the-face" with all your comments. I'm sure people are planning to get out to the pool this weekend, and some, most likely, maybe the seniors for one group, plan to get into the aerobics classes as resistance-exercises are better than non-resistance exercises. Many nursing homes that have pools available hold these sessions. What a great way to start the day with a pool dip, anyway.

By the way, who is the little girl in the end of the pool? Seems she is holding a ball or something.

Once the pool "catches-on", it will be full of folks. What a great way for anniversaries, birthdays, wedding and other parties to hold their function at. This is a beautiful complex.

How do we find out the hours and the price of the pool (for general swimming use, not a private party)?

Hey there Mrs. V.
Call 524-1500 and ask for Annette.

Steve Conaway

I believe it's also on Channel 10 if you have cable.

Thanks!! =o)

the first thing you have to worry about when you visit the pool is are you willing
to fill out two forms waiving your rights to sue the city or pool empoyees if you get injured through
negligence.
if you refuse to do so like myself you will be not be allowed to enter.
these forms are extremely difficult to understand they were written by the city attorney
and you would have to be a lawyer to fully understand the content.
maybe just maybe the average citizen of fillmore like myself looks at the said forms
shakes ones head turns around and goes home
sad as it will be the high school swim team will enjoy the pool and its design as observed
from the outside looking in at the three people using the facility that warm afternoon.
iwonder how many parents with their young children crying mommy,daddy why won't they let us in.
left to return home that day and others in the future.
if you don't believe me please go there pick up the forms and tell me different.

I think the children's pool will be open very soon. This area is designed and managed as to allow children to wade and paddle-around; also, parties are sanctioned in the children's pool area, for safety purposes. No parties will be held in the larger and deeper pool area.

The larger pool, designed for adults, and competent swimmers, is established for those who can swim and care for themselves such as in the aerobics and other classes. For the city to be held harmless, and to be absolutely positive any person who cannot swim, there is a swimming "test" to prove swimming abilities. No person needs to be injured or worse yet, drowned.

Thus, the apparent reason, "hector", the rules and agreement to be signed simply protect both the City of Fillmore AND the guests who visit the pool. I'm sure if the form is not understandable, someone should be available to assist in reviewing the form with you.

The person to ask is the department responsible for the pool, or perhaps Mr. Conaway can make a post herein. The information on which I commented is conjecture only and is in no way, the advice or mandate the City of Fillmore would justify or make a comment on for their signature form.

the person i did ask said she was the manager and told me to take it up with the city attorney.by the way are the same formsused for entrance to the skateboard park or sheills park or riverwalk park now thereis a real accident just waiting to happen. isuggest you read the forms or are you to naieve that you are willing to waive your rights.

I think the "manager" simply meant was if you needed clarification or took issue with the form itself and the writ, you best go to the city attorney's office and him speak to you concerning the statements.

She was not being rude at all.

I think this topic, "hector" is a valid form, and really means something to the City and the citizens alike.

However, on the other hand, you have a valid point made. I think the city officials will be able to address your comment - at least I would feel comfortable if someone responsible will address you today. The basis for the statement of contract is that this is a "hold-harmless agreement" between you and the City of Fillmore, and is a legal form. I would assume that no minors are signing this form unless there is a parent or guardian available as co-signatory. Best for us all to get a real statement on this as soon as possible. You seem to be on the ball, "hector".

I'd like to make a correction to Cre8PalmRoyal's post at 10:35 on 7/2/09. The kiddie feature is not a kiddie pool. The feature is a zero depth water feature with water cannons, water tower and a showering water tree. By the way to work on the kiddie area should be completed this coming week which means it should be open very soon for use.

Hector the state and the city have been protected from liability claims at unsupervised skate parks. The exposure to the city (your tax dollars) is very different at a city owned, operated and supervised pool. If users have questions about the liability release contact City Hall.

Steve Conaway

i speak for myself and myself only.
i have two grandchildren 4&2years old that i thought it might be nice
to take them to our pool for a change instead of the one in ventura
where they live.too bad that won't happen as i will not sign a form
waiving their rights.
now about these forms lets start with the one no city of fillmore heading
but lower down and off to the right it says
parks & recreation department registration form further down the page it identifies itself in the small print section as city of fillmore
the form has no id number and has nothing to do with taking a
2$ dip
the other form #ver 042009 with a city heading is the lulu
waiver of liability,assumption of risks,and indemnity agreement
when you read it substitute u.c.l.a. for city of fillmore for that's
what it is right off the internet
www.summer.ucla.edu/institutes/pdf/lwminor.pdf
the point is how many people are we turning awayis this a community
pool ?
when agreed to vote yes and pay my fifteen dollars a year as a homeowner
for maint. i had visions of hundreds of local children using the pool
every weekday all day long when school was out for summer break.
but alas the powers to be don'tsee it that way. my feeling now is charge the users in the elite programs alot more and refund myself and others
like me our $15.
hector.

Sorry, Steve, for the poor choice of verbalism I used in describing the children's area. Thanks for clarifying this.

Hector would you seriously take a 2 year old to a pool and not expect to sign a waiver releasing the City from any legal concequences? Even a 4 year old is not a competant swimmer.

In Ventura I'm assuming you're referring to the YMCA or the Ventura College pool?

He is probably talking about the Ventura Aquatic Center at Kimbell south of the 126. It is more suited for small children with a small water park and kiddie area.
2 & under Free
Ages 3-9 $3
Ages 10-61 $5
Ages 62+ $3
Ventura Residents get a discount

Also there is no paperwork... it's pay n play

Hector~
Please go back and read your first few lines:

the first thing you have to worry about when you visit the pool is are you willing
to fill out two forms waiving your rights to sue the city or pool empoyees if you get injured through
negligence.

NEGLIGENCE is the key word. If YOU (being anyone using the pool) are negligent then of course you should have no reason to sue the city. It is crazy to think you would still be able to.

I took my kids to the pool on a Friday. Wow! The help was alert, helpful, and looked like they cared.... Not a whole lot of people there. The paper work took a couple of minutes. What a great asset to our town. Now, can we get an equestrian center that we can all use safely?????????????????????

Why aren't all the kids in town using the pool? When I was young (in a different town) we all hopped on our bikes and spent the summer at the pool. Surely they have all seen it even if they don't read the paper.

Time for a survey. The City of Fillmore planning and development, along with those subcontractors and contractors who did such a fantastic job of creating this new pool complex for the enjoyment of so many, seems to have missed the point of attendance possibilities; or that those who could attend and do not, missed something.

I think it is the latter. Right now - too bad for those kids and other people who do not take advantage of the complex. I would bargain a thought someone will come up with the idea that some 'swimming tournament' needs to be planned, for intercity and extra-city purposes. There must be swim teams and school swim teams everyplace in and around Fillmore. What about at least promoting private functions? (Maybe this has already been done).

Could be, too, some (kids) are having to work most every day or have other interests, school, or lack of interest for water and sunshine, which are some reasons they are not attending.

In all fairness, it takes while for any sort of business concern, whether a new storefront, a repair service, or a pool, or anything like that to get up some momentum...even a swimming pool, in this case, I think... Although I'm not certain that putting the community swimming pool into that same category is accurate totally, since it replaced a facility that was primarily targeted toward the school district's needs... In my opinion, getting the word out to the local population can be challenging, and even though the pool's opening has been well publicized, not everybody pays that much attention...unfortunately...

Perhaps another factor is the interest that the current crop of youngsters have on things that happen indoors...like video games, etc... Maybe they would rather mess around with the electronic stuff in the coolness of their houses than get out there in the heat to get to the pool...who knows?

I don't think all that many kids are fortunate enough to have jobs these days...

Yes, Pancone, I like your thoughts on this. Steve Conaway and the Gazette did so much to broadcast the pool from start to completion, and thereafter. However it seems that you may be right concerning the kids' activities nowadays. Even though a lot of them may or may not hold jobs, at least I know first-hand, my son would much rather be inside and play his vid-games, or have his friends at the house talking, entertaining and having a social event, in the comfort of air-conditioning rather than to be outside in the pool.

He has even made that statement. These kids tell me they do not need 'tans' and to get 'messed-up' swimming. But nevertheless, swimming is a great sport and is beneficial to health at the same time.

I thought for a minute, what an average population of people, say, between the ages of 7 years old and maybe 25 years old, would be apt to go to a public pool, when that area population would average about 18,000 total population. Of course, there may be no demographics on this at all, but it makes me wonder what the popularity of pools are today, compared to their popularity of maybe 20 or even ten years ago.

I'm a statistics kind of guy, and I like numbers, trends, facts. My last sentence in my post of 8/4/ @ 12:50am, says basically what you said, Pancone. I, too, wonder.

Do you think it has anything to do with the short-termed controversy that 'hector' brought up and that was to hold harmless, per a signed document, the City of Fillmore? Most cities have similar contracts by the users, but maybe some folks don't want to be bothered by legalities just to go swimming. (I personally do not feel this is any reason, but it is interesting to wonder to this, also).

Pancone, that was the first thing that came to my mind, =video games. They are wonderful on a rainy day or on long trips, but boy they have their downside, and I mostly wish I'd never gotten the kids any of those systems.

Amen FN amen.

This is good and nice to say, but does anyone have any proof that video games are the REAL reason for the low pool attendance?

let's take a poll.

Maybe it's the cost? Is it a daily fee if you go often or is there an inexpensive pass?

JB

The swimmer can choose between a daily pass, weekly pass, monthly pass, # of enterances pass, etc.

Okay, apparently there are questions arising. This goes with the territory as in the public pool was so well planned, constructed and advertised. Maybe the outline of the entrance requirements should be annotated in this website, so there will be no speculation of what these requirements entail.

If these pool entrance conditions were posted elsewhere, it would be nice for those of us who rely only on this website for information can become aware of these rules to view them here.

Steve, we realize there are 'passes', but are there costs applied to these passes?

But, even if we get the answer to the entrance conditions, the original question of why the attendance is "low", still has not been established. Maybe when school starts up again next month, a questionaire can be given to middle and high school students to determine if/how many times/when/why they attended the new pool. Just to assume a thumbnail idea of the student's viewpoint for a change. I really do not think videogames are any real cause of the attendance issue.

I don't have the prices at my access here at my undisclosed location.
I should be able to produce entrance fees tomorrow.

Steve

The schedule is on this web site. I've posted it below. It's $4 a swim, so if you have 3 kids it's $12 a time, and that's one day. What if they want to swim 3 or 4 times a week? That's a lot of money, 3 kids, 3 times a week could cost you $36 a week. In 3 weeks it could pay my sewer bill. The passes are more expensive, 5 times $25, who would buy that? That's $5 more than the individual pass, same with 10 times pass. And why are the hours so restricted? During the summer this pool should be open from 11am to dusk. With these issues I think you need to take the word "community" out of the name. Wait! I just looked again, and it's confusing. One pass is 10 times at $45, another time $6 a trip. But there is a wet window of opportunity for $2, I see. That would be $18, 3x, but only for 22 days? What happens after August 14? Twice it says "classes in progress". Are those swimming classes? How many people are enrolled in the classes? Does the enrollment number justify closing the pool? Who made this schedule anyway? Reminds me of the web the spider on LSD spun. Timothy Leary would be proud.

JB

Lap Swim - Tuesday & Thursday 6:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m. (Classes in progress) Tuesday & Thursday 11:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. Monday, Tuesday & Thursday 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. $4.00 per person or 10 visit splash pass for $35.00 Water Exercise - Tuesday & Thursday 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 Swimming Pool Schedule a.m. (Classes in progress) Tuesday & Thursday 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. $6.00 per person or 10 visit splash pass for $45.00 Recreation Swim - Monday – Friday 1:15 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. $2.00 per person (Starting – Monday, June 22 2009 through August 14, 2009) Family Swim – Friday, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. $1.00 per person (Starting – Friday, July 3, 2009 Sign up for swim lessons starting Wednesday, June 24, 2009 at the pool site located at 575 First Street. For more information please call 524-4902.

Thank you June Bug for that. Heaven's to Mergatroid!...I'm more confused now. (Talk about "Shock and Awe"). I should have not opened my mouth! No wonder there is such a low attendance factor here. All questions have been answered.

Time to hold another special session of the City Council!

I just threw down a challenge to City Staff and the Mayor to come up with some creative ideas to increase usage of the pool. I also included June Bugs post which I hope stimulates thought and action.

My suggestion for increasing usage at the pool is to institue a "Buddy Day" Starting with Lap Swim participants if they bring a buddy to use the pool the buddy gets in free and the lap swimmer get one day added to their access pass. This would expose more people to offering and hopefully increase usage at no additional out of pocket expenses by the city or individuals.

Swimmers what viable suggestions do you have for increasing usage at the pool or kiddie play area?

Steve Conaway

Steve when we lived in another state, they had a mini water park. From 4 to 5 pm they had 'free swim' -the facility was open to the public, and I loved it, taking my baby there. For those who truely cant afford it, this is a community service. But, for those penny pinchers like me, it is a good way to get us in there and get us motivated to try the facilities. It is a win win situation for the town. Maybe something like this would work in Fillmore too? Could be a two hour period also, or, one day or evening a week.

FN, thanks for the input. I'll sit back now and read the posts on this thread. Please don't assume that I disagree if I don't respond to the posts. Keep the suggestions coming.

Steve, at your post on 8/06/09 @7:02am, you referred to asking swimmers the questions concerning the pool; parroting my comment, last paragraph, on 8/05/09 @ 2:22pm. This is okay, as long as something might get accomplished no matter who makes a suggestion.

I personally feel, Steve, that the city is locked-into those price ranges and it will take much more than adding a day here and a day there to the passes. This is not an effective draw; but it IS an idea. 'FillmoreNative' also brought up a suggestion which is effective for pool participation.

However, I'm at odds with the principal of charging anything for a public pool entrance fee. Unless the pool charge is assumed into some other accounting derived from the city income taxation funding and the general city match-up funding supporting the taxpayer dollar, on a minimal-charge basis, I do not know any other way to have people go there and swim, etc.

It is confusing to the public to have them sign hold harmless waivers, exonerating the city from any particular injury of harm the swimmers bring onto themselves using this pool and facilities, let alone charging them a confusing set of pricing methods. The general public are afraid of these waivers, etc, and I guess the city also wants no law suits brought upon them for negligence, either.

I do not know exactly whom or who drew up the plan 'June Bug' printed out, but they must have been a Philadelphia Lawyer at some time in their life!

People are on strict budgets (most of them) and if people simply need water, there are plenty of other pool facilities around to use, or the Pacific ocean is just a short drive west from Fillmore.

Sorry, Steve...I meant 8/05/09 @ 4:56pm, NOT at 2:22pm.

This swimming pool thread is wearing me out. But my last comment on the pool issue is this: Personally, I wish not to go into ANY public pool, even though it has sanitizer in the water. It is no guarantee to cleanliness. 'Know what I mean?

But, as an older guy now, I have my own pool to enjoy. Good luck with the results whatever they may take to bring more activity to this beautiful complex.

Some of the city staffers have accepted my challange and are responding with some great ideas. After this thread peters out I'll pos ideas from the public and from city staff for all to read.

Steve

2 weekends ago my husband and I drove by the pool hoping to let the kids swim for a bit. Only we found that the pool was closed on the weekends.

The pool only seemed to be open for them for just a couple hours a day. Both of us work so we are unable to take our kids there before 4pm.

I don't know about others but we still feel that it is warm enough to swim after 4pm and definitely on the weekends.

Until the pool offers more hours we will just stick to the above groud pool we have in our backyard.