Dear City Council members,
I understand you're considering the automatic contract extension this week of Team Sheeper, Inc. for the continued operation of the Burgess Pool through August 2022.
I've voiced previous concerns about community access to our municipal pools. These are still concerns: the hours (and pool space) available to members of the community including family swim and lap swimming outside of masters programs; the high fees for these programs; and the prevalence of private swim lessons vs. group lessons.
Team Sheeper is a private company that is operating in its best interest – profit. This enterprise has been gradually limiting pool access (by renting out pool space to water polo and water hockey teams) and by making pool access available during prime hours to its private teams and programs. This benefits the most wealthy and privileged in our community.
Team Sheeper has responded to community pressure and extended Belle Haven pool's hours so that more members of the community can swim. They've done an admirable job keeping the pool open and safe for adults in our community during pandemic restrictions. Sadly, our community's children have had no options for safe swimming for nearly a year.
I'm very concerned about how limited our community's access to the municipal pools will be this summer, when construction begins for the new MPCC. I understand that this is not an ideal time to bring on a new operator of this contract, but I would ask that the City Council evaluate ways that Team Sheeper will manage this scenario where there will be reduced capacity in order to maximize service and accessibility to the entire Menlo Park community.
This opportunity represents a much-needed reset for expectations in our community and accountability for Team Sheeper. We all need to come together as a community and the pandemic has laid bare just how inequitable access to a healthy lifestyle can be. This is an opportunity for us to give Team Sheeper what they want (a renewed contract) under new terms and a partnership that will help the community access the municipal pools our tax dollars pay for to stay healthy during a challenging time.
I can't attend this week's meeting, but here's what I'd like to see negotiated (Covid permitting):
- Open swim time for families on weekends
- Group swim lessons
- Open access to lap swimming in the Performance pool (early morning and evening) so that people who work during the day and can't afford Masters can continue to swim
- Limiting rental to other organizations at least until 2023 when the new MPCC opens
Sincerely,
Jessica Taylor
