Menlo Park City Council:
In Council consideration of the Pool Operator commencing in September to operate both city pools I have the following observations.
I am currently a particpant in the Team Sheeper programs as a masters swimmer, and Menlo Park restident.
Having read the three proposals and the comments from the city concerning some of the issues regarding the operators and making changes, it seems that the BEST RFP presented is from Team Sheeper.
I found the Team Sheeper proposal to best represent the character, outlook, philosophy, of the Menlo Park Community and swimming participant values and needs. Team Sheeper has been meeting those needs successfully for the past two decades and more.
The Swim Swan is a So. California operator, whose limited experience does not include large public municipal programs such as Menlo Parks. While it appears to have some high school experience it is also a Las Vegas pool casino operator which does not qualifies as an example of a successful track record of a mulitprogram pool operator. It appears Swim Swan is looking to expand, by their own statement, and I do not think Menlo Park needs to provide that venue based on their brief history. They have no experience opeating some current Menlo swim programs, per their RFP, and limited Bay Area knowledge to recruit and function successfully within the greater San Francisco swimming community.
As far as SOLO is concerned, while they have had some experience in the community at MA and other venues etc, it does not appear that they are ready to scale to the needs of the City of Menlo Park at both pools.
Team Sheeper has a proven track record of successful community swimming program mangement. Team Sheeper has actively engaged the swim community in providing swim opportunities and scholarships to residents for a number of years. This has been done throgh his own efforts along with swimmers in his programs as evidenced by the Beyond Barriers Fooundation scholarships documetned in the RFP. I did not see any particular evidence as to how this would be accomplished in the other RFP’s.
The city commentary section has pointed out the risks of switching providers and the disruption to the community. It does not appear that the MPCC pool will open this year thus there is no track record for how any new operator is going to address the needs of that site while still trying to come up to expected commuity standards and programs at the existing site. Team Sheeper has a history of successfullly operating the former and future replacement of Belle Haven pool. Opening up the operation at that site should be a seemless proposition for the current incumbent.
Finally, it appears that the financial needs of the City and the continued successfull revenue stream to fund the pool and the city profit share, is best protected by continuing the Team Sheeper program.
The decision to retain Team Sheeper provides Council with a no conflict decision given the successful experience and continuity of the pool programs and operations.
Robert Crockett
212 Marmona Dr.
