By Lynn Binnie
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com

As was previously reported on the Banner, the Whitewater Aquatic and Fitness Center (WAFC) has been operating for the past two years without the benefit of the necessary agreement between the City of Whitewater (the city) and the Whitewater Unified School District (WUSD). The School Board and Common Council both appointed members to serve on an ad hoc WAFC subcommittee with the purpose of negotiating a new agreement.  An organizational meeting of that committee was held on April 2, at which time future monthly meeting dates were established.

In advance of the upcoming subcommittee meeting on April 11, both the city Common Council and the WUSD School Board separately passed on April 6 what has been described as “affirmative statements” expressing their recognition of the importance of the WAFC to their constituencies and the larger community, as well as their commitment to partnering with each other in ongoing financial support of the facility. Those statements are provided below, as is a report on the first meeting of the unrelated “Save the Pool Committee.”

WUSD Statement

The Whitewater Aquatic and Fitness Center (WAFC) is an important, valued resource to our students, to the residents of the City of Whitewater (City), the Whitewater Unified School District (WUSD) and the Whitewater community. While the WAFC partnership includes significant support from both the WUSD and City, membership and program revenues are also crucial to its ongoing health. The WUSD is committed to partnering with the City to secure operational and capital financing that allows it to support the WAFC within its other budgetary obligations.

City Council and Staff Position on WAFC

1. We believe in the importance of the Facility as it exists to the City, School District and Community including the Fitness Center, Lap Pool and Leisure Pool.
2. The facility is a value to the school, city, and surrounding region as a joint venture that is supported by the financial contributions by city and school district resources along with financial support from membership, program revenues and community contributions.
3. We acknowledge opportunities for continuous improvement for facility and operational needs and are committed to these improvements, including membership growth, facility updates and visibility within the region.
4. We are committed to communicating and partnering with the school district to provide for operational and capital financing that allows both entities to provide excellent service.
5. It is the goal of this body to continue our partnership and accomplish our shared goals without going to referendum.
6. Both the City and School District have contractual obligations under previous and ongoing agreements that must be honored to resolve the accumulated deficit.

“Save the Pool Committee” Meeting

As was previously announced on the Banner, Cheri Zimdars, Guy Ledwell, Jeff Knight, and Geoff Hale have formed a Save the Pool Committee for the Whitewater Fitness and Aquatic Center (WFAC), with the expressed purpose of educating the public about the value of the center and with the hope “to expedite the completion of a new agreement, educate the public on this issue, and help in any way they can to continue its operations.”

Approximately 30 people attended the first meeting of this group on April 5 at the Cravath Lakefront Community Center. Jeff Knight stated that the financial concerns for WAFC have stemmed from items such as the fact that the annual contributions from the city and WUSD were to have had an inflationary factor, but that was only effective one time; the COVID shutdown; and the fact that no COVID relief funds were applied for or to WAFC. He felt that the subcommittee should be seeking input from the public, and specifically including the original donors. Cheri Zimdars emphasized that the facility is used by all age groups, and the fact that it’s open year round is a real advantage compared with other communities. Geoff Hale described the WAFC as Whitewater’s “most valuable gem.”

Bob McCullough, speaking for his wife Sharon, who was one of the leaders of the founding SWIM organization, described the approximately decade-long efforts to build the facility. A feasibility study that was conducted in the early ’90s predicted that the leisure pool would be responsible for 70-80% of the revenues.

There was discussion about the need to market the facility more effectively. A couple who moved here three years ago stated that they only recently learned about WAFC. They are now members and love the facility. It was reported that people come from communities such as Janesville, Palmyra and Oconomowoc to use the WAFC.

Ron Binning, another of the original leaders of SWIM, spoke of the importance of the swimming lessons offered at WAFC. When he was about five years old he went to Lake Michigan with his family. He’d had no swimming lessons and was at risk of drowning if it wasn’t for a local woman who rescued him. It’s indicated that drowning is the leading cause of death for children age one to four. WUSD Superintendent Caroline Pate-Hefty stated that the district provides free swimming lessons as part of summer school, with 300 children having participated last year. Pate-Hefty, by the way, indicated that the board understands the importance of WAFC to the district and the community, and mentioned that both the district and the city are working to develop affirmative statements. She lamented that there are many false rumors going around, including that she would like to convert the facility into the central office for the district.

There’s an ongoing need for lifeguards, which has been relieved somewhat by the recently lowered age minimum to 15, as well as the recruitment of a number of teachers and senior adults.

City Manager John Weidl stated that the Common Council is unanimously in favor of supporting the WAFC, and added, “We’re going to get an agreement done.” Council members on the subcommittee are Lisa Dawsey Smith, Jim Allen and Jill Gerber. He admitted that there are items on the want list that can only be accomplished if there are donations from the community, such as an electronic sign. Weidl indicated that memberships are up, revenue is up, and the social media presence is increasing.