Fillmore Unified School District

Fillmore Unified School District (FUSD) understands that the Fillmore Aquatic Center is provided for the community’s benefit and is owned and operated by the City of Fillmore (City). With the current operating model, the Aquatic Center is open to the general public during the summer from approximately Memorial Day through Labor Day, and the facility costs more to operate than the revenue generated by use of the pool. Bottom line, the City’s Aquatic Center is losing money.

The City requested that FUSD pay half of the cost of replastering that was required by Ventura County Health Division. The District agreed and is willing to support this necessary project to ensure that our students continue to be able to safely use the pool.

FUSD’s concerns are:

• FUSD agreed to pay for 50% of the replastering project over the next three years. What if the City shuts the pool down or it cannot be reasonably used by FUSD through no fault of, or beyond the control of, FUSD during that time? FUSD should not be forced to pay for a facility that its students cannot use. FUSD requested some form of temporary deferral, credit, or abatement of these payments during the time FUSD cannot use the facilities, but the City refused.

• If the City closes the pool through no fault of, or beyond the control of, FUSD, then FUSD will need to transport its student athletes to another pool. Should FUSD be required to pay for pool use at another site in addition for a pool that is closed by the City?

• For many years FUSD was allowed to use the pool during daytime hours in the summer. Oftentimes, the City’s programs, like swimming lessons, are not using the whole pool. We shared. FUSD would like to return to that cooperative relationship.

• FUSD was also allowed to use the whole pool in the “down times” between scheduled programs by the City during the day. We would like to be allowed to do that again.

• The City made the decision to close the pool from after Labor Day to approximately Memorial Day every year. Without FUSD, no one would be using the pool during this time period. During that time, however, the Aquatic Center still needs to be maintained. The facilities need to be monitored by City staff, the pool must remain filled, and necessary repairs need to be made. To assist the City to fund the required maintenance of the facilities while not being used by the City, FUSD worked with the City to establish additional costs to be paid by FUSD for its student athletes to use the pool, and a fair amount was assessed. FUSD custodians clean up after practice, and FUSD coaches are certified lifeguards.

• If the City wants to establish any cost increases to be paid by FUSD, then FUSD should be allowed to review the actual costs for pool operations and adjust, if necessary. Just because FUSD is required to pay an automatic increase does not automatically mean that the City’s actual costs are increasing by the same amount or rate.

• FUSD’s use of the pool generates most of the income to maintain the facilities for use by the City and others. FUSD is only requesting reasonable terms and conditions for its use.

Fillmore High School has expanded to offer its students both boys and girls water polo teams in addition to our swim team. As these teams compete in different seasons, FUSD requested to use the City’s Aquatic Center to practice during the City’s closure time. If the City does not complete these required repairs and has to close the Fillmore Aquatic Center, it will be our students who lose.