By Lee Reinsch
Correspondent
DE PERE – Pool users of all ages, parents, grandparents, neighbors and others turned out Monday, Jan. 7, to the De Pere Community Center for a public input session for the two city pools to be constructed in De Pere.
The session was a special meeting of the board of park commissioners and the public comment period was one of several ways the public can voice its opinion on amenities and features the prospective pools should have.
Citizens can fill out an online survey through Jan. 14 or fill out a paper survey.
Of particular interest to decision makers is whether the pools should be identical or offer different features.
On Nov. 6, De Pere voters gave the Common Council the go-ahead to spend up to $900,000 per year over its tax levy for an indefinite number of years to replace the two city pools with two aquatic facilities, one at VFW Park on the west side and the other at Legion Park on the east side.
The amount translates to about a 7 percent increase in property taxes.
Several people spoke in favor of complementary, non-identical facilities that would provide the community with a greater range of activities.
“But the biggest thing is space to swim,” said Adrianne Burns. “We don’t want so many bells and whistles that they take up too much swimming area in the pool.”
For example, basketball hoops would be fine, but a water basketball court would take too much room, she said.
People spoke in favor of diving boards, and a few kids even urged the park commissioners to consider raising the height of the high-dive.
“Once you do the high dive, it gives you a sense of achievement, and you want to go on to the next challenge,” said one young girl taking the mike.
Citizens spoke of shaded areas, picnic tables, a more conveniently located concession stand, separate entrances and exits to prevent ingoers and outgoers from running into each other, and restrooms in spots that don’t require trips into the locker rooms, which results in wet floors and a slipping hazard.
Beth Trofka, a grandmother who took her own kids to De Pere pools, suggested a basket system or other solution for belongings so people can enjoy the water without keeping guard over phones, car keys, clothes and other items they don’t want thrown in the water.
She also commented that pool facility maintenance should be ongoing, rather than last minute.
“In the past, it has tended to be done at the last moment, when everything is falling apart,” Trofka said. “We want to see these things going for a long time into the future.”
Brandy Tollefson said if the concession stand were to offer more substantial fare, such as hot pretzels instead of just sugary treats, it would enable people to stay at the pool longer and not be compelled to lug along coolers and their own lunches.
She and her husband Josh previously lived in a community with a public pool that had basketball hoops and a rope swing that proved popular with older kids, while the zero depth opening that eased into a lazy river was more popular with littler kids.
A “twisty slide” wasn’t so popular, she said, but two ‘S’ slides, so kids could race might be a hit.
But she conceded there should be room for a pool’s essential function – swimming.
“There should enough space to throw a football and have open pool space,” Tollefson said, in agreement with Burns. “We shouldn’t try to cram so much into one facility that there isn’t room for anything.”
As part of the park department’s research, Marty Kosobucki, director of parks, recreation and forestry for De Pere, toured other community pools.
“One thing that some communities installed that they wish they hadn’t installed was open-area sand areas,” such as beach volleyball courts and play areas, he said.
Feedback will be coming from the surveys and the public forum to the pool design consultants, and the public would get another chance to provide input at another public meeting.