City still mulling $500K pool loan

The Sonoma City Council held a study session last Thursday, Aug. 7, to discuss the terms of a proposed $500,000 loan to the Sonoma Valley Health and Recreation Association (SVHRA), the nonprofit organization incorporating Sonoma Splash, a citizens group hoping to build a community pool.

The half-million-dollar loan is needed to allow SVHRA to close escrow on the three-parcel property on Verano Avenue, where the now-destroyed Paul’s Resort is located, across from Maxwell Farms Regional Park.

The escrow closing date, which has been recently extended by the seller, is now set for Sept. 18, by which time SVHRA needs to pay $1.7 million. Estimated total cost of the project has been presented as between $10 million and $12 million.

Most of the Aug. 7 council discussion focused on details of a promissory note defining the terms of the loan, including the possibility of committing $250,000 of the total to scholarships and free programs for Sonoma residents.

Council members and two representatives from SVHRA were in general agreement about the use of loan money to provide increased access to the pool for families in financial need. But there was no agreement on the issue of who would choose how much of the money is given to which members of the community for programs.

Councilmember Steve Barbose expressed the opinion that, “We should make scholarships available for city residents. We’re spending city money.”

He also suggested the city should have discretion for assigning vouchers to non-city residents.

But Paul Favro, president of SVHRA, insisted that, “Our mission is not just to have an aquatic facility available for everyone, but to have aquatic programs for people in need. So we would like to present and propose a program of activities to the city.”

To which Councilmember David Cook responded, “It’s our money, we get to spend it as we want.”

Barbose than said, “Who’s responsible for getting kids in the pool? I say it’s you guys. Your job is to sell swimming. Our job is to pay for it.”

The discussion wandered back and forth over issues of responsibility, liability and who controls the cash, until Assistant City Attorney Veronica Nebb observed, “We’re way in the weeds on this one,” and suggested the proposed details on terms of scholarship money use be worked out before the City Council reviews the agreement in full at a later meeting in early September.

To which Councilmember Laurie Gallian concluded, “We need to drill down a little deeper into the scholarship issue. The time, duration, amount and the process.” She asked for additional information, and suggested a model like that used by public transit agencies that issue bus passes.

Also the target of considerable discussion was the period of time the city should allow SVHRA to demonstrate that it could navigate the permitting process and raise the necessary money to assure construction of the pool project. SVHRA wanted a time limit of 10 years, while City Council members said they were thinking more along the lines of half that time. Ultimately, there was general agreement that an initial deadline of five years could be extended if progress was sufficiently promising.

One thing became abundantly clear form the discussion: The long-awaited community swimming pool, under the best of circumstances, is at least five years down the road, and probably farther.