Pool task force weighs bond offering decision

After hearing subcommittee reports Tuesday about recruiting more members to assist the Recreation Facilities Task Force (Phase 2), chairman Tom McMahon urged all subcommittees to meet within the next week.

?We want to get everyone up to speed,? he said. ?We?re working through some timeline issues that are not yet clear, but we want to get to work on it.

?And I?d like to meet all new subcommittee members you?re pulling in, so set your meetings, then notify me and I?ll see if I can attend.?

Ron Haines asked who drives the timeline; the city, Burbach Associates or the task force?

?It?s us,? said Tom McMahon. ?And the timeline will revolve around a bond offering. By state law, there are four dates a year we can choose from for a bond vote.?

A vote date was not announced. The full task force has not yet reviewed any pool plans from Burbach, which asked for more information from the group, Tom McMahon said.

Tom McMahon commended the committee, ?I know you?ve had lots of group meetings and are doing lots of work,? he said.

Part of his charge to members at the April 24 meeting was to invite more community members onto the subcommittees created at the April 9 meeting.

Eleven of the 14-member Recreation Facilities Task Force (Phase 2) attended Tuesday?s meeting, and chairpersons reported any new members added to the subcommittees.

The Facility Planning subcommittee, co-chaired by Jane McMahon and Jeff Courtwright, includes pool task force members Ken Daly and Mark Myer.

?We?ve added Barry Ledger, Fred McElwee and Jerry Long,? said Jane McMahon. ?We hope to meet soon to have preliminary talks with Burbach for a timeline.?

The Public Relations subcommittee is co-chaired by Kent Whitney and Michael Halley. Tammy Dunbar, another pool task force member, also serves on it.

?We met and discussed names,? said Whitney. ?We?ve added Audra Gilpin. Cathy Else and Mark Cohen.?

Jodi Kerr is chairwoman of the Finance and Fundraising subcommittee. Pool task force members Joe Carr, Ron Haines and Tom McMahon also serve on this subcommittee. Christine Carlson and Sarah Cochran have agreed to join them.

?I see two big pushes for financing and fundraising,? said Tom McMahon. ?Think about getting more people. I want to touch as many segments of the community we can.?

Jane McMahon said she?d contacted John Hammes, too.

?He?s finishing up work at the Catholic church,? she said. ?He?s someone we should keep informed so that he can be a good spokesperson when his time becomes more available.?

The Speakers Bureau subcommittee is co-chaired by Carr and Dan Breen, with pool task force members Courtwright, Kerr, Daly and Tom McMahon also on this subcommittee. No new members were added yet.

?We?ll need those willing to talk to public groups, and we?ll need some technically-skilled people to help with presentation equipment,? said Tom McMahon. ?And we?ll need some help to know we?re hitting all segments of the community.?

He acknowledged that some subcommittees had added new people.

?I recognize that I?m on two subcommittees,? he said. ?I will probably withdraw from one. I?m challenging each of you to question if your presence on a subcommittee is critical ? or would a new member be better to add. Each of us should probably just be on one subcommittee, especially if our goal is to bring more new people to the mix.

?I?m loving the names I?m hearing, it?s a good cross-section of the community, which is what we want.?

The next meeting for the Recreation Facilities Task Force (Phase 2) is set for noon June 5 at Fairfield City Hall.