FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Last Updated: 07 Sep 2009
-
What is the Morro Bay Community Pool Foundation?
The Morro Bay Community Pool Foundation is a California Non-Profit Public
Benefit Corporation and a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt public charity.
The purpose of the Foundation is to facilitate the building, maintenance
and/or operation of a year-round Community Aquatics Center on the North Coast
of San Luis Obispo County.
To fully understand our mission,
vision and goals we encourage you to review our
bylaws.
-
What is the Foundation working towards building?
Our mission is to raise funds to build and/or support the operation of a year-round sustainable
Community Aquatics Center.
-
What is the first step to making this happen?
The first step began with our capital campaign to raise the necessary funds to build the facility.
Our campaign is called First Lap. Based upon initial research, the current goal of the
First Lap campaign could be as little as four million dollars. However, a more accurate cost estimate
will be established as data is collected to answer at least two key questions:
- What is the cost to build a green Community Aquatics Center?
- What is the best location on the North Coast for the facility?
-
Your Foundation purpose includes the statement that you are here to raise
funds to also “support the operation of a year–round community aquatics
center on the North Coast of San Luis Obispo County” – what
exactly do you mean?
Thank you for noticing this part of our purpose. We believe by including the key words “and/or operation
of a year–round community aquatics center” it helps our Foundation to broaden our mission to
include our commitment to preserve and enhance existing community aquatics programs.
-
So what is the Foundation doing to help existing local pools?
On September 9, 2009 at our annual open meeting, we launched our
“S.ave
O.ur
S.wimming
for Community… Access because Community Matters!” campaign. The
community has voiced a strong concern that year-round swimming opportunities are being cut back and are less
accessible than ever before. Our Foundation is poised to help with a commitment to preserve and enhance
existing aquatic programs. Our goal is to be a partner in helping to increase the community's participation at
all of our local pools by raising awareness and funding for each of the programs. The Foundation's current
focus is to support Cuesta College's Community Aquatics Program, and our County pool programs in Cayucos and
Cambria. Your commitment of support as a donor or active volunteer will help ensure that our local pools will
be available for recreational swim each summer, and accessible to the community year-round! Please help the
Foundation ensure that all water exercise enthusiasts have the opportunity to train, exercise, rehabilitate,
and play by diving in and donating your dollars and time!
-
Los Osos has already raised some money for a swimming pool – why is the Foundation
interested in a pool on the North Coast?
The Los Osos Community Pool Association was formed in 1993 to build a community pool in Los Osos.
The Morro Bay High School pool, which also served the Morro Bay community, was closed in 1999.
At present, there is no year-round community pool on the North Coast. The Morro Bay Community
Pool Foundation is working to consider the possibilities of where the best location would
be for a Community Aquatics Center on the North Coast.
-
What is the status of the Los Osos swimming pool project? Didn't they already
do a feasibility study that the Foundation can use?
The Los Osos Community Pool Association is currently active and is working to
update their feasibility study that was completed over 8 years ago. The Los Osos group
is working toward building a community pool in Los Osos that would compliment
the vision the Foundation has for a Community Aquatics Center.
A community pool in Los Osos would most likely be built after the Los Osos
sewer is operational.
-
Who else is involved with the Foundation?
The Foundation is moving forward by seeking letters of support and looking to attain
private/public partnerships interested in supporting a year-round community aquatics center on the
North Coast.
-
How will the Foundation raise money for this project?
As mentioned above, we began in November 2008 by launching our First Lap Campaign
to raise awareness and money for what we consider to be a worthy community project. We believe that
North Coast families are known to be charitable and caring, and open to the possibilities. Thus, the
Foundation believes this is an opportune time for all of us
to make an investment in our community's future. We will also be applying for
grants from public and private entities.
-
What is the timeline for this project?
Ideally, we anticipate that this project could take three to seven years to complete –
capital campaign, design, permits, build and then open.
-
What sites have been considered for the location of the community aquatics center?
In years past, the City of Morro Bay has studied the following locations: 220 Atascadero Road,
231 Atascadero Road, Coleman Park, other existing city parks, and other vacant parcels. The School
District has also considered: the back of Morro Bay High School campus by the football field; and, the
front lot along Highway 1 bordering on Morro Bay High School property. Other suggestions included: the
field area adjacent to Morro Bay Community Center and the old Morro Elementary School as well as the
Grange property off of Highway 41. In 2003 the Morro Bay Recreation and Parks Commission recommended the
Morro Bay High School site as the preferred site for a community pool in Morro Bay. The final decision
for the location of the community aquatics center will be dependent upon the outcome of the
recommendations of the Ad hoc Site Committee and potential partnership agreements.
-
If the best location for a community aquatics center is in Los Osos – what will
the Foundation do?
The Foundation is passionate about how we can best serve our North Coast communities. If it is
determined that Los Osos is the best location for a community aquatics center we will focus on
ways to partner with the Los Osos Community Pool Association to support their efforts.
-
If it is best to have a regional swim center in one location (i.e., Los Osos) and a
therapy/activity pool in another location (i.e., Morro Bay), will the Foundation support that
possibility?
The Foundation will consider the possibility and how it can best serve our communities. A split
location could be the best option in order to have the desired amenities and the sustaining
funding to properly maintain and enhance this project for the future.
-
We have heard that there is another group that is interested specifically in building a pool
at the Morro Bay High School that may have public access. If this is the case, will the
Morro Bay Community Pool Foundation work with that group on this endeavor?
If the Morro Bay High School is the best location for a Community Aquatics Center, it will be important
for our Foundation to explore this possibility.
Certainly the Foundation supports the idea of having a curriculum based high school pool
program to support the athletic training of high school youths in our community. However, our
primary mission is to facilitate the building, maintenance and/or operation of a year-round
Community Aquatics Center on the North Coast of San Luis Obispo County. That mission
commits the Foundation to work with
organizations, groups and potential partners who are also interested in building a community pool, and that
they support the right of the members of our community who are not in curriculum based programs to have
priority access to the pool(s) for recreation, general fitness and physical rehabilitation. In order to
deviate from this, our Foundation would have to change the mission on which it was founded.
It is important that the Foundation only enters into partnership agreements meeting such criteria.
-
Will this be a year round facility?
The community pool we would like to build and program would include having it available twelve months a year,
seven days a week, as well as open most holidays. If the pool is built in Morro Bay, the Foundation will work
closely with the City of Morro Bay on programming and staffing for public access.
-
How is the Foundation addressing the current downturn in the economy – will that change
your plans of building a Community Aquatics Center on the North Coast?
When we first started our quest to find out if it was feasible to build a pool
on the north coast, we could not have anticipated this major downturn of the
economy or the impact it would have on our communities. For this reason, along
with a current reorganization of the Foundation, our top priority has been to
adapt the Foundation's strategic plan to the current economic conditions.
Please see the question and response above regarding our S.O.S. campaign.
With our S.O.S. campaign, we have now directed our energies towards working on a new strategy that addresses
these critical community issues.
This includes looking at the specific steps
we need to take to build a year-round Community Aquatics Center on the North Coast, as
well as considering how our Foundation can help preserve and/or enhance our
existing local community pools. We recognize that one of the primary concerns
for North Coast swimmers is the current economic conditions. Public agencies
have been faced with the reality of closing and/or downsizing public use opportunities from Cuesta College
to Cambria due to budget constraints. The Morro Bay Community Pool Foundation
would like your help to work with these agencies to assure swimming
opportunities are available each year for youth swim lessons, lap swim and
water aerobic programs.
-
This sounds like an exciting grass-roots effort by the Morro Bay Community Pool Foundation. What ways
can I get involved?
The Foundation currently has several committees that
are seeking interested volunteers: Finance; Fundraising;
Public Relations; Planning & Design; Community Outreach and Ad hoc Site.
If you are interested in learning more about the committees please feel free to call our voice mail
number at 805.772.9019 and we will get back to you. You can also contact us via the
Contact Us
link.
-
How can I donate to the pool project?
You can make a donation securely through Pay Pal, which accepts MasterCard, VISA,
and/or American Express.
Or, you can send a check or money order to:
Morro Bay Community Pool Foundation
P.O. Box 2008
Morro Bay, CA 93443-2008
The Morro Bay Community Pool Foundation is a California Non-Profit Public Benefit Corporation made up
of all volunteers. No salaries are paid. We are a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt public charity. Your contribution
is tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. Please consult your tax advisor for all
tax advice. Non-Profit Tax ID Number: 26-3357532.
Please check back for further updates to these Frequently Asked Questions. Click
here
for a printable version of these FAQs.