2024-03-05 CC Agenda - Public Communication - Misc. - Rethink Plans for the Plunge_v_p _........ _.... ............ �' AOILU�II�A
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From: Vicki Davidson <cheergoddess@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, February 27, 2024 3:25 PM
To: ALL ELECTED OFFICIALS<ALLELECTEDOFFICIALS@elsegundo.org>
Subject: From a ES Resident and Water Polo Mom, I Encourage You to Rethink Plans for the Plunge
Hi El Segundo City Council Members,
As part of the El Segundo High School Water Polo community, I wanted to voice my opinion on the
planned renovations to the Saari Swim Plunge that are up for approval next week. I am an El Segundo
Resident and Taxpayer, with two kids that play club and high school water polo with practices at ESAC and
other facilities around the South Bay. When I heard of your plans to spend a large sum of money into the
plunge several concerns were raised for me. Indoor pool facilities have higher maintenance costs, have
additional expenses like HVAC costs, and a renovation will also limit the space for the pool to the original
building. For our water polo kids, this is not useful as you cannot play water polo in a shallow pool, so this
renovation would not benefit the local water polo programs, and those respective tax paying citizens with
children in the water polo program. The city is about to incur a huge cost and invest in a pool that will not
be able to accomodate any more programming than it did before it was closed.
If you don't mind an alternative idea -- this money would still be invested in the Saari Swim Plunge, but it
would be a complete renovation- into an outdoor facility with an all -deep 30m competition pool and an
additional shallow area or small pool for swim instruction. There would be a designated space for the El
Segundo High School athletes -for example a team room, locker rooms, and a storage area. We love the
ESAC pool, but the distance from the school for our high school students adds scheduling and
transportation complications. It would be safer for our students to walk to the pool from the school -giving
further encouragement not only to continue to build the historic aquatic programs but to help draw the
community in to support (the boys and girls both have recent CIF Championship titles and the visibility
these bring into our city and our schools is amazing and should be put on display!). It would be ideal for
the boys and girls water polo and swim programs at the high school to have a space that felt like our
home, where we could proudly display senior and team banners, and for "off deck activities" watch film
and the students could also do chalk talk in a comfortable, designated room (rather than huddling in the
shared storage area at ESAC, our current situation). Further, if we had two pools in our city that could
accommodate water polo teams, swim teams, the local aquatics community, and those learning to swim
that would also be ideal. We all are aware of the commodity that is pool space- sometimes having club
practices as late as 10pm on school nights. We LOVE the idea of investing money into aquatics, but would
really love it more if the investment served the needs of the community, and brought us into the future
rather than tethering us to an old facility. Pay homage to the original Plunge by planning to keep the
stone facade, or putting in an installation with photos of the old facility and the teams that came out of it,
but give the future kids and community of El Segundo a new place that is functional to their needs.
We understand the sentimental value that a place like the plunge can hold in a community, but please
consider an alternative that would be more useful, multi -purpose and less costly in the long run.
Thank you for your time and consideration. Best, Vicki Davidson