To the Sunset Empire Park and Recreation District board members. Before SEPRD is ready for growth and expansion, the patrons would desire that the board take an earnest, active interest in becoming involved in the aquatic center’s workings and the needs of the center’s patrons.

Patrons have not seen members of the board visiting or using the aquatic facility. How would they know what is really going on? In the past there were two petitions: one in 2015 and one in 2016, expressing concerns. Both petitions fell on deaf ears with no responses.

The aquatic facility has slowly gone downhill and a number of adults have just quit coming, for various reasons — it is too cold — the water temperature has been lowered, as well as an intermittently working boiler which makes the locker rooms cold (55 degrees). A once well-managed, well-maintained and sparkling facility has turned into an unorganized, dirty facility with no effort to correct the important issues, of which there are many. It would seem that the $60,000 paid for reports on the old Broadway school could have better been put to use on a working boiler.

I believe that the existing aquatic facility needs to be take care of properly rather than pour $20 million into an unnecessary expansion.

Donna Sunell

Gearhart