Agenda Item Wording:
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Aquatic facility presentation - Parks and Recreation Department management with consultants from Aquatics Design Group will deliver a presentation on aquatic facilities with a competitive pool and recreation amenities and receive direction from Council.
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Prepared by: Jason Glick, Parks and Recreation Director, (559) 713-4042 jason.glick@visalia.gov and Laurissa Roggenkamp, Recreation Manager, (559) 713-4336 laurissa.roggenkamp@visalia.gov.
Department Recommendation: Staff recommends City Council consider the information provided in the presentation on aquatics facilities and provide comments and direction:
1. Direct staff to focus on plans for a 50-meter competitive pool and a large recreational pool; and/or
2. Direct staff to further assess the feasibility of two to four of the proposed aquatic facility sites to include development costs, preliminary environmental assessments, property owner willingness to sell if not a City-owned property, and other aspects of the parcels proposed for the development of an aquatics facility; and
3. Provide staff with direction regarding the timeline for development of this facility, whether the project could be phased, the priority for development given current available funding, and direct staff to return with funding options for development of a phased project or the complete project.
Summary:
Type of aquatic facility:
This presentation will review site considerations, acreage requirements, capital costs, operating costs, programming opportunities, and various pool configurations for a proposed aquatic complex. The City Council will be presented with three conceptual aquatic facility options:
• A 50-meter competitive pool with a small recreation pool
• A 50-meter competitive pool with a medium-sized recreation pool
• A 50-meter competitive pool with a large recreation pool (5.1 acres)
For each concept, preliminary capital cost estimates, required acreage, and operation and maintenance costs are provided in the presentation.
Staff has focused on a 50-meter competitive pool rather than 35-meter competitive pool and other competitive pool options based on Council discussion at the last work session. If Council wants to consider smaller options, that information can be discussed during the work session.
Staff is seeking direction from the City Council on whether there is interest in pursuing the development of an aquatic facility and if so, confirmation of the size of the facilities.
Location of aquatic facility:
Staff will also verbally review the map of potential City pool sites for Council consideration. The map depicts the current public agency pools that have some public access (Visalia Unified School District pools). The map includes four City owned potential aquatic facility sites, and four sites held by other public and private entities that could potentially be aquatic facility sites. As with most situations, each site has opportunities and challenges. Council may want to select two-four of the sites for further exploration. Council could also focus on a primary site for Staff to conduct further study on including underground utilities, environmental review and testing, utility and infrastructure availability and costs, and, in the case of sites owned by others, the willingness to sell the property. If the Council chooses a more focused single sight approach, staff recommends that Council select a back-up sight for Staff to explore should the first sight not be feasible.
Priority, timeline and funding:
Council may also want to provide Staff with direction regarding how this project should be approached and Council’s expectations on a timeline. If the project, either in a phased approach or as a total project, is to proceed in the near future, Staff will need to return with funding options that could include moving other large projects into future years to make funding available, and/or returning with funding source options that could include a sales tax enhancement, increase in Transient Occupancy Tax, other new and existing funding sources, and redirecting current funding sources and projects. To fund the entire project in the near future, a comprehensive approach would be needed to fund the approximately $33 million project, and the operating subsidy for the complete project of $300,000 - 1 million annually would also need to be considered beginning in the first year of operation.
Consultant and public outreach:
Once Council provides direction on the size of the facility, and a timeline, Staff will solicit proposals for an experienced aquatics facility consultant, and work with the consultant to develop an appropriate plan for soliciting public input on the configuration, features and amenities that the public is seeking in both facilities. The consultant would use this information, and further Council input, to design the facility.
Background Discussion:
At the January 2025 Strategic Planning Session, City Council requested that staff provide information on aquatics facilities. Subsequently, at the October 20, 2025 City Council meeting, Parks and Recreation staff presented an overview that included the history of aquatics facilities, current facilities, previous community needs assessments, existing City aquatic programs, and various types of aquatic facility models.
At the conclusion of the October 20th presentation, City Council directed staff to research the development of an aquatics facility that would accommodate both competitive and recreational use, including a fifty-meter competitive pool and recreational aquatic amenities. Council further directed staff to return within 60 days with potential site locations, projected development costs, and estimated annual operation and management costs.
Staff met with consultant Dennis Berkshire from Aquatics Design Group, a design and consulting service company in the aquatics industry for the past 40+ years. The company specializes in architectural, structural, mechanical, and electrical design services for swimming pools and water features across a range of market segments, including parks and recreation, high schools, higher education, hospitality, and health care. Their expertise covers all types of aquatic environments, such as competition pools, recreational and leisure facilities, therapeutic water spaces, and decorative or natural water features.
Dennis Berkshire, Aquatics Design Group Principal and President has more than 40 years of experience in the aquatics industry, with extensive expertise in swimming pool design, construction, operations, and training. He has worked with multiple states on swimming pool environmental health codes and chaired the Operator Training Module for the Model Aquatic Health Code. Dennis currently serves on the National Sanitation Foundation Joint Committee on Recreational Water Facilities and is an instructor for the certified pool operator and aquatic facility operator courses, having trained more than 1,000 operators nationwide. He was named to Aquatics International Magazine’s “Power 25” for a second time in February 2023 in recognition of his leadership in shaping the Model Aquatic Health Code. As President, he oversees project management, commissioning, and aquatic facility assessments and studies.
Aquatics Design Group is providing consultation services to the City of Visalia at no cost during these preliminary discussions to assist staff in evaluating potential facility options, site considerations, and associated costs.
Fiscal Impact: Project cost for a 5- meter pool and large recreational facility is estimated at $33 million. Annual operating subsidy for the entire project is expected to be $300,000 - $1 million, depending on Council policies regarding fees, utilities and other expenses, and actual usage.
Prior Council Action:
• January 2025 - Council requested information from staff on aquatic facilities.
• October 2025 - Council directed staff to research development of an aquatic facility for competitive and recreational use.
Other: None
Alternatives: N/A
Recommended Motion (and Alternative Motions if expected):
recommendation
I move to:
1. Propose an aquatics facility that includes a 50-meter competitive pool and a large recreational pool; and/or
2. Direct staff to conduct further feasibility research on the identified site(s) for an aquatics facility; and/or
3. Direct staff to return with funding options for total and phased approaches to the project, including projected timelines.
Environmental Assessment Status: N/A
CEQA Review: N/A
Deadline for Action: 1/20/2026
Attachments: Aquatics Facility Presentation