I’m reminded of the movie “An American President” with Michael Douglas and the scene where his advisor played by Michael J. Fox and he get into a heated discussion and the dialogue goes something like:
Assistant to the President, Lewis Rothschild, played by Michael J. Fox: “They want leadership. They’re so thirsty for it they’ll crawl through the desert toward a mirage, and when they discover there’s no water, they’ll drink the sand.”
President Andrew Shepherd, played by Michael Douglas, responds: “People don’t drink the sand because they’re thirsty. They drink the sand because they don’t know the difference.”
I have to ask, does our past and present city council know the difference? Have they been drinking the sand?
To be somewhat fair, the current council (although three were on past council) has been dealing with some other large issues. That being said, onto the issue which I firmly believe needs to be seriously addressed and requires the attention of the mayor and council, the Kedron pool.
It is my contention that only one-half of 1 percent of our citizens use the Kedron Aquatic Center pool. Here are the actual numbers: thus far in 2014 the Kedron Pool is averaging 939 check-ins per month by Peachtree City residents.
Since the city does not track check-ins by name, it is impossible to quantify the actual number of different residents who are using the pool.
I think it would be safe to say that there is repeat usage and that the 939 check-ins are simply not 939 different residents.
It would be scary to think that we would operate a pool that only served the same 939 residents who would use the pool only once a month.
Or, maybe it is just as absurd to assume that if residents are using the pool one time per week that there are only 235 different residents using the pool.
So, for the purpose of evaluating usage, I thought it would be fair and very safe to use the number of one visit per week based on actual usage. Using this model, it averages out that only 235 different residents use the Kedron pool once a week.
I think it is also important to mention that 46 percent of the individual pool usage are not Peachtree City residents. In other words, 46 percent of the people who use the pool do not pay taxes (only residents of Peachtree City pay taxes to operate the pool) toward the Kedron Aquatic Center.
Using the actual numbers given to me by the city, the argument that a pool, the Kedron Pool, is warranted and needed for our city and our citizens is absolutely absurd. Here are the facts:
Based on the usage model I explained above, there are only 235 Peachtree City citizens using the pool on a one visit per week basis. This is equivalent to only 1 out of every 200 citizens that use the Kedron pool. That equates to only one-half of one-percent of our citizens who use the pool.
However, our current and previous administrations seem to think this is a benefit to the taxpayers of Peachtree City. How do I know? Because I’ve asked.
Allow me to offer some business advice, you can think whatever you want, but numbers do not lie. You can offer every excuse imaginable, but the numbers are the numbers, period.
So that you have a true understanding, the Kedron Aquatic Center has cost the taxpayers of this city more than an estimated $7 million in operating cost alone.
Let me be clear, this has nothing to do with the tax you already have paid (and are still paying) on the bond that built the facility.
This is an additional cost to you, the taxpayer, just to keep the facility operational. You are paying somewhere between $200,000 to $300,000 a year (it used to be much more) so that an average of 235 people have a place to swim.
I don’t know which is worse, either no one in our local government (over the past 16 years) knew about this issue or even worse (which I think is the case) they knew about this issue but did not care enough about the taxpayers’ interest to do anything about it.
So now that you hopefully have a clear picture, there is nothing more evident than the fact that government, especially our city government, has absolutely no business being in the pool business. The usage number alone prove it, facts are facts.
To offer some perspective, World Gym at Lexington Park (facility has a pool and of which I am the owner) will have more check-ins in 15 days than the number of Peachtree City residents that used the Kedron pool in the entire year of 2013. That’s embarrassing.
You ask what is wrong with our city? You ask why we have all the issues we have? Well, this, the Kedron Pool, is just the tip of the iceberg of how some of our elected officials have operated our city and their mindset as to how the city should be run.
Now you have a snap-shot of the level of competence exhibited by some (not all) of our elected officials (city and county). This has been going on for over 16 years. Ultimately it is our fault, because we continue to elect officials that don’t carry the resume that qualifies them to do the job.
To be fair, I have nothing but respect and admiration for Cajen Rhodes (Recreation & Special Events Administrator) and Jon Rorie (Community Services). Through their diligence and hard work they have produced and found ways to off-set the cost and have saved the citizens approximately $200,000 a year. All of the added systems implemented by these devoted city employees were done in a relatively short time frame. They are to be applauded for their efforts.
To be clear, my diligence with the Kedron pool, and cost, is strictly to present to the taxpayers how our tax dollars are being utilized and ultimately wasted.
Because of past events I’m sure many of you are thinking I am trying to leverage a position on an ice-rink into this deal by saying if you’ll pay $400,000 a year to operate a pool that no one uses, how can you argue not supporting an ice-complex at one-third of the cost?
The ice-complex is a venue that would offer a much greater benefit and the simple fact is that by and large many more citizens would use this facility over a pool. This would actually be an asset, an amenity that no one else has for 50 miles in any direction. Imagine that!
Logic never has prevailed in such matters and logic never will. Even if you believe an ice-rink makes no sense, it still makes 10 times more sense than a pool.
I have listened to the citizens on the blogs who were against an ice-rink in Peachtree City, those who have said if I wanted an ice rink to do it as a private venture.
My response is, to be fair, why not do the same for the pool? Why not make the pool as a private-venture? Why have you thrown over $7 million away on this venue?
So, back on point, I have listened, I have given up on dealing with and trying to make any sense of our local government. Upon some of the citizens’ recommendations, I have decided not to put an ice rink here in Peachtree City and I have moved on to another venture.
There will be a new rink in Sandy Springs (only 45 minutes from Peachtree City) opening in the not so distant future. The ice is already sold out 6 months in advance (Atlanta has the second largest amateur hockey league in the country and there is a waiting list).
This location will now make eight sheets of ice in a 25-mile radius on the northside of Atlanta and zero on the southside. The northside of Atlanta continues to operate in a linear progression with a linear mindset while most elected officials in Fayette County are 20 years behind the curve (recreation pools with a bubble).
Yes, it is true, and we wonder why no one wants to stay in Peachtree City or Fayette County. I don’t think our elected officials understand the concept of attracting quality residents. Cobb and Gwinnett County are taking us to the woodshed.
As I stated earlier, our local government has no business in the pool business, and the usage numbers prove it. One can argue all they want but numbers simply do not lie.
To offer some perspective, my World Gym at Lexington Park (facility has a pool) will have more check-ins in 15 days than Peachtree City residents who used the Kedron pool in the entire year of 2013. And by the way, there are already over 1,000 pools (private and public) currently in Peachtree City.
Many citizens over the years have told me that my numbers were simply not true, that I simply made them up. Taxpayers have told me that there is no way the city would ever allow a pool facility to be open with such low participation.
Ironically we were talking about much higher usage in those past conversations, as now it has come into light that the participation numbers are much lower than even expected.
Citizens, the taxpayers have asked for the facts and now you, yes, you the taxpayer have them. Numbers simply do not lie. Since the beginning of time, quality of a product and value of that product will always determine value. It’s a simple supply and demand equation.
The numbers are irrefutable: it is obviously apparent that our citizens see no value in the Kedron pool or a lot more would be using it. My guess is that yet again, nothing will be done, as this is the “Land of the Lost”.
Over the last 10 years when I have asked the council about the taxpayers and issues surrounding the Kedron pool, the number one response I always get from council is, “We’ve been doing it this way for 20 years …” Henceforth the problem.
As Albert Einstein said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
Dar Thompson
Peachtree City, Ga.
