2003-09-15 Regular - Laserfiche WebLink

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that historic configuration. There are no valid reasons given to now break that pledge. The CM has found that there are no city or county codes or ordinances that prohibit it. We are obligated to keep our promise stated publicly in our Council Resolution that we will preserve it. Refusal to do this is to say one thing, then do another. In marketing parlance this is a "Bait and Switch", and I ask my honorable Council Colleagues to reaffirm that integrity and credibility are still characteristics of this Council. I will vote to retain the curb...and urge you all to make this the unanimous statement from this Council, keeping the trust expected from your community. Ms. Welsch said she will vote in favor of keeping the curb and asked her Council colleagues to please consider keeping it. She repeated some items. She believes the Council's highest priority is to live up to the pledge made last September, which stated, "We will maintain the historic character of the building and pool, including the footprint and architecture." When she looked at the charge to the EDM engineering firm, she noted that nowhere did we mention maintaining the historic character, so she is not surprised that EDM, which designs many modern day pools, did not take this into consideration. She stated that U City has a unique pool and she hopes it will be maintained. As Councilmember Wagner pointed out, in the Proposition K facts, it was said the pool footprint, surrounding trees and traditional architecture are to be preserved. In the City Scape it was said the pool footprint, surrounding trees and architectural footprint are to be preserved. On the "Vote Yes for Proposition K" Flyer that went out, it talked about "fixing" the Heman Park Pool, not changing it. In the survey that we put on the web site and in the City Scape, it said "the structure of the pool will remain the same." She is not surprised that EDM did not come up with this because they did not know that we were so concerned about the historic character of the pool. She said that some of the information presented about tripping is people stating their theory, when in fact there have been seventy years of practice here with this pool, and the City Manager told us that we have no reports of people tripping over that curb. In the disability minority perspective that we received in April 2003, we said that what benefits a person with a disability in our community, benefits the entire community and she feels building a deck around the pool that is not ADA compliant is not benefiting any part of our community. She learned today from the US Department of Justice that we do not have to make this pool accessible at all, because ADA does not cover that, but the Council voted to make the pool accessible and a deck with a slope they are talking about is not an ADA-compliant slope. In some of the background information provided by the City Manager he underlined, "a truly accessible building incorporates features that address a broad range of disabilities." She argued that only people in wheelchairs are considered. We have older people, children, and other people who may have trouble walking. She suggested the slope will make it more difficult for them to walk around the whole deck of the pool. She directed everyone's attention to a letter that Mr. Moton received from Mary Furfarro, coordinator of Inclusive Services for the Mid-County Region in which she said, "Having a step around the pool is a unique characteristic. Keeping it in the plans for renovation would be a benefit for all. Some individuals would see the step as an asset. The step could be a safety feature for people with visual impairments who use a pro-cane; adolescents in wheelchairs could use the step to get Page 11