Dearborn City Council Candidates Say Small Pools Should Remain Open

Editor's note: In September, Dearborn Patch asked residents in the community to submit questions for the 14 city council candidates to answer. The questions were emailed to all of the council candidates. Only nine responded by the requested deadline.

This is part three of a four-part series.

How do you stand on keeping the remaining small pools open?

Colette Richards:
As long as they are in working condition I believe we should keep them open. If there comes a time where substantial repairs are needed, I think we need to look  at alternate funding before deciding to do anything else.

The pools are one of the things that make Dearborn great and our young families need to have a reason to stay here. This is one of those reasons.

Tarek Baydoun:
I believe the pools are essential to Dearborn’s reputation for providing distinguished city services. We need to keep our children safe and healthy through top-notch recreational opportunities and schools.

We must expect and provide the best for our children. Dearborn has proven that through investment in our children, we can not only produce the best and brightest, but we can prevent social problems such as gangs, poverty, health problems and criminal activity.

Sharon Dulmage:
The small pool issue is something that I would need to research. I would want to see the usage and cost for this past summer. I am not willing to sacrifice city services and public safety in order to keep small pools open.

I do support having pools/splash parks in each quadrant of the city and in other areas based on location, usage and safety of people getting to them. I know that it is an emotional issue and I, like many others, would like Dearborn to be as it was many years ago but the reality is that that funding sources are not the same as they were, so everything has to be on the table and decisions must be made on fact and not emotion.

David Bazzy:
As I have stated in both private and public, the pools are important to the city of Dearborn in as they cement neighborhoods and help to stabilize housing in those areas they exist.

I have spoken out against the two large pool concept as well as splash parks replacing pools. When Ten Eyck was slated for closure I adamantly spoke out against this pool closing, and the record will show that I offered to pay 1/5 of the cost out of my pocket to keep Whitmore Bolles open, unfortunately I could not garner any further business support. In closing I am against closing any more pools.

Robert Abraham:
Dearborn is rich in services. High quality services that most communities do not provide. My goal is to prioritize these services to balance the mix that can be delivered with a balanced budget. We are fortunate to have large pools in East and West Dearborn, as well as community park pools to serve the neighborhood locations. Every effort will be made to keep the pools open and operating.

The pools remain a very important part of the recreation system and an asset that can attract and keep families in Dearborn.

Kristyn Taylor:
For the last three years, I have been a voice for and fought on behalf of the Dearborn small pools. I believe these are a valued treasure of our neighborhoods and is a part of what makes Dearborn unique.

We need to keep the pools open and re-open the two pools which were closed. The city is considering a splash pad, which I think has been rushed with old information when other creative, cost-saving ideas have not been vetted. If the pools (or similar treasures) cannot be properly maintained under the city budget, it falls to the city council to work with Dearborn residents to find a creative way to continue the support as needed.

It should not be all or nothing, and that is the situation we have come to with the pools. I would do everything I can as a Dearborn councilwoman to change that.

Mike Sareini:
I feel the city must find other ways to cut expenditures and keep the pools in the neighborhoods. The essence of higher quality neighborhoods is our community parks and recreation for the youth. We must find alternative ways to keep the parks and pools operational and I believe I can make a valuable contribution as a councilman. 

Tom Tafelski:
Make no mistake, doing so will be difficult – especially in our still-tough budgetary times. But, what is not difficult, is having the desire to listen to residents who have invested their community pride and energies in finding solutions to this issue.

Collaborating with neighborhood associations, seeking public-private partnerships and identifying grants are just a few ways, I think, we can keep the remaining small pools not only open, but thriving.

Brian O'Donnell:
I personally like the small pools, and I do feel we are beginning to optimize the number of pools and swimmers that are looking to utilize them. Having said that, in areas where the pools are now underutilized, other recreational activities such as splash parks can be explored. However, citizen input is required to assist in allocating resources to the appropriate activity.

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