Ask Ry #2: No Bonds—Just Solutions
Exploring the Paths Forward for a New Camas Pool
Hiya! Back to the weekly mailbag.
Following yesterday's video on the pool, I've been inundated with a tidal wave of responses. The message resounding throughout our community is crystal clear:
Camas wants its pool back
Amid the flurry of feedback, a few key questions have emerged repeatedly, and I wanted to take a moment to address these head-on. Please keep the questions and insights flowing. I'm especially interested in learning more about events leading up to the infamous 2019 bond, the details of which I'm currently knee deep.
Thanks again for engaging so passionately on this matter. Let's dive in.
Q1: Have to admit, the thought of another bond being pushed onto us is hard to stomach. Are you saying we'll have to go down that road again for a new pool?
Hear your concern and I want to be crystal clear: No, we do not need a bond.
Because for projects under $10 million, decisions can be directly made with a Council vote. We'll want to evaluate a variety of sensible solutions, weighing the costs and benefits of each, in order to choose the most pragmatic way forward.
One approach that should be on the table is to construct in phases, so that folks could begin swimming in the short-term while additional monies are allocated over time to expand facilities.
The main point I want to emphasize is that we have means to bring back the pool our community wants, and we can do it without taking the bond route again.
Q2: We’re relatively new to Camas and were surprised to hear that there used to be a pool at Crown Park. Why is this such a big deal?
Fair question.
The old pool at Crown Park was more than just a place to swim. From the stories I’ve heard and read, it was an integral part of our community's fabric for over half a century.
Generations of residents created cherished memories there, from kids overcoming their fear of water to families spending entire sun-soaked days together between the pool and getting fries and shakes over at Top Burger.
It was a place where friendships were forged and where the community gathered to relax, play, and connect. So its loss left not just an awkward physical gap at Crown, but an emotional one in many people’s hearts. That's why there's such a deep longing to restore that sense of togetherness and joy the pool represented.
Q3: Why was there so much opposition to the city’s $78M bond?
From what I'm piecing together so far, opposition to the pool bond wasn't just about one single factor. It was a mix of things that raised eyebrows in Camas.
For starters, city council seemed super enthusiastic about the “Go Big” approach, endorsing a 20-year, $78M option—one of 12 approaches considered.
This was going to be a grand 78K square foot facility (coincidence?) with a 50-meter, Olympic-size pool. But then, out of the blue, they dropped that pool from the plans, saying it was too expensive. What had many scratching their heads was the fact that even though they ditched it, the budget didn’t go down one cent.
Now, I’m still wrapping my head around this, but it seems the way the city approached the whole thing added fuel to the fire. They wanted to borrow the whole $78M before having all the plans ironed out.
There were no completed site surveys, not enough input from taxpayers, and the financial breakdowns were a bit foggy. The mayor even mentioned that they'd figure out the nitty-gritty only after the bond got approved. Also a bad look when the mayor said, “just trust us” during a Town Hall Q&A. Felt like jumping the gun.
All these moving parts, the changing details with the price tag, made it hard for 9 out of 10 voters to trust what was going on. From the perspective of many... it just looked a bit shady. But I’m keen to dive deeper into this, get more perspectives, and understand the full story. So if anyone has more insights or docs, I’m all ears!
OK, that’s it for now. Talk to you soon.