Athens City Wave Pool
The City of Athens plans to construct a wave pool for the community as an
innovative alternative to the traditional lap pool. Research has shown that people
enjoy playing in the water, rather than just swimming laps. This pool will add a new
dimension to the recreation facility, while providing the community with a superior
through general obligation bonds. This amount was chosen to minimize impact on
the poor tax payers of Athens County. We believe a general obligation bond for the
pool raising a property owner’s taxes by $25 is reasonable and would successfully
pass a popular vote. The remainder of the money, totaling $780,855, will come from
various grants and ventures, which we outline below.
National Park Service Park and Recreation Grant―$500,000
The National Park Service offers grants for organizations that are adding innovative
improvements to new or existing parks and recreation facilities in low income areas.
Athens County qualifies as a low-income area and meets the grant’s requirements to
show that the needs for the citizens’ recreation cannot be met in other ways. Adding
State of Ohio Capital Improvements Appropriations―$100,000
The Ohio state legislature distributes funds to support or subsidize a variety of
capital improvement projects around the state. In 2001 the state legislature
appropriated $100,000 in state funds earmarked for the Nelsonville pool. We
Naming Rights for Facility―$30,000 ($150,000 over 5 years)
Additional funding for the wave pool may be acquired through partnership with an
individual or large corporation through selling naming rights for the pool. The
partnership is mutually beneficial: the individual/corporation boosts its reputation
as a community supporter and receives high visibility, and the wave pool receives
NatureWorks Grant―$22,575
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources sponsors the NatureWorks Grant, which
provides up to 75% reimbursement assistance for local government subdivisions for
the acquisition, development, and rehabilitation of recreational areas. The wave
pool, to be constructed under the division of Athens Parks and Recreation, falls into
Sponsorships―$150,000
Local businesses have much to gain from the addition of the wave pool, both in
visibility of their business and retail sales, from the approximately 175,000 patrons
of the wave pool per year. We propose soliciting these businesses for monetary
Sponsored Inner Tubes, PFDs, and Boogie Boards―$205,000
The wave pool will rent inner tubes, boogie boards, and approved PFDs to patrons
for a $2.00 fee. Approximately 100 inner tubes, 50 boogie boards, and 50 PFDs will
be available. Businesses may sponsor these items on a yearly basis, as this
equipment will be replaced annually for safety reasons. Inner tube sponsorships will
Waves of Change Challenge―$5,400
To spark interest among the teenage crowd in the community, the school district will
be holding a challenge for each high school homeroom to raise money for the
construction of the wave pool. There are five high schools within Athens County’s
school districts―Athens, Trimble, Nelsonville, Federal Hocking, and Alexander.
Within each high school there are an average of 30 homerooms with 20 students
each, totaling 3,000 high school students. The objective of the Waves of Change
Private Parties―$2,880
Private parties will provide an additional funding source. No fees for private parties
were found for the current Athens city pool, so Ohio University’s Aquatic Center fees
are the basis of proposed revenue from private parties. Ohio University’s Aquatic
Center rents its entire pool facility on an hourly basis at $120.00 per hour plus
employee costs. While OU’s facility is larger than the Athens Wave Pool, the novelty
Additional Suggestions for Funding
In addition to the proposed funding sources above, we suggest other creative and
promising avenues for funding. For example, other comparable facilities seek
sponsorships for items aesthetic items such as umbrellas, chairs, and tables. A small
Conclusion
In conclusion, we believe our plan is the most realistic and economically sound
option for the funding the wave pool project. Following this plan, we will be able to
generate a surplus of funds for both the initial phase and continuing livelihood of the