Dear Hive Mind,

Chris Alemany🇺🇦🇨🇦🇪🇸

Dear Hive Mind,
Please answer this question for me:

You live in a small City of around 26,000 people. Is a pool facility (with swimming pools, kids people, etc) a "basic necessity”.

#PleaseBoost for reach for this extremely scientific survey. Thank you! #Polls #Pollodon

Chris Alemany🇺🇦🇨🇦🇪🇸

And if you're wondering why I am asking.... this is apparently a debate in my town because "we have lakes and rivers” so some people don't think we need a public swimming pool at all and the one we have should just rot and eventually be closed.

LETTER: Rural residents don't want city name, costs

Rural residents already pay higher user fees for city facilities, says writer

Alberni Valley News (www.albernivalleynews.com)

#PleaseBoost #Polls #Pollodon

Rylan

@chris I would call it a “basic service” that a city that size should be providing, but “basic necessity” for me would be clean water, electricity, food, shelter, etc.

Chris Alemany🇺🇦🇨🇦🇪🇸

@rylancole yes, I get it. Though it's ironic because actually, aside from water, most City's don't provide any of those things. Other providers do. We pay cities for services. So what services are a necessity?

Jamoteusz

@chris so...
if there is a lawn in my city, so there is no need to build toilets? hahaha sory

Chris Alemany🇺🇦🇨🇦🇪🇸

@Jamoteusz not if your toilet would raise muh taxes!

Shadow Heart

@chris a community's need for Third Spaces can't be understated.

Chris Alemany🇺🇦🇨🇦🇪🇸

@Sh4d0w_H34rt thank you!

Shadow Heart

@chris the small town I grew up in, closed it's pool then had to go into debt to demolish it. The community suffered from the loss of a summer hangout, and the town had a loss in revenue.

Chris Alemany🇺🇦🇨🇦🇪🇸

And here's a followup poll.

Would you live in a town without a community pool or somewhere where children can learn to swim year-round?

#PleaseBoost #Polls #Pollodon

Stéphanie

@chris I won't vote because I don't have kids. I think it's super important to have one, but it wouldn't be a deal breaker

Chris Alemany🇺🇦🇨🇦🇪🇸

@stephanie I think people without kids can have opinions about kids!You might have cousins, nieces, nephews! :+)

Stéphanie

@chris I voted for the first poll! As I said, I do think it's a basic service, and every kid should be able to learn how to swim! And with climate change, be able to cool down.

However, it would not be a deal breaker for myself

Camerondotca

@chris @stephanie learning to swim is a life skill that should be taught PRECISELY because there are lakes and rivers.

🚲

@chris I grew up in one. There was a public pool but it was a private enterprise (attached to a golf course and, ironically, now owned by the town since the town ended up buying said golf course when it went bankrupt). I never really learned how to swim beyond a “doggy paddle out of the deep end” level, and I wonder if these two facts are related.

Idealistic Pragmatist :mstdn:

@chris also, we used to BE kids! @stephanie

Russell Phillips

@chris I'm in a bigger city than that, but I have a relevant story.

Several years ago a local kid died while swimming in a lake. That prompted a huge local campaign to teach kids how to swim.

The primary school my kid went to got a temporary pool installed so they could do lessons.

So yes, I think swimming lessons, taught in a safe environment, are important.

Kevin Leecaster

@chris
What's the construction cost and annual expenses?

Chris Alemany🇺🇦🇨🇦🇪🇸

@GreenFire Unknown at this point as it goes around in rhetorical circles.

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@chris Yes, and I say this as someone who doesn't use pools. Just because they don't serve /me/ doesn't mean they don't serve the /community/.